Hyborian FoG Tournament

[Enakan]

Hello All!

I’ve always loved to read Robert E. Howard’s Conan series of epic fantasy stories, a long time ago I picked up a set of tabletop war-game rules for playing battles in that setting. The rules were written by author Lin Carter and Scott Bizar, they were produced by Fantasy Games Unlimited (FGU).

The rules were titled, “Royal Armies of the Hyborean Age”, subtitled “A Wargamers Guide to the Age of Conan”. The copyright was in 1975, so that Age of Heroic Gaming!

It included rules & unit descriptions for playing in that particular fantasy era.

After reading the books and the rules, I believe we can recreate battles using armies from the Field of Glory online books. Some restrictions may be included per historical army, to make them more accurate to the descriptions of the fantasy armies. Armies listed in the book that seem feasible to me are as follows:

Aquilonia - Western Medieval Army
Argos - all Infantry, archers and spearmen
Brythunia - Continental Medieval Army
Corinthia - all Pike army, Swiss?
Desert Nomads - Cavalry army, lights and mediums
Hill Tribes - All horse archer army
Hyrkania - Huns or Mongols
Khauran & Khoraja - Syrian States maybe
Koth - India, medium archers, foot, cavalry and heavy chariots
The Kozaki - All cavalry heavy and medium cavalry
Nemedia - Western Medieval Army
Northern Barbarians - Cimmerians, Vanir, Aesir - Lowland Gauls
Ophir - Syrian States
Tribes of Pictland - Ancient Britons
Shem City States - Saracens
Stygia - Ancient Egypt
Turan - Sassanid Persia maybe
Vendhya - India but no chariots or cavalry
Zamora - Arabic

Some of the outer kingdoms were not listed in the rules, the far South like the Black Kingdoms and their neighbors of Kush, Darfar, Keshan, Punt and Zembabwei, far East like Angkor and Khitai, or the Pirates who infested the waters of the the Vilayet Sea of the Western Ocean. Another notable exception is the poor kingdom of Hyperborea in the far north.

I took out a couple that seemed to be hard to fit the books, the ones above seem possible to use with various FoG lists.

Feasible for folks?

Now some armies may have special rules, I can see Picts having rules for using Very Close terrain. Some like Vendhya are Indian in flavor but only have mammoths (elephants) and foot troops. So some armies may have percentages of troop types TO use, plus some NOT to use.

Plus I like the larger battlefield for smaller army style of event, so if we get started use say 500 or 600pts of troops but on a larger 800-1000pt field.

I’d like to hear your thoughts!

Paul

[Enakan]

So for Koth it looks like Gupta Indian is closest,

No elephants in the Koth list, so whoever might want them would have to click a "Poor War Wagon" instead, it could be a rear area baggage train guard. You would have to take all four Heavy Chariots, the mailed lancers, then max out on medium melee foot, then archers. No other troop choices except maybe some light bowmen.

For Vendhya max out on mammoths/elephants, no chariots, maybe the regular cavalry for commanders, then melee foot, archers and lights. From the first Indian, Classical? list.

For the Northern Barbarians, Gallic Lowland or Hill tribes may work, Galatians though may work better. Taking two commanders as cavalry, then the rest as heavy melee foot.

Checked out Aquilonian armies, later Ordnance French seems close, the Swiss would be Gundermen pikes, longbows would be the Bossonian archers, the regular knights are there too.

Yep, I think it was a later Swiss army is best for Corinthia, no halberds only pikes. I don't think folks would mind you using the light horse or foot.

Also while building some 600pt lists, the Vendhya and Koth armies really have a lot of archers at that level. Maybe go down to 500pts???

Going back to dig up some more, any of your suggestions are most welcome!

[Enakan]

Thought about keeping it simple for now,

As in the 279 BC tournament, where one army fights a different one each round. That way one army could have a chance against all comers, and vice versa.

Maybe Aquilonia (Ordnance French) versus.......who is close up there?

Northern Barbarians, Nemedia, Koth and for the finale....

[ulysisgrunt]

Interesting idea, Perhaps you should contact 'Ironclad' who has run our Imperium campaign for a year and a half.
It has worked out very well.
Danny

[Enakan]

Thanks man!

I sent both you and him a PM on here.

[Okie]

I think that 600 pt. armies useing 1000 pt. maps is very good and your steep type armies can be used more historicaly! Just my 2 cents worth but I would love to play.I think I have every Conan book ever writen by Howard or any others.

I think for Turan you might use the Arab Conguest.
For Shem a Persian army maybe.
Zamora maybe a Byzantine army?
The Swiss are too UBER powered to use except as allies.

Do we get to pick our nation? If so I'd like Aqulonia or Turan.

[Enakan]

We might have to do a stepped tournament, have two nations fight each other, like what Kostas is doing now.

So maybe Mongols/Hyrkanians versus Arabs/Turan. Then go on to Medievals where Nemedia is fighting Aquilonia. Picts are easy, they'd be like in our current Invaders tournament.

[Enakan]

Jim/allendeuce and I are trying a couple of armies out right now,

He's using Ayyubid Egypt-early from S&S for Turanians, I am using Eastern Huns for Hyrkanians.

If you or anyone else wants to try out some combos with me, to playtest armies, let me know!

If you have the time!

[Okie]

I'm up for it! I'd like to try out an arab conguest for Turan say against Aqualonia or Namedia?

[Enakan]

Let me start digging!

You too Okie, not sure if the Ayyubids really fit the Turanian army described in the books. Might find a different army that is more true to the flavor.

[Enakan]

Jim and Okie,

I just built a new Hyborian scenario, it's a Stygian raiding force going into Kush, so quality small numbers versus a big defending horde force which is scattered all over the map.

If you want to try it out, let me know which side you want to play. I'll then put it up.

[klayeckles]

love the idea:
couple thoughts: first might i suggest avoiding all pike armies...ancient offensive spear armies were often referred to as "pike"...but i suggest that the innovations of alexander/philip came after Howards books. (let's get our "history" right here Pike armies would have big advantages against some of the more primative armies contemplated here.

seems the dacians with all the heavy weapons would be a good representation of one of the northern tribes of howard's ( it's been 40 yrs since i read the books so i don't remember who was who)

some of the persian armies with no chariots or OS?

ancient germans are a massive blob of Hvy Imp. Ft.

either way...i'm in

[Enakan]

I have the creative juices a'flowing!

Built some army lists, maybe we'll try a short 4 person stepped tournament, so we each play one person. Three steps then with various paired armies, some of which have restrictions as to which units can be used and which cannot.

Thanks Klay!

[allendeuce]

Count me in, Paul, and I would love to play another practice game.

[Enakan]

For fun then,

Okie, Jim, I"ll put up the scenario. Same password for both games, I'll take the Kushites in one, the Stygians in the other.

Password is: Hyborian

Right after the Angus report!

Paul

[Enakan]

PROPOSED HYBORIAN TOURNAMENT RULES.

For a small tournament for an even number of players. So four (4), eight (8), and so on and so on........

I will set up Hyborian matches using Field of Glory armies, there may be restrictions on the units you may use from your particular army list. For example....

For using Lowland Germans as Vanir, you may NOT take any chariots. Your leader choice will have to be SWITCHED from a chariot leader to a foot leader.

Each match will have the army restrictions (if any) listed prior to rounds starting up.

A TWIST for our small tournament.

Since you will be playing paired games, you will be assigned NOT just say 300pts per game per side, but say 800 to be used in BOTH games. You build an army using up to 60% of your points for one side, then build up to 60% for the other side.

Example: You are playing Vanir versus Cimmerians. You have 800pts available for BOTH sides. Thus, you may take 480pts for the Vanir and then only 320pts for your Cimmerians. This can simulate a defensive/offensive style of game, depending on what you take. So some NASTY Vanir are heading south into Cimmeria to get treasure and captives. They take 480pts. The defending Cimmerians only take 400pts, since they are an Even Steven kind of player. In the reverse flip side game, the Vanir only get 320pts but are facing 400pts of enraged Cimmerians!!!

Sound interesting?

Thought about using a larger army too for larger builds. So......

Build your army using an 800pt list, but with your max of 480pts, or minimum of 320pts.

We match up the winners of the first round against each other, losers against each other in the second round.

I'd appreciate some feedback for this before we actually get moving.

Will it work?

Folks interested are Okie, Jim and Klay so far.

LMK!

Paul

[allendeuce]

Sounds very interesting, Paul. As to if it will work, I'm sort of a trial and error kind of guy...so, let's try!
SOMETIMES GIVE UP, PRETEND TO SURRENDER THEN STAB 'EM IN THE BACK!!!!

[allendeuce]

What army for Kush? I don't see any listed...also, 800 pts for both armies, as in 320-480 for Stygia, then the remainder for Kush?

[klayeckles]

so for me the first goal is to have fun...
the second goal (subset of the first) is to create some cool stories
then winning is fun
seems like this could achieve all these...though for those that reverse the order, or/and want it to be "fair" and the perfect test...i'd say it it isn't for them

the 60/40 rule can create a gambit style of play...especially for newer players...if you know you are going against a tough opponent, load up one army and strip the other...and hope for a good match up and maybe get a 50-50 split.

for the old vet it creates a bit of a conundrum...how do yee defend the gambit? probably a good thing!

[Enakan]

Good then!

Glad I'm getting us to exercise our minds!!! Let me get some matches set up here, some armies nailed down.

Okie, still good for you?

Since I'll be tied up with some house guests/varmints until Sunday, give me a few to work on this!

Paul