Only a couple of weeks before the DBA tournament in Castleton (theme: Steppe armies), so it's time to get back in the DBA groove, and see what I've forgotten in the last couple of months. I'm resolved on taking my Mongols, but I'm not sure whether to swap out one of my Light Horse for a catapult, so it was a good chance to try out the artillery and see how it works.
There were four of us. Phil brought along his lovely looking Timurids (IV/75), one of his awesome looking pre-stroke armies (they look so gorgeous that I decided I wouldn't do one of my own, as they'd always be a pale imitation). Chris repurposed some of his Tibetans as Huns (II/80a) and Steve had put together Avars (III/13b) from his various bits and pieces. We managed to get in three games, so we all played each other.
I played Phil first. I got caught out a bit, as I'm used to attacking with the Mongols. They have a high aggression. Of course, the Timurids do as well, and I lost out. My plan was to set my artillery up opposite his elephant and kill it, before shifting it out of the way. Not so easy when he sets up after you. My, I dithered over this set up. In the end I went with a solid holding line, and two flanking raiding parties.
Instead of killing the elephant, which was out of arc, I succeeded in killing one of his bow units. A good start. The close combats went less well. On the right of the line I got round the flank with the LH, and matched up some cavalry. I then put some cavalry in against his Cavalry General. I've got a +1 advantage on the right, which will be a kill if I win. That'll then leave me at -1 in the "General" combat, but the odds are that'll be a recoil, and there's enough gap to drop back on the line that's pinning but not fighting the elephant.
Well, as you can see I didn't win the end melee, and got recoiled there and in front of the general. How annoying, but typical of how the game went in the first phase,.
In his turn Phil chose to attack my artillery and pile into my right hand flanking group, holding back his elephant. Phil thinks of artillery as a element waiting to be killed, generally, but it survived the dual assault.
On my left, against the odds I killed a couple of cavalry units by rolling high, despite being flanked. Phil had slightly miscalculated as I got the uphill bonus, which flipped things in my favour. A reversal of fortune, compared to the attack I made on my right. Mind you, the odds were that I'd be recoiled, and I wasn't properly flanked, so I should have survived...but to kill two elements was pretty good. 3:0 up, and feeling good about it. Mind you, it was mostly dumb luck.
Next turn, Phil did kill my artillery. I also lost a cavalry element on the end of the line. Can't recall how. It must have been shooting? His general also got a kill. Phil turned my LH on the left by going round the side, so that he could get at the rear next turn if needed. We're now at 3:3.
In my next turn I needed two PIPs to finish off they end of Phil's central line. Hopefully. I got 1, and probably made the wrong choice, attacking on the left. It didn't matter, because I didn't roll enough for a kill anyway.
Final turn and Phil got 6 PIPs, went in with the elephant line and everything else. He also 6:1'd me in combat at least twice in the turn. I lost 6:3. Just shows how the game can turn on you. Phil remarked he hadn't previously had much luck with the Timurids. As they're aggressive they end up attacking a lot, but consequently don't end up fighting in Steppe terrain. This tournament will really suit them.
I think the elephant is pushing it, however. The usage by Timur was severely limited.
Mind you, the Mongols only used artillery in sieges, so who am I to talk?
Quick swap round and I was attacking Chris' Huns. This time I stacked my LH on my left and looked to get an overlap on the opposite end of Chris' line, evening things up by shooting away the other end by either killing or recoiling with my artillery.
The left started as expected. I contacted his LH and hoped for some success before his Warband arrived. They were double ranked, even though it confers no advantage against mounted troops. I held them off with a bit of nifty shooting with my artillery.
I moved my main line up. Not sure why my general is heading over there. Possibly to avoid being trapped and killed.
On the left I got a recoil on the end LH element. That meant moving along I had an overlap as well as an advantage from being deep. That got me a kill, then another overlap which enabled me to sneak another kill. 2:0 so far.
Chris brought up his warband into line. I disrupted him with some artillery shooting, removing his overlap. It's a risky situation, as there's some Skirmishers sneaking round my flank. On the other flank we finally get stuck in.
It's a tail of recoils and draws. No one dies, except for the element that's in front of Chris' general with the big flags.
Two turns on, and it's all over. My general slotted into the gap made by the kill mentioned above, and with an overlap on the end of that line, I kill the LH flank guard, and follow it up by killing Chris' general. Over on the left I lost one of my LH in the swirling shambles, but killed a Wb on a 6:1. That ended up with a 6:3 win, including the extra kill for the general.
Much more satisfactory.
And so to Steve's ersatz Avars. I was attacking again, and in my excitement forgot to photograph the starting positions. This is after the first pair of moves. I split the LH to make two flank guards/raiders like in game one, as it went so well last time. Not.
You're never left wondering with Steve as he always obliges and gets stuck in, so I was able to hit something with my artillery, mucking up his line.
And then he's on me. Throwing caution to the winds, leaving his Auxilia group toiling through some scrub, he hits me all along the line. He has a general in there, which'll help a bit, but I have an overlap on one end, and some LH in depth. My artillery is vulnerable to a quick kill, however. Steve does get a kill in the centre of the line, however, which I plug with my General (he's the guy on the white horse).
Next turn I get a kill at the end of the line, and drive off everything else. A 1 PIP roll leaves me static, but I can push back the element in front of the artillery again. Just not enough.
With few PIPs himself, Steve goes for the artillery again. It survives, recoiling Steve into line.
With a load of PIPs rolled, I reckon I'm in for the win this turn. I back out my artillery, substitute some cavalry and turn the flank with light horse. I flip some cavalry round on the other end of the line too..
What happens is a recoil or two, and a whole load of draws.
Steve has finally brought his Auxilia up, so I turn to face him with the LH to keep him away from the main fight. I get a kill at the other end of the line, but another couple of draws are slowing the game down. It's 2:1 to me.
Surely now? I bring up a reserve LH on the right to get an overlap on the Auxilia, and get a couple of flank contacts on the left. As I don't have to follow up recoils I don't close in my turn, giving me a cheeky overlap in the centre.
That's better. Two kills in the centre brings home a 4:1 win.
So two wins out of three. Phil was the evening champion, winning all three of his games.
On the drive home I was pretty much resolved to swap the artillery for LH when I next play. Writing this up and reading it back, I'm not so sure now.
Comments
Post a Comment