MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

Burgomeister of Oberkringleburg

Been a lull in time and energy available for hobby posts (life gets in the way of art...nothing nasty, just the usual stuff). But I can find time to at least mark the season and send along holiday greetings. 

And for any new readers interested in a bit of seasonal nonsense who may not have seen previous Xmas reportage from Kringleland, feel free to check out the December 22, 2022 Post.

 To regular visitors and accidental lurkers out there in the blogosphere...

✨ Merry Christmas!  ✨

Excelsior!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

Merry Christmas and 

Holiday Greetings From Our House to All Who Have Visited Here by Accident or Design...

...and From Claude, the Atomic Reindeer...

...Who Glows.

Excelsior!

SEASONS GREETINGS AND MERRY CHRISTMAS

With all my hobby toys and whatnots still packed up and in the attic--and my hobby space still vacant--I haven't the wherewithal to produce the usual holiday update on the goings-on in Kringleland. 

Instead, I offer the Christmas Tree Hussars on parade in support of the traditional sharing of...

✨SEASONS GREETINGS✨

and 

 MERRY CHRISTMAS

TO REGULAR AND ACCIDENTAL VISITORS TO THIS BLOG

Please enjoy a 3.5 minute interlude with the Dresden Choir singing Silent Night (Stille Nacht) in the original German. No translation necessary to enjoy the experience. 

 

❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄

LION RAMPANT RESOURCES PAGE ADDED

Greetings, all.  I recently played in another excellent Lion Rampant II  (LR) game in our group (game report will probably be coming after Christmas).  This is not the first foray into these rules; our group has played LR I before and has now embraced LR II (along with other games in the Dan Mersey Osprey Rules family). This last foray inspired me to produce a set of resources similar to those I had done to support playing Pikeman's Lament (see my Pikeman's Lament Resource Page for more if interested).  And I've added a new Lion Rampant resource page to this blog where they are posted: see tab at top or follow the link: Lion Rampant Resources Page.  The resource page is mostly redundant with this post because as time goes on that will be the landing page as opposed to this post (which, like others, will disappear down the que). Meanwhile, most everything you can find there you can find on this introductory post. 

And, given that Aly and company have embarked on a Lion Rampant II Campaign at this festive time of year... I thought I'd offer this as my Christmas present to he and his fellows--and to any and all who come to this blog with an interest in Lion Rampant II: (perhaps not as useful, or welcome, as a nice pair of socks, but if printed off and stuffed in the shoes, could serve as such).

Player Reference (click for pdf)

Front

Back

The player reference is a one-page, two sided resource that should provide most of what is needed to play (at least that's what we have found). On the front, the information is broken down into color-coded sections: admin/game system (black); movement (green); combat (red); and courage/morale (purple).  Each section contains page references to the rules (should you want to look things up). On the reverse is a listing of the special abilities (again with page references).  These are not all inclusive, but are a selection of specials that are most common, that may apply to more than one unit type, and/or are not reflected in an adjustment to the values and scores on the unit profile  (things like Veteran, for instance, which has different adjustments for different units: those are instead reflected on the stat line on the unit matrix). 

Unit Matrix (click for pdf)

Front

Back

The unit matrix is intended to be used in conjunction with the player reference. As the name suggests, it provides unit-specific information needed to play. As with the player reference, it also has the special abilities listed on the back, along with page references. Given that upgrades can be "stacked," the unit matrix does not list all possible variations for the unit, but a representative range of likely unit configurations, with each line showing one upgrade. 

Click to Enlarge

The information is broken down by the major unit on the first line (all in caps and highlighted in gray), with its variants listed below (upper and lower case, no highlight). The above shows the first unit on the matrix (Elite Cav) with its variants below: Motivated, Drilled and Mounted Bow. The stat-line for each reflects the characteristics of that variant. Reading left to right, you can see the point value, the number of figures, the type (H=Horse/Mounted; F=Foot/Infantry), the unit, page where you can find the unit profile, and the rest is self explanatory. The activation number for specials (when applicable) is in brackets. Finally, in parenthesis you see abbreviations for the Fearsome and Bloodthirsty upgrades for this unit and its variants (which are other options available).  In practice, I use the unit matrix as a central reference when designing scenarios and orders of battle.

I have found when running games of PL that there are players who basically play off of the unit matrix (as opposed to unit cards), using the player reference on an "as needed" basis for other information.  As a game host, I find the opposite: I use the player reference continuously and refer to the unit matrix to facilitate unit-specific cases. Of course, your mileage may vary!

Well, that's all for now.  In the near future (as mentioned), I'll have a battle report of our recent trip into Lion Rampant II--pitting Mongol raiders against a defending force of Hungarians and Teutons.  

Excelsior!

YEAR END 2022 and HAPPY NEW YEAR: 2023

A Gathering of Like-Minded Fellows

As 2022 comes to a close, I will forego the usual year-end review. I might return to the topic at mid-year, but right now energy is lagging and there are just too many distractions to put together such a post.  Instead, I'll mark the turn of the year by expressing my appreciation for the support and encouragement I've received from the followers, commenters, and visitors (accidental and other) to this space...

...and to the circle of fellow bloggist with whom I've interacted. 

Thanks to all for a grand year past, and to all a

   Happy New Year!

Excelsior!

DER CHRISTKRINGELKRIEG REVISITED: THE TRUCE EXPIRES!

 

Ober and Unter Kringlelanders having at again. 

Seasons greetings, dear readers. It is that time of year again when we check in on the goings on in Kringleland, scene of a long simmering conflict between Oberkringleburg and neighboring Unterkringleburg. At some point in the past, these two burgs became progressively more alienated from each other, leading to a period of open conflict each year during the Yule--a holiday snowballfest known as Der Christkringelkrieg. The exact roots of this animosity are murky, but most agree that it generally started when the denizens of Oberkringleburg adopted a heavily affected dialect they called Hochkringlesprache and started to refer to themselves as Hochkringlemenschen. They also then began looking down their noses at their neighbors in Unterkringleburg, referring to them as Unterkringlemenschen and calling their speech Unterkringlesprache. Of course, the good burgers of Unterkringleburg did not take this well. To them, the Oberkringleburgers had become effeminate posers, and they and their honest, unaffected Unterkringleburg dialect remained the true Kringlelanders. Each year, these folk take the opportunity that the plentiful snow cover provides to reinforce their points of view with an exchange of snow--tossed in many forms. For those with time on their hands, a review of the action can be had in the Dec 23 2020 and Dec 22 2021 posts. Read on for this year's news...

But first a brief summary to set the stage for this year's report...as you may recall, last year, an uneasy truce held.  However, the Unterkringleburg Munitionbakermeister (above) used this pause to seek out the Kleiner Kruppers in order to have them produce an Unterkringleburg Wunder Weapon...

...something to offset the Oberkringleburg Schneekanone... 

...and so was born the Stollenwerfer, a simple to operate, multi-barrelled, crew-served weapon capable of delivering a high volume of the sugary Christmas loaves on target. This the Unterkringleburgers put into mass production to be ready for this year's Christkringelkrieg.

Suspecting fellow that he is, the Oberkringleburg Burogmeister got wind that the heretofore low tech Unterkringelburgers were working on an advanced weapon. Thus, he ordered accelerated production of their advanced Schneekanonen to be ready in time for this year's Christkringlekrieg...

...and so the Chrstkringlekrieg was renewed this year with extra gusto.  The usual foot sloggers and their hand-tossed Schneelballs were there aplenty, but now the air was filled with an unprecedented number of projectiles shot from the newly fielded Stollenwerfers and a vastly increased number of Schneekanone. Having such a grand time launching these many and varied things at one another, neither side was interested in a truce, but they were kicking up quite a ruckus...

...and this elevated discord did not escape the notice of the Klein Elfen, also known as the eyes and ears of Kringleland, also known as the Hinterhaltiger Mensch (sneaky fellows)...

...it was not long before word made its way to Der Grosse Elfe, who dispatched a runner deep into the Weihnacthsbaum Wald to report to...

...Herr Excellenz Die Chef Weihnacthsmann (His Excellency the Chief Santa)...

...who gathered the Unterweihnacthsmanner for a Weihnactsmannerkongress.  So unprecedented was the racket this year that they all agreed that something had to be done...

...and so the Signaliereweihnactsman (Signal Santa) was called for, who then mounted the Hochweihnactsburg--the highest point in Kringleland--to mobilize the Weihnactsmen Reaktionskraft (Santa Reaction force)..

...and within minutes, the Raketefliegenderweihnactsmanner (Flying rocket santas) were scrambled and airborne...

...and the Weihnactsmannbarenreiter Uhlans (Bear riding santa lancers) were riding from their Kaserne, Fisch Lanzen at the ready.  Soon the air and ground santas would arrive on the scene and separate the Ober and Unter Kringleburgers, ending this year's Christkringlekrieg and bringing on the Stille Nacht...

...And Seasons Greetings to All!

⛄

DER CHRISTKRINGELKRIEG--OR DIE SCHLACT BEFORE XMAS--REVISITED

 

 Scene of action in Kringleland last Yule.

 

As is our annual tradition at this time of year, we to check in on the goings on in Kringleland. For those new to the blog, or who may just wish to refresh themselves, in our Yule-time post of last year we conveyed a brief history of Kringleland, and the source of the animus between Oberkringleburg and Unterkringleburg, which manifests itself in a conflict known as the Christkinglekrieg at this time of year.  

In last year's report, the doughty Unterkringleburgers raided Oberkringleburg in their rough and ready manner: man-to-man, with snwoballs (schneeballs) in hand. The Oberkringleburgers, eschewing such primitive notions of romanticized warfare, met them with their Schneekannone, manned by technicians, pride of their unabashedly unromantic, "high tech" approach.

Above: a rash Unterkringleburger on the receiving end of a Weissball shot from Schneekanone #2 during last year's action. Like most, last year's action was seasaw affair that ultimately was a wash (such is the state of nature in Kringleland). Nevertheless, having grown tired of the asymmetry the confict, the Unterkringleburgers have sought to redress the technological disparity...

...and chosen their man of the hour, the Unterkringleburg Munitionbakermeister, with his grand chef's hat, to take up the great task.  Let us follow along on this historic journey...

...still being in touch with the Gute Alte Zeit ("Ye Goode Olde Dayes") as most in Unterkringleburg are, his quest begins in the Weihnachstbaum Wald (where else?), where he seeks out the counsel of der Gross Schneemann, who in turn advises him find those master artificers of the forest, the Krupp Kleinerkringlevolk... 

...and as if on cue, a journeyman of the Kleiner Kruppers (as they are known colloquially) comes journeying past (strange and mickel powerful are the ways of der Gross Schneemann)...

 ...and with the intercession of der Gross Schneemann, he agrees to guide our hero to the Krupp Kringlewaffenfabrik, their famous workshop of legend deep in the forest...

...where he meets with the Kleinkringlevolkwaffenfabrikmesiter himself, who then consults his great Kringlewaffenbuch for inspiration. After hours of haggling, an agreement is reached, and the Kleiner Kruppers begin production on the Unterkringleburg Wunder Weapon...

...the Krupp Stollenwerfer! --a rugged, simple to operate, multi-barrelled, crew-served weapon capable of delivering a high volume of the sugary Christmas loaves on target...

...upon receipt of the first prototype, the Unterkringleburgers waste no time in training a first crew. In the above, we see a lad learning the role of Stollenfeuer Kannonier, leaning in to touch his match to the fuse to launch a spread of primed stollens downrange....

...while another performs the task of Pudzerzuker Kannonier, whose job it is to continuously sprinkle powdered sugar over the about-to-be-launched loaves in order to replace any that was lost during the loading process...

...taking things even further, the Meisterbacker has initiated a home-grown improvement program (albeit under license from the Kleiner Kruppers).  In the above, we see his able assistant, the Munitionsmeisterbackerhelfer, supervising the Munitionstollenlader (ie, stollen ammo carrier), who is bringing out a new prototype for testing...

..der Flugelstollen--the fin stabilized stollen!

In order to buy time for production and crew training, the Unterkringleburgers have worked out a truce for the current Yule season.  From long experience, however, the Burgomeister of Oberkringleburg (above) remains suspicious, and senses that something is brewing. He will ensure that Oberkringleberg is on guard and ready when the truce expires, come what may!

 

In the meantime....

 

...Seasons Greetings to All for NOW!

⛄