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Post by twrnz on Sept 10, 2020 23:51:14 GMT
Surprisingly there were no mistakes, though my opponent needed some reminding a couple of times as the miniatures got mixed up, especially near the sea.
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Post by twrnz on Sept 10, 2020 5:05:06 GMT
This week we decided on something different for our Tuesday night DBA. In particular a battle between two Māori iwi. As a result of a very stirring game I posted a few photos and a brief description of the game on my Ancients website. You can find the full report and more photos here: ancientwargaming.wordpress.com/2020/09/09/te-kawau-strikes-north/
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Post by twrnz on Sept 1, 2020 20:44:04 GMT
Outstanding Paul, they look superb!
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Post by twrnz on Jul 22, 2020 0:38:30 GMT
Last night provided an opportunity for another dramatic clash. This time with my opponent’s Later Achaemenid Persians engaged against my Seleucids. Both armies deployed on a battlefield that centred around an open plain, but with various other terrain to the flanks. To the Seleucid right was a small unwalled town While to the Persian left and right a steep hill and area of rough going narrowed the deployment area. The Persian centre was held by heavy cavalry and scythed chariots. Opposite the Seleucid centre comprised the phalanx, elephants and their own scythed chariots, while light infantry extended the line. An initial Persian advance seemed to overstretch their left. Sensing a weakness the Seleucid commander ordered forward his centre. The ordered veteran phalangites moved forward while the pachyderms and cataphracts caused the ground to tremble. The Seleucid scythed chariots, erratic at best, moved in support their drivers waiting for the moment they would be unleashed.An initial Persian advance seemed to overstretch their left. Sensing a weakness the Seleucid commander ordered forward his centre, of phalangites, pachyderms and scythed chariots. The Persians however continued to press the Seleucid right. Here the Seleucid light troops were massed and many were soon overwhelmed. Despite this Seleucid resolve was not broken. Soon casualties mounted in the Persian ranks and their centre was shattered. Persian reserves were now thrown in a valiant attempt to gain critical time. As a result the Persian light cavalry finally gained success on the Seleucid flank, and the pachyderms, who had pursued too far, were lost. A narrow Persian victory.
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Post by twrnz on Jul 14, 2020 10:16:33 GMT
This evening my opponent deployed his new Later Achaemenid Persians, flush with Greek mercenaries, against my Macedonians. From the start the Macedonians were under pressure, which only grew worse as the battle progressed. A poorly considered Macedonian attack against the Persian left was held to be replaced by a limited attack against the Persian centre. However, it was on the Macedonian left the battle was decided. Here the Persian mounted overwhelmed the outnumbered Macedonians securing victory.
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Post by twrnz on Mar 17, 2020 9:21:37 GMT
Tuesday evening provided an opportunity for another DBA outing. This time the English were campaigning across the German countryside. Finally Frederick, Elector of Brandenburg, offered battle. Frederick carefully selected the battlefield and then, after the English were completely deployed, began a series of complex manoeuvres clearly designed to confuse the English. Yet, when all hope for a decisive battle seemed lost, and with darkness approaching the German knights, in deep formations, surged forward. English archers unleashed their deadly arrows but the German knights broke the line cutting down English billmen with terrible ferocity. Yet, English determination was not shattered. Reserves were thrown in to the brutal swirling melee while archers blackened the sky with arrows. Now it was the turn of the Germans to know English resolve and to suffer defeat.
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Post by twrnz on Mar 10, 2020 9:31:13 GMT
Tuesday provided an opportunity for another game, continuing our adventures in Transalpine Gaul. The Carthaginians were set on revenge following the destruction of a recent expedition and recruited a large number of Punic foot supported by mercenaries and bolstered by a number of pachyderms. The armies deployed with the Gauls massing their mounted on their right. But Punic cunning was at play and now each commander attempting a series of complex manoeuvres intent on securing the slightest advantage. Finally the Gallic warriors, realising the initiative was lost, surged forward. The resulting fighting was desperate, especially in the centre. The Gallic warriors fought with great determination and the Punic line began to collapse. Yet, Punic reserves were now thrown in and slowly the pendulum of battle shifted in favour of Carthage. Charge and counter charge continued. But the Gauls began to tire. A final desperate push by the courageous Gauls occurred, but as dramatically as it started it failed, resulting in final collapse.
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Post by twrnz on Mar 3, 2020 19:24:19 GMT
Tuesday evening and time for the Gauls to face the Carthaginian invader. The Gallic commander selected a battlefield that he hoped would counter the Punic mounted superiority and deployed with his right resting on a large wood and his mounted mostly deployed on the left. The Carthaginians deployed opposite their right disrupted by a rocky hill and their left composed by a preponderance of light troops clearly set to pressure the Gallic right using their light infantry. The armies moved forward, both determined to bring the other to combat. However the Gauls reinforced their right and advancing rapidly with chariots and light infantry fell upon the Punic left with were dangerously exposed. Soon the Gallic centre crashed into the Punic centre itself advancing to reinforce the Punic left now dangerously compromised. The clash of Punic foot and Gallic warriors continued as progressively remaining portions of the lines were drawn in. The fighting now was desperate as shown in the photos above and below where the Gallic centre has been thinned by repeated clashes. After prolonged fighting, and heavy casualties, the Punic left finally succumbed to Gallic determination and was soon followed by collapse of the Punic centre when a final Gallic onslaught broke the cohesion of the Carthaginian veterans. Another fine game. In case anyone is wondering the pachyderm in the rear is masquerading as a camp.
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Post by twrnz on Feb 4, 2020 22:20:02 GMT
Another nice AAR Keith. I'd imagine that there were a lot of foreshortened lines. Indeed there was Greg, though the Gauls did expand a little on the right flank where some deployed on a hill, though not shown here.
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Post by twrnz on Feb 4, 2020 9:24:02 GMT
Tuesday evening DBA, this time a clash between a Ptolemaic host and the Gallic tribes intent on invading the Greek world, which is never a wise idea. The Ptolemaic commander determined to offer battle near the coast where the battlefield was relatively open, except for a rocky hill and small town on the Gallic right. The late arrival of Ptolemaic reinforcements by sea proved initially to be something of a threat to the Gallic left, though the threat was quickly countered. Both armies then pressed forward with their centres, with the Gauls trying a series of complex manoeuvres that gained them little. Finally however the foot of both armies clashed. Much pushing resulted and under pressure the Gauls were pushed back repeatedly. Then a breakthrough was achieved by Gauls. Gallic warriors emboldened with success attacked with new vigour. However, with Greek reserves restoring the continuity of the Ptolemaic line the relentless advance of the Greek phalanx was renewed. Eventually the heroic Gauls broke having suffered horrific casualties.
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Post by twrnz on Jan 27, 2020 4:53:50 GMT
I look forward to reading about the standard game as well as any conversion of battles to DBA.
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Post by twrnz on Jan 25, 2020 5:17:20 GMT
Love the artillery reference “more smoke than devastation” 😊👍 Great reports, Keith. Thanks. The gunnes were a disappointment. They were supposed to breakup the pike opposite and failed woefully, paying the ultimate price.
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Post by twrnz on Jan 25, 2020 1:19:13 GMT
Awesome narrative yet again, and these posts certainly want me to get some of my own armies on the table and also post about them on here. Thanks, pleased they have provided some inspiration and look forward to some reports. I always feel DBA can provide a good narrative both during and after a game.
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Post by twrnz on Jan 24, 2020 20:51:53 GMT
Friday evening four armies assembled for an evening of 15mm Medieval gaming. Taking the field were two French Ordonnance armies and two Wars of the Roses armies. In the first encounters of the evening the Earl of Oxford was found to be engaged in combat against the French while in exile on the continent. Little is known of this engagement, except it would provide a useful training ground for Oxford and Henry Tudor in their upcoming expedition. Meanwhile Edward IV was also campaigning in France where English forces were confronted by an aggressive French commander who had been dispatched by Louis XI (Louis the Prudent) to halt the English invasion. Below, French forces advance on the English. Expecting a more prudent attack Edward was caught off guard by a dramatic attack by French mounted men at arms which was only narrowly held. Edward having secured a narrow victory returned to England. France now erupted in civil war. Again little is known of this encounter, though one faction was known to have a significant artillery train. In 1485 the Prentender Henry Tudor crossed the channel and marched, in an indirect route gathering forces at various stages to bolster his army of mercenaries. Near Bosworth Richard III finally bought the invasion force to battle. In the ensuing encounter Tudor stayed in the relative safety of the camp and Oxford deployed his army opposite Richard’s before ordering a general advance. Above, a number of Richard’s archers engage the advancing rebels from an enclosure. Tudor’s army mercenaries pressed home their attack in the centre shrugging off Richard’s gunnes which “did belch more smoke than devastation”. Tudor’s army while making headway in the centre was badly handled on the flanks and soon both armies were near breaking. Finally Richard sensing the moment of decision had come charged at the head of his mounted reserve aiming directly at Oxford in the centre. As Oxford was overwhelmed the Pretender’s army broke and Richard secured victory. Another fine evening of gaming.
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Post by twrnz on Jan 3, 2020 22:41:40 GMT
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