Post by diades on Jun 9, 2019 14:39:45 GMT
The Midland Open at Bakewell yesterday.
I took II/18b Polyperchon to the Midlands Open. Polyperchon was accompanied by his Companions (3Kn), 2 x 3Cv, an Elephant, a phalanx (6 x 4Pk) and 2 units of Psiloi. Arable, Aggression 1 gave a reasonable chance of choosing sympathetic terrain.
I had been fortunate at the Welsh Open with 4 solid pikes with Cassander; I have used 6 pike armies successfully in 2.2 and am determined to make them work in 3...and so the learning begins.
My first game was against Andy Wheeldon's a list 100 years' war English. The English defended, placing a large hamlet on my left flank and a gentle hill in the centre of my deployment zone, a wood remained well behind the English. A solid line of blades and bows, with mounted in reserve deployed opposite me. Polyperchon placed a row of five pikes with a double rank in the centre opposite the enemy foot, with Cavalry on my right and everything else tucked in reserve. The English made it clear they intended to rely on missile fire in the centre and to send the knights around the flanks. Polyperchon committed my pachyderms and general to the right to bolster the Cavalry with a view to winning the game on that flank, then my command system broke down...Meanwhile, English knights shot through between the hamlet and hill to take my camp, with the Psiloi which had moved to the hamlet to threaten them pushed back by fast crossbows. The Macedonians lost a unit of pikes to bow fire and just as my mounted wing got going successfully the English closed in the centre. The by now double ranked pikes punched a hole in the centre and left the game poise at 3-3 with night drawing in. In a desperate last attempt to gain a decisive outcome, Polyperchon went on the offensive against a unit of English men-at-arms. The inevitable tied result saw Polyperchon snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, despite the irony of another unexpected English casualty in the same bound. 4-5 Loss.
My second game was against Baldie's Bosporans. Polyperchon attacked once more. On this occasion with a waterway on the right and little else. The Bosporans placed all their lighter troops centrally around a wood with a road running out of it. The Bosporans' right was a Unit of skythian horse, a unit of noble lancers and the Cavalry general. Polyperchon deployed on the left with an elephant ready to counter the 3 knights about to emerge from the coast! The battle became two largely mounted battles, one on each flank. On the right the elephant threatening the littoral was countered by two Psiloi emerging from the woods, whilst on the left two Cavalry and a Psiloi took on the Bosporan general. After much manoeuvring and combat, the Macedonians suddenly triumphed, removing all three littoral knights on the right and the light horse and general on the left, who had been abandoned by his nobles persistently pushing a unit of Macedonian cavalry down the board. Only two units of pike were involved, each as a single element on either flank, eventually proving decisive in closing the gate on the General and in backing a knight into one of his compatriot's flank.
Game number three against arnopov's Guti, last seen against Cassander in the Welsh Open final. This time Polyperchon defended with a Waterway on the left, a wood on his near left against the waterway, with a road running through it parallel to the water.
An edifice was tucked in a corner. The phalanx was placed on the road and by the wood, with the Psiloi supporting them. The mounted contingent just to their right and behind. The Guti built a human fort in their left rear corner. The Macedonian phalanx built 3x2 and set off down the left flank with the elephant holding the rear right corner. Meanwhile all the horseman set off to the right to counter the advance movement of the Guti starting to put up a diagonal line across their left, in the hope the Guti may have a low PIP count. The opportunity did not arise and two single bow shots later Polyperchon found himself alone with both cavalry destroyed. Eventually the phalanx charged home and the elephant had some success, whilst Psiloi attempting to screen their general paid the price to bring things to 3-3, but night once more approached. Polyperchon threw himself against a Guti Auxilia, but with a bow on his flank for a do or die decider. Polyperchon lost again!
Lunchtime came and I was feeling positive. A win and two losses that went to the final roll, which might have seen me three wins to the good.
After lunch came Craig Allen's Late Tang. The Tang defended and placed three large pieces of terrain. The Macedonians came from the remaining quarter with a steep hill to their right and a large hamlet ahead. The Tang plan was always clear and ruthlessly executed with blade and pike holding the centre, whilst warband and Psiloi outflanked the Macedonian Psiloi on the hill and bows made their way into the hamlet to pick off Macedonian mounted, but whenever Polyperchon attempted to counter it, his luck ran out. The Macedonian wings were blown away and both ends of the phalanx regardless of depth outflanked. A heavy defeat!
Onwards, then to face Polybian Romans under the command of Nick Wright-Carter. The whole game had a great historic feel. Polyperchon defended with a waterway on the left. The Romans deployed between a wood on their right next to the waterway and an edifice on their left. 4 blades in front, 2 spear flanked by a blade either side a short way behind, 2 Psiloi in the wood and the Cavalry to the rear. Polyperchon disguised his attack by starting with a wide line of single pike, eventually coalescing to bring the elephant and double ranked pikes to bear on he Roman blades. The Psiloi all faced off at a distance by the woods, whilst the Cavalry engaged on the Macedonian right. Much pushing and shoving with the infantry saw the Macedonians creep ahead where they also marginally went ahead in the Cavalry conflict. A blade snuck between the Psiloi and Roman right flank to threaten the phalanx left flank, Polyperchon moved to face it down. In a late effort the Romans pushed forward. The combats left the blade double overlapped, but Polyperchon's luck persisted and a draw in the combat saw him destroyed once again. Fortunately the Romans lost that bound before the ensuing command problems came home to roost. 4-2 victory.
Finally Patrick Dale's Early Muslim and North African. The Africans defended with a Waterway to the Macedonian left. The Macedonians stacked against the waterway to prevent a light horse landing, which ultimately landed as planned on the African right. Early shuffling was fairly equal ending with the phalanx doubled against 2 spear, a Psiloi riskily countering the third spear, single pikes against each of the African cavalry, with the African Psiloi tucked behind the spear. Early combats were fairly equal. Light Horse closed the gate on the Macedonian right and Polyperchon neither had combat or command luck, double pikes against double overlapped spear could not win and Polyperchon again lost combat catastrophically against a bow and ended the day with a 4-0 thrashing!
So, two wins from six. It could have been four. The others felt, rightly or wrongly, more down to fate than weakness. The pikes didn't lose the game, but the knight general died four times. Maybe that is a by-product of having to use him too much to compensate for the reduced pike frontage. Perhaps another outing will be required to know...Anyway, thanks to all my opponents for six very engaging games.
I took II/18b Polyperchon to the Midlands Open. Polyperchon was accompanied by his Companions (3Kn), 2 x 3Cv, an Elephant, a phalanx (6 x 4Pk) and 2 units of Psiloi. Arable, Aggression 1 gave a reasonable chance of choosing sympathetic terrain.
I had been fortunate at the Welsh Open with 4 solid pikes with Cassander; I have used 6 pike armies successfully in 2.2 and am determined to make them work in 3...and so the learning begins.
My first game was against Andy Wheeldon's a list 100 years' war English. The English defended, placing a large hamlet on my left flank and a gentle hill in the centre of my deployment zone, a wood remained well behind the English. A solid line of blades and bows, with mounted in reserve deployed opposite me. Polyperchon placed a row of five pikes with a double rank in the centre opposite the enemy foot, with Cavalry on my right and everything else tucked in reserve. The English made it clear they intended to rely on missile fire in the centre and to send the knights around the flanks. Polyperchon committed my pachyderms and general to the right to bolster the Cavalry with a view to winning the game on that flank, then my command system broke down...Meanwhile, English knights shot through between the hamlet and hill to take my camp, with the Psiloi which had moved to the hamlet to threaten them pushed back by fast crossbows. The Macedonians lost a unit of pikes to bow fire and just as my mounted wing got going successfully the English closed in the centre. The by now double ranked pikes punched a hole in the centre and left the game poise at 3-3 with night drawing in. In a desperate last attempt to gain a decisive outcome, Polyperchon went on the offensive against a unit of English men-at-arms. The inevitable tied result saw Polyperchon snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, despite the irony of another unexpected English casualty in the same bound. 4-5 Loss.
My second game was against Baldie's Bosporans. Polyperchon attacked once more. On this occasion with a waterway on the right and little else. The Bosporans placed all their lighter troops centrally around a wood with a road running out of it. The Bosporans' right was a Unit of skythian horse, a unit of noble lancers and the Cavalry general. Polyperchon deployed on the left with an elephant ready to counter the 3 knights about to emerge from the coast! The battle became two largely mounted battles, one on each flank. On the right the elephant threatening the littoral was countered by two Psiloi emerging from the woods, whilst on the left two Cavalry and a Psiloi took on the Bosporan general. After much manoeuvring and combat, the Macedonians suddenly triumphed, removing all three littoral knights on the right and the light horse and general on the left, who had been abandoned by his nobles persistently pushing a unit of Macedonian cavalry down the board. Only two units of pike were involved, each as a single element on either flank, eventually proving decisive in closing the gate on the General and in backing a knight into one of his compatriot's flank.
Game number three against arnopov's Guti, last seen against Cassander in the Welsh Open final. This time Polyperchon defended with a Waterway on the left, a wood on his near left against the waterway, with a road running through it parallel to the water.
An edifice was tucked in a corner. The phalanx was placed on the road and by the wood, with the Psiloi supporting them. The mounted contingent just to their right and behind. The Guti built a human fort in their left rear corner. The Macedonian phalanx built 3x2 and set off down the left flank with the elephant holding the rear right corner. Meanwhile all the horseman set off to the right to counter the advance movement of the Guti starting to put up a diagonal line across their left, in the hope the Guti may have a low PIP count. The opportunity did not arise and two single bow shots later Polyperchon found himself alone with both cavalry destroyed. Eventually the phalanx charged home and the elephant had some success, whilst Psiloi attempting to screen their general paid the price to bring things to 3-3, but night once more approached. Polyperchon threw himself against a Guti Auxilia, but with a bow on his flank for a do or die decider. Polyperchon lost again!
Lunchtime came and I was feeling positive. A win and two losses that went to the final roll, which might have seen me three wins to the good.
After lunch came Craig Allen's Late Tang. The Tang defended and placed three large pieces of terrain. The Macedonians came from the remaining quarter with a steep hill to their right and a large hamlet ahead. The Tang plan was always clear and ruthlessly executed with blade and pike holding the centre, whilst warband and Psiloi outflanked the Macedonian Psiloi on the hill and bows made their way into the hamlet to pick off Macedonian mounted, but whenever Polyperchon attempted to counter it, his luck ran out. The Macedonian wings were blown away and both ends of the phalanx regardless of depth outflanked. A heavy defeat!
Onwards, then to face Polybian Romans under the command of Nick Wright-Carter. The whole game had a great historic feel. Polyperchon defended with a waterway on the left. The Romans deployed between a wood on their right next to the waterway and an edifice on their left. 4 blades in front, 2 spear flanked by a blade either side a short way behind, 2 Psiloi in the wood and the Cavalry to the rear. Polyperchon disguised his attack by starting with a wide line of single pike, eventually coalescing to bring the elephant and double ranked pikes to bear on he Roman blades. The Psiloi all faced off at a distance by the woods, whilst the Cavalry engaged on the Macedonian right. Much pushing and shoving with the infantry saw the Macedonians creep ahead where they also marginally went ahead in the Cavalry conflict. A blade snuck between the Psiloi and Roman right flank to threaten the phalanx left flank, Polyperchon moved to face it down. In a late effort the Romans pushed forward. The combats left the blade double overlapped, but Polyperchon's luck persisted and a draw in the combat saw him destroyed once again. Fortunately the Romans lost that bound before the ensuing command problems came home to roost. 4-2 victory.
Finally Patrick Dale's Early Muslim and North African. The Africans defended with a Waterway to the Macedonian left. The Macedonians stacked against the waterway to prevent a light horse landing, which ultimately landed as planned on the African right. Early shuffling was fairly equal ending with the phalanx doubled against 2 spear, a Psiloi riskily countering the third spear, single pikes against each of the African cavalry, with the African Psiloi tucked behind the spear. Early combats were fairly equal. Light Horse closed the gate on the Macedonian right and Polyperchon neither had combat or command luck, double pikes against double overlapped spear could not win and Polyperchon again lost combat catastrophically against a bow and ended the day with a 4-0 thrashing!
So, two wins from six. It could have been four. The others felt, rightly or wrongly, more down to fate than weakness. The pikes didn't lose the game, but the knight general died four times. Maybe that is a by-product of having to use him too much to compensate for the reduced pike frontage. Perhaps another outing will be required to know...Anyway, thanks to all my opponents for six very engaging games.
