This continues from the post on
http://dbmm.org.uk/forums/index.php?topic=82.0 which shows the structure and rationale behind the army I took to the Ascot Challenge in April 2007 (the UKs first competition post publication)
Game 1 (Saturday morning)Versus Late Imperial Roman Western with Stilicho in attendanceThis was against Niall Taylor who I know from many years ago back in the days of Glasgow and District Wargames Society. Niall was relatively new to DBMM having played twice before at the Ladywood playtest ? Niall had flown down from Peterhead in North Scotland for the Challenge.
The first surprise was it turned out to be a dawn attack by the Romans ? bang goes the changing deployment stratagem.
I deployed in traditional formation 1 2 3
Niall sneaked some Ax around my left flank but didn?t quiet get far enough ? in the post match analysis we agreed he should perhaps have doubled one of his PIPs via a brilliant stroke to get all the way round ? If you have a plan stick to it .
The main point came when he charged my Kn Chariots (forgetting they were Knights) - IIRC the knights didn?t kill much but the Cv(S) did.
- the infantry also did well knocking out his auxilia ? the Pike/Wb mix working well ? Previously on the Yahoo DBMM there had been some comments regarding the fact that Ps support don?t pay anything for their support ability ? Now that I have seen it in practice its clear they do ? they die if the guy in front goes so there is a hidden cost (sneaky Phil)
Muwatallis used 2 brilliant strokes in combat to knock out Romans - - the star of the show was a LH(I) who killed a Ps , Kn (F) and Ax(S) with Ps support. Double pay for him.
In the end the Roman crumbled -
a win to the Hittites 25-0 and a good start to the competition. I was pleased to play Niall 1st game as this was only his 3rd game of DBMM and knowing him of old he was only going to get better (he didnt disappoint me).
On to Game 2 and an encounter with the 'brick'
Game 2 (Saturday Afternoon)Versus Gordon Harrow and Sassanid Persian (the brick) - so called as its primary tactic was to barrel straight ahead - such that the opponent felt he was bludgeoned by a brick.
A tricky game this and one with serious history between the players. An awful lot was at stake.
Gordon's army was well designed - Kavad I 502AD as Brilliant General Stratagems- flank attack and changing deployment with 2 commands
As Gen Cv (S)
10 x Irr Cv (S)
And 1 Command of
Gen Cv (S)
5 x El(O)
5 x Cv(S)
So only 2ME troops and each command breaks on 8.5 or 5 elements (generals aside) - they dont understand the meaning of disheartened
I was the invader and Gordon anchored his right flank on a craggy hill - A craggy hill in Persia you cry
- yes one that slipped the list checkers net - reports of brown envelopes changing hands on the Saturday morning have been strenuously denied.
I didn't realise the illegality of the hill and it stayed which was fairly key as it stopped my LH(I) terrorising the bricks flank. However I was to commit an even bigger sin during this game so I can't labour the point.
His 2 Cav commands formed tight columns with a two element wide gap between - on my left
I had chosen changing deployment stratagem (that's one Brilliant stroke) and swapped 2 and 3 as I intended to swing the infantry round the flank of the brick - things didn't go exactly to plan
I advanced quickly to take him on before his flank marched turned up however -
Gordon's 3rd command which I had assumed was flank marching came on around 3rd bound on a 5 which cause me some confusion - had missed that delayed command now came on a 5 or 6 - in play testing it had only been a 6, The elephants motored up the gap (two elements wide and the Cav deployed on his left to counter my rapidly advancing infantry.
First contact went to the Sassanid and some chariots went down. Subsequent bounds saw a lot of recoils and counter charging with the Sassanid slowly gaining the advantage over the left hand Hittite command and breaking it in the penultimate bound. The Hittites whittled off a couple of Sassanid Cav with the aid of some inf wrapping round an exposed flank otherwise the infantry did little else other than glare at the Cv who glared back.
In the final bound the game was hanging in the balance ? casualties were mounting on both sides- the Elephants had been countered by the Hittite CSV(S) chariots who were desperately trying to stop them getting to the Kns
Following a poor dice throw the bound before by Muwattalis in contact with a Sasssanid sub (and on a brilliant stroke) which would have won the game ? the luck swung back. In a series of critical combats the Hittites rolled a couple of good dice with low to average score by the Sassanids to break a Sassanid command and the cumulative -2 took a second command and the game. Nail biting to the end.
Muwatallis twice charged the Sassanid sub general using a brilliant stroke in each case and twice failed - just as well as that now makes 3 brilliant strokes - Oops
With my chariot command broken it was an
18-7 win to the Hittites.
On to Game 3 and those pesky Romans
Game 3 Saturday evening Game 3 saw us take on Tony Dennis and his Marian Romans which comprised the "compulsory" TFd baggage camp pip dump a large command of Bd(S) with some Bd(O) legionaroies and 2 smaller commands of auxiliaries and supported German Cav.
There was a large gentle hill on the my left and I finished deployment with commands
3 1 2 (I think I changed deployemnet so may have originally deployed as 3 2 1 ) but this is game 3 and the brain is turning to mush. IIRC I had declared changing deployment as a Stratagem in phase 1 of deployment as I was the defender but Tony had doubled me and he deployed first. Rendering the changing deployment a bit redundant had a quick look at the rules as to whether I still needed to do it as I had declared it and we felt I did subsequently posted to list and we may well have been wrong.
On turn 1 some lovely manouvering by the Romans saw the Bd(S) redeploy (much applause from the Hittites) very impressive but can they fight? we shall see
My chariots the Cv(S and Cv(O) moved forwarded on the left to seize the gentle hill (along with some Horde who actually got to move.) and Tonys cavalry moved up to seize the hill as well The Knights prepared to charge the blades ? and the infantry and foot auxiliary squared up.
On the left the battle was inconclusive a Horde nicely held up Tonys outflanking LH and the Cv nibbled away at each other across the hill.
The Hittite infantry slowly wore down the roman auxiliaries but the decisive part of the Battle was the chariots charging the Bd(S) supported Bd(S) are a tough nut
Once we charged and were repulsed, again we charged and were thrown back, however the odd Legionary had been nibbled and on the 3rd charge, the legionaries began to die, in the end the centre collapsed and the army bolted despite being what felt like a close game a
25-0 to the Hittites. Dont remember using my second brilliant stroke. In this game the Knights vindicated their inclusion with the the QK finally paying dividends albeit at the 3rd time of asking.
So we ended Saturday with 68 out of a possible 75 and a solid lead of 24 pts over Chris and his Huns who were due to play next.
Anyway off for a curry, a good nights sleep and back the next day with a cunning plan to defeat the Huns
The trophy was within sight.
To be continued
