The Merchant of Hamstadt, Game 2 - A Table Top Game in 28mm.

 Michael Todor Attacked At Schinen, Transylvania.

" My Lord Voivode Vlad III Dracula,

         The recent dispatches from our spies in Brasov are correct, the villain Todor is in the town of Schinen, we move against him immediately.

          Your servant,

                C. Dimerascu."

Cornered in the village of Schinen, in Southern Transylvania, soldier and merchant, Michael Todor, the bane of Voivode Dracula, and the robber of many Wallachian merchants, stood his ground and prepared for battle. Ranged against him was the retinue of Boyar Dimerascu of Wallachia.

Todor sent his arrow and bolt throwers up front while he arranged his fighting men, soon a duel of archers and crossbowmen started.

The first casualty was a slightly wounded Dimerascu, a crossbow bolt gave him a nasty graze, painful but not a knockout blow.

The Wallachian archers proved to be far superior to the Transylvanians, and the resulting casualties were too much for them, Todor's archers turned and fled.

The Wallachians saw their chance and Dimerascu ordered his men forward.

Taking advantage of Todor's lack of archers, Dimerascu ordered his archers to loose upon their enemy and cause havoc! However, Todor wasn't that stupid and he had a back up plan.

Completely by surprise Todor's men sprang out from the flanks and attacked the archers and Dimerascu himself, already wounded, he fought for his life.

Meanwhile the two sides met in a flurry of violence, men hacked and slashed at each other.

At this point the battle could have gone either way, if Dimerascu was killed the Wallachians would most likely have broken contact, but he wasn't, his attacker was.

This coupled with the Transylvanians losing more men in a spectacular attack by the Wallachians, broke their will and Todor's men ran.

Todor himself was wounded in the fight, and he found himself surrounded by enemies.

With the battle over Todor resigned himself to his fate, taken along with one of his Hungarian mercenaries, he knew what was to come.

Victorious Wallachians were soon in Schinen looking for spoils, and a happy Dimerascu looked on safe in the knowledge that Prince Vlad would smile upon him.

" My Lord Voivode Vlad III Dracula,

       This afternoon the retinue of your faithful servant Boyar Dimerascu, fought and captured your enemy Michael Todor. We will return to Targoviste at once and hand him over to your tender mercies and swift justice.

                

               Your servant,

                     C. Dimerascu."

The Merchant of Hamstadt, Game 1 - A Table Top Game in 28mm.

Hamstadt is a small fortified hamlet in the southern Carpathian mountains, it is surrounded by forest and is the home of several Saxon families and Michael Todor. Todor has the gift turning anything he touches into money, some of it legal, much of it not! 

This is why a troop of Prince Vlad's cavalry have arrived, but the locals are not going to bow down to his will, this is Transylvania not Wallachia! The parley is a short one, Todor is not coming out and Vlad's men are told to "bugger off."

Michael Todor center.

Resigning themselves to attack, the Wallachians split their force, one group to keep the archers of Hamstadt busy, the other is to attack the hamlet behind. This hamlet outside the walls houses the poorest of the community, they are led by Brother Tomas, Vlad's men mean to set fire to it and kill all who stand in their way.

While the cavalry moves to the attack, Todor mounts the village walls and shouts a warning to the people down below, they quickly set up a crude defence. Meanwhile the arrows fly, wounding one of Vlad's men and keeping the rest at bay.

The peasants of Hamstadt fought like lions, much to Brother Tomas's relief, after bringing down several horsemen and spearing them on the ground Vlad's men rode off, leaving the village in Saxon hands and free of any fire.

Wondering what had happened to their comrades, and not seeing plumes of smoke in the air, the rest of Vlad's horsemen decided to press home the attack, after all, these were just peasants. So, braving the archers on the village walls, the horsemen charged into the fray.

Lady luck was not smiling at the Wallachians today, within minutes of getting to the hovels of Hamstadt the peasants were raining blows upon them, they didn't stand a chance, the Wallachians were cut to pieces, only two made it out to tell the tale. I'm guessing neither Dimerascu or Prince Vlad will be amused, but Michael Todor will live to fight another day.