In the forests of Germany with DBA

Our week and a half of DBA saw another game tonight, this time a Roman vs Early german game, using my 20/25mm armies. These haven't seen any genuine ancients action for a long time. These days they typically double as HotT armies. 

Nick was 'defending' using the Early Germans, and chose a river as one of his terrain pieces. This deployment resulted

The Roman left

The German 'solid warband' were deployed double ranked in their centre/left

The Roman general deployed with two unit of blade as the reserve

German light troops/psiloi advanced through the forest

The Roman front line pushed forward possibly a little too enthusiastically trying to gain the advantage of the high ground. With a single PIP roll, I advanced the front line when perhaps I shouldn't

The German warband and cavalry charge in

The Roman Bow are recoiled, the German centre holds against the knights and kills a unit of blade, while a unit of German psiloi is killed centre left in the photo

Another unit of Roman blade on their extreme right is killed

On the Roman left their mounted troops clash, the German cavalry general recoiling the Numidian Light Horse

The Roman knights kill a unit of warband

The warband attack the Roman Bow, lapping around their flank the bow survive with a drawn combat

The knights break through

The reserve takes the flank pressure off the Bow

The knights break out and destroy a unit of warband in the rear

The game went the way of the Romans, although there was as always quiet an element of luck. Nick's warband didn't win the number of combats against the blade that he ought to have despite some clever manoeuvring.  A number of 6:1 and 6:2 die rolls in my favour gave me several 'get out of jail' moments. Nick's choice of a river was clever. It allowed him to reduce his frontage and double rank the warband, adding an extra combat factor when fighting against foot.

This won't be the last game before Nick heads back home.

A few DBA games ...

A delightful surprise this past week when Nick arrived unannounced for our birthdays.. all the way from Melbourne. It was inevitable that there would be some 'gaming ensuing. A series of DBA games have been the fare so far, using my relatively new Saxon, and Viking, armies, both in 15mm. 

The photos are mostly taken form behind the Viking army, and show the tendency for the fast Blade to break up as they either pursue, or recoil even when they draw a combat. I am enjoying the challenges of commanding them.

The Saxon camp

Orc Stronghold for HotT

All too often I say I've finished an army having failed to create the necessary stronghold (HotT) or camp (DBA). With the last of the basic army components completed for the Big Battle HotT army, I sat for a while thinking about a suitable stronghold. No way I was going to fall for my usual lethargy. A little creative provocation from Andy, and this sprang to mind. It's an 'homage' to GW's orc lore, and 'Mad Max', and .. well.... whatever else popped into my mind when I thought of Orcs. I asked Lorraine what words sprang to mind when she saw it, and she said 'ramshackle', 'rickety'.. so I knew I'd hit the mark with an orc structure.

The structure is scratch build from balsa and cardboard. The 'tools' propped up in the corner are ex GW Dwarves, and the dogs are actually 'zombie dogs' that came in a packet of 100, apparently for some Board game that I've never seen. I picked them up, along with a pack of 100 zombies, in a toy store in Sydney 10+ years ago.

Righto .. next project?

Bludgeoned to a standstill.. an ACW Volley and Bayonet game

Murray and I hadn't played a Volley and Bayonet for a while.. Murray had a HotT itch that needed itching. However this week it was it... and I composed a fictional scenario with 16 Union brigades, and fourteen CSA (with two cavalry regiments).  The CSA cavalry came in on a random throw. It turned out to be turn 6, and as it happened they never appeared as we had to all the game before we got to that stage. The battle had two objectives, the two built up areas. The Union began the battle with an M4 division (new recruits) occupying the central town objective. All other troops entered the table as each commander deemed fit, but within 12" either side of the pike that exited their base edge. Obviously the CSA cavalry were the exception. The game was fought using my own 15mm armies

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The Reb M6 unit attacks the defenders of the central town block, with artillery in support. On the upper left there had been a single Union artillery battery which the Rebs also attacked.. it lost and was eliminated

The M6 Confederate brigade lost its melee and recoiled, leaving its supporting artillery stand alone

On the Confederate left a division deployed to threaten the Union right, facing off against a Union division moving in a column along a long two contour ridge

On their right, the Confederates attack the advancing Union, pushing a brigade back in disorder

The Union attacked the Confederate left, but were defeated in their attacks

The Confederate reserves move up to hold off the Union division that had advanced along the long ridge

The Rebs attack the central town sectors again. The defenders (M4), despite being behind some hasty works, failed their morale, and lost their combat

Meanwhile the CSA forces occupy the town sector objective on their right

The CSA brigade occupies the ground vacated by the original defenders in the central town sectors

Fire fight on the CSA left

The Union attacks on their left, the CSA right, and drive the CSA division back

Union attack in the centre

Firefight still going on on the left, casualties accruing for both sides

The CSA attack the Union right

The CSA right loses two brigades... and goes into exhaustion

Both the CSA left flank and it's opposing Union right flank divisions are both exhausted..

After only four turns, each side had three exhausted divisions, although none had suffered a morale collapse. The action had been frenetic and intense. With time limited we called the game at that stage, deeming neither side any longer in a fit condition to pursue the battle. Casualties were heavy. What a battle, what a game.