The Wargaming World of Nozza

For this game, we chose to play the final scenario from the Chivalrous Bum ruleset: “ The Desperate Stand at Duncan House. ” In this encounter, John P commanded the Merrymen, who were tasked with rescuing a noble lady held captive by the treacherous Lord Duplici. Opposing them, I led a force of Normans determined to prevent the Merrymen and rescue the noble lady. We introduced a small but impactful modification to the published scenario. At the end of each turn, Lord Duplici’s forces would unleash a volley of arrows at the nearest visible figures, regardless of allegiance. This meant that both the Merrymen and the Normans had to contend with the unpredictable and indiscriminate threat posed by Duplici’s men, adding an extra layer of tension and tactical complexity to the game. Additionally, we added a dynamic control element: if either the Merrymen or the Normans were defeated, their player would immediately assume command of Lord Duplici’s forces for the remainder of the battle. This...

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been experimenting with the relatively new Army Painter Speedpaint markers, and I have to say they’ve proven to be a really handy addition to the hobby toolkit. One of the biggest advantages is convenience, as there’s no need for water, no brush clean-up afterwards, and you can easily pick them up for a quick session while doing something else (I’ve found them perfect for a bit of painting in front of the TV). That ease of use makes them very accessible and encourages more frequent, shorter painting sessions. As a result, they’ve noticeably sped up my overall output. For me, that’s a big win and anyone who knows me knows I paint primarily for relaxation and to get models ready for the tabletop, rather than aiming for display-level perfection. I’m not someone who wants to spend days or weeks on a single figure, so anything that helps get decent results efficiently is a welcome addition. Which brings me neatly onto these figures. They’re Urban War Tria...

This game was actually played a few weeks ago, but a recent holiday delayed the write-up. We played Scenario 3: Hold the High Ground from the Chivalrous Bum rules, where the aim was to control any of the three hills - earning one victory point per hill held uncontested at the end of each round. Once again, it was Normans versus Merrymen. Turn 1 Both sides rushed forward in a scramble to seize the hills. Strong movement rolls saw the Normans surge ahead, quickly securing two of the objectives. Meanwhile, a lone Merrymen archer managed to clamber onto a hill and claim it. Running Score: Merrymen 1, Normans 2. Turn 2 Little John, Friar Tuck, and an archer charged up one of the Norman-held hills. “Up the slope, lads - drive them off!” bellowed Little John as arrows hissed overhead. The Norman soldiers braced. “Hold the line!” one shouted, as they weathered the storm of shots and blows, striking back when they could and refusing to give ground. On the hill claimed by the lone Merrymen arc...