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Post by colinthehittite on Apr 1, 2018 7:53:17 GMT
Matched Pairs – the Best of Tournament Formats?
• Preparation really forces you to study the army lists with great care and to check on rules issues – fun for some in itself • The challenge is to pick two armies that in playing terms are roughly equal – you don’t want to end up with the weaker one! • A greater challenge is to spot a potential advantage in one or ideally both armies that your opponent is unlikely to see given the short time he or she has to choose between the pair • You can field weak, unusual or complicated armies that you would never dare to use in other types of tournament • All games are historical and historical games work best in DBA • In one day you will be playing with a wide range of armies and terrain settings and could be playing with every type of element and armies from all four books • You get to handle other players’ beautiful figures • It’s a real test of table top generalship as you play with other peoples devious pairs every other game and you never play with the same army two games running
Missed anything?
With me on this?
Colin
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Post by colinthehittite on Mar 29, 2018 12:15:24 GMT
Great list Claudius.
Alfred Duggan – the original and still one of the best.
Colin
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Post by colinthehittite on Mar 28, 2018 9:10:00 GMT
Revised my Alton plans for Sea Peoples against NKE. Scott Not such a bad pairing, Scott. If the Sea peoples take the light chariot general and the three Ax then they are fairly even with the NKE in the open - four NKE light chariots and four blades against eight blades. Both armies would have three vulnerable elements, the NKE bows (3 in 22a) would be wary of blades and the Sea Peoples Ax would also be wary of blades. NKE will likely win the terrain enabling them to have an open field. With not much time to decide on the day of the tournament at the start of each game I think it would be difficult to choose – another good reason to take them. I’d say bring them both, but also be sure to bring your lucky die! Colin
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Post by colinthehittite on Mar 27, 2018 15:11:03 GMT
Yes, m’lud and thank you, Your Gloriousness.
Thanks for posting the photos, Martin. See what I mean about the presentation?
Colin
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Post by colinthehittite on Mar 27, 2018 7:41:07 GMT
My Trojans (littoral) won the terrain against Bill’s Shang and having placed 12 elements on the table I was pondering my deployment. Bill said, ‘No littoral landing then.’ I said, ‘Oh yeah! I can land...’ I had completely forgotten and was playing as badly as I had done against Atillathenun the other night. I then removed two dismounted blades and a fast blade and placed them on the side in full view, leaving 9 elements deployed on the table – an obvious indication of a proposed landing. The act of removing 2 dismounted blades and a fast blade and leaving them in full view put into Bill’s mind that those exact elements were to be the landing. I had inadvertently deceived Bill. Ordinarily 9 elements would be brought out of the box and deployed. Bill would have noticed some missing and if he couldn’t work out what they were I would happily show him. The two dismounted blades sitting on the side distracted Bill from his tactical thinking – it was not intentional but proved decisive. Bill then set up his Shang with a standard line but with two Psiloi touching the waterway behind his line as partial beach defence. Instead of landing the two dismounted blades and fast blade I landed two light chariots and a fast blade, one in contact with a psiloi and the line extended inland. Bill’s psiloi were expecting blades (no problem) but one of them was now in contact with a light chariot and looking somewhat queasy, as was his friend nearby... The psiloi was destroyed and Bill was on the back foot throughout the game. Sneaky or what! I did feel a little guilty, but I didn’t say I was going to land with just infantry, in fact I didn’t say anything other than that I had finished deploying. Perhaps I should have put the landers in my box in order not to distract Bill and I only decided to land with chariots when I saw the opposition behind Bill’s line. Bill, my intention was not to be underhand. You can get your own back in two weeks at the excellent Alton DBA Matched Pairs. Colin Jeez...that was mighty cheesy. I think, having just given you a get out clause to rework your deployment (and I'm not sure I would have let you do that anyway, if you'd declared you'd finished your deployment), that was pretty frickin' naughty... If I was Bill, I would have had words over that one... P. In my defence, Your Honour, I had not declared that I had deployed. I had put 12 elements on the table and was staring at them with my head between my hands looking for inspiration. Bill provided it! Am I still allowed to play at Newark Colin
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Post by colinthehittite on Mar 26, 2018 12:46:57 GMT
I wondered if you two sneaky trick masters would want to hear about that.
Well, are you sitting comfortably...
The great commanders of antiquity worked hard to mask their intentions from their opponents - I’m reminded of Hannibal as I’m painting Carthaginians at the moment – because deceiving your opponent as to your intentions would often lead to battlefield success. We DBA gamers try in some small measure to emulate the actions of these great commanders on the table top; but since both players can see every element and every terrain feature and the relationship between these, it is very difficult to engineer a situation where you can fool your opponent. However, little ‘tricks’ on the table top can lead to local advantage and we all know how quickly such an advantage can bring about victory in DBA.
In my DBA gaming the ultimate prize is to deceive my opponent, to mask my intentions and successfully attack at a point he feels is secure. I have learnt a number of tricks over time from The Master but if, Martin, after reading what follows you feel that I have besmirched your good name then I apologise. Neither of us would cheat in a game, but you may feel I was a little ungentlemanly. My Trojans (littoral) won the terrain against Bill’s Shang and having placed 12 elements on the table I was pondering my deployment. Bill said, ‘No littoral landing then.’ I said, ‘Oh yeah! I can land...’ I had completely forgotten and was playing as badly as I had done against Atillathenun the other night. I then removed two dismounted blades and a fast blade and placed them on the side in full view, leaving 9 elements deployed on the table – an obvious indication of a proposed landing. The act of removing 2 dismounted blades and a fast blade and leaving them in full view put into Bill’s mind that those exact elements were to be the landing. I had inadvertently deceived Bill. Ordinarily 9 elements would be brought out of the box and deployed. Bill would have noticed some missing and if he couldn’t work out what they were I would happily show him. The two dismounted blades sitting on the side distracted Bill from his tactical thinking – it was not intentional but proved decisive.
Bill then set up his Shang with a standard line but with two Psiloi touching the waterway behind his line as partial beach defence. Instead of landing the two dismounted blades and fast blade I landed two light chariots and a fast blade, one in contact with a psiloi and the line extended inland. Bill’s psiloi were expecting blades (no problem) but one of them was now in contact with a light chariot and looking somewhat queasy, as was his friend nearby... The psiloi was destroyed and Bill was on the back foot throughout the game. Sneaky or what!
Perhaps, Martin, you would have done differently being the kindly soul that you are. However, it was all perfectly legal. The good prospect of a win was enjoyable after having lost my first game to Claudius’ Sea Peoples on 3-4, including both generals, followed by a draw against Andrew’s Sea Peoples, although Bill was looking a little unhappy.
I did feel a little guilty, but I didn’t say I was going to land with just infantry, in fact I didn’t say anything other than that I had finished deploying. Perhaps I should have put the landers in my box in order not to distract Bill and I only decided to land with chariots when I saw the opposition behind Bill’s line.
Bill, my intention was not to be underhand. You can get your own back in two weeks at the excellent Alton DBA Matched Pairs.
Colin
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Post by colinthehittite on Mar 25, 2018 8:39:22 GMT
Oh and congratulations to Claudius, who beat me in the opening game after we had destroyed each others generals.
Colin
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Post by colinthehittite on Mar 25, 2018 8:34:05 GMT
Some outcomes
• A good turnout, something like 10 or 12 • Not a wide selection of armies • Lots of littoral landings • Finalists were Martin Smith with Sea Peoples and Claudius Gothicus with Sea Peoples. Two lines crashed across the middle of the board. Claudius threw 5s and 6s and Martin didn’t. • Atillathenun forgot the trophy, an alternative was procured and so the presentation photo will be a bit odd • Claudius declined the winners’ prize army and got some kind of discount deal on future appearances - celebrities! He'll be getting an agent next. • Personally, I suffered two draws and upset Bill with a sneaky trick... made worse because he had just reminded me about something important I had forgotten! But it was a good trick – worthy of Mr Smith!
Looking forward to The Alton Matched Pairs in two weeks. Always a great challenge and a prize table to drool over.
Colin
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Post by colinthehittite on Mar 23, 2018 14:10:25 GMT
Played a few games with Atillathenun last night - made a huge blunder in the first game and repeated it in the second. So I'm in good shape for tomorrow... we both plan to attend.
Colin
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Post by colinthehittite on Mar 1, 2018 19:09:55 GMT
Sign me up, Paul.
Even a sprinkling of snow here on the south coast this afternoon - things must be bad!
Colin
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Post by colinthehittite on Feb 22, 2018 13:01:44 GMT
Gotta be an improvement on LAST year’s NC, where Mr O’Shea gave a Masterclass in “The Throwing of Ones, and the Occasional Two”, much to the delight of his opponents A victim of the wargamer's equivalent of the "commentator's curse", having been tipped as the likely winner by the organiser at the start of the day. If it happens again this year I'll blame it on Mark! (see his comment above). Colin
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Post by colinthehittite on Feb 19, 2018 9:30:41 GMT
Seconded.
With 16 players it was a good turnout and with some faces I did not recognise it made for a good start. Unfortunately, I didn’t get off to a good start, falling foul of massed knights in wide open spaces in the first two games. When you take an army like Anglo Irish you need some terrain to fall in places that will protect infantry from massed knights and too often during the day my army felt very exposed and suffered badly – 4-0 in one game. At the other extreme I had a huge amount of luck in my last game, with some valiant fast bowmen destroying solid blades who tried to assault their difficult hill slope. We few who were constantly playing on the ‘bottom table’ joked and jibed just like unruly school boys, who find themselves in a similar position at the back of the class. Meanwhile, Claudius was basking in the glow of ‘top table’ good luck, near the teacher’s desk at the front and although it deserted him in the last game he managed to win the tournament by one point over Martin Smith; if their game had ended slightly differently... the stuff of legends! I had more success with other people’s armies than with my own. That might tell me something but I’m not sure what. As Claudius gained yet another victory us ‘no hopers of the bottom table’ didn’t resort to flicking things at other players, or shouting rude things at the teacher, we merely competed for the longest run of ones. Funny how you don’t remember your sixes...
“Enough” I can hear Claudius saying, don’t take me back to the classroom just when it was becoming a distant memory. So, in all seriousness, thanks Pete, great fun as always. And thanks for all the tournaments you have run – we are going to miss you. I hope you have been training up a lieutenant. Prizes for everyone and then off to face the challenges of the drive home.
Congratulations Claudius
Colin
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Post by colinthehittite on Jan 28, 2018 9:11:26 GMT
**ELEPHANT CIRCUS GAINS TOP PRIZE**
In a thrilling day of DBA in wet Wales yesterday Arnaud’s multi-elephant force, so long the bridesmaid, finally gained the success that has long eluded him. Battling his way through a string of tense games, Arnaud finally emerged winner of The Welsh Open.
Was it the reduction in the number of elephants in the army by one? Was it the fetching headband holding back those flowing locks? Probably just steady nerve and reasonable die rolls. Who knows, maybe we will hear from the ring master himself after he has tucked the herd back into their box never to be seen again. Well he was heard to say; ‘I’m going to retire the army now,’ rising from the carnage of the final game with a huge grin. Never again will we quaver when Arnaud and his pachyderm horde are announced as our next opponent. Is this the end of an era? Will the UK DBA scene ever be the same again? Will we all sigh in relief that it is all over? All these questions are yet to be answered, but one thing is certain... we look forward to Arnaud’s next fiendishly cunning plan!
Seriously though; congratulations to Arnaud and to Claudius who won the afternoon plate competition for us lesser mortals who failed to make the semi-finals. Thanks Alan for organising the fun and thanks to Magister Militum for their generous support.
Colin
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Post by colinthehittite on Dec 10, 2017 19:26:55 GMT
...and there is a full colour report in the Tarrington Tatler! 😉 Excellent report, Diades, with a clear eye on your audience. We may not gain any recruits from your efforts but it is good to see the word spread far and wide. Colin
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Post by colinthehittite on Dec 5, 2017 9:41:23 GMT
Just enjoyed the photos on Yahoo... and great caption, ‘Breeng me sum ammyunishun’. If I’ve got the spelling right!! Thanks for posting. Colin
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