Briton was a great weekend and not just the gaming side. The Pub Quiz

was a laugh, nicking (and wearing) Nialls 'Britcon leader' T-Shirt

was an even bigger one. Accomodation was okay and the food excellent

both in the Halls and the University itself. Might even go back next

year!

Before the competition started it was suggested the Burgundians were

a super army. I thought they would be a good option but not as good

as some people were making out. I had used them a couple of years ago

with an Inert C-in-C and decided they were boring. Since then though

the baggage/train command rules had been introduced. I had a couple

of practice games with them. Two knight commands who averaged the top

two dice, Charles with the Bw(X) got the next and artillery park the

fourth. I took a Yorkist Ally with Bd(S). Both games I put the foot

commands in the middle and the knights on the flank. I wasn't too

succesful as the knights were often outflanked and had to manouver to

avoid being destroyed which left the bows by thmselves to try and

inflict the killing blow. In the second game the Yorkist became

unreliable. Incredible good dice allowed me to change my orders, have

enough PIPs to try and make them relaible and a good nough dice to

get the Yorkists back on board just as a column of knights was trying

to snaek through some rough. However, it was a much better

combination than the first game without the train command.

Off to Manchester for six games with Charles! I wanted to try and get

a nice open battlefield so I allocated my dice to the same sector of

the table as my opponant, hoping to get as much terrain as possible

discarded and I only selected good going(gentle hills and fields). I

also change my set up slightly. The two knight commands in the center

and the two bow commands on the flank. Charles got the highest dice

and the knights averaged the next two.

I decided to storm forward as quickly as possible and the free move

for the sub general and the highest dice for Charles meant I really

could! The idea is that the big disadvantage of an Inert General is

its lack of PIPs and lack of speed in responding to changing

cicumstances. If I can minimise this by charging forward in a

straight line and not allow my opponent to manouvre I have minimised

the disadvantage of being Inert and have an extra 75 points to face

him.

This tactic (devised as I deployed!) worked wonderfully. The bows

were able to keep troops away from the flanks and the knights just

got stuck in with Bow support. I used this tactic for the first five

games and no-one ever managed to outflank my infantry. There just

wasn't time. Once combat had started one way or another the game was

going to be over so any troops trying to outflank just weren't going

to turn up in time. Giving Charles the highest dice made the Inert

Generals command the most manouverable. This caught a few people out.

The knight commands just didn't need high dice. They marched forward

as a block, sometimes just using the generals free move and

discarding the dice!

The final game was very different. The Romans placed rough going and

put Aux (S) in it. They had an Inert C-in-C so had an extra 75 points

too. They deployed at an angle anchored on the board. My usual

tactics were not going to work. If I advanced I would be exposing

both my flanks to the Aux. I sent the English command against the

three Aux on a scrubby hill to try and clear so I could then advanced

and wheel over the hill.

It then became apparent that Chris had earlier sacrificed a goat to

his one true master. I rolled two succesive 1's with the Yorkists and

couldn't move and there then followed some really bizarre dice

scores. On one occassion I only had three PIPS for five commands!

Chris then counter attacked against my partially deployed knights. I

ended up using all 3 feigned flights to get out of the way. I was

breaking the golden rule with using Inert Generals. I was trying to

manouvre. Eventually the Roman elephant made contact with me and I

had to turn my knights round and attack the legions. Not the way I

wanted it to happn. The game went to the last minute whereas all my

previous games had ended in under two hours.

Okay. So how to beat Charles the Bold? In the games I played everyone

seemed to deploy as close to the center as they could making it easy

for me to minimise the disadvantage of being Inert. Deploy near the

base edge except for a a few elements that can pin the knights and

slow the advancce. This will allow you to out flank the army. The

army I took only had two Psiloi who could deploy in the flanks. If

you have troops that can deploy in the flank sector then you should.

If the Burgundians then advance they have outflanked themselves. If

they wheel towards you they are manouvering! The beginning of the

end. Maximise rough and difficult going. Charles has nothing to go in

it if he takes the Bow(X) option.

Don't let Charles move straight forward. Make him manouvere then pick

his elements off piecemeal.

After six games with Charles he is now going into retirement so no

one will be able try anything against me!

For the record I felt I had average or maybe slightly above average

dice during the whole tournament. The Yorkists were always relaible.

I always invaded but ended up deploying first twice.