DBA in the Garden

After our DBA themed armies evening a fortnight ago Chris set up another, only this time in 15mm and in the Far East, with everything linked through the later Tang Dynasty. He discusses the armies to be used here. In deference to the increasing heat, Chris set us up in his garden under an awning.

We had a full turnout, and due to the length of the games I played Phil twice, reversing the armies for the second game. In the first game I had III/56 Khitan-Liao, and Phil had III/57 Koryo Dynasty Korean.

Yes, we both looked at each other blankly too.

The Khitan-Liao are a Steppe army, with a preponderance of mounted troops supported by some crossbows and blades. The Koreans have bows, spears a war wagon and a small mounted force. Chris had set up the terrain for the first game, which represented a valley floor as that's where the two armies did most of their fighting.

I forgot to take a set up photo again. I'm attacking. I've got my light horse put on the left trying to get round the flanks and beat up Phil's mounted troops. I'm trying to work out how to avoid being shot to pieces by Phil's massed fire power of solid bows and the war wagon. My intention was to try to ride down the spears on his left, but with his flank secured on that side it was a real problem how to do it without being mashed up.

The attack on the left has been a success, killing a light horse and a cavalry element. I have been trying, since turn one, to shift a cavalry element from my right to my left but haven't had enough PIPs yet. I've lost one of my Cbs to shooting by the War Wagon and bow combination.

Next turn I got squeezed on my right by bow shots and lost a cavalry element. Then my crossbows pulled a blinder and in successive turns did a 6:1 on opposing archers, giving me a 4:3 win. The Tactical Genius of the Evening Award beckons.

We swapped round. I was defending and despite Phil 's prompting left the terrain as it was.

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I umm'd and ahh'd a lot during set up and finally went with a solid right flank of spears, war wagon in the centre and crossbows on the left, with cavalry to cover the openside. Because of set up constraints I had to double bank the bows and take a couple of turns to unfold them. This never worked out as I wanted it to.

Phil stuck a load of stuff on a hill, held his heavy cavalry well back out of the way, and tried to turn my flank with the light horse.

Here's the PIP problem personified. I should have four bows in a row, but one has ended up being left behind. My general needs to be further to the left, too, but I chose to move the war wagon group up instead.

As I moved into range in my turn, my War Wagon didn't get to shoot. I killed a LH element, but lost a bow in a shoot off.

Finally got my shooting line straightened, but can't kill anything. I was hoping to kill or force back that single depth light horse element, but was unable to do so.

I've lost another missile shoot out. How can this be, when I have a war wagon supported by bows? Phil is lining up to charge my line, whilst bringing up a cavalry reserve on my left. My general is still PIP bound at the back of the table.

End of game, with a 4:3 win to Phil. Another close game, but a shockingly bad performance by my missile troops. I did okay in the spear/cavalry fight, but poorly elsewhere.

I then had to go and do something else, so Chris took over my table and swapped out the armies before it was time for a beverage and a chin wag against the background of the setting sun. 

Lovely evening all round, really.