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Post by mthrguth on Apr 16, 2018 16:09:18 GMT
Regarding Chariot Wars. It is probably too late now, but I would have suggested a more list restricted event. As it is, this may turn into a Classical Indian National Championship. Next time Bibilical Wars!
Mike
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Post by mthrguth on Apr 13, 2018 18:40:02 GMT
I can take Midnight Madness if it is not too late.
Mike Guth
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Post by mthrguth on Mar 30, 2018 23:52:34 GMT
Sorry, my last post was a bit incoherent. What I meant to hint at is that throughout the pike and shot period there is an increase in the number of shot relative to the number of pike. By 1657 the Danish government is no longer willing to pay colonels for having pike in their regiments. In the ECW I suspect that pikes were still useful for protecting the shot from horse. But Stuart Reid's brief monograph on infantry tactics in the ECW is titled 'Gunpowder Triumphant.'
Theoretical configurations of pike and shot units also may not reflect tactical reality. The Swedish shot detached to support Gustavus' pistols at Breitenfeld came from the pike and shot regiments, and might well have reduced the proportion of shot to pike from 2:1 to the 1:1 of Tilly's Tercios. Scottish volley fire and charge may have been much more important than the relative make up of the units involved in determining the outcome of the battle.( And the Swedish opinion of their horse is that they were not as good as the Imperial cavalry, despite what the DBR rules say.) ECW shot were sometimes sent into combat without any pike. The pike were pulled off and kept separate as a reserve.
How a Swiss pike kiel would perform against the thinner less pike and more shot heavy units of the 30 years war is very speculative. I suspect there would have been a lot of running shot, and a bunch of dead TYW pikemen. But would the Swiss have been able to mount a decisive pursuit? If the terrain was more closed there is evidence from earlier in the period that pike and shot could defeat a frontal assault by a pike block. But not in open ground, as was tried in the French Wars of Religion.
And then somehow we have to work in light lancer armies. These were successful against Gustavus, and against the Portuguese in Spain. But how do we balance this with only '12' elements a side?
I proposed 3 types of units pikex3, pikex2 shot, and shotx2 pike. A different way would be to allow the pike to support shot e from behind against either pike, shot or cavalry., as in the DBA 2.2 rules for psiloi supporting blades against warband.
Shot supporting cavalry often took heavy casualties, so maybe shot should provide only side support to mounted.
Mike Guth
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Post by mthrguth on Mar 30, 2018 12:07:25 GMT
Balance problem in earlier version. Shooting elements destroyed pike too easily for pike to be useful, and pike too slow to be useful. May be historical though. Suggest everyone read Turner's Pallas Armata. He served in the TYW in Europe and is the most accessible English source for an opinion on tactics. Sadly, he chronicles the steady decline in use of pike during the period so that pike and shot became shot and cavalry period.
Building block of European armies up to and including ECW is a large block of infantry.
Suggest 'Tercio' style infantry units of 3 types. First is the 'Kiel'; to consist of 3 elements of pike. Second is the Tercio, one element of shot and two elements of pike. third is the later Regiment of 2 elements of shot and one of pike.
Means slightly bigger armies are needed.
More shot elements in a unit allow the unit to survive a hit; one shot element; and still continue firing. More pike would mean better hand to hand factor.
An alternative would be to require massive rebasing so that you could have a tiny center stand of pikes, say 20mm across, and two wings of shot on bases also 20mm across instead of 40mm. This would make a pike and shot unit of 60mm across, shot, pike, shot.
Finally, as the trend over the 16th to the 17th century is for units to become more rectangular and less square you could have units of 3 regular DBA elements. One formation would be 2 shot units side by side with a supporting pike behind the two shot in the shape of a T. Or you could have 2 pike bac
It is a pain to have to reread Turner's Pallas Armata to find one reference, namely, his description of the vaunted Swedish T brigade. Turns out that it fell out of use rapidly, and second that it was understood as a way to provide shelter for the shot who could fire and retire behind the pike.
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Post by mthrguth on Mar 22, 2018 1:24:59 GMT
After some thought, I don't think I can have a historical campaign ready by July.
Mike Guth
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Post by mthrguth on Mar 19, 2018 1:01:18 GMT
Two events were held at COLD WARS in Lancaster this weekend.
The first event was an open tournament. Mike Demko, Terry Griner, Mike Guth and Brian Hamilton took the field with Warring States Chinese, Medieval Germans list c, Qaramita and Avars. Mike Demko, in his first DBA tournament took first place, gamely standing off Mike Guth's multiple 2-1 attacks on a light horse, 6 2-2 bow shots, and finally driving a camel off the board with his knight general.
The second event featured armies and enemies of Justinian and Belisarius. Armies included Early Byzantine played by Terry Griner, The Avars under Brian Hamilton, Ostrogoths, Neustrian Franks, Ostrogoths and Lombards. We were joined by two Canadian DBMM players, Ben Taylor and Nicholas Swales. They dueled in the finals. The Lombards outdueled the Ostrogoths in a close fought game and Ben Taylor took the win.
Everyone expressed interest in playing more DBA at Historicon.
Mike Guth
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Post by mthrguth on Mar 5, 2018 1:35:17 GMT
Just trying to keep this at the top of list until the convention. In case anyone is just browsing.
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Post by mthrguth on Mar 3, 2018 6:22:15 GMT
Thanks Bob, sadly, either I or HMGS messed up and listed both events on the same day at the same time. Hopefully by now most people now the second event, on the appropriate line, is for Saturday. I almost missed the PEL, which is bad. Next time I'll host a Midnight Madness, which used to draw many casual players to the game.
See you at Historicon.
Mike
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Post by mthrguth on Mar 2, 2018 0:12:19 GMT
Terry should be there all the way from the west coast. So we should have some fun. Sometimes a few of the Canadian players show up as well.
Thanks for RSVPing!
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Post by mthrguth on Mar 1, 2018 4:28:50 GMT
. There will be two DBA events at Cold Wars, one on Friday and one on Saturday morning (misprint in PEL). I am bringing some loaner armies for Friday and Saturday. Might be nice though to reconfirm with me through this site, PM or email. I would be embarrassed if 20 players showed up thinking I had loaners for everyone! I am bringing boards and a good assortment of terrain.
Mike Guth
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Post by mthrguth on Feb 28, 2018 21:37:44 GMT
Bump. There will be two DBA events at Cold Wars, one on Friday and one on Saturday morning (misprint in PEL). I am bringing some loaner armies for Friday and Saturday. Might be nice though to reconfirm with me through this site, PM or email. I would be embarrassed if 20 players showed up thinking I had loaners for everyone! I am bringing boards and a good assortment of terrain.
Mike Guth
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Post by mthrguth on Feb 4, 2018 22:09:11 GMT
Can anyone share any shortcuts for getting a really fantastic cloth pattern under their elephant Howdah? Transfers? Doll House Persian rugs? Shrunken banners printed at what dpi?
Thx!
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Post by mthrguth on Feb 2, 2018 2:07:08 GMT
One event Friday and one event Saturday morning 930 AM until 1230 or so. Both events are 15mm.
The Friday event is an 'open' event, bring your nastiest army no matter how anachronistic. Rules as written.
The Saturday event will be armies and enemies of the Early Byzantines. 15mm and rules as written again.
I'll bring a few loaners for each. I'll bring a big box of terrain and boards. Nice if people bring their own dice and sticks.
I'd also recommend posting a reply here so that we have an idea of how overwhelming the crowd will be.
The events are scheduled so as not to interfere with the major TRIUMPH events, if players want to try that too....
So, something for those of us still attached to DBA. Hope to see you there.
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Post by mthrguth on Jan 29, 2018 14:16:43 GMT
Bob
My event would be 5-7 games. I think this requires two sessions. Since the theme, Byzantine Battles, overlaps David Shepp's theme perhaps he would like to yield his session. Or, I could just play in his event! I have the armies for all 7 games. They would be preset deployment and terrain.
Mike
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Post by mthrguth on Jan 24, 2018 23:20:47 GMT
I apologize for writing a poor PEL. For the Byzantine event one may bring armies or enemies of either list III/4a or III/4b. I will bring a half a dozen armies as loaners. If you have a specific army or enemy which interests you then email me through this website, or post, and I will try and bring that army for you.
Mike Guth
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