The First Crusade (Hail Caesar) - 01 (Ambush on the Village Road)

[@jacktodd5648]

idea for a scenario: Find a Holy explosive from the nearby city of Antioch. Winner faces off against an angry Rabbit.

[@7thson726]

Well, this has to happen now 😁

[@geebards]

Very entertaining. You've really helped me realize I don't need huge armies for new periods. I like Hail Caesar so it's better to follow than rules I understand. Keep them coming.

[@7thson726]

Really appreciate that 👍 thanks for taking the time to comment

[@nowhere3600]

I know this was 6 months ago, but it's the push I needed to get some members of my group to get their HC out and start playing games of it, so thank you! Excellent report, really had my interest after the first 10 minutes, and I look forward to checking out the rest of your content!

[@7thson726]

Welcome aboard, thanks for taking the time to comment 😁👍 there will be more 1st Crusade coming (I've just done a project update actually) in fact we have a little narrative campaign in mind

[@nowhere3600]

​@@7thson726 Thank you! you're most welcome. I'm still catching up, but I'm glad to hear there's more content coming! perfect to watch whilst painting :) For the 1st Crusade, do you recommend HC? or would you recommend a different system?

[@7thson726]

@@nowhere3600 we really enjoy Hail Caesar as it's a bit of a sandbox game that's easily adaptable 👍

[@paulspaintshed3511]

Excellent game with fantastic looking units guys.

[@7thson726]

Glad you enjoyed it bud 👍

[@petercruickshank9633]

Excellent as always looking forward to hail Caesar second addition to clear up a few grey areas

[@7thson726]

Definitely 👍

[@MiniatureRealms]

Great stuff, minis and table look awesome as well.

[@7thson726]

Thanks mate, glad you enjoyed it 😁

[@sartanawillpay7977]

Great game and miniatures - entertained as always by these high quality videos. . A couple of rules notes: 1) open order troops are not permitted to charge formed infantry or cavalry. Thus the charge by open order cavalry against the Crusader cavalry shouldn't have happened (at least with the rules as written). 2) open order units fight with a -1 hit modifier in melee. The open order cavalry charged by the crusaders at the end of the game should have been hitting on 5+ not 4+. 😁 Of course, if someone watched a video of my game they would also spot things I do wrong. For example I never caught, until you mentioned it here, that the excess casualties on shaken units were dropped only after a break test, I had been just dropping them at the end of the melee.

[@7thson726]

Glad you enjoyed it 👍 no problem, its actually the first time despite years of playing Hail Caesar that I've used open order troops in any real capacity. You're spot on, so they can charge other open order troops and a few other exceptions but not formed units. Yeah you're totally right on thebsecond point about the charge, again, getting used to the open order modifiers 🙂 The casualties thing is odd, thats how i read the rules, others i know discard them but to me thats not how it reads as you only take a breal test if you loose the combat (or draw and you were shaken) and its entirely possible to win a combat, be shaken and have excess casualties 👍

[@BrushQuill]

The true ambush was by Martin's dice rolls! Great game guys!

[@7thson726]

Haha this is true 😀 i feel like they lull me into a false sense of security

[@bickercity6392]

Really enjoyed this. That intro slaps.

[@7thson726]

Cheers dude 😁👍

[@fogh]

Fabulous game, I really enjoyed watching that 👍. Again demonstrating what an exciting and playable game you can have with HC using relatively small armies, with low figure counts, on a regular sized table. Who wouldn’t want to play that - lovely stuff.

[@7thson726]

Thanks very much mate, really glad you enjoyed it 👍

[@cumbria99]

Very interesting, great to see.

[@7thson726]

Thanks very much 👍

[@andrewdad10]

The long anticipated, crusades. This looks epic! It is nice to see some branching out, but still keeping it English!

[@7thson726]

Glad you enjoyed it 👍

[@levsharus5899]

One of the best AARs I've seen on HC. Keep going.

[@7thson726]

Thanks so much, so pleased you enjoyed it, we had a great time playing 👍

[@josephcade6425]

Love the Crusades period, great start! Your armies look superb.

[@7thson726]

Thanks very much, theu are great fun to work on 👍

[@thefireonthehill]

Brilliant as ever. IMHO Robin made the classic wargamer mistake, which we've all been guilty of, forgetting his objective and positioning for a scrap from turn 1 instead of just legging it across the board.

[@7thson726]

Absolutely 😅 but to be fair i think we started him a bit far back 😁

[@jvcpaints]

Great video, guys. Easy to follow along with and good commentary on rules being used. The armies were an interesting match up, too. They and the terrain looked great! You did an awesome job pulling it all together. Looking forward to the next one.

[@7thson726]

Really appreciate that, thank you mate 👍

[@robandrosehobden3344]

Brilliant game can't wait for the next game

[@7thson726]

Thank you, i need to get my next bits painted up but i already have a olan for the next game 👍

[@Alopex1]

Great battle report, very entertaining :-) However, I think you guys made a couple of mistakes: 1) At 20:15, you retreated in good order through a friendly unit. According to the rules, this does actually require a test (4+) for disorder for both units (see p. 75 "Retreats" and p. 35 "Moving through Friendly Units" in the rulebook). 2) At 30:52, you charged the crusader cavalry with your open order horse archers. This is disallowed according to the rules, since open-order units are not allowed to charge formed infantry or cavalry (see p.59 "Charging with Open Order Units" in the rulebook). 3) At 37:21, you have the commander be wounded on the roll of 1-3. This is incorrect - according to the rules (p. 83 "Risk from Hand-to-Hand Combat"), commanders are slain on 1-3 and wounded on 4-6. Also, the commander remains with the unit he joined, but simply does not add any further attacks (as he can no longer take part in hand-to-hand combat). 4) At 38:00, when working out the results of the combat, you forgot to add the wounded commander into the equation. Commander casualties count +1 to the opposing side when working out the results (see p. 83 "Risk from Hand-to-Hand Combat"). 5) At 50:23, The Crusader infantry unit in column should be able to make a free move despite having failed the order (see p. 31 "Free Moves" in the rulebook)

[@7thson726]

Cheers, glad you enjoyed it. Yeah I realised afterwards about the disorder and the retreat, i thought at the time it may be incorrect but i prefer to carry on then correct in the next game. Regarding the open order you're spot on 👍 its something to get used to as i don't regularly use open order units, mind you, the resulting combat was a laugh 😅

[@Alopex1]

@@7thson726 No worries mate, I also make similar mistakes during my games. And I agree, it's better to just continue the game and have fun :) Take my criticism constructively - perhaps it'll help you remember for next game. It's all a learning process, especially when you are used to Black Powder and Pike & Shotte, which are very similar systems, so it's easy to confuse one with the other ;-)

[@7thson726]

@@Alopex1 totally mate, i appreciate it 👍 to be fair I've been playing Hail Caesar for years but mostly for the WOTR, but there are always those bits you over look 🙂 i have a whole page of post it reminders at the front of the book for things i always forget 😅

[@bernardspencer9876]

A good game. You might need Hayley to help with the dice rolls 😂😂

[@7thson726]

As ever 😅

[@lionheart3916]

Great battle report Martin,maybe for the next battle report you could have the crusaders defending there camp holding out for reinforcements like the historical battle of Dorylaeum 1097 the first major battle of the first crusade

[@7thson726]

Excellent idea, that would look very cinematic as well, I'd better get painting some tents 👍

[@mattwright778]

Awesome looking game 🔥

[@7thson726]

Cheers bud😁

[@BootsontheTable]

Good game and had the flavour of the period. But mate your squeal when you wounded Robin’s commander….. lol!

[@7thson726]

😅 Mate i was so excited, i thought finally its happened, but..... No 😁

[@jamesmoyon5264]

Not my favourite time period but nevertheless a really gripping battle report as always. Thank you for the awesome videos!

[@7thson726]

Really appreciate that thanks for watching 👍😁

[@paulbenson9015]

Beautiful game Gents!! Armies and table. I thought maybe a bit of a hard ask for the Crusaders, maybe 2nd wave should have come on earlier perhaps? but very enjoyable all the same, looking forward to more, Many Thanks👍

[@7thson726]

Yeaj, i think we may modify the starter positions a bit next time, glad you liked it 👍

[@hazard-9574]

10/10 love the video

[@MillersMiniatures]

A brilliant game mate. Visual and just how well the game played. Figuers all look great on the table aswell. Looking forward to seeing more of these. And hopefully seeing a mangonel, not one of those traction trebuchet or what ever their called 😅👍

[@7thson726]

Haha it'll certainly have to be acquired 👍

[@marley7868]

in a pike and shot game I'm in we just ruled if you end up taking double your stamina in damage your dead that unit was wiped out cause we agreed it's silly for a unit to exist after getting stabbed that much

[@7thson726]

That's a good point 😅

[@tokugawaieyasu3754]

You should do a campaign system using religious orders as the mercenary units like knights hospitallers only need a certain number of saves and takes 1 casualty away from another unit. Knights templars have a few extra casualties as a bonus and mabye a certain roll makes the unit not able to be shaken.

[@7thson726]

Thats not a bad idea, hopefully we can start a campaign once our WOTR one is over 👍

[@tokugawaieyasu3754]

@@7thson726 Deus Vult

[@TheEccentricMan]

Interesting to watch a Hail Caesar game. I’ve been listening to Dan Jones The Templars, a very timely battle report.

[@7thson726]

Me to, a great listen 👍 glad you enjoyed the game mate 🙂

[@TheEccentricMan]

With regards to the scenario, is there any likelihood that any other troops other than the Crusader cavalry could get off the far edge by turn 6 as they were all foot.

[@7thson726]

@@TheEccentricMan the infantry that started on the board collectively needed 6 moves to get off the board. It was a bit trial and error where to deploy them at the start, if played again i would probably have them more central and the reserves already on touching the back edge, all part if the fun 😁

[@lesliebeilby-tipping6854]

Great first game, I think the point about all the differences in the armies will produce different games for each side. Don't forget there is Hail Caesar 2 coming soon!!

[@7thson726]

There is indeed, I'll be looking forward to that 👍

[@vonketteringham]

Excellent 👍

[@7thson726]

Cheers buddy, hope you're well 👍

[@blahblah-hw3xg]

Just a thought but it might make sense to allow models to target enemy commanders in smaller scale skirmishes, great video as always!

[@7thson726]

Ita something I've thought about for Hail Caesar, there are rules for contacting them whoch forces them into nearby units, maube something to look at when we start making and changes 👍

[@carlclink9993]

Great Battle Report Martin! Hey how about giving Ted some air time for his #1 fan?

[@7thson726]

He's normally asleep under the kids beds during the day but I'll see if i can coax him out 😁

[@mabinogion7023]

Great stuff. Inspiring. Have you seen that Fireforge are releasing Berber infantry and Black Guard infantry in plastic?

[@7thson726]

Thanks, i have, they are on the list 👍

[@nightowl2003]

What size bases are you using for your victrix infantry? I started out using 40x40mm bases with my older figures, but their newer figures have such active poses, its almost impossible to properly rank them up on that size.

[@7thson726]

So i use the Big Red Bat bases that measure approx 45mm x 60mm as i find the extra romm lets me create more dynamic bases

[@MrGunnar177]

You got a link to robins terrain? I’d love to get some

[@rovens]

Most of the terrain was from The Last Valley, you can find him on Facebook. Martin did the buildings, all I brought to the table was some piles of rocks, a well and some plasticy palm trees that I gave a lick of paint.

[@7thson726]

Last Valley can be found on Facebook but Robin does make some nice buildings you can see in our WOTR videos 👍 I'll have to twist his arm to set up a store

[@paulbenson9015]

"Soft and Squishy".....Mmmmn😄

[@7thson726]

Haha 😅

[@Will-mc3nk]

Fantastic start, can’t wait to see how this new campaign develops! All the minis and the board look great, very cinematic. Do you know if the Wars of the Roses campaign rules you have been writing will be available anywhere any time soon?

[@7thson726]

Hi there, really glad to hear you enjoyed it 👍 for the campiagn rules, watch this space ill have an update soon 😁