Milan Winter 08


Hi there,

 as Lorenzo already spoiled, Milan Tournament saw more than 60

players coming to the same place and playing different rules. big

news, nobody was harmed, a demonstration we are grown up enough to

play in the same room and not beat up anybody of a different religion

and ruleset :)

originally, I was considering not to play. Organizing four

tournaments, knowing there is a fifth meeting on Sunday not scheduled

before, and recovering from the heart attack of discovering the place

was closing doors the very day after the tournament were enough

excitment for me. On Friday, when I lifted the shutters of my window

and I saw the white cover on all the city, I swore a lot. My

bizantine army was not too happy, specially the standard beared with

the Madonna on it.

However, Lorenzo convinced me to play - his biggest mistake, as you

will see at the end of the report!

my list was a "simple" Patrician: I could say I crafted the list

after hours and hours of playtests, considering any subtle situation

and preparing a plan for any situation.

however, in the real world, I did my list on a evening, when my

eldest daughter was watching the Winx grand final, and the youngest

decided to sleep for more than one hour. With my wife collapsed on

the sofa, I had to immediatly exploit the situation.

CinC LH(S), 6 Bd(O), 2 Ps(O), 6 LH(S), 4 iLH(F) 24/6,5/8,5

Sub LH(S), 4 Kn(X), 3 iAx(S), 6 Ax(S) 24/6,5/8,5

Sub LH(S), 4 Kn(F), 6 iLH(S), 6 iPs(S) 24/6,5/8,5

train cmd: 6 Bg(F) 6/2/2

scout stratagem

ABP 78/39

the commands are made to be used as sections: you can attack with the

4 Kns, or with the 6 LH(S), or with the 6 Bd/2Ps and loose all of

them without losing the command. the only exception is the ax

command: the plan is to save at least one of them :)

all is made to save up PiPs. Ps to enter in difficult, Ax formation

with regulars on the wings to move easily where it normally counts, 4

attacking groups of 4 or 6 of frontage. and lots of Lh, to go behind

the enemy line.

first game against a Late Imperial Roman, by Giorgio Barberis.

Giorgio played a list of LIR with an Inept General and 38 missing

points. I was so fatigued in the morning I didn't understand he was

using PO until he used them in face of my Kn(X)s. however, he

deployed his army in a defensive posture: a long line of Bd(O)

supported, with one end defendend by Ax(S) and the other by Bd and Bw

in a rough terrain. However, this position was too lightly defended

for my mass and combined attack of Bd (in front) and Ps(S)on the side.

He spent almost all is (low) dice to move away from the attack the

Bw, so I managed to attack with many overlaps. I was a bit luck to

kill ax(O) with Ps(S), but in the end his frontal bds where dead

meat, with Kn(F) and more Bd(O) overhelming them.

after his first line was gone, just beyond there were his only

reserves: his Cv(O) generals. Giorgio is tactically very good, so for

a couple of bounds managed to avoid the worst situations. however,

finally, an ax(O) was mauled down by a Bd(O) in his bound, and in my

turn I finally closed the general flank. 22-3, where the 10 percent

was made by Kn(X)s killed in frontal contact by Bw(O).

Second Game, Giancarlo Marucci with Early Vandal.

This game shows that there is a reason why, in Italy, we still

call "Vandal" the people that destroy traffic lights and bus stops. I

defended, so I deployed the worst terrain I could with lots of

difficult areas. The basic plan was to deploy the heavy infantry very

close to my table edge, and use the LH(S) to do the job aganist the

Wb and the few Kn(F) I would face.

Giancarlo decided to place two commands on table, anchoraging to a

bad terrain in the centre. Then there were tons of Wb(O) and finally

some Kn and LH(S). all impetuos.

I decided to attack the difficult on the flank of the Wb(O): 6 Ps(S)

should easily make to pieces of some Ps(I). They did, in 8 bounds and

losing 4 elements - ouch! Then they finally tried to go on the flank

of the Wb: I said to them "now you can qk the wb, show them the blood

you have in your veins!" They took me seriously, and managed to be

killed!

Simultaneously, I charged the Wb(O) frontally with LH(S). 3-3 (S) vs

(O) and resulting "spent" if doubled should be great! However, it

took too long to kill the 28 Wb I needed to demoralize the command,

and the flank march entered. I left 6 Ax(S) to slow them down, saving

3 regulars to save the command. bad decision. the 6 lone Ax(S) where

literally butchered in short time, and the second Wb mass was decided

to avange the first one.

I was in a situation where all my three commands where really close

to disheartening, and the army in total on the verge to be

demoralized. the baggage was moved away to safety, but the Bd(O)

couldn't hope to flee as well and as fast. So I tried to go on the

enemy baggage, only to see my LH(F) double and spent by his Bg(I).

well, I tried a Kn charge against other Kn. we were almost at same

level, but I just needed to kill 2 ME to win the game. only a single

kn! the gods of war decided on other terms: in the end he killed

three of my kn, and my army collapsed. 10-15

Third game: Axel Heinz and his LIR

Alex deployed his Imperial Roman Army in a traditional way: Ax(S) in

the difficult, mounted wing in the open, Bd and Art(F) in the middle

between them.

the difficult he was attached meant he would never be able to

seriously come to attack me. So I moved all my LH(S) and Kn(F) in

front of his mounted wing, and prepared to attack. he then moved his

scarce reserves over there, and we began to dance: I place my Kn in

front of his Cv, he moved them away and placed some LH(S). I knew it

was risky to attack, so I swapped dice and began to attack on the

other end, where mine 9 Ax(S) began to clear a wood full of their own

grandson's versions. The difference was the pip dice, since I used my

best dice agains his third: and, I had 4 Kn(X) while the best mounted

troop in the area were 2 LH(O). I pushed them away, then I began to

close the flank on the Ax(S). when the command was broken, he decided

to risk and attacked on the other wing, the mounted vs mounted,

exposing the flank and accepting the risk of the Kn vs Cv match up.

He managed to dishearthen my command, but the end was simply to close

to be avoided. 22-3.

Last game against Enrico Paulatto and a never seen Later Achmenind

army. I defended, and the difficult come in the centre, like spine

that diveded the table. I chose to deploy on the right, while Enrico

placed two of his commands in march. however, he also deployed an

ambush behind a gentle hill on the far side, so he had to deploy in

the wrong sector.

I waited for the first march to appear, and it was the one on the

right. 4 LH(O) and 1 Cv(O) against 14 LH(S) and 4 Kn(F): the best wet

dream of a wargamer! He tried to kill some Bg before the inevitable

end, but the Bg(F) flees if beated, so I managed to kill the command

without losing nothing. Knowing that Lorenzo and his opponent already

stopped to play (they were in drawn situation), he decided to risk

and attacked on my own terms: he was losing 11-14, so he prefered to

risk to loose than to be forth in the tournament with a loosing

drawn. He waited the second march, and prepared a mass attack of 16 Cv

(O) on my 4 Kn(X). However, he lost time in this process, so I

managed to regroup the LH(S) and the Kn(F), and to bring the "Semper

Fidelis" Legio to support the Kn(X). Finally, he mass charged, but

when the sand cleared, I lost a single Kn(X) while he lost more than

12 Cv and one general. 25-0.

you know, it's like the Mastercard commercial: Tournament: 25 Euro. A

new army: 120 Euro; offer a beer to Lorenzo Mele after he realizes he

lost the tournament for three points, it really doesn't have a price!

final comment on the list.

if you think you can't manouvre in DBMM, you should try a list like

this. It is really similar to my (ehm, Lorenzo's) Early Bizantine

list. The (S) troops are real killers, and can react with almost any

opponent. the bad news is that you can never play in line, because

any opponent will find something suitable and easy to kill.

I really enjoyed all games, and the lost one was, apart from the

usual blatter about the dice (well, boys, that Bg(I) was really

strong!) due to my own mistakes. I should have avoided the final

confrontation, and tried again to kill that damn Bg!

next appointment: Milan DBMM Tournament "Spring", first half of April

2009