Middle age has many compensations. They include not having to fret about your career or image, not that either really motivated yours truly. The real down side is that when you view the world around us you often feel powerless to intervene. Gone are the days when you contemplated actually going to fight the godless or even raise funds for some deserving cause. Although I do feel I have contributed to the heroic struggle of the Y.P.G. through my consumption of kebabs. How strange therefore that my favourite wargaming army are the Fanatical Berbers of North Africa who were beheading captives and murdering the defenceless long before their leperous modern day equivalents.

Spearman are a safe bet in L’Art de la Guerre. I went for a strong centre of supported spear, with medium swordsmen on the left in the fields. To my right I positioned my mercenary Christian knights and a screen of javelin armed jinetes.

Richard from the Cardiff Club had brought along his own supported spearmen from the Taifa states. On both the flanks his feudal Spanish army had six elements of knights.  He wasn’t going to be skirmishing, his generals took the option of joining the fighting units. This saves points but once battle is joined, generals have a tendency to get into the trouble.

Richard was the attacker and within two turns he had closed the gap between us. My black swordsmen had made it to the fields of cabbages but my jinetes would have to rely on their evade moves.

Above is the result of the flank fighting. The knights were through and heading for the Berber camp. Light horse really motor in LADG, their evade can quite easily take them off the board. Once stripped of their mounted support, my swordsmen had also to fall back.

The black robed spearmen hold off the decadent Andulusians but it was on the flank that the battle would be decided…..

My jinetes had javelins so benefited from “impact” in combat. Although I surrounded the Spanish Knights , they just would not die! Even when flanked and attacked in the rear!Richard skillfully rolled up my spearwall from my left and it was all over. A really memorable game and I thank my worthy opponent! Please help……

And now a new section of our legendary blog entitled “News from around the world of Despertaferres”

Rob “the Hun” James has just sent in these latest pictures of the Chalons game recreated in sunny Norwich this very weekend. Portentously, a Hunnish victory for the master of the shooty light horseman…..

 Thanks for sharing what looks to be an epic clash!

Thanks for reading and remember to stay tuned for a bumper crop of battle reports this week and the Bros flames of war competition held this weekend.