From time to time I have to produce a wargame scenario for utter newcomers, the vaguely interested and those who need to be occupied while visiting! Yet I also like to have a range of rather different skirmish or solo options around for short games and this is an example of a recent encounter with a review sample figure which led me to create a small ‘fantasy’ (if that’s the right word) force.
So few people wargame ‘Winter’ wars, which have some interesting movement restrictions, weapon effectiveness problems, range and other limitations to make an unusual game. After all, not all battles were fought on a Summer’s day. Snow and ice are interesting terrain options too and as some readers will know, I often try to add a ‘science-fiction’ or ‘fantasy’ element to my existing historical scenarios since these days so many people will turn up at events knowing what a wargame is, but basing that knowledge around Games Workshop material.
Now I’ve always liked the idea of wolves. That chapter in “The Hobbit” entitled ‘Battle of the Five Armies’ has a powerful wolf force involved, while one of my successful seasonal games had a force of Cossacks c1570 overwhelmed by a mass of wolves just outside a fortified Russian trading post. So, I had a few packs of 15mm wolves to hand, from Peter Pig’s range 19 -pack 8 costing £1.60 and with 8 running wolves; also from ERM’s ‘Evil Gong’ series, pack MON11 has 8 good ‘lupus’ at only £1.50. There are a few other ‘wolf’ types around which are big, but not really suitable for this purpose, but one 15mm example from TTM is heftier than the other two ranges (MFM14 at 15p for an individual figure) and suitable for an ‘alpha male’ or pack leader.
Wolves have an immense habitat from the Arctic across North America and Canada and throughout most of Eastern and Northern Europe and Asia including Siberia and range far and wide in search of food. Their persistent enemy is man.
Wolves always live in packs and such packs can be up to 30 in number or as small as 7 to 10. They hunt and fight together. Status is as complex in wolves as in man, while the ‘lone wolf is almost invariably a young male and keeps well in the background from other wolves and humans. Arctic wolves have white fur all year round to act as camouflage while hunting (easy to paint!) while grey wolves are best sprayed white and then have brownish-grey stipple added over the back and legs, with touches of black at ears and mouth and tail.
No problem creating a wolf pack, obviously, so where’s the ‘fantasy’ element? It comes in the form of Mick Yarrow’s new 15mm MY Miniatures ‘Vinland’ range of Native American Indians, Innuit and Vikings… “Done Vikings! Years ago!” many readers will now be saying. Not like this, however. Take a look at VKO4 in the ‘Vinland’ range. It’s a pack of 4 ‘berserkers’ and 4 ‘wolfmen’. Hm!
The ‘wolfmen’ are superb and have added an important touch to my wolves. There are a couple of variants, but the basic figure is clad, head, arms and body to the knee in a complete wolf-skin - even a tail. Running pose, with right hand drawing a sword or ax and left hand open suitable to add a spear or second weapon. A few have round small shields added to their backs, and the lower legs can be bare or clad. They are a valuable addition to my wolves.
‘Wolfmen’ have a long mythology, from the ‘Romulus & Remus’ story to ‘werewolves’ (you can actually buy a werewolf figure in 15mm from TTM, its MFM1O at l5p) and in some Siberian tribes the wolf was worshipped and propitiated. The Vikings who chose this mode of dress were far from unique, and the fearful dread of any man becoming part wolf also has a long history.
I painted my ‘wolfmen’ as grey and white wolves, with weapons and lower limbs of a ‘human’ ownership and appearance. The shield bearers were a problem, dark brown/black shields for musk ox fur, painted or bright metal burnished. Difficult to choose.
Using men and wolves in conjunction is also easy enough. Fairly fast moving groups in raiding scenarios-such as Vinland, give the wolves an opportunity to attack horses or livestock and mill around causing havoc, while the wolfmen attack defenders or warriors. One game I’ve played out several times with success is an attack on a caravan of sledges en route for a small fort. The wolves must kill the horses and slow or stop the caravan down before it reaches the safety of the fort, or is able to alert the garrison to sally and help.
Another small scenario I tried was the wolves and men heading away from a successful raid, the men burdened with booty pursued by mounted Cossacks; and I think that the numbers need to be carefully limited. It’s best played as a skirmish or as part of a larger game where the wolves and Wolfmen are involved in opportunist attacks behind the lines in someone else’s war. Say three packs of wolves, about 24-25 with an ‘alpha’ and maybe a dozen wolf men seems ample to me. No use pitting a Regiment against them either, they’ll just melt away, though the idea of wolves vs. hunting dogs and warriors/troops on both sides is one I haven’t yet tried, it clearly has great potential. The men and the ‘alpha’ wolf are the key naturally and if sufficient men and the pack leader can be killed…!
MY Miniatures ... 01430-431009 (SAE for lists. Peter Pig’ ...01305-760384.
East Riding Miniatures .... 01482-445215. and TTM on 020 90486978.
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