DBA Northern Cup 2022

Thanks to Paul and Tony for yet another great event and well done to those on the podium for their well earned places. For my own part, I think it was more a case of me being under the podium after my over-enthusiastic participation in the Burton Real Ale Trail yesterday!



Simon

Great day as ever, some amazing figs on the table.
Someone mentioned how chilled the event was and I am convinced that as the forces are randomly allocated to you each game and terrain pre laid you dont, or at least I dont, think bugger my opponent has managed to select a much better army and I put that terrain down in a silly position.

Great bacon sarnies at the show of course and great that all the show games are participation that along with bring and buy means you get to mooch around alot between games.

Fab all round

PS the sarnies also come in a sausage flavour.

Thanks to Paul and Tony for an excellently run tournament with great figures. I agree with Baldie top bacon sarnies too. Good to see all the usual suspects and a few new ones. Friendly atmosphere, not overly competitive. I also improved on last years performance, slightly. Cheers Colin A

My six games of DBA v3 at the Northern Cup:-.

1. Using Early Imperial Romans against Colin O.’s Meroitic Kushites. The main focus of the battle was a hill on the enemy right, which my auxilia contested, but soon found themselves outmatched by archers and cavalry, plus some Meroitic swordsmen who joined the fray. 1-4 loss.

2. Leading Seleucids against Mark J.’s Galatians (book II, chapter 3, verses 6 to 12, my brethren 😶). Some fortunate activation rolls allowed my scythed chariots, elephants and ‘knight’ general to converge on the Galatian centre, which they carved a hole in. The Seleucid elephant was felled, but a high roll by the Seleucid commander crushed opposing Galatian cavalry for a 4-1 win, just before enemy cavalry arrived on both flanks to attempt to turn the tables. All the dice had fallen in all the right places…..praise be….

3. My Tullian Romans took on a Latin army led by Neil M.. A gentle hill on my right was fought over inconclusively, while a wood to my left sucked in element after element, with the Latins having a light troop advantage. Loss by 2-4, but a closely fought game, it felt.

4. Leading Celtiberians against Polybian Romans under Colin A. on a hilly battlefield. Big fight in the central flatlands, Romans grinding forward between the high ground. Spanish cavalry general intervened on the left, catching Roman velites in the open and securing the win, 4-0. (I have a feeling there was some confusion over what elements were what, which meant the ‘blades’ I was fighting on one hill were actually Triarii spearmen….😶).

5. My Camillan Romans faced Pyrrhus, led by Patrick D.. Long tussle in the centre saw my cavalry general trampled by elephants and Pyrrhus’ Companion cavalry repeatedly repelled by Roman spearmen. Command and control issues were countered by high activation rolls, so on the left Pyrrhic cavalry were caught by Roman infantry, while in the centre a Pyrrhic pike block crumpled when flank attacked by Roman auxilia, for a supremely lucky 5-1g Roman win….

6. Last game, using Syracusans vs Lulu S.’s Carthaginians. The Syracusans landed three hoplite units on the Carthaginian flank, but they promptly lost to and fell back from Numidian light horse. Gallic mercenaries then landed in the hoplites’ rear, and a long struggle played out on the beaches, with elephants adding weight. Came to 3-3, all three amphibious hoplites having fallen, with the Syracusans surviving regular ‘close calls’ by excessive use of dice-luck and little else, before getting even more lucky and nailing a last Carthaginian element for a 4-3 win. A game I had no right winning, but a fun nail-biter, nonetheless.

A good day of gaming, well run as ever.

Congrats to Pete Davis (winner), Phil Johnson (2nd) and Mark Skelton (3rd).