2010 IWF in Athens, Greece 8-11 April 2010

[gelin]

I want to congratulate with the Winner, the majority of the army where made of Armoured Lancer Cavalry, winning with the Roman Dominate was very difficult.

I want to make congratulations not only to Graham but also to the Organizers, it was a very nice competitions and I enjoyed it a lot even if mine result was awful. Comfortable Venue, good Umpiring, correct players, relaxed climate. Nice weekend indeed.

The UK are still the best players but Greeks where the surprise (for me at least): they play only since last year but the play well, If they improve a such an high rate in a couple of year they can be more than a match for the Brit’s.

Ciao 

Matteo

Hello all,

Indeed it was a fine tournament, lots of good players and some new army structures (like the 19 BG Dominate nightmare Romans claiming first place or Mateo's Mongol Invasion) that we in Greece have not been accustomed to.
I enjoyed all my games and all opponents were gentlemen.

[Martin0112]

Also a great thanks from me on my first IWF-tournament from Germany!

It was really a lot of fun, even if my results were looking like it was a big disaster
It's for sure a difference playing international vs. playing only in local clubs, but I really enjoyed it a lot.
My next international tournament is Britcon, so I have again the chance to play vs. 6 international players and learn again.

I was impressed by the way some players handle their armies and also got a lot of nice ideas for the future.

Thanks also to the organizers for this nice event.

And last but not least thanks to all my opponents for the 6 great games.
We had nearly no problems with playing, no big discussions as the ruleset is clarifying nearly everything that good, that the umpire had a hopefully quiet weekend.

That's the way wargaming is real fun!

[grahambriggs]

Graham "Lord Corduroy Burping Frog Trousers" Briggs was
playing on bottom table in the last round, but managed to win, thus failing to attain last place

Did he just bring an "interesting" army, he seems to have a pattern of not holding up as well as he did in the DBM days?

I had been looking to take Middle Plantagenet but just couldn't get it to work in practice. The Aztec figures are too fragile for air travel so....

I took the Merovingian Franks: 32 HF If/Sw, undrilled Protected. 28 armoued Cav (dismounts as superior IF) light spear sword, undrilled, 14 skirimishers. IC, FC, TC. It's very good at playing mounted armies but the heavy armies are more difficult. Unfortunately I played

Seluekid x 2 (winning draws),

Hellenistic Greek (draw),

Later Sicilian (big loss, Kn blew through HF despite generals and rear support)

Legion heavy Dominate Roman (big loss - needed the HF to hold the legions/auxilia for a couple more bounds to crunch their flanks. No Adrianople there!)

Sassanid (big win - finally an army we can bully on an open table)

I think I hold up as well two years into FOG as I did two years in to DBM - i.e. I'm a decent player but still learning.

Many, many thanks to Panos and his many Greek helpers for organising the tounament and making us feel so welcome. It was very good to see friends old and new. A special thanks for the three New Zealand players who travelled 30 hours (and then 30 hours back) to participate.

Congratulations to Graham Evans for winning a very tight race!

[hazelbark]

I took the Merovingian Franks: 32 HF If/Sw, undrilled Protected. 28 armoued Cav (dismounts as superior IF) light spear sword, undrilled, 14 skirimishers. IC, FC, TC. It's very good at playing mounted armies but the heavy armies are more difficult. Unfortunately I played

I've been looking at that list slightly varied but close to what you outline. So it is interesting that the knights blew through it.

[timurilenk]

My next international tournament is Britcon,

Looking forward to meeting you again at Britcon Martin - a long time since we met! Are you bringing Holger?

Ian

[hammy]

I took the Merovingian Franks: 32 HF If/Sw, undrilled Protected. 28 armoued Cav (dismounts as superior IF) light spear sword, undrilled, 14 skirimishers. IC, FC, TC. It's very good at playing mounted armies but the heavy armies are more difficult. Unfortunately I played

I've been looking at that list slightly varied but close to what you outline. So it is interesting that the knights blew through it.

It can happen but is not what you would expect. In the Scottish doubles in 2008 our Slave Revolt protected average impact foot did the number on cataphracts time after time and barely took a scratch. At the Derby round they were trampled under foot in three games on the trot

The odds are that the MF should hold and force the mounted to break off and charge again. it is more than possible that either or both sides might lose bases which if the mounted lose bases is a very good exchange.

[madaxeman]

I took the Merovingian Franks: 32 HF If/Sw, undrilled Protected. 28 armoued Cav (dismounts as superior IF) light spear sword, undrilled, 14 skirimishers. IC, FC, TC. It's very good at playing mounted armies but the heavy armies are more difficult. Unfortunately I played

I've been looking at that list slightly varied but close to what you outline. So it is interesting that the knights blew through it.

Its a complete lottery usually IMO - Superior general-led knights are de-facto evens at impact (Gen + Sup = 1 POA) and up in melee (armour + quality vs Sp factor) so its all about lucking out on the cohesion tests. I'd still take a punt with the KN every time - cavalry is a different argument as each General influences less bases in combat than when leading a unit of Kn

[footslogger]

I've been interested in this army also. I was interested in the later version of it where everything is offensive spear rather than impact foot. Have you tried it that way?

[grahambriggs]

I took the Merovingian Franks: 32 HF If/Sw, undrilled Protected. 28 armoued Cav (dismounts as superior IF) light spear sword, undrilled, 14 skirimishers. IC, FC, TC. It's very good at playing mounted armies but the heavy armies are more difficult. Unfortunately I played

I've been looking at that list slightly varied but close to what you outline. So it is interesting that the knights blew through it.

It can happen but is not what you would expect. In the Scottish doubles in 2008 our Slave Revolt protected average impact foot did the number on cataphracts time after time and barely took a scratch. At the Derby round they were trampled under foot in three games on the trot

The odds are that the MF should hold and force the mounted to break off and charge again. it is more than possible that either or both sides might lose bases which if the mounted lose bases is a very good exchange.

Yes it's a bit of a lottery. I'd say the HF have about a 40% chance. Two BGs were fighting BG to BG three wide against generalled Kn and had generals, RS and floating IC. The other two HF groups fought one BG of generalled Kn and had rear support and an overlap.

One HF disrupted at impact, then fragged in the melee, while the two generalled HF disrupted in the melee The problem is the scatter you get when rolling 5s in the melee. With 6 dice and a general you'd expect 2 hits but will often get 1 or 3.

Still, we both needed a big win at that stage so I wouldn't do anything different if we played it again.

[grahambriggs]

I've been interested in this army also. I was interested in the later version of it where everything is offensive spear rather than impact foot. Have you tried it that way?

The HF would be much better as OS. However, if so, the cavalry become lancers so the army doesn't work in the same way. In effect it's a very differnet army.

[Scrumpy]

Has anyone got a copy of Nicola Linguerri's Tuareg list ?

[philqw78]

Off the top of my head

IC
2xTC
4x8 MF IF Sw Av
2x8 LF JLS Poor
1x4 Camels Average
1x6 MF Poor LS
The rest of the points on Superior camels that are very good against HA HF OffSp, strangely.

Nicola posts occassionaly tho so you may get the full list

[Nicola_GMBS]

Thanks to Scrumpy for the interest

IC
2xTC
1x8 LF poor jav l.sp.
1x6 LF poor jav l.sp.
1x6 MF "to hide" poor l.sp.
6x4 Cm Superior lance sw.
4x8 MF Average IF Sw. Protected
1x4 Cm Average lance sw. to support 1 MF or to help closing holes

They went unexpectedly well in the first 2 days (in the italian tournament they gained one of the bottom position of the ranking)
In the last 2 games I wasn't able to roll any 5's (like I did against the Phil's "iron" tibetans and my team mate ) so I lost with 0 and 1 point only...... It seemed to me to be returned to the ugly italian tournament....

Thanks to everybody for the matches, for the chance of revenge from Rome that Phil gave me, for the pleasure to play with his friend Dave and for all the Greeks player. They'd been very kind, polite and had all the good behaviour to host such a tournament

[Scrumpy]

Thanks Nicola, always had an interest in the Tuareg list, glad to see you had so much fun, if limited success with it. I found the camels are great against elite cataphracts too, chewing the buggers up.

Sadly they were only an ally, the rest of that army failed to deal with Varangian guard elite heavy armor spearmen though.

[Nicola_GMBS]

Thanks Nicola, always had an interest in the Tuareg list, glad to see you had so much fun, if limited success with it. I found the camels are great against elite cataphracts too, chewing the buggers up.

Sadly they were only an ally, the rest of that army failed to deal with Varangian guard elite heavy armor spearmen though.

I like them too In the first 2 days they were so inspired that were able to chew from dismounted cataphracts to mongol light horse.
They have the 90% of the army of Shock Undrilled Protected Troops so.... be careful and enjoy them

Now I pass with some drilled army... my heart will be happier

[hazelbark]

I've been interested in this army also. I was interested in the later version of it where everything is offensive spear rather than impact foot. Have you tried it that way?

The HF would be much better as OS. However, if so, the cavalry become lancers so the army doesn't work in the same way. In effect it's a very differnet army.

it is. I have been favoring lancers lately. Is it a control issue that has you favoring light spear mounted?

[philqw78]

......Is it a control issue that has you favoring light spear mounted?

I heard he favoured Tenna pads for that

[grahambriggs]

I've been interested in this army also. I was interested in the later version of it where everything is offensive spear rather than impact foot. Have you tried it that way?

The HF would be much better as OS. However, if so, the cavalry become lancers so the army doesn't work in the same way. In effect it's a very differnet army.

it is. I have been favoring lancers lately. Is it a control issue that has you favoring light spear mounted?

It's a number of things. With the lancers you can't:

- evade better mounted.
- guarantee control, unless you spend more on skirmishers.
- beat up OS MF at impact

The control thing is the biggest issue. For example, at the weekend I was able to face off heavy foot protected defensive spearmen with the light spear guys. They daren't charge me (down at impact, no better than equal in melee). Lancers don't have the patience to do that job.

Of course, Lancers are better at impact against many troops, so they can take on romans more easily, for example.

[Lycanthropic]

I had a fantastic time. Grats to Graham for taking it out with the famous Dom Rom Swarm, and also Panos for coming within the golden point of victory.
My highlights and notable mentions of the competition:-

Mortgaging my house to afford the trip to Athens.
Travelling 35 hours from Godzone to Greece.
Everyone thinking I was playing Dominate Roman.....it's PRINCIPATE ya fuqs!
Getting accused with insanity because I handpainted every Roman shield. (This is Sparta...those aren't DECALS)
We drank ALL the beer........twice.
Some fat bastad managed to contaminate the exibition centre with a power chuck bigger than Ben Hur.
Drawing Graham in the first round and playing on the table under my national flag.
Smoking an entire carton of duty free Marlboros in one weekend because in greece....you can smoke everywhere!
Risking making all my legions protected and then getting them ridden down by everyone except Briggs.
Seeing a real-life 4 man Spartan shieldwall. (that wasn't the Pommy Team).
Meeting Phil for the first time, who instantly lifted up his shirt and stabbed himself in the stomach. (I have that effect on people)
Charging a Cataphract BG in the flank with a disrupted legion of 2 stands and choking.
Staying in a hotel across the alley from a wedding dress fitting shop....and the balcony of my room looked straight into the changing room.
Meeting a great bunch of guys who hopefully make the effort to come to Wellington next year.
Travelling 40 hours home.

CHEERS

[bodoli]

I am propably the last one who returned from Athens last saturday avoiding/disgarding the ash cloud.

Congratulations for Graham and thanks to the orginizers. Although winning the wooden spoon I had good games, saw nice armies and enjoyed the event as I did the ones before. I will look forward for the next international games.

Bodo