Our "cracking" run of games continued last night with Paul and I fighting what should have been a one-sided contest,weighed in favour of the Dacians(I had given them stronger morale/fighting points to show that the Legion was untried) but as usual,things didn't go exactly to plan!!!
A picture paints a thousand words,so I'll just show you the game as it progressed in photographs,with a few words at the end.............
Paul was the Roman commander.
Right flank "bouncing" Sarmatian cavalry!!
The top and bottom photo's show the main Dacian attack,which eventually went the same way as the Sarmatian cavalry-bounced!!
The middle photo is of my far right,where I held back and lured Paul away from his supporting troops.
Three shots of my only real success-the fort walls have been battered down and two warbands are attacking the defending cohort-in the last photo the walls have inexplicably caught fire!!-are they made of coal??
Top photo shows a cavalry clash on the ridge,although my cavalry were "poor" I did manage to beat the Romans-hurrah!!-Bottom photo shows the on-going fight on my far right.
Final shot,the Romans still had 7 cohorts on the board(although only 2 had any fight left in them!!) and could have formed a square and marched back to their "burning" fort,whilst the Dacian warbands are in total dis-array,and couldn't have formed a decent Queue!!!!
This was another good and exciting game,full of "bloody hell" moments when we both threw good or bad dice!
Roll on Thursday,probably a rare Napoleonic game.
Aren't wives wonderful? one minute they're singing your praises,telling you how handy you are,how handsome and sexy you are,then the next minute they're telling you about your mistakes!! like forgetting to put a Gate on the Roman Fort-shit! shit! shit!
Well,being a true gentleman,I quickly made up a lie and told her that the Gate was "work in progress" and that I had a one already in the garage!
So,whilst she was watching the TV,I rushed into the garage,made a Gate from some card,gave it a quick paint job,and triumphantly showed it to her announcing "look,dear,there it is,just as I said!!"-Hmmmmmm!
Phew,just in time,but it looks ok,I think.
Prince August figures finished and in situ-just a minute! I made 18,but can only count 17,has one deserted? I can't find the bloody thing any where-maybe the wife's taken it in revenge!!
Last night's game was summed up by Paul,when he said"That was epic!" a terrific game,played over 3 and a half hours,with 12 moves completed-we were both worn out at the end of it,but what a game!!
Here is the map and the table before any movement-Paul was the Prussian commander,and I was the Russian commander.
The objectives became "blurrerd" as the game progressed,with both Paul and I fighting for the flanks and the central ridge-absolute classic stuff!
This is the first of two massive attacks put in by Paul on my central position-the troops in the foreground have suffered two cannister shots from my flank battery,which weakened them enough for me to win the fire-fight on this flank,however the rest of the Russian line suffered a bit!-to add to the dis-comfort of the troops in the photo,I managed to get some dragoons to march through my battery and charged them in the flank,causing them to retire-hurrah!!
The dragoons advancing through the battery-Paul has foreseen the move and is sending his dragoons to meet them.On the far flank,the Prussians are advancing on the village of Irvinberg,intent on capturing it and winning the game-oh yeah?
Irvinberg under attack from a whole brigade of Prussia's finest troops-I was forced to also put a whole brigade into the village,and the fight went on for most of the game!
In this shot my right flank dragoon attack is riding down a regiment of grenadiers! However I was counter-attacked by Paul's dragoons backed up by his cuirassiers,forcing me to send in my cuirassiers-a massive cavalry "brawl" ensued on this flank,which was to prove crucial.
Whilst the flank attacks are still undecided,the Prussians have been driven back from the ridge-hurrah!! however Paul reformed his troops,and attacked again-the audacity of the man!
Paul used his artillery well,and weakened my left flank cavalry enough to make me nervous of any cavalry attacks around the village area-Paul saw this,and towards the end of the game,launched his dragoons and cuirassiers against my cavalry,and beat them!!
This shows my left flank cavalry about to ride to their demise!-However I have secured the right flank and still maintain control of the village-hurrah!!
It looks as though I am retreating in this shot,but I am guarding the flank with my guards whilst cannistering an attack by Paul's heavy cavalry-great stuff, proper wargaming.
This is the final shot,Paul is beginning his second attack on the Russian-held ridge,although,technically,I had won the game by retaining the flanks,we decided that a draw was the fairest result,as the Russians were,everywhere weak.-well done to us both!!
Roll on Sunday,the game might just feature a Roman Fort!!
A few weeks ago,at York show,we bought a box of wall sections and a tower,for a "fiver"-I have already made the tower look ok,so I thought I would turn my hand to making what I could of the wall sections.
There were no right angles,so making a fort was,I thought, out of the question-then my simple philosophy on life kicked in-There are no such things as problems,only solutions!!
After a lot of re-construction,using basic tools(kitchen knife!) and employing the "hackit and bodgeit" method of modelling,I came up with what,I think, is a passable(albeit three sided) Roman fort.A bit of repair work and a couple of coats of black wash over a white undercoat,completed the project-comments(good or bad) would be welcome!!
These two photo's show the right angles being made,by hacking one section of wall and slotting the other section into it.
I even made a ruined section from a piece of wall that couldn't be saved!!
Walls+Tower=Fort,but now I needed to adapt some figures to fit onto the walk-way-our bases are too wide,so I cut down some auxiliary figs.plus I made some Legionary figs(from my Prince August moulds)
That'll do nicely!-aux.infantry in position,ready to defend the Fort with their little plastic lives!!
Oh dear me,it would appear that the Barbarians have smashed down a section of wall and are attacking the defenders!
This shot shows the sections and tower placed side by side to create a "long" wall,if we need it-and it looks like the Barbarians are still attacking it!!
These are the Prince August figures just about to be started-should be ready by Thursday(?)
I am pleased with the end result,which will be taking "centre stage" very soon.
Last night Paul and I had a fairly big Ancients game,involving my "Fictitious" Pa'Arasites and a Persian army commanded by Paul.
I often contemplate on what turns Wargamers on,for me it's the spectacle of seeing hundreds of figures on the board,fighting a good scenario,over good,and challenging terrain,for others it's a release from reality,for others the chance to solve a problem,and pit their tactical brain against their chosen opponent-all of these wargame components were evident last night-what a game!!
These two shots show the scenario and most of the table before any movement.
As a break from his normal tactics,Paul had decided to await my assault-especially from my numerous chariots,and counter where and when he could,but being aggressive on my left flank.
My battle plan was to attack everywhere,except on my right flank,where some skirmish troops would,I hoped, would stop any Cataphract moves down the gap.-the scene was now set!!
With a clattering of wheels and the smell of horse "poo" my light and heavy chariots opened the battle-my lights were to skirmish with Paul's cavalry,whilst my heavies were to knock out the mercenary hoplites-simple(or was it?)-Paul is calmly writing his next orders-he looks too calm!!-meanwhile my first line of infantry are moving forward against Paul's static line.
In this shot my heavy chariots have charged Paul's hoplites-they have thrown a dice-odds or evens-he threw an even score,and my chariots failed to get in among him!! and I had to veer off to my right-this actually happened 4 times during the game-bloody hoplites-too good for their own good,that's what I say!!
My first line of infantry have pushed on across the whole board,and Paul's Persian front line is getting "hammered",but still he refused to support it-what is going on?
Meanwhile,on my left flank,the skirmishers and light cavalry are enjoying their own little battle,neither side gaining any significant ground-yet!!
This is charge number 3 for my heavy chariots against the bloody hoplites-still no success-woe is me! However my lights are chewing up the Persian cavalry with bow shots-hurrah!!
At last the Persians have been "goaded" into action,and a combined Cataphract and Immortals attack has been launched against my right flank infantry-oh dear!!-The chariots retiring past my troops,are the heavies coming back to reform,before trying once more to penetrate the hoplites(I'm told they enjoy a bit of penetration!!)
My first line of infantry have been retired(I'm retired you know!) and replaced by the second line,but now I need them to shore up my rear(now,now,no crude jokes!) because Paul has eventually won the flank,and his light cavalry are about to wreak havoc against me!!-still Paul seems reluctant to support his first line,who are on their knees by now.
Because Paul has won on my right flank,I am being forced to swing my third line of infantry around to face any attack that may(?) develop against me-double woe is me!!
Hurrah,hurrah,hurrah,bloody well hurrah,as far as I'm concerned I've won the game,because at the fifth time of asking,my heavy chariots have made contact with,and beaten, the bloody hoplites-another hurrah!!
However,Paul is amassing a considerable force of Immortals and Cataphracts on my right flank,and his cavalry have seen off most of my chariots,so he has control of the battle field-and I must admit defeat(again!!)-well done to Paul,another great game.
Roll on Thursday,probably a 7 years war game.
It was a good day yesterday,in the morning my old mate Allan came along and we had a couple of games of Air Combat,using my new rules-these worked well,and the games were very enjoyable-he also sends his best wishes to Brian,
At night I had a fantastic game with Paul,involving those old adversaries,Rome and Britons...
As usual,the scenario and table before any movement-Paul was Roman commander and I was in charge of the Britons.
My plan was to hold the gap between the stream and mountains,defend the town,put in a massive attack on the Roman left flank,with a combination of chariots and warbands.
Paul had a more cunning plan,which was to "bombard the defences with his catapult and bolt-thrower,then launch his auxilliary infantry against the defenders,whilst guarding his left flank with cohorts-he also tried to force the pass(which I thought was only a feint!!) with cavalry and cohorts.
In this shot my chariots and warbands are breaking cover and moving rapidly towards the Roman flank-I had 3 chariot units and 6 warbands-enough for any army!!!
Paul has begun to manoeuver his legion-always a bad sign! It means that whoever is against them is going to get a right old beating.
In the background you can see Paul's ill-fated attempt at taking the pass just starting to materialise-don't the Celtic huts look good??
Having knocked a few casualties off with his (laser guided!) catapult,Paul has sent the aux.infantry in-this was a great struggle,which lasted most of the game-with the Romans getting into the town,then getting driven out,then getting back in again-great stuff!
In the background the chariots are about to make contact with the Roman cavalry-hurrah!!
What a crash!!-I was quite lucky,and beat the cavalry(by sheer weight of numbers!) but the Cohorts are lining themselves up,for a counter attack,with the dreaded pila,and gladius-oh dear!
Desperate fighting by the defenders-but my casualties are mounting,and Paul still has the cohorts untouched.In the background you can see my chariots chasing the Roman cavalry back through their lines-hurrah!!
Meanwhile,back at the pass!!the restricted frontage favoured my defenders,and Paul was pushed back,even though he had his number one cohort in there!!-This was to be my only success however-the town was being denuded of defenders,and the Romans were gaining the upper hand,and in the open plain.....................
Superior training and weapons were telling on a grand scale-those beautiful Roman lines tell the whole story-my troops were out-classed to say the least!! I lost most of the melees,and my morale broke on 4 of my 6 warbands,leaving nothing for me to fight with!!
We called it a day(night?) at 10 o'clock,with 13 moves completed,and exhaustion setting in,and the Romans were declared the winners-well done to Paul.
Roll on Sunday-another Ancients planned-my Pa'arasites against a Persian army-should be interesting!
