|
Post by colinthehittite on Mar 24, 2024 8:16:44 GMT
Nice to see John Cleese at a DBA tournament, I don't expect he gets out much these days. He was reprising his role as a Roman centurion berating a Jew painting anti Roman slogans on a huge wall (as in Life of Brian). An excellent vignette finishing off a beautifully modelled Jewish Revolt army. It was such a joy to lose with, Ken!
It was a bit of a trek from the south coast but the tournament was such fun. The theme was a refreshing change from wall to wall knights etc and an extra feature was the use of varied additions to the rules each round; and I always enjoy playing new gamers as well as 'old'. The venue was spacious and had all facilities including parking - something that is becoming a priority. Mark and Phil made a fine combo and between them managed the day extremely well. My only disappointment was the brief visit of Irregular Miniatures who arrived after the start of my game and left before I had finished, leaving me no time to make a planned purchase.
After John Cleese, the other highlight of my day was to finish a game on a 0 : 0 draw. A first for me! My opponent would not venture into my lair and I never had enough PIPS to venture out.
Thank you Mark and Phil for a well organised and enjoyable day.
Colin
|
|
|
Post by colinthehittite on Mar 20, 2024 7:49:22 GMT
A wide selection of armies available soon from the O'Shea studio at a very reasonable £500!
|
|
|
Post by colinthehittite on Feb 26, 2024 17:59:11 GMT
(4) The Great Debate only dealt with how hills affect close combat. It did not deal with how they affect shooting or command. That makes sense because, unlike for close combat, the rules on shooting and command are already complete and clear. Hill crests can block shooting and line of sight, and the rules explain under what conditions this happens. There is therefore no need to supplement or alter them. Are you suggesting that an element can shoot over a hill so long as the shooting does not pass over the crest line (of an elongated hill) or centre point (of a conical hill)? I think the rules would allow this, but would be surprised if anybody I have played with in the UK would see the sense in it. On the rare occasions that, shooting on a hill at a target on the same hill, has come up in my games we have agreed that there should be half a base width distance on conical hills or on the “ends” of elongated hills for a shooter to see the target... but there is, as yet, no UK agreement on this.
|
|
|
Post by colinthehittite on Feb 25, 2024 7:19:39 GMT
A long drive through darkness, flooding, frost and fog brought my Zanj Revolt out into Coventry’s blue sky where they felt much more at home. However, they did not have a good day. Each time I was in command they fell foul of massed knights in my opponent’s wide open good going, leading to my three losses. When I played against them, I only had the opportunity for similar “payback” on one occasion. A drawn game in which I played Massagetae against the Zanj in the Zanj terrain (waterway, difficult hill, hamlet and wood) was by far the highlight of the day with the all-infantry Zanj in a constricted line struggling for PIPS, against massed horsemen, mainly light horse, forced into weak frontal attacks between terrain pieces. An awkward angle was needed to destroy a light horse element and some luck for Massagetae cavalry to take a Zanj element. Both sides worked hard for small advantage and the game provided my stone throwing Psiloi youngsters and sickle armed hordes with a refreshing change from the thunder of massed iron shod heavy horse and heavy chariots.
The venue is excellent, with all facilities including parking. I remember the days when you could just stop your car and park in the street wherever you liked. Pete was able to play without the strain of organising as a lieutenant did the chores – I’m sure you will all hear soon about the success of his Frankish knights.
So, thank you Pete and I guess other members of your club, for providing a great gaming day to a good turnout of players from most points of the compass.
Colin
|
|
|
Post by colinthehittite on Feb 4, 2024 7:00:37 GMT
I had an excellent day of gaming in the stone vaulted crypt of The Bennett Centre in Frooome yesterday. I shall miss playing in such a wonderfully atmospheric setting but wish allnewstevie well in his new venture. He came up with a complicated game management system that added a new twist to the game but thanks to a huge amount of preparation and his trusty pinboard it all seemed to run itself very well.
40 minute games meant we seemed to finish the day early and those who suffered draws might well have wished for minutes 41 to 50 which are often needed to decide a game.
It was a game and conversation with Stephen Finn At the Cold Ash Clash tournament that prompted me to take Armenians, not having used them before. I already had the figures but hadn’t considered them tough enough for tournament play. They were having a great day yesterday until their general died early in a game on a very poor die roll (you know which number I rolled!) after which a wall of pikes and heavy chariots incrementally chewed its way through my static, leaderless army - the dice god giveth and the dice god taketh away!
So, thank you allnewstevie for a great day. Whilst the DBM players upstairs were still counting links in their mail in their first game of the day we were moving on, resurrecting generals, playing games three, four…
|
|
|
Post by colinthehittite on Feb 4, 2024 6:56:35 GMT
Please add me to your list.
|
|
|
Post by colinthehittite on Jan 7, 2024 7:42:11 GMT
Having won some nice looking Khurasan Miniatures Kushan Indian figures at the Alton DBA tournament last year I hunted through my modest lead pile in order to make up a II/46b Kushan army. This is a multi-cultural mix of central Asians and Indians and an army I have never seen on the wargames table. The only figures I struggled to find were the cataphracts, but QRF’s Armenians are the closest I had (the closest of any except Khurasan themselves if you follow the writings of Gorelik and Nikonorov for Bactrian and Eurasian armies). I finished painting the figures just before Christmas and determined to take them to Slimbridge. The list has small numbers of lots of troop types and so I added a Parthian ally giving a base of 4Kns. Now a much more formidable mix of knights and bad going troop types.
My first game was against Classical Indians – a challenging prospect for any army. Holding back my centre I gained considerable success in a piece of rough going on one enemy flank. This proved too much for the Indians who crumbled from right to left. Next came Parthians, in open terrain! My opponent failed to bring sufficient terrain and so I gave him one of my difficult hills to use as a gentle hill. This nearly led to my downfall when I forgot it was gentle and treated it as BG – my Psiloi died, my flank was suddenly wide open! Yes, you are not the only one who makes silly mistakes. Luckily, I had surrounded his general and on the second attempt managed to destroy it, giving me the game. And so, it went on with; two versions of early Achaemenids, Patrician Romans with a knight based ally and it might have been a Bactrian or something similar. Apart from two games where I suffered the frustration of continually throwing ones, I had mainly close and very enjoyable games.
Interestingly I took several generals and camps which in other tournaments would have gained me extra points helping to differentiate the often similar scores at the end of a tournament. In fact, the scoring system led to another anomaly which, for the few players present who were interested in their UK DBA league positions, caused some frustration. Discussions during and after the tournament will hopefully lead to a tweaking of the scoring system which in future gives just rewards for those who win games.
The weird scoring that was being thrown up was the only issue in an otherwise successful day. The venue is excellent and despite being next to the low lying wildfowl wetlands, below the water level of the adjacent canal and following recent weather, was still above water! I put in a lunch order with a delayed delivery time and it arrived just as I finished my game – perfect! Local players turn up for this gaming day who would not travel to other league tournaments around the country, and I do enjoy playing new gamers. So, thank you Berkeley for providing me with another great day of DBA tabletop mayhem. I look forward to your next event – at one point you looked like winning the tournament but as organiser discounted that possibility. So, did you really win or was it the camel meister who gave his camels a day off?
Colin
|
|
|
Post by colinthehittite on Jan 3, 2024 7:40:59 GMT
The pub has an adequate car park adjacent to it, just behind the building next to the canal (before the canal). Don’t stop at the car park 100 metres before the pub building. I understand that the spacious room is free to hire but they appreciate custom at the bar where you can get all the usual pub fayre – probably coffee as well. I didn’t realise this the first time I went and brought my lunch but intend to support them on Saturday.
Colin
|
|
|
Post by colinthehittite on Nov 22, 2023 16:37:27 GMT
Top 7 tips to learn how to play with littoral landings
1. You will need extra equipment beyond the standard DBA set. A waterway is useful if you plan to send some of your army off for a damp flank march. Modular is good. Two one foot lengths that join will avert peculiar looks from passers by as you struggle into the tournament venue with your waterway poking out of your bag.
2. Start in the ‘shallow end’. Your first dip could be with just two elements. A couple of Psiloi can weak havoc in your opponent’s rear. 3. Be comfortable with your opponent landing on your side of the board. After all it means there are fewer enemy elements in front of your inexorable battle line. 4. Spend plenty of time in the water. As your experience grows be determined to use a littoral landing whenever you can. The landing offers you more game options; you cannot have too many strings to your wet longbow.
5. Learn the mechanics of being in the water. Who goes first is important and needs thinking through.
6. As you develop your water confidence consider using expendable elements to cause a distraction whilst you win elsewhere. 7. Enroll in Martin's excellent course from which you will come away with littoral confidence and bravado. I did!
|
|
|
Post by colinthehittite on Nov 22, 2023 15:48:34 GMT
Come on hodsopa, sooner or later you have to dip your toe in the water. It’s not so bad, perhaps you will get a bit of a shock at first but you will soon get used to it. After all, later in life you never know when you will need to lean on that initial experience to save you from a nasty shock; or worse!
|
|
|
Post by colinthehittite on Nov 22, 2023 15:27:01 GMT
Methinks you need a littoral themed tournament, hodsopa. Initiation into the dark and forboding mysteries of the littoral game is an experience not to miss! And you can bring your camels if they can find any water!
|
|
|
Post by colinthehittite on Nov 22, 2023 8:05:48 GMT
Count me in, Keith. Dreary January is looking much better already.
As for your suggested themes, personally I’m not a Book 1 fan – but do have some armies from the list. I only have Chimu from the Americas and they are exhausted after being frightened by all the scary four legged armies at the recent Cold Ash tournament. So, I would vote for littoral armies; but would be quite happy with any theme. Just want to play!!
Colin
|
|
|
Post by colinthehittite on Nov 14, 2023 13:08:13 GMT
trying to get a post Xmas Dba set up at Slimbridge Looking forward to news, Keith 🙂👍🏼 Yes, Keith. Give us a date. The Tudor Arms is an excellent venue – DBA, food and beer on tap. Colin
|
|
|
Post by colinthehittite on Nov 12, 2023 17:52:17 GMT
Good to see DBA at Warfare this year. With 420 competitors, including a few DBA players, the huge exhibition hall was warm and noisy despite its size. A leisurely five games allowed us time to wander around other tournament games and the traders, and for me to play an extra game after my opponent quickly despatched my tough looking professional force with his rabble of ex slaves.
From a huge army list I brought Parthians with an LPIA ally, the Arabs providing some much needed solid foot . Painted a few years ago it was good to get them on the table at last. I had five good games against armies from across the extensive army list including; two Seleucids (one with a Parthian ally), Carthaginians, Early Germans and those wiley revolting Spartacusians.
Thanks to Hamilcar for organising the DBA event and for the gifts we all received. I hope it runs again next year and that a few more DBA players join in the fun.
Colin
|
|
|
Post by colinthehittite on Nov 5, 2023 7:02:34 GMT
What is your worst DBA tactical nightmare?
Finding your light horse facing massed bows…
Watching your psiloi trying to outrun knights or your solid Auxilia trying to outrun fast blades…
Being unable to deploy your close formation infantry because of the wall to wall bad going…
Well, all these and more can be part of your life’s rich tapestry if you enter The Cold Ash Clash.
With; the widest possible range of armies available, not knowing what you will be handed each round, or what you might face, and knowing that half the players have provided their army with unsympathetic terrain, the nightmare scenarios are endless! Add to this the usual vagaries of the dice god’s behaviour; let alone the risks of getting the Feng Shui wrong when you choose a gaming table… it is a wonder so many seemingly otherwise happy, cheerful, and well balanced people actually pay money to face this particular form of torture.
Seriously though, I had a great day. Thank you Diades; despite being obviously unwell and having to play to make up numbers, you ran your usual supremely well organised and managed tournament. Colin
|
|