Magna Acies! in the Medieval Age

Some days ago Gianni and me have tried to play a Medieval battle with Magna Acies! for the first time.

Forgetting for a moment the Antiquity, we have decided to explore the age of the Crusades, in particular the Third Crusade.

We have needed to develop specific "army lists" for the Crusaders and Muslims armies, and there has been a very complex email traffic between Gianni and me in the days before the fight!

The battle has been very interesting, with the Muslims trying to use in the best effective way their major agility and "firepower", while the Crusaders were attempting to deploy their infantry in order to save the knights for a final massive attack against the enemy lines.

But the Muslim mounted bowmen have been very effective, and the Christian army has suffered lots of casualties.

The final effort of the knights has proved not so effective, so the Muslims have won the battle, which has been played with 15mm figures owned by Gianni.

The game has been very pleasant and quite balanced; now we have to further develop the "army lists" and to improve the rules in order to magnify the "command and control" function over the impetuous units.

I'm sure that other medieval battles will follow in the very very next future ...

The beginning of the battle (Muslims in the right, with the mounted bowmen moving ahead from behind in column in order to outflank the Crusaders)

Muslim levies and heavy cavalry

Muslim medium infantry and mounted bowmen

Foot Templar knights

Templars and Hospitalier knights

The outcome of the battle: Muslim mounted bowmen surrounded the Christian knights

Roman and Alamannic command groups

I'm at the last steps of my work regarding the battle of Strasbourg.

Now it's time to show you my last effort: the commanders.

As I have explained in my last post, I have had to "invent" the generals, due to the lack of specific figures of commanders related to the IV century a.D..

I have used some pieces coming from the Italeri set "Gothian cavalry" both for the Alamannic king (Cnodomar) and for Julian himself.

I have also created a Roman standard bearer carrying a "vexillum" with the portrait of the Emperor Constantius II: at the time of the battle, Julian was "caesar", and not still "emperor".

So, the following is the result of my work: take a look!

Caesar Julian with his "staff"

King Cnodomar and "staff"

Roman sub - General 1

Roman sub - General 2

Alamannic sub - General

 

Alamannic command groups

I'm near the end of my work, so now I need command groups for the two armies at Strasbourg.

Unfortunately in the market there aren't specific models for this purpose, so I have to invent something by myself. 

Speaking of the Alamannic commanders, I have started from the usual Miniart set, but I've taken some piece also from the Italeri "Gothian cavalry" set (nr. 6138).

The latter is very well realized in terms of sculpting and moulding, but there are some important mistakes, such as the stirrups and a sort of "mix" appearance of the models, someone resembling a Gothic, someone other a Roman, someone other also a Mongol ... A strange set, but very well executed, technically speaking.

Anyway, I have changed some pose, in order to accommodate flags in the hands, then I have added crests on the helmets and cloacks to the main leaders.

Most important: I have added the thumb finger to the right hand of king Cnodomar (I hope it will not look like a revolver ...)!

The last additions are made in epossidic plaster.

About the flags, I don't know anything about the shape of an Alamannic or Gothic flag, so this is just fancy ...