My Mother said I never should.........

"God curse those filthy scum!"

The vodka burned deep in his belly, as he stared into the flames of his hearth. Hetman Yermak was angry, for the whole day he had been harangued by the monks demanding that he lead his men to disperse the camp of the Gypsies gathered just over the border in Ruritania. According to the holy men, the pagan beasts would be lighting bonfires, sacrificing Orthodox children and feasting on human flesh. Nonsense of course, but his men, simple creatures with simple tastes, peppered vodka, equally hot sluts, and sometimes some sort of food, believed all those scrawny wild eyed fanatics said.

Crossing the border would of course create a diplomatic exchange between the God cursed Saxon boyloving King and the  bloody Romanovs, Yermak and his clan served the Romanovs, but had precious little respect for the soft pampered fools, and his clan lived through raiding and brigandry. No what made his stomach uneasy was the rumours of witchcraft practiced by the Romanies. Some of their men were indeed tough fighters, and their women could tear a man's eyes from his face if they got a chance, but they were as nothing compared with the wolf creatures, claimed by some to be bewitched warriors, said to guard the Witch Queen.

The women though! God a man might die taming those bitches, but a real man could take them and enslave them for his pleasure, and then he would experience pleasures beyond the imagination of any Christian man. It was said that the gypsy women were trained in erotic secrets hidden for over a thousand years and known to none other ........ and then there was the gold ...... everyone knew they carried the wealth of their clan with them, and as bandits and thieves of reknown the treasure would be very great! And if there was one thing he valued more that hot women, it was gold.

A smile grew slowly over his scarred bearded face, the sweat glistening on his shaven brow, as he reached for the dregs of the vodka. Tomorrow, the Cossacks will ride and our enemies shall tremble.


The field of action.

The battlefield was as usual my dining table rather than the recommended metre square; with a river, the Ruritanian border, running along the length and having two crossing points, a bridge and a ford which can be crossed without hinderance by mounted troops. There are farm houses scattered around the table each with various villagers and a doctor. These individuals will not fight unless they are attacked or fired on as per the IHMN rules. If they do become involved in the action I will follow the Inherent Military Probability approach, decide what options they could take from do nothing, run away, stand form and fight etc, and then roll a dice to decide. If they run away I throw a direction dice so they are really wild cards.

The Gypsies are in two groups, the first on the top of the hill by a circle of standing stones where they are celebrating a religious festival of some importance led by the Witch Hag Veena. A small group remain at their camp including their clan leader Groos Voltov, and the performing bear and handler.

The Cossacks attack in two groups all mounted initially. The first group rode straight down the main road to attack the hill. The second group crossed the ford and rode for the hill flank. A group of orthodox monks accompany the Cossacks but are dismounted and so follow on the main attack.

The game

On move one the Cossacks were given a free move on to the table. Each group of gypsies threw a die to see if they spotted the approaching threat. The group on the hill were obviously busy with their dancing and did not spot the Cossacks, but the campsite group sounded the alarm.

Move two and the Gypsies gain the initiative and as the Cossacks move over the bridge in column to form line between the farms. The gypsies meanwhile lined the crest of the hill, or run toward the road from the camp. The bear is activated by his handler and released from his stockade. The Cossacks threw dice as they passed the farms to see if they stopped off for a bit of pillage, but they passed their pluck rolls (with added Leadership factors) and carried on.

Move three and again the Gypsies gain the initiative. strangely some of the gypsy fighters on the hill seem to be falling to the grounds, moaning and clawing the ground as the Cossacks drive their mounts up the steep hill. In the background a group of panting sword wielding monks plod up the road. Groos Voltov and a gypsy fighter move to the flank of the cossacks attacking the hill and cock their pieces while Turk the massively built smith ambles along behind them.

Move four and all Hell breaks lose! The Cossacks crash into contact to be met by a storm of thrown knives none of which finds a target. Groos Voltov yanks the trigger of his blunderbuss .... misfire! His accompanying fighter fires his pistol at point blank range .... misfire! On the hill Zoltan Bled leds rip with his pistol bringing down a cossack pony, as two other riders are thrown from their mounts thanks to a spell cast by the Hag. Gypsy fighters have transmuted into huge Hellhounds, but one is transmuted again into a kebab by a cossack lance. The stunned cossacks are set upon by screeching barely clothed gipsy girls who tear at the men's eyes with their nails.

At the base of the hill Groos Voltov cast aside his failed blunderbuss, drew his sabre and hacked at the nearest cossack, only to have his blade parried and then snap in two. The cossack lance failed to pierce his armoured chest but stunned the chief meanwhile the cossack was knocked from his mount by the gypsy fighter. Turk and a gypsy swordsman ran at the cossacks guarding the bridge splitting his attack, hacking down one with his hammer, while the other stuck him with his lance sending the smith into a bersek rage ..... whoops! The second group of cossacks are closing in from the flank.

Move 5 -Voltov grabs up his blunderbus and recharges the flashpan! On the hill the Hag witch attempts to recast her spell but falls to the ground stunned as around her the fighting grows desperate, stunned cossacks rise to their feet slashing wildly, and unarmoured dancers fall wounded. The gipsy fighters respond and cossacks fall again to the ground as the savage Barghast hounds tear at their throats and arms. At the bridge Turk swings wildly in a bersek rage, driving back his opponents. Voltov tugs the trigger of his weapon and a hail of lead drives from thr bell mouth of the blunderbuss, lifting two cossacks from their saddles even as they levelled their lances for impact. Two cossacks level their carbines and shoot at the bear, they hit, but only serve to enrage the creature which charges at them.

Move 6, the Cossacks on the hill attempt to disengage from the melee, but are unable to break away, and the confused fighting continues. The bear smashes a cossack from his saddle, and is further enraged by the slashes of the other cossack's sabre. On the hill a barghest is pinned to the grass, howling in it's death throws, but the other fighting is inconclusive. There is no firing as weapons are empty and everyone is engaged in fighting or on the ground.

Move 7 The  Hag again attempts to cast a spell but her target resists the enchantment and the confused fighting continues. The bear and it's handler finish off one of the cossacks on the ground, and turn to face the remaining opponent. Voltov and his companion move towards the bridge where Turk is struggling to fight off the fanatic monks and a group of cossacks.

Move 8 - and it is all melee, the bear and handler slash at the cossack knocking him down, the hag attempts a heartwrenching spell but fails to overcome the cossack fighter. Turk is unable to make progress at the bridge, while Voltov is knocked to the ground by a wild eyed screaming monk. On the hill Zoltan Bled hacks down a cossack breaking their line.

Move 9 - The Hag succeeds in casting a Mesmerise spell and a cossack turns to hack at his sword companion.Voltov leaps from the ground fuming with embarrasment, "I slipped on horse shit!" he claims loudly as he closes in on his opponent seconded by a fighter. The bear plays with the raglike body between his paws but failing to deal a mortal blow. Turk with a massive roar, and soaked in blood from a dozen wounds, swings his hammer in a fatal arc that smashes down the monks on the bridge. The remaining cossacks manage to fight off Voltov and his companion and search desperately for an escape route. On the hill, Zoltan falls to the ground stunned, even as he drives his blade into the chest of his opponent. The Hag is knocked to the ground but the remaining cossacks are surrounded and fighting desperately as the dancers, barghasts and fighters close in on them!

"Bastards! The Hell spawned stinking bastards!" Hetman Yermak lay stunned, his leg trapped beneath his horse's bloody body. Who would have believed that a bunch of slug eating gypsy scum could defeat his warriors, well, next time it will be a different story. He would bring his whole command, and even some of the Romanov infantry...... that will teach the bastards! But first he has to get away, before the Gipsy bitches find him with their razor sharp knives, he had seen the flayed emasculated victims of their little games before and he would not end his days that way.

Struggling to release his leg he failed to hear the soft, stealthy approach behind him. The first, and last thing he knew of his danger was the stench, the moist, rancid stench and the  low deep rumbling roar as a dark shadow fell across him. His scream of horror was lost, muffled by the closing jaws of the huge bear!

Conclusions

This turned out to be an interesting game, dominated by hand to hand fighting as most figures had muzzle loaders and precious little time to reload. The cossacks were not as good in close combat as I thought they might be (unless I missed something in the rules) and I think I will add some advantages for mounted troops charging into contact, especially with lances in the first round of fighting.

The villagers played no part in the game at all this was due to dice rolls not my actions, if they had joined in the battle would have been over before it began,

Adding Romanov troops to the cossack forces will give them much needed fire support next time.

Most of the figures in the game are from the Westwind Gothic ranges that have lain hidden in my cupboards since I bought them years ago for my son, but he decided computer games were his bag. The best painting illustrated is by Peter Rowley from Birmingham, again vintage work, but you can understand why I could not let these models go to a new home.

The cossacks have been purchased over the years from E bay and from Big Battalions. The rest are my own poor efforts!

The lists I used for the game are below and are a mixture of my own Ruritanian lists and those published in IHMN Gothic scenarios.

Gypsies V Cossacks

Cossacks

Type	Pluck	SV	FV	Speed	Talents	Basic Equipment
Hetman Yermak	+3	+1	+2	-	Gunslinger, duellist, Leadership +3 Trickriding cavalryman	Pistols, sword dagger, lance mail shirt
Orthodox monks	+3	-	+4	+2	Iron will, Impervious, Leadership +2, medic	Sword, dagger, axe
Stenka Bulavin	+3	+2	+3	+2	Tough,lightning draw,Trickriding cavalryman	2 pistols sword dagger, brigandine 8 carbine
Shrukro	+2	+1	+2	+2	Tough,duellist Trickriding cavalryman	2 pistols sword dagger, mail shirt 10 Musket
Krasnov	+4	-	+4	+2	Tough, Berserk, Trickriding cavalryman	2 pistols sword dagger, brigandine 8 musket
Cossacks	+5	+1	+2	+1	cavalryman	2 pistols ,sword ,dagger ,rifled carbine, lance, brigandine 8

Gypsies

Type	Pluck	SV	FV	Speed	Talents	Basic Equipment
Grooss Voltov	+3	-	+2	-	Impervious, Tough, Terrifying, iron will	Blunderbuss, sword, dagger, mail shirt Revolver
Hag Veena (Mother)	+3	-	-	+1	Leadership +2, Medic, Mystic powers, transform, curse	Staff, dagger (may be poisoned)
Aunt	+4			+1	Leadership +1, Curse, Medic, up to 10 pts mystical powers	Fighting knife (may be poisoned)
Zoltan Bled (Champion)	+2		+4	+2	Tough, Berserk,  impervious, lightning  draw	Sword, revolver, dagger,
Gipsy fighters	+4	+1	+2	+2	Transform talent to become Barghest. May become duellist if armed with sword marksmen, skirmish	Brigandine 8, Dagger, sword, muzzle loading musket or pistol or crossbow
Dancers	+5	-	+1	+2	Beguile,	Dagger, throwing knife
Bear	+4	0	+4	+2	Terrifying, Berserk, tough,  stealthy	Thick fur counts as brigandine, claws and bite count as dagger
Barghest	+3		+3	+2	Horror	Thick hide (Brigandine 8) Bite (FV +2 Pluck -1), flaming
Gypsies	+5		+1	+1	Tough	Fighting knife, musket, pistol blunderbuss

Villagers

Type	Pluck	FV	SV	Speed	Talent	Equipment
Farmer	+4	-	+1	-	Tough	Club,dagger,shotgun/musket, revolver
Farmhand	+5	+1	-	-	Tough	Farm implement, club, dagger
Boy	+4	-	-	+3		Club, stone
Farmers Wife	+5	-	-	-	Tough	Club
Doctor	+3	-	-	-	medic	swordstick