Warfare Report


Time for short reports on Warfare but firstly I will give my opinion re the
draws.
After the European Championship in Rome, people said that there seemed to be
too many draws and we seem to be repeating these comments after Warfare. I
analysed another set of rules from Rome and it had a similar pattern. I repeat
that a draw does not have to be a boring game but could easily be a game in
which both sides are 1 element from total collapse. If a theme has similar
armies especially with no QK or with resilient troops then decisive wins can be
difficult. Remember that it is still possible to win a game 14-11 if you had 40%
losses and 3 disheatened commands.

My army - I like themes but then found that I did not have a lot of choice for
RollCall or Warfare. I had to borrow figures to do Ptolemaic for RollCall. For
Warfare I could use Macedonians with a need to borrow figures to complete the
army (painting up figs was not an option as i wanted to finish a 10mm AWI
project for Warfare at which I would be buying the next painting project)or
borrow Sargonids from I Mackay(which has the added attraction of not having to
carry the army from Glasgow on public transport).
King's command - c-in-c as Kn(S), 2 Kn(S), 1 Cv(S), 1 LH(F), 3 Bw(O), 1 Ax(S)mtd
with supporting Ps(O)mtd, 2 Ax(S) with 2 supporting Ps(O), 2 Ps(O)irr, 3
Ps(i)irr, 2 army baggage
Infantry command - SG as Cv(S), 4 Sp(S0, 3 Sp(O), 4 Ax(S0 with 4
supportingPs(O, 2 army baggage
Cavalry command - SG as Cv(S), 3 Cv(S), 8 Ps(O)irr, 2 army baggage
Knight command - SG as Kn(S), 3 Kn(S), 8Hd(O)irr, 2 army baggage.

The general plan - King with high die then infantry, cavalry, knight though the
latter 2 may be swapped round. Ne prepared to deploy in depth then use mobility
to concentrate

Game 1 v Steve Mill's Spartans 22-3
Comment - I say, that is a massive command
Steve has already described the game. I felt that he allowed me to pick off
his supporting troops ( horrifying to realise that the 7 ME loss for them was
only halfway to disheartening the command)before the Sp(S juggernaut rumbled
into play. Sacrificing light troops to protect a flank or baggage may be
necessary but not in this case in my opinion.

Game 2 v Dave Pallin's Macedonians 12-13
Comment - handbags at dawn
Dave had 4 commands which were a Companion/prodromoi command, a pike command, a
cavalry/light horse command and a light command with Thracian Ax, Psiloi, 1 art
and some pike. I defended and Dave did not fancy the terrain. There was a period
of move and counter move in which Dave could not get the advantage despite
better pips then Dave went for damage limitation by pulling back into a shell
and I could not catch him. Intellectually interesting but viscerally boring.

Game 3 v Mike Pickering's Makkan 17-8
Comment - that is a lot of elements to kill
The significant terrain was a rough hill on my left and a wood on Mike's left.
Mike got to launch a night attack whe the dice moved the season from summer to
autumn. I deployed the infantry command behind the rough hill with he cavalry in
support then the king's command to the right of the infantry with the knight
command behind the king.
Mike deployed his c-in-c with Bw in the wood and Wb to their right with
supports, then a Sub with Wb with Cm/PS to their right and his Ally was behind
the sub with Cm, bw and supports.
Mike rumbled forward. When dawn came, i had my generals within command distance
then rolled 3,2,1,1. The king's command were patheticuntil disheatened at which
point they fought better allowing me to chew into Mik'e sub's command. In fact
after they broke the king held out long enough to disheaten Mike's sub. The game
was still in the balance but this report will have to be continued.

 

At the end of the last thrilling(?) installment, my King's command had broken
and Mike's victorious command was bearing down on my knight command. Things
looked bad but the knight command held out long enough for me to break his sub's
command. When the knights broke, it did not break the army ( due to the baggage
command) and i realised that in fighting on the left and around the rough hill,
I had killed 3 Me from his ally who broke on 7.5. With the sub routing I could
get to the ally and was able to dishearten him. Would Mike get into the rear of
the infantry sub or would I break his ally or would time be called im a game
which was all action? Cue dramatic cinema music as in the last bound I broke his
army for 17-8.
If i had not broken his army then the game would have been 13-12 and people who
saw that score might have commented on a boring game rather then the intense,
nerve racking (page, fresh trousers)game that it was.

Game 4 v John Hickman's Macedonians
Comment - a couple of mistakes can sway a game
Significant terrain was two rough hills facing each other in the centre.
John has already reported on the battlebut from my viewpoint, I took a slight to
kill his prodromoi by marching into them which came off, sneaked a Lhto kill his
baggag and was aggressive against his hypaspists. I was able to catch one
command and then another command with 2 commands so he was fighting at an angle.
The dice gods alsopunsihed John for his mistakes in that he did not roll up when
he need to. I was amuse when John pulled a disheatened command back to avoid
routing and this brought them within disatance to incur the ME penalty when
another command routed.
The 25-0 guaranteed me second place and i got first place when the top table had
a paper hankies ( not tough enough for handbags) at dawn battle.
I do not think that there is a problem with draws or need to cut down the
tables from 6 x 4.
On Tuesday night Niall Taylor and I tried a 240 AP game and this could be an
alternative if you wanted fast games especially at a show which has lots of
trade to look at. I will be interested in how the 240 AP games go at Stockport
and in hearing from those who have played 240 but my impression is that you
would be more likely to complete 3 games at 240 than 2 games at 400. Ian
PS apologies for typoes but not enough time to edit.