SoBH - The Mausoleum

Arabiansquire every now and again mentions doing some gaming again, but then slopes off his teen den to play Halo with his pals! With the shed table all set up from Frostgrave I took the opportunity to suggest a game. Happily the ArabianQueen also decided to play, possibly her first wargame in fact (or at least the first I can remember!).

For familiarity and ease of play I decided core "Song of Blades and Heroes" was the game of choice and set up 3 basic 300pt forces:

• Wood Elves (ArabianQueen): Leader, 2 archers and 4 warriors (I dropped the forester special rule as the board had no forests!)
• Barbarians (ArabianSquire): Leader, 1 Cavalry, 5 Warriors
• Ratmen (Me!): Leader, Standard Bearer and 8 warriors

A single magic scroll was placed on top of the central structure. Whoever could grab it and make ift off table was the winner.

The Elves started mid table side and the other forces at the opposite side corners. The Elves started by pushing forward through the gap towards the prize.

The ratmen swarmed through gaps in the walls towards the table centre. Amidst the wail of teenage angst, the barbarians laboured their way amidst early turnovers.

Wasting no time, an elven archer races up the ruin towards the scroll, whilst the others stand guard.

Half the rat force reach the steps and begin their ascent.

The other half dash round the ruin to try and cut off any escape.

Ratmen swarm to the structure top, viewing the meagre elven numbers and eyeing up the scroll tucked into the archers belt.

The barbarians finally arrive at the party, bnu tin prime position should any scroll carrying elves "just happen" to be passing by.

A well aimed elven arrow stumbles theBarbarian horseman and a Woodelf warrior chrges in to take advantage. The felled cavalryman is tough though and knocks his assailant to the ground before regaining his feet\hooves and finishing the job.

Meanwhile a couple of Wood Elf Warriors are holding back the Ratmen and Barbarians up above and the archer begins her escape.

On the ground, a third Elven Warrior rushes to a bottleneck at the ruin corner to try and hold off the advancing ratmen.

Elf and Ratman clashes leave both warriors on the floor. A barbarian decides to take advantage, and charges in, gruesomely killing the fallen Elf (cue previous Teen angst being replaced with glee). The resulting morale tests see the scroll carrier hold her ground, but her support (Wood Elf Leader and other archer) take a single fleeing movement towards the table edge.

But sometimes these "failures" can turn to advantages. Rolling maximum dice activations all the way, the Scroll carrier moves down the stairs and hands the scroll to her Leader who is now a sprint from the table edge and victory. The 3 activation dice are tensely rolled and passed, and the Wood Elf Leader rushes off with the scroll and victory.

A good fun game, showing again that SoBH can be simple and great fun for veteran and newcomer alike. I think I will make a point of re-using table set-ups in this way for future weekend family games.