Post by kaiphranos on May 29, 2021 23:04:29 GMT
Up visiting with my dad for the holiday weekend here in the US, and we finally got a chance to put all our quarantine painting to good use with some Book I battles. We have eight armies available, so I set up a little bracket which we played through:
Hittites (I/24b)---------- -----Sea Peoples (I/28)
}---Hittites----- ----Sea Peoples---{
Mitanni (I/19)----------- | | ------Egyptians (I/22b)
}--- Sea Peoples---{
Assyrians (I/25a)------- | | ------Egyptians (I/22a)
}---Assyrians--- ----Egyptians------{
Aramaeans (I/6c)------- ---------Libyans (I/7b)
Game 1: Hittites vs Mitanni
Mitanni was on the defense, and set up with a hamlet on their left flank, light chariots in a line in front, and miscellaneous infantry as a second line behind. The Hittites had a hill on their left where their light troops deployed, with their chariots in the center and a line of fast pikes behind. It was a bad day for the Mitanni chariots as they lost against both the Hittite 3Ax and their heavier Hittite opponents in the center. Loss of the Mitanni general ended the game 3G-0, and the Hittites advanced to the second round.
Game 2: Assyrians vs Aramaeans
Assyrians were on the defense, and set up on a generally open field with their light chariots in the center and some infantry on either flank. The Aramaeans started on a hill in the center, with a line of mostly psiloi on the left and their LCh general, camelry, and 3Ax on the right. As the lines closed, some surprising dice rolls saw the Assyrians lose two (!) chariots against the psiloi, but they rallied back and their superior infantry ground down the lighter Aramaeans. The Aramaean general eventually got outflanked and fell to end the game 3G-2, with the Assyrians advancing to the next round.
Game 3: Sea Peoples vs Egyptians
Egyptians were on the defense, with a waterway on their left flank. The main block of their infantry lined up between a small marsh and a small wood, with chariots on either flank and a small landing force of one 3Wb and one 3Bd. The Sea Peoples set up with a line of 3Bd ahead and 4Bd behind, with lighter troops on either flank. The Egyptian landing force tried for a flanking maneuver, but quickly came to grief. In the center, Egyptian bows were not able to disrupt the Sea Peoples' blades, and lost out when they closed in. One Egyptian chariot was able to sneak around the right flank and sack the Sea Peoples' camp, but that was the only bright point for Egypt as the game ended 4-C.
Game 4: Egyptians vs Libyans
Egyptians were on the defense here as well, still with the waterway on their left but with terrain otherwise minimal. A landing party of three 3Bd anchored their left against the waterway, with light chariots and then a line of 4Bw and 4Bd to the right. The Libyan light troops managed to get in a couple of kills but then their warbands got matched up against light chariots, which went poorly for the warbands. The Egyptians came out on top, 4-2.
Game 5: Sea Peoples vs Egyptians
The Egyptians were once more on the defense here. After the previous debacle, they decided not to try a landing force, but deployed their infantry in a double line with bows in front and blades behind, and chariotry behind on the left. The Sea Peoples did decide to attempt a littoral landing, and it worked much better for them - the Egyptian chariots got caught in an awkward situation and got cut down. Even more unfortunately for them, the general was one of them, ending the game at a very quick 3G-0 and sending the Sea Peoples to the finals.
Game 6: Hittites vs Assyrians
The Hittites were on the defense, and started with their light chariots on their left, a solid Horde positioned on a gentle hill, a block of double-ranked fast pike and heavy chariots in the center, and light troops stationed in a wood on their right. The Assyrians started off with their infantry lined up on their left and their light chariots on their right. Both sides pressed forward, but the Hittite chariots on the left were able to hold off their opposite numbers for long enough that the Hittite center could punch a hole through the Assyrian infantry. Heavy chariots getting quick kills against the Assyrian blades and auxilia racked up a quick 5-0 win cementing the Hittites as the other finalists.
Game 7: Hittites vs Sea Peoples
The Hittites were nominally on the defense, but ended up taking the fight to the Sea Peoples, who had deployed on a pair of gentle hills. The Hittites had their pike blocks and heavy chariots on the left, auxilia holding the center, and light chariots on the right. The Sea Peoples had their own auxilia on the left hill facing the Hittite chariots, fast blades and their HCh general in the center, and solid blades anchored on another hill to the right. The Sea Peoples' light troops came down off the hill to destroy one Hittite light chariot and chase off the other. The two generals each scored a quick kill against opposing infantry in the center, but neither side was able to exploit a breakthrough. The battle was decided on the righthand hill, where the Hittite pike blocks kept pushing the opposing blades back uphill, but were unable to get a decisive win. Eventually the Sea Peoples were able to flank the pikes at a crucial moment - the Hittite pikes were destroyed and the Sea Peoples won 5-2.
So the Bronze Age ended in a generally historical fashion, with the Sea Peoples carrying all before them.
It was a good set of games, and honors were pretty evenly divided (I won four; Dad won three.) And of course, it was great to finally play some games in-person again!
Hittites (I/24b)---------- -----Sea Peoples (I/28)
}---Hittites----- ----Sea Peoples---{
Mitanni (I/19)----------- | | ------Egyptians (I/22b)
}--- Sea Peoples---{
Assyrians (I/25a)------- | | ------Egyptians (I/22a)
}---Assyrians--- ----Egyptians------{
Aramaeans (I/6c)------- ---------Libyans (I/7b)
Game 1: Hittites vs Mitanni
Mitanni was on the defense, and set up with a hamlet on their left flank, light chariots in a line in front, and miscellaneous infantry as a second line behind. The Hittites had a hill on their left where their light troops deployed, with their chariots in the center and a line of fast pikes behind. It was a bad day for the Mitanni chariots as they lost against both the Hittite 3Ax and their heavier Hittite opponents in the center. Loss of the Mitanni general ended the game 3G-0, and the Hittites advanced to the second round.
Game 2: Assyrians vs Aramaeans
Assyrians were on the defense, and set up on a generally open field with their light chariots in the center and some infantry on either flank. The Aramaeans started on a hill in the center, with a line of mostly psiloi on the left and their LCh general, camelry, and 3Ax on the right. As the lines closed, some surprising dice rolls saw the Assyrians lose two (!) chariots against the psiloi, but they rallied back and their superior infantry ground down the lighter Aramaeans. The Aramaean general eventually got outflanked and fell to end the game 3G-2, with the Assyrians advancing to the next round.
Game 3: Sea Peoples vs Egyptians
Egyptians were on the defense, with a waterway on their left flank. The main block of their infantry lined up between a small marsh and a small wood, with chariots on either flank and a small landing force of one 3Wb and one 3Bd. The Sea Peoples set up with a line of 3Bd ahead and 4Bd behind, with lighter troops on either flank. The Egyptian landing force tried for a flanking maneuver, but quickly came to grief. In the center, Egyptian bows were not able to disrupt the Sea Peoples' blades, and lost out when they closed in. One Egyptian chariot was able to sneak around the right flank and sack the Sea Peoples' camp, but that was the only bright point for Egypt as the game ended 4-C.
Game 4: Egyptians vs Libyans
Egyptians were on the defense here as well, still with the waterway on their left but with terrain otherwise minimal. A landing party of three 3Bd anchored their left against the waterway, with light chariots and then a line of 4Bw and 4Bd to the right. The Libyan light troops managed to get in a couple of kills but then their warbands got matched up against light chariots, which went poorly for the warbands. The Egyptians came out on top, 4-2.
Game 5: Sea Peoples vs Egyptians
The Egyptians were once more on the defense here. After the previous debacle, they decided not to try a landing force, but deployed their infantry in a double line with bows in front and blades behind, and chariotry behind on the left. The Sea Peoples did decide to attempt a littoral landing, and it worked much better for them - the Egyptian chariots got caught in an awkward situation and got cut down. Even more unfortunately for them, the general was one of them, ending the game at a very quick 3G-0 and sending the Sea Peoples to the finals.
Game 6: Hittites vs Assyrians
The Hittites were on the defense, and started with their light chariots on their left, a solid Horde positioned on a gentle hill, a block of double-ranked fast pike and heavy chariots in the center, and light troops stationed in a wood on their right. The Assyrians started off with their infantry lined up on their left and their light chariots on their right. Both sides pressed forward, but the Hittite chariots on the left were able to hold off their opposite numbers for long enough that the Hittite center could punch a hole through the Assyrian infantry. Heavy chariots getting quick kills against the Assyrian blades and auxilia racked up a quick 5-0 win cementing the Hittites as the other finalists.
Game 7: Hittites vs Sea Peoples
The Hittites were nominally on the defense, but ended up taking the fight to the Sea Peoples, who had deployed on a pair of gentle hills. The Hittites had their pike blocks and heavy chariots on the left, auxilia holding the center, and light chariots on the right. The Sea Peoples had their own auxilia on the left hill facing the Hittite chariots, fast blades and their HCh general in the center, and solid blades anchored on another hill to the right. The Sea Peoples' light troops came down off the hill to destroy one Hittite light chariot and chase off the other. The two generals each scored a quick kill against opposing infantry in the center, but neither side was able to exploit a breakthrough. The battle was decided on the righthand hill, where the Hittite pike blocks kept pushing the opposing blades back uphill, but were unable to get a decisive win. Eventually the Sea Peoples were able to flank the pikes at a crucial moment - the Hittite pikes were destroyed and the Sea Peoples won 5-2.
So the Bronze Age ended in a generally historical fashion, with the Sea Peoples carrying all before them.
It was a good set of games, and honors were pretty evenly divided (I won four; Dad won three.) And of course, it was great to finally play some games in-person again!
