Having enjoyed the previous tournaments run by Chris Grice, I had been enthused enough to suggest that I might be able to run something myself this year. Well it wasn’t such an easy thing to do when I sat down and started thinking about it properly. My original ideas were a little grandiose, and were more suited to a PBM campaign than a two game tournament (I’d already decided I wanted to follow Chris’s format of two games).
What I’ve finally come up with is a large skirmish game, hopefully with an interesting twist or two, based on medieval warbands. Each player will design two sets armies made up of warbands - one army worth up to 100 points for the first game, the second worth up to 60 points for use in the second game. The first army will be given a task, depending on how well/badly they do at that task will decide the format of the second game. Armies can be selected as fewer points (probably sensible to think first army minimum 60, second army minimum 40 points), and the level of victory / defeat will be modified to reflect any difference in army strengths. At this point all I need from interested parties are two army lists for each army. Each army is made up of bands of men of total value 20 points maximum. Select in the following manner:
Ill trained man with spear, blade & shield: 1 point
Average man with spear, blade & shield: 2 point
Above average man with spear, blade & shield: 3 point
Leader type with spear, blade & shield: 4 point
To give a man a bow: 1 point
To give a man medium armour: 1 point
To give a man heavy armour: 2 points
To give a man a horse and lance: 2 points
So, a band of 18 ill trained men led by an average man would be 20 points, a heavily armoured leader with a lance mounted on a horse is 8 points on his own. Each band of men must have at least one person of a training band higher than the rest of the band (it follows that there can only be 1 leader per band).
It would make things more interesting if bands are described other than as average HI with spear – either a brief invented background or a tie-in to historical armies of the late dark ages/early medieval period would be the best. It isn’t compulsory; it would just make it more interesting for me!
I can probably manage to do this for 20 players or so (Kenn & Chris your places are already reserved!). All communications should include a Stamped Self Addressed Stamped Envelope, otherwise the game is free. Get those lists together, and send to: Jonathan Aird.
Tournament only open to SWA members only. MagWeb.com members must be direct members of the SWA to participate--another good reason for joining the SWA. 1 Year SWA membership is $25: To Rich Barbuto, SWA, 1707 Ridge Rd., Leavenworth, KS 66048. --RL
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