Collision Course IX – DBA With A Twist
On Sunday 26th May saw a gathering of DBA Players for the ninth iteration of the internationally renowned DBA With a Twist Event – Collision Course. This year 18 players answered the call and there was no game day attritions. A few new faces joined the crew and a few absent friends returned to the fold. There was even a modest commercial corner with both Mick’s Metal Models and Ocker Games setting up tables with lots of juicy wargamer swag to be had. The Collision Course variant modifies the deployment rules to simulate the accidental encounter of two marching armies.
Scoring followed the standard form that I have been using since the early 21st Century. The winner scores a flat 8 points, the loser scores 1 point plus 1 point per element killed (to a maximum of 3), with 1 extra point for killing a general and 1 extra point for capturing the baggage. An unfinished game scores the same as a loss, but without the first 1 point for losing. It is possible to score 6 points when losing – however I would love to see a game where a player killed 3 elements, including the general, and captured the baggage but still lost the game.
Round 1 saw foundations of the standings with few upsets. Phil Baldoni rolled over the top of Jon Willacy’s Early Achaemenid Persian with his Hittite Empire. Peter Phelps with his Medieval Castilians gave newcomer Nigel Webster a solid schooling. Gary Moriarty, using Parthians, made short work of Leigh Dunn’s Gallic. Likewise, Brenton Searle and his Early Polish were too strong for Adam Stone’s Feudal Spanish. Greg Kelleher led his Kwarizmian Refugee army to a solid victory over Dale Daniels using Anatolian Turkoman and Mick Sellman’s Yuan Mongol proved too strong for Peter Spitzkowsky’s Mongol Conquest. David Lucas put up a stronger fight with his Eastern Han but was eventually taken down by Charmaine Benfield and her Umayyad Arabs. But the closest result was between Alexander Webster with his Medieval French and Michael Callan using Free Company, with both sides losing their generals early on and a result only being achieved when Alex killed a fifth element. Nick Rodgers and Andrew Chicco fought long and hard without a result, Andrew’s Samurai were bleeding out but held on until time was called, denying the Khitan Liao a victory.
As the second round matched up the upper and lower end of the table with each other, the games were generally closer. Leigh Dunn caused the upset of the round as his warband heavy Gallic succeeded in narrowly defeating Adam Stone’s Spanish. Nick Rodgers rose to the occasion against Jon Willacy and scraped over the line. Greg Keller had a hard-fought narrow victory over Mick Sellman. Peter Phelps proved too strong for Michael Callan and Brenton Searle cemented his lead with a convincing win over Gary Moriarty. Alexander Webster soundly defeated David Lucas. Dale Daniels and Peter Spitzkowsky traded blow for blow but were unable to reach a result, whilst Andrew Chicco held out until time was called and so once again escaped a loss. Phil Baldoni and Charmaine Benfield ended with a scoreless draw, perhaps honour was satisfied, or this was a ploy to ensure neither had to walk home.
In Round 3 the field began to narrow, Brenton continued his run with a narrow victory over Greg Kelleher. Charmaine defeated Nick Rodgers by the narrowest of margins. Adam Stone gained redemption with a convincing win over Phil Baldoni whilst Mick Sellman gave Leigh Dunn a schooling. Gary Moriarty made short work of Michael Callan’s Free Company, whilst Dale Daniels crashed through David Lucas’ Easter Han and Jon Willacy made short work of Nigel Webster’s Numidians. Newcomer Alexander Webster had a very convincing win over Peter Phelps, undefeated in three rounds at his first ever competition. Andrew Chicco was also still undefeated after holding on to a draw against Peter Spitzkowsky.
Round 4 was the Highlander round as the last two competitors with all victories faced off, there could be only one and experience told against youthful exuberance. Brenton made very short work of young Alexander. Greg Kelleher proved too strong for Gary Moriarty with a convincing win over the Parthians with only two thirds of his Kwarizmians on the table. Mick Sellman had a narrow win over Peter Phelps whilst Charmaine Benfield gave Adam Stone a serious drubbing. Nick Rodgers made short work of Dale Daniels and Michael Callan likewise rolled over Leig Dunn. Andrew Chicco just snuck in a victory over Jon Willacy whilst Phil Baldoni proved too strong for Peter Spitzkowsky. David Lucas also came in on top with a convincing win over Nigel Webster.
By Round 5 Brenton almost certain for first place whilst the next two positions on the podium were up for grabs across a range of players as they were matched against each other making the final standings heavily dependent on the outcome of several games. Brenton squared up against Mick Sellman and his Early Polish were too strong for the Yuan Mongol. Greg Kelleher had a hard-fought narrow win over Charmaine Benfield. Alexander was matched against Gary Moriarty and his attempt to crash through the centre of the Parthian line with his massed knights came to a grinding halt and he was surgically picked off. Peter Phelps rolled over the top of Nick Rodgers. Michael Callan defeated Phil Baldoni by the skin of his teeth. Leigh Dunn ended on a high note with a victory over Jon Willacy. Adam Stone gave Dale Daniels a schooling and Andrew Chicco also managed a convincing victory over David Lucas. Peter Spitzkowsky ran rings around Nigel’s Numidians but still only just scraped through with a win.
The final tally saw the scores fall as:
1. Brenton Searle – III/63b Early Polish – 40 points
2. Greg Kelleher – IV/24b Kwarizmian Refugee – 36 Points
3. Mick Sellman – IV/48 Yuan Chinese – 30 points
4. Peter Phelps – IV/68d Castilian or Spanish – 30 Points
5. Gary Moriarty – II/37 Parthian – 29 points
6. Alexander Webster – IV/64a Medieval French – 28 points
7. Charmaine Benfield – III/31 Umayyad Arab – 28 points
8. Michael Callan – IV/74 Free Company – 26 points
9. Adam Stone – III/36b Feudal Spanish – 23 points
10. Leigh Dunn – II/11 Gallic – 23 points
11. Phil Baldoni – I/24b Hittite Empire – 23 Points
12. Nicholas Rodgers – III/56 Khitan Liao – 23 points
13. Jon Willacy – II/7 Later Achaemenid Persian – 20 points
14. Andrew Chicco – IV/59b Post Mongol Samurai – 19 points
15. Dale Daniels – IV/49 Anatolian Turkoman - 18
16. Peter Spitzkowsky – IV/35 Mongol Conquest – 18 points
17. David Lucas – II/41b Eastern Han Chinese – 16 points
18. Nigel Webster – II/40 Numidian – 11 points
The Executioner Award for the most kills in a single game went to Adam Stone who scored 5 kills against the Anatolian Turkoman in Round 5.
The Magister Militum Prize (aka “The Maurice”) for the highest adjusted score went to Peter Phelps.
The “Scalphunter Award” presented by Ocker Games for killing the most generals went to Michael Callan who killed an enemy general in 4 of the 5 rounds (plus losing his own general in the first two rounds).
None of this would be possible without the support of a number of sponsors
• Nic Robson of Eureka Miniatures Australia -
www.eurekamin.com.au/ who provided vouchers for first, second and third place
• Brian Hall from Hall of Ancient Warriors - brianhallhaw@bigpond.com who donated the first place trophy
• Mick Sellman of Mick’s Metal Models -
micksmetalmodels.com/ who donated a DBA Armies for the Magister Miliutm Prize
• Chris Cameron of Ocker Games -
www.ockergames.com.au who provided the “Scalphunter” award and a prize for the first person to score four 1s in a row for PIPs.
• Dean Bedlington of Olympian Games -
www.olympiangames.com.au/ who donated vouchers for the Executioner Award and Last Place.
• Barry Scarlett of Leadbear’s Tufts who donated a voucher to each entrant. Leadbear’s has a Facebook presence and now sells his tufts on eBay as well so I urge you to search him up and buy tufts.
Please support these businesses that do so much to support us by ordering lots of product from them, and if you see them at a tournament – why not buy them a coffee or something.
There is plenty more DBA events running by 2024
• Song For Guy in Canberra on June 30th
• MOAB in Sydney in October and then
• Landwaster in Canberra the Vikings Club on 24th November.
• Then we are sailing into 2025 and Cancon.
So get the lead out – paint it and play DBA
Cheers
