Post by martin on Mar 26, 2020 9:26:21 GMT
Six games of DBA v3, at the DBA Northern Cup, at Hammerhead, Newark, on 14th March, just before the clamp-down.
1. Using Komnenan Byzantines against the Seljuks , generalled by Baldie. This was a game in which no matter how hard the Byzantine archers shot, they singularly failed to destroy any Turkish Light horse... fighting became confused in the centre, with Kn, LH, Sp and Cv all involved, and eventually the Komnenans crumpled on a score of 2 to 4. A loss to start the day.....oops.
2. My Teutonic Order crossed the snowy wastes to face an early Polish army led by Pete Duckworth. The Poles rapidly occupied a gentle hill to my front left centre and from this they were very reluctant to move. Pete garrisoned the high ground with a strong force of spearmen and archers. The Teutonic knights made a few bold moves to try to push past the hill and also to attack the occupants of it, but failed to make progress, Polish archery proving decisive against the massed ranks of Germanic chivalry. Another loss, 1-4.
3. Game three saw me command a Granadine army against Martin Myers who was controlling a Medieval Spanish army. My Granadine skirmishers advanced through a village on the left to face off against Spanish javelinmen and crossbowmen controlling a steep hill on the Spanish right, but on this part of the field it turned into a standoff. Meanwhile my light horse had raced around the wood on the right to attack the Spanish camp, but unfortunately they failed in this and were countered by enemy light cavalry and Auxilia. They then retreated, and this flank also became a stand-off. In the centre the Grenadines pushed forward against the Spanish spearmen. A long slog ensued, with some progress for my foot, but eventually my general, pursuing a minor success, was surrounded and killed. Game was lost 1-3g.
4. Next up, I led Ayyubid Egyptians against Later Crusaders, led by Frank Shaw - Frank leading the Franks. Ayyubid cavalry made a flank move around the Crusader right but were stopped by Frank’s redeployment of spearmen, and on the left the Frankish missile troops clung to the edge of a wood, and were avoided by my vulnerable mounted. Meantime in the centre the Crusader knights were pushing to try to achieve a breakthrough. It seemed that they would do so, relentlessly forcing the Saracen cavalry back, but eventually their leader was isolated, surrounded and killed giving me a lucky 3g-1+horde victory.
5. Defending Pictland, I faced an invasion by Phil Johnson’s Romans (M.I.R.). A Pictish littoral landing on the Roman right achieved minimal success and was rapidly counted. Attempting to make progress in the centre, where a Roman ballista was carving holes in the Pictish spear-line, the Pictish light chariot general was dragged from his vehicle by legionaries and killed, the game rapidly falling apart from there. A 1-4g loss.
6. Finally, I commanded Feudal Spanish, against Phil Steele, with Islamic Berbers. On bound one a PIP roll of ‘1’ saw central ploughed fields turn muddy, which slowed Berber manoeuvre for the game, but also prevented my knights from exploiting opportunities, and reduced my ability to react to a Berber light cavalry move against my right... My light foot lost the fight for a steep hill on the Spanish left, and were overwhelmed, while on my right the enemy flank move was eventually seen off. Fighting in the centre became very messy indeed, reaching a 4-4 stalemate, but seeing both generals surrounded in the same bound. Phil’s commander survived while mine was unceremoniously dragged from his horse- ‘El Cid the Deciduous’ ...a very close 4-5g loss, and a tight and enjoyable game.
A well run tournament as always, though with minimal success on my part, leaving me placed 15th/16, but giving me five Society of Ancients Championship games (1,2,3,4,6) as a bonus.
