On Monday, Feb. 15, a small group of the Jackson Gamers assembled at Jim's church hall to give the "To the Strongest!" rules another try. Jim provided his vintage 15mm early Medieval armies composed of a Norman force based in Southern Italy led by Count Robert "Guiscard" de Hautville and a Byzantine force led by Basil, the Katapan of Langobardia. We played two games since the rules go very swiftly. Both were basically encounter battles with each side's forces drawn up in battle array. The Normans won both games, handily beating up on the Byzantines.
Here are a few photographs showing the action in the second game:
Action in the center with Byzantines on the left rear and Normans on the right front.
One of Jim's Norman cavalry units tries to move but draws an Ace (no activation)! Thus ends Jim's turn before it begins.
Papal allies of the Normans attack the Byzantines in the center with Swabian axemen about to cross a low ridge. In the background there is confused fighting between Byzantines and Normans around a small village.
Jim's Norman spear units advance against some Byzantine scutatoi.
Normans (on right) press their attacks against the Byzantines.
Jim's forces are mounted on 80mm x 40mm bases originally for the "Vis Bellica" rules which we no longer use. They've been unused for many moons until "To the Strongest!" rules came along. Now they can be brought out with each base being a single unit. Good to see them again.