The Last Rehearsal

This Saturday Chris, Phil & I are off to a DBA tournament. This is the one where it is all Steppe armies. As I was doing a Zoom talk for a local heritage group last week, I wasn't aware we what we were up to this Tuesday. Phil & Chris had agreed to last try out with our Steppe armies. We were therefore all round to Phil's for a meet up. Unfortunately Phil thought is was just the three of us, so when everyone turned up we overloaded the small board he'd set up on his kitchen table. He was a bit surprised. As he was working on something else in his wargame room we had to take turn about.

I played Phil's Alans in the first game with my Mongols. I went for no catapult, which might have been a mistake. I think I picked the wrong side of the table too. It was the first time I've met lot of light horse, so I was in a bit of a quandary.

We're two or three turns in by the time I remembered to take a picture. I have succeeded in turning the left flank with my light horse, which Phil was holding with two LH as well, and killed both of them. That went inexplicably well.

I've missed a turn or two. Phil had some knights in his line, and also being up hill also killed one of my cavalry in the centre of the line, which I plugged with my General on the white horse. I've been able to swarm round the back with one of my light horse.

On my right Phil has thrown his general into the fray and engaged the light horse, killing one of mine. By the end of the turn it will be 3:2 to me.

Last turn. I lost a cavalry element on the right hand end of my line, but I'm then able to kill on of Phil' LH on the right with a 6:1 roll, to come out a lucky 4:3 victory.

Phil & Chris then played a Timurid/Seljuk Turk game whilst Tim, Steve & I sat and talked about TV detective programmes.

Last game of the night for me, against Phil's Seljuks with my Mongols again. I was defending, and wasn't sure what to do. Part of the issue was I couldn't distinguish what was what, even after I'd been told.

I went out wide on the right to try an envelopment again. I might have been better hanging back a bit and letting him come to me.

I wasn't sure what I was going, and plans went awry anyway. I got an overlap with advantage on my right, but failed the combat die roll and got bounced. On my left Phil's archers kept picking off my LH and making them flee. At least they weren't dying.

A couple of turns on and some outrageous luck let me kill three of the LH elements on the right (Phil's fourth element is off picture at the bottom). In the centre I've taken a pounding and lost two cavalry elements. Oooh...it is getting tight.

And then I lose my General, so that's it with a 4+1:3 victory to Phil.

Yes. Not my finest performance in either game really. Still, hopefully I've got a couple of daft games out of the way ahead of the big day.

Up at before crack of dawn on Saturday to drive to the Peak District it is then.