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Post by gonatas on May 12, 2019 19:23:04 GMT
Hi there.
The benefit of some advice would be very welcome.
I have just started to play a few games of DBA after a long lay off from wargaming. I have now decided to enter an open competition. I need to choose an army.
Can I ask the fanaticus collective what sort of army is likely to be competitive in an open comp.
Are there any lists which are particularly popular/effective and which I should be aware of. Please ignore the fact that the General (me) is likely to be the weakest link in the chain of command.
Thanks.
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Post by davidjconstable on May 12, 2019 20:15:01 GMT
Hello
Sorry, but that is a practically impossible question to answer.
It is hard to be objective, however, armies that are flexible regarding troop types and terrain are probably good.
You could go for some that appear good, five elephants for example, but in the end probably a flexible army that you like is a good start.
David Constable
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Post by Baldie on May 13, 2019 8:27:19 GMT
I find that a deadly force is invariably the one my opponent is using.
As already discussed using something you are interested in is a good start.
Warband heavy and loads of 8 bow armies seem to be hard to use which is a pity as Ancient British and EAP are two of my faves.
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Post by scottrussell on May 13, 2019 12:05:13 GMT
As you imply, you are probably not going to win the tournament, but you will probably win a game or two. Either by getting an advantageous match up, tactical genius, or just outrageous good luck. Your best bet for an enjoyable tournament is therefore a balanced army that will at least allow you to be in the fight and give these game winning strategies a chance to bear fruit.
Taking a low aggression bad-going army and skulking around in the woods might well get you a bunch of draws due to the time constraints, but won't be much fun. Likewise monotype armies look superficially attractive (12 x 3Kn, for example) but they all have their nemesis.
Personally, I would suggest a base of heavy foot, some mounted, either cavalry or LH for manoeuvre or knights for punch, and a smattering of bad going troops, as you will almost always have some bad going to deal with. Psiloi often look like a waste of time but they have a number of unique advantages (group moves through bad going, difficult to overlap), are hard to kill and they neutralise elephants, which appear disproportionately often in open tournaments. So best to have one or two of those.
Romans are often a good starting army. As a general rule, the later the better. What armies have you got to choose from?
Scott
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Post by stevie on May 13, 2019 12:35:05 GMT
I agree with Cromwell and Scottrussell...it all depends on who you will be facing (and the terrain). So you will need to plan ahead, as you don’t know who you are going to face. Therefore I suggest thinking about what your opponent might have, and how you would counter them. My ‘ideal’ army would be something like this:- 2 x Ps (in case you face Elephants, or need to screen your mounted from shooting)... 4 x 4Bd (powerful, resistant to shooting, and good in bad going if no Wb are about)... 4 x Cv/LH/Kn (for speed, and Cv/LH only flee if doubled by Pk or Sp)... 2 x others (an Elephant is scary, and Art terrifies enemy Elephants and WWg)... One of the closest armies to fit this profile is the II/49 Marian Romans. They also have a fine collection of allies :- II/6 Bithynains, II/28b Armenians, II/52 Dacians (for Knights)... II/23 Arabs (for Camels to counter enemy Knights)... II/40 Numidians (for an extra Elephant, or if you want both an Elephant and an Art)... The Marian Romans even have an option for a Bd general, which is nice.  Some Helpful Downloads can be found here: fanaticus-dba.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Reference_sheets_and_epitomes
And here is the latest Jan 2019 FAQ: fanaticus-dba.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ_2019_1st_Quarter
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Post by Simon on May 13, 2019 13:20:59 GMT
As an organiser of open tournaments (next one in Bakewell 8 June!) I would advise thay you also check to see if there are any local limiting rules for armies, even in an open. For example, I ask that all army compositions are selected before the first round and stays the same throughout all rounds. In addition, I do not allow dismounting during a game at the Bakewell Open.
The main thing is to have some fun with an army you have enjoyed researching and painting! All the UK tournaments I have been part of have been very froendly with the more experienced players being very happy to coach the newer ones.
Regards,
Simon
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Post by davidjconstable on May 13, 2019 17:20:31 GMT
I find that a deadly force is invariably the one my opponent is using. As already discussed using something you are interested in is a good start. Warband heavy and loads of 8 bow armies seem to be hard to use which is a pity as Ancient British and EAP are two of my faves. Until recently Sue Barker liked to use Ancient British, which she has been using for some thirty plus years I would guess.
An army she liked, and felt at home with.
David Constable
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Post by bob on May 13, 2019 17:28:35 GMT
Pick an army that will most likely roll 6's. Use one that you like so you will be less distressed when it does not. I have always used armies that are colorful and interesting to look at as I will be doing so for 3-6 hours. Also, I like armies that are unique, like Trojans with dismountable chariots, Hussites with war wagons, or Indians with Elephants, or Spartacus with lots of Hordes.
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Post by davidjconstable on May 13, 2019 21:37:35 GMT
Pick an army that will most likely roll 6's. Use one that you like so you will be less distressed when it does not. I have always used armies that are colorful and interesting to look at as I will be doing so for 3-6 hours. Also, I like armies that are unique, like Trojans with dismountable chariots, Hussites with war wagons, or Indians with Elephants, or Spartacus with lots of Hordes. Hello Bob
I would go for an army that survives ones (1), knowing my dice throwing.
David Constable
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Post by macbeth on May 13, 2019 23:03:06 GMT
I think it is better to pick an army you can love when it loses - so you are not tempted to have a blowtorch party at home shortly after the inevitable game with bad rolls dampens your enthusiasm. That said in my experience Dismounting Kn/Bd or better still Kn//Bd armies are a deadly prospect so long as the organisers don't put further limits on this You can also pick an army that has low aggression and an odd combination that works perfectly in your chosen terrain - two specific examples that worked for me Sung Chinese (now it is the Southern Sung) where you can set up a "Valley of Death" for your Art and Cb and (hopefully) blast away a significant portion of the enemy before they get to contact Christian Nubian utilising Dunes or Oasis to feed your Camels through whist your Bows and Warriors exploit or hold the flanks that they are best against All this of course comes undone if your opponent sets terrain  Cheers |
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Post by bob on May 14, 2019 5:30:52 GMT
Pick an army that will most likely roll 6's. Use one that you like so you will be less distressed when it does not. I have always used armies that are colorful and interesting to look at as I will be doing so for 3-6 hours. Also, I like armies that are unique, like Trojans with dismountable chariots, Hussites with war wagons, or Indians with Elephants, or Spartacus with lots of Hordes. Hello Bob
I would go for an army that survives ones (1), knowing my dice throwing.
David Constable
Me too, which is why I use armies I like  |
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Post by gonatas on May 14, 2019 16:50:11 GMT
Thank you everybody. I appreciate the comments. Much food for thought.
It has helped me reach a decision and we will see how it goes at Bakewell.
In the meantime I will practice rolling sixes, reign in any expectation of winning the comp, and take the army out for a candlelit dinner for two in the hope that romance ensues.
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Post by Simon on May 14, 2019 17:31:07 GMT
Thank you everybody. I appreciate the comments. Much food for thought. It has helped me reach a decision and we will see how it goes at Bakewell. In the meantime I will practice rolling sixes, reign in any expectation of winning the comp, and take the army out for a candlelit dinner for two in the hope that romance ensues. I have just sent you a PM re Bakewell. Simon |
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Post by mustrum on May 14, 2019 18:22:34 GMT
Henry Tudor.
That is all.
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Post by gonatas on May 15, 2019 6:12:10 GMT
Sorry. That would be a big step too far. Richard III still rules in our house. |
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