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Post by macbeth on Jun 11, 2019 4:34:06 GMT
Late last night I finished "Dark Age" and am now overcome with the desire to experiment with Dux Bellorum lists - or Late Roman/Arthurian Era HOTT So next cab off the rank is "The Scorpion's Strike" - Book X in the Empire series by Anthony Riches Cheers I've been downloading samples to see if I share your taste... Dark Age sounded promising though connecting the AD367 disaster with Arthurian times is very like connecting the Arab revolt of WWI with the ISIS campaigns of 2010s. But oh dear, page 1 and I see things like the scholarly Latin name for a place. Puts me right off. Anthony Riches wounds of honour looks promising. David Gilman viper's blood looks promising. Then I got distracted by Nicholas Eames' bloody rose I recommend that you avoid Conn Iggulden's Emperor series then, whilst I can't verify the appropriate in inappropriate use of scholarly Latin names there are plenty of other things that would offend your sensibilities. They are not books to be cast aside lightly - rather they should be hurled with incredible force.
cheers
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Post by macbeth on Jun 10, 2019 23:24:12 GMT
We didn't get enough players for a quorum on Sunday - it was a long weekend in Canberra after all and the traditional way that Canberrans celebrate a long weekend is to leave the place.
Instead the three of us that showed had a few scratch games with the armies that will be used in next year's campaign
Communal Italian vs Papal Italian
Fatimid Egyptian vs Konstantinian Byzantine
Communal Italian vs Fanatic Berber
and then we blew the dust off the current campaign armies
Cheers
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Post by macbeth on Jun 10, 2019 23:05:18 GMT
"The Scorpion's Strike" was up to Mr Riches usual high standard, and I finished it on the weekend. My next book is "Lancelot" by Giles Kristian. This is a very good "historical" Arthur story narrated in first person by Lancelot who is presented in the most sympathetic light I have seen for a long time in this oft novelised story.
Over the long weekend I have ploughed through just over half the book
Cheers
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Post by macbeth on Jun 6, 2019 5:16:42 GMT
This afternoon the Serbians received 1xSp and 1x3Ax and at long last the second element of 4Kn rolled off the lines for my West Sudanese. I now have all the West Sudanese elements I need for MOAB, and just have to finish 4xSp and 1xCv to make the army purple compliant. Cheers David, you are well ahead of schedule for MOAB. Cheers, But way behind schedule for the long game "Get this lead mountain painted up before I am too decrepit to do so"
If the building of the West Sudanese is anything to go by - numerous other strips started after the cav, the will run ahead of them. I suspect that the tail end of my Early Samurai and Breton armies may be completed before the very last touches are put on the Westies.
The Serbians may well be done before as well
Cheers
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Post by macbeth on Jun 5, 2019 5:06:29 GMT
This afternoon the Serbians received 1xSp and 1x3Ax and at long last the second element of 4Kn rolled off the lines for my West Sudanese.
I now have all the West Sudanese elements I need for MOAB, and just have to finish 4xSp and 1xCv to make the army purple compliant.
Cheers
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Post by macbeth on Jun 4, 2019 1:27:51 GMT
Late last night I finished "Dark Age" and am now overcome with the desire to experiment with Dux Bellorum lists - or Late Roman/Arthurian Era HOTT
So next cab off the rank is "The Scorpion's Strike" - Book X in the Empire series by Anthony Riches
Cheers
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Post by macbeth on Jun 4, 2019 1:24:29 GMT
Tony, I don't understand how John the Only of England can be considered as a "Brilliant General". Cheers, The John o philes love to highlight his lightning dash across France to save Eleanor from Prince Arthur of Brittany
He broke off from whatever he was doing, rushed to the castle under siege by the Bretons and captured Arthur between the Outer Bailey and the Keep
We all know what happened then
Any list that says my beloved Southern Sung can play has my stamp of approval
(Pity Historicon is on the other side of the world)
One day perhaps - but not this year
Cheers
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Post by macbeth on Jun 4, 2019 1:21:12 GMT
Looks like we have our fourth entry and he has already given me his army choice - but not his list yet
So the Chocolate Frog/Jelly Snake award remains up for grabs.
Cheers
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Post by macbeth on Jun 3, 2019 5:28:58 GMT
Today's effort puts out the first elements of my two latest projects 2x3Pk and 1x4Cb for a revamped Later Tang 1x3Kn(Gen) for an Early Serbian
I also started the process of rebasing several elements of Later Roman Clibanarii and Cataphractii - a couple of weeks ago at my club there was a Mini MEG tournament going on and one of the participants came over and gifted me a number Late Roman Cataphracts. I realised that they will fit in with my scrap built Late and Patrician Roman armies - I had completed both Late Romans and the Western Patricians, along with the foot for the Eastern Patricians. But admittedly the Kn elements in the Late Romans left a lot to be desired. I now have the Kn elements for the Late Romans redone, and the Kn elements required for the Eastern Patsy Romans ready to run now.
Cheers
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Post by macbeth on Jun 2, 2019 23:52:29 GMT
Saturday Morning saw me finish "Divided: Why We're Living In An Age Of Walls" - brilliant - I heartily recommend Mr Marshall's three books on geopolitics.
After that I picked up "Dark Age" by James Wilde - the second in his series set during the fall of Roman Britain. It is a very good "historical" Arthurian story.
By this morning I'm more than 3/4 of the way through.
Cheers
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Post by macbeth on May 31, 2019 6:11:55 GMT
I suspected the PIPs would be an issue. Perhaps it is because I have the feeling my PIPs are lower than I would like. That said the Ming are appealing even with out the ally. The fit nicely in period with some other armies locally and as I have some figures they have been on my “to be painted list” for some time. I used the Ming that Cancon without the Yi Ally and they did not disgrace themselves
However the Art was blown away by the Wallachians in an Art duel. They lost the shooting dice both bounds
I do like to have some Art in my armies - it is still a good Elly repellent.
My Konstantinian Byzantines did very well - a solid centre of CP/8Bw/Art/Sp/Sp struck fear into many hearts. Having 2x3Kn to deliver the punch and 4xCv and a LH to look for a flank rounded off the combination.
Highly recommended.
My kryptonite was Nan Chao. I can't make 3Pk armies work but my opponent utterly devastated me with them.
Cheers
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Post by macbeth on May 30, 2019 23:52:15 GMT
I have never played against the Sung, but have often faced an opponent’s French Ordonnance which are one of the very colourful armies of the period. They can field two artillery stands and rightly so. One very competent and clever gamer in this neck of the woods brought French Ordonnance + (?) ally inc artillery to a tournament back in December. Three artillery, a truly Grand Battery approach. It blew holes in most opponents and got him to the final. (And rightly so...he’s a top notch player). Didn’t all go his way, as I believe he lost a couple of guns in counter battery fire during the earlier stages. +4 does seem too good in close combat, IMHO. +2 (under v2.2) was also too weak, and artillery were always a prime target. We had one of our better players here in Oz try the French Ordonnance Grand Battery
he did well but not well enough to win outright.
I seriously considered a Ming Chinese/Yi Korean alliance to get the Grand Battery but was unable to make it work in practice games - basically needing 4PIPs to pivot your battery when all of the enemy moves out of arc can be a problem.
The Grand Battery can be part of a Ming with Yi allies or a Yi with Ming allies
Cheers
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Post by macbeth on May 30, 2019 23:22:36 GMT
I received my notification from the Wintercon Powers That Be
We have two entries so far
Cheers
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Post by macbeth on May 30, 2019 4:20:17 GMT
It is true that Art now has a very high combat factor but on balance this helps keep it viable in a post 2.2 reality * Enemies can now move towards it just outside of the firing arc so are unable to be shot. They need only move into partial front edge contact (ie 1 mm of the two front edges touching) and from there slide into contact * Art can still not move and shoot * Art can still not move into contact * Art can still only shoot on their own move. * Nothing is quick killed by Art in close combat * Art is still quick killed by everything * The gap between shooting range and enemy movement is the same but now expressed in BW not inches. * Art is now quick killed by shooting so when two Art models face off one dies.
If Art still had a +2 for close combat they would not be useful at all - fast moving elements could move along outside of shooting arc for one move. In the next move they could get just enough of a touch to slide into contact and then fight (with the odds in their favour) for a quick kill.
And yes Keith - the whole of two Art elements shooting together is greater than the sum of the parts. I have no issues with this at all. It gives the much maligned element an edge. There are very few armies that can field two Art. The Southern Sung is one and when I used it at Cancon two years ago the games all hinged on whether I could make the fourth kill when contact was made before the Art and Cb elements were cut down
cheers
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Post by macbeth on May 29, 2019 4:03:17 GMT
The long slow task of bringing my West Sudanese up to code continues - some progress with the glacial pace of painting the second element of 4Kn but another Sp and 4Bd element are done.
At this stage the last strip of West Sudanese, Breton and Early Samurai are in the three decked painting drawers. If all goes according to plan the Sudanese will be fully done in time for MOAB and the Breton and Samurai will be finished around the same time.
The first elements of the Later Tang and Early Serbs will also come off the line by the end of this week if all goes well.
Cheers
Post Number 750 - mini milestone
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