Well, another postal tournament has rumbled to a close. Once again the braver of Lone Warrior’s members have come forward to pit their skill against each other and risk their wargaming reputation against an unseen opponent and brave the handicap of my dodgy dice throwing.
You may remember that this tournament was set in Renaissance Italy, and saw our heroes take on the mantle of a captain of condottiere, defending their employer’s city against the aggression of a similar city across the valley.
Each player was given 1,000 ducats to spend to recruit his forces, and had to split them between two possible routes; the High Road, which led through the hills and woods; and the Low Road, leading through marshes and farmland.
The player split their forces as follows, with the amount of money spent indicating the relative size of the two forces:
| Player | High Road | Low Road |
|---|---|---|
| Terry Preen | 320 | 680 |
| Anthony Spencer | 400 | 597 |
| Martin Hogg | 500 | 500 |
| Henry McLaughlan | 510 | 490 |
| John Barnard | 350 | 650 |
| Thomas Morgan | 545 | 455 |
| Jack Squires | 492 | 492 |
| Jonathan Aird | 270 | 730 |
| Geoff Barker | 390 | 610 |
| Marvin Scott | 530 | 470 |
Each player then fought two battles, one on each road, against a randomly-drawn opponent. The total of their scores for these battles was:
- Terry Preen 34
Anthony Spencer 53
Martin Hogg 29
Henry McLaughlan 48
John Barnard 33
Thomas Morgan 13
Jack Squires 16
Jonathan Aird 57
Geoff Barker 48
Marvin Scott 28
So, I hereby declare Jonathan Aird as the worthy winner. Congratulations to him and commiserations to the runners-up.
The players of Tournament III were a nice mix of new recruits and grizzled veterans of previous tournaments. As in Tournaments I and II, many of the players assigned characters to their generals and issued inspiring speeches to their armies. (Generally making things more interesting for the poor umpire.) Of the characters, I particularly liked Marvin Scott’s stern Calvinist - OK, perhaps a bit ahead of his time, but doesn’t “Fall upon the heretic and smite him, hip and thigh!” sound much more interesting than bland old “Charge the enemy to your front”?
Oh, and I’m still hoping someone else will take up the baton and run Tournament IV, so I can have a go and see how it feels!
Finally, thanks again to all those who took the time to take part.
[I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of the Solo Wargamers Association, to thank Chris for all the hard work he has put in over the years in running these tournaments. I missed out on this one due to external pressures, but know just how much fun a gamer can have joining in. I have said before and will now reiterate that it is the cheapest form of wargaming I know; no figures required; no computer; no terrain, etc., etc. All you need is a pen, some paper and a stamp! Chris on a personal note, THANKS and I look forward to your next tournament. One question, what is and when/how does one become a “grizzled veteran”? Kenn]
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