Continuing with the summer theme of doing themed evenings (?) we were back in SHQ for more 20mm DBA. This time the armies were themed round Early Achaemenid Persians (I/60). After all they fought with practically everyone, didn't they? Any how I sorted out seven (7!) themed armies that only required minimal rebasing. These were:
- I/43a Skythians
- I/52b Spartans
- I/52f Athenians
- I/60 Early Achaemenid Persians
- II/1 Republican Indians
- II/3a Classical Indians
- II/6 Bithynian
For the first game we drew armies at random. Tim was unwell, so there was just the four of us. For game 1 Chris took Spartans and Phil Skythians. I had Classical Indians and Steve the Athenians. Themed, but not exactly matched pairs.
I didn't follow Chris and Phil's game that closely. Chris as defender set up in a corner (the "Jack Horner" strategy) and invited Phil to attack him.
Phil was not amused at Chris' defensive posture ("Just because you're defending doesn't mean you don't have to move"). Still, it worked for Chris who won out 4:0.
I was defending in our game, Honestly, it doesn't help with the terrain choices. A Tropical army with Heavy Chariots and Elephants really doesn't need a lot of trees. I'm not really sure I knew what my plan was, but I attacked anyway. I was hoping my archers would disrupt Steve's spear line, then I'd be able to take advantage of any gaps. On the other end of the line I'd just chuck my elephants at them. I had a complete brain freeze and stuck my horde at the back, rather than adding it to the elephant line. What was I thinking of.
Despite not doing the normal psiloi/elephant match up, Steve prevailed in the first round of combat and killed an elephant, and forced back another. I overlooked on set up that bows do quite well against elephants.
With my cavalry wing not moving, Steve started to advance his hoplites. He'd put two in the woods, which never really moved. It was like neither of us had a clue.
My bows are causing Steve intermittent disruption. I've killed some psiloi. We're now at one kill a piece, but combats are proving indecisive. I really need to get my mounted wing to turn in to the centre.
Another elephant down and some archers gone, but I've done for a couple of hoplites. We're at 3:3.
Final turn and I FINALLY kill those pesky psiloi with my Auxilia to win out 4:3. A tough, grinding game, with little imagination on either side. I blame the heat.
Swap round time, and I face off against Phil. He has Republican Indians. They're like the Classical Indians, only no elephants and lots more bows. I've got the Bithynians. Lots of Auxilia. I was defending again.
I had a long line of Auxilia, some hiding in the wood. My mounted Kn/Cv arm was on the right. Phil's massive archery line was a potential death trap for them.
Why did I come out of the wood? I blame Chris for not attacking a bit when he fought Phil. I've got my mounted arm across the the centre, and I've split my Auxilia so I've got some cover against the archers - once I've got them in position.
What a mess. I misjudged the move by my horse and lost the cavalry element to archery. Then I forgot that Auxilia are quick killed by Heavy Chariots (aka "knights") so I'm two elements down. My knight general also failed to prevail against the centre chariot in a position where it would have been destroyed on a recoil.
Back in the game! I kill the Heavy Chariot facing my General, and my auxilia punch a hole in the archery line. I also do a 6:1 on one of the cavalry units. We're back now at 3:3.
Phil skedaddled his general backwards out of the way and we fought a round of inconclusive combats. Then in my turn, top right, I got an overlapping attack in on an isolated archery unit. I didn't have enough PIPs to attack elsewhere, or I'd have been in on the end auxilia of Phil's right hand too. Phil shot and killed an Auxilia unit, but I was still on for a draw. Alas I lost the top right combat and was bounced, giving Phil a 4:3 victory. A tense game.
Steve and Chris used the Persians and Classical Indians respectively, and Chris got a win. I didn't note the score.
An interesting bunch of armies to push around, with a few close games over the evening.
Next week we're doing a themed evening around Medieval Scandinavian armies as Phil wants to use some of his own toys. I think I can assemble a Teutonic Order army to make up the numbers. Then we'll round off this series of evenings with more 20mm, themed round Feudal Spanish.
Appendix - The armies for the evening.
The players were given all of the options to chose from in most cases. Luckily they all fit on a disused place mat each.
They're not numbered in book order, but in the order I took them out of the boxes.
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