Back in February of this year, when the weather was chilly and damp (unlike this balmy almost-May Springtime we're getting in the UK right now...?) I headed off to Athens to take in some local gastronomy, hit a few museums, drink some local beer and wine, attend a Greek Super League football match ... oh, and play a bit of ADLG at a "crusaders" themed event held by the Strategikon Club in Athens too.
(https://www.madaxeman.com/images/gamereportimages/Athens_2024/IMG_9643.JPEG)
The gaming parts of this epic weekend saw a rather unusual Later Crusader army take to the field, based around the army commanded by Richard The Lionheart ("Coeur du Lion") at Arsuf and other rather defensive battles, taking on a variety of Feudal opponents across 5 games over 2 days.
(https://www.madaxeman.com/images/gamereportimages/Athens_2024/IMGP0141.JPG)
This saw a wall of well protected Crusader spearmen, supported by crossbows attempt to lure successive opponents either to their doom in a vain and futile charge, or to stunning success as the enemy rode down the quivering Crusader sergeants at lance point!
(https://www.madaxeman.com/images/gamereportimages/Athens_2024/IMGP0175.JPG)
In all cases the action was epic and brutal, and (of course...) the post-game criticism from Hannibal was even more so!
(https://www.madaxeman.com/images/gamereportimages/Athens_2024/IMG_9699.JPEG)
In a post-event coda, these reports also feature a video walk-through of the Athens Archeological Museum (with some stunning Mycenean stuff), the Greek Military Museum (from antiquity to the near-present day) and a pop-up museum with relics and remains from the decisive battle of Charonea, where Philip established Macedonian control over the Greek peninsula with his defeat of the other Theban-led City States.
All of the reports, including the usual captions and nonsense are now posted on Madaxeman.com.
https://www.madaxeman.com/reports/Athens_2024_1.php
Brilliant Tim as ever