Castle Keep ?

For a siege game it would be nice to represent a cast keep...

I tinkered with an image to get something in height that wouldn't go above the top of the game table back scene; fixed it to some thin card...

Perhaps a low relief version using the image as a template ? maybe ....

Castle done..

 Finished painting all the castle sections, nice to get it finished and setup on the gaming table....

Two buildings painted ....

 The two buildings finished ...

A couple of buildings....

 While in 'construction mode', I made up a couple of buildings to use in the castle or as part of town...

time to paint all the new stuff up ......

Castle ... construction ...

Wall sections cut out from foam board; scribed thin card fixed to bottom part and card section marked out and scribed ready to cut the section roofs.  I also found a couple of suitable gates for the gatehouse.

took some time out to make some sketchy plans of corner towers and gateway....

upright framing added to the wall sections....

walls sections completed and fixed to bases, the basic structure of the lower part of the towers has been finished...

The gateway section... with temporary fixings for the gates...

The access ramp and  a small bridge.... with all sections in place - starting to look the part ....

Final fitting of the gates....

base for gatehouse top ...

next stage.... card walls and roof -  made using Wills tiles (spare bits leftover ...)

Framing finished ....

In place with access ramp ....

Started filling in the framing on the bottom of the corner towers before fitting window bars...

Building up the corner towers .... upper structure...

roofing ....

framing, roof details and finally the windows .. ..

Hoorah ! all the section done and ready for painting ....

While I'm in construction mode, I'll make a couple more buildings which could be a storehouse or barracks but which will double up for use in towns and villages.

Army Deployed ...

Clan Tidamatsu's army deployed for battle on the game table....

next phase of work on the armies is to organise them for game rules, should be by squads on 10 or 12.. still thinking on this; also rules must reflect tactics of the period to my knowledge and satisfaction.

Castle - getting started ...

Made the bases for the wall, corner tower and gate sections ... and laid out the bits of the old SYW field works I'm re-using for the forward slopes....

Tidied up the slope pieces, filling in holes and made up a section for the gateway with room for the access ramp and maybe a bridge...

Castle - prototype wall section...

 I was thinking about making a castle and how it would figure in a game; I came up with 3 or 4 scenarios. So I made up a prototype wall section from cardboard and foam board...

Using some old field work sections and one of my table riser sections - I can have a front slope for the wall...

Currently working how many sections I would need plus a gate and two corner towers for some combinations of table risers.

The last batch (?)

 The last batch of stuff for the project (for the moment ...). Some banners, defensive fencing and two teppo units (one for each army)..

what's next ...

• set up for one army deployed
• how to use the two armies for gaming battles - split them up into 3+ sonae ('regiments')
• add some more peasants and ronin
• a few more small action games
• a castle (or more likely part of one) - probably a wooden one - rather than the classic stone and big keep look

Delay the advance party ....

Game Objectives

• Local Levy of clan Tidamatsu have to delay the advance party of the invading clan Monogoto army 
• hold the village for at least 10 moves.
• Try out some basic skirmish rules.

---oXo---

The defenders wait, one of them watches the road...

In the distance he can see the advance party of the invading army ...

The advance party nears the village...

and then moves into the village slowly sending two small groups round the flanks ...

A defending bowman and musket man fire .. but miss...

The defenders rush in to hold off the main group of attackers ....

they just hold the attackers, but a couple of the defenders go down...

Out by the paddy fields, two musket men fire on the attackers  .. but miss...

On the other flank the bowman and musket man fire again .. but miss... !

The attackers push down the road a bit and attack the flanks...

The defenders still just hold the road but are coming under pressure ....

The attackers have gained the upper hand ...

The defenders fall back to re-group...

A mixed squad of musket and bowmen work their way round the outside of the village ...

The fighting on the road starts again, with the defenders calling on their reserves.....

The attackers musket and bow men fire ... three of the defenders are hit and go down ....

Out by the paddy fields the last two defenders holding back the attackers have been cut down ...

The attackers push the defenders down the road ....

Some of the defenders hold off some attackers who have nearly got behind them ...

The attackers continue to push the defenders back down the road...

The fighting stops as both side re-group...

The defenders decide they've had enough and run off ... the attackers secure their position...

---oXo---

0). Summing up

• The local levy defending the village lost 18 from a total of 26.  The defenders had to hold/delay the attackers for a minimum of 10 moves - which they did - just
• The defenders may have done better if their bowmen and musketmen could have hit a target !
• The attackers lost 2 samurai and 7 spear armed ashigaru (9 lost from a total of 24)

1)   Rules uses: a variant of my own Saxon V Vikings lightweight skirmish rules with a Samurai period flavour.

2) Stats for each side

Clan Tidamatsu - The Defenders (26)

Group 1 - Levy Ashigaru (17)

1 Samurai armoured, sword only

2 Retainers (unarmoured) with sword only 

1 Ashigaru (armoured), sword only

9 with spear + sword ( some with makeshift armour )

1 with bow and sword

3 with musket and sword 

Group 2 - Armed villagers (9)

8 Villagers with bamboo spears only 

1 Levy Ashigaru (unarmoured)

with sword.

Clan Monogoto - The Attackers (17)

1 Mounted Samurai + ningata 

4 Foot Samurai  + spear

13 Ashigaru + spear

 3 Ashigaru + bow

 3 Ashigaru + musket