Phil, Syd and Graham Update

[plewis66]

I haven't posted any battle report stuff on here as yet, because we still haven't fought a battle to completion.

The reason for that is purely one of time constraint. My last report was about our first game, which Syd and Graham played, having not read the rules (though they are of course both on the program), and I 'umpired'. It went quite well.

After that, we all went away and read the rules, and a few points came to light about such matters as evading, break-offs, pursuit etc. So we had a few small skirishes from contrived positions in order to clarify a few things in our minds. I think the small number of my posts with direct questions on this forum is ateetamnt to how clear the rules are, and also the fact that the answers to many of our questions were found by searching this forum!

So, we had another game last Tuesday (23rd), Graham playing Mamluk Egyptian agains my Alexandrian Macedonian. Sadly, time constrints got in the way again, but nothing of any real note happened.

Last saturday we played Graham as Mamluk Egyptian against my Late Republican Roman.

This battle lasted four hours, and finished unresolved. In the early stages, the Egyptian Light Horse on their right flank were seen off by Roman auxiliary spear and bow. But the Roman cavalry was completely overwhelmed by the Egyptian cavalry on the Egyptian right flank.

Mean while, the Egyptian centre stood its ground, and it took me flippin' ages to get my legionaries over to encounter them. However, when they arrived, they rapidly started to make a serious mes of the Egyptian foot. Meanwhile, two BG's of lgioaries deployed in a central reserve position had been wheeling over to cover the collapsed Roman left, and with the aid of an attached general, managed to form a line to meet two BG's of Egyptian cavalry. A third BG of Egyptian cavalry was further out on the same flank, and in some slow going terrain (can't remember what exactly).

We fought two bounds in this position, with things starting to swing the way of the Romans, then suddenyl it was 2AM, and Graham could no longer maintain a level of sobriety consumate to effecient continuation, so the evening degenerated into late night TV and poker!

There were only a couple of matters arising from this game. The first is that the Roman archers at one point found themselves on a hill. Now, this seemed like a good place to put archers, because the naive conception is that shooting from a high position seems better. However, as hills are counted as difficult, and the archers were light foot, they lost 1 dice in three for shooting off a hill. I wonder if we are missing something here, because that feels wrong. Though maybe it's just my warhammer background, because you can actually shoot with more models rather tham less from hills in warhammer.

The second point was that it felt like a proper battle. The manoevering, the way combat worked, break offs, evasion by light foot, it all just felt really neat to both of us.

Oh, and we don't use counters, btw, and quite like the staggered base effect!

[rbodleyscott]

Thanks for your feedback. You will find that your games speed up a lot as you get used to the system.

In the forthcoming update LF are not disrupted in difficult going.

[shall]

There were only a couple of matters arising from this game. The first is that the Roman archers at one point found themselves on a hill. Now, this seemed like a good place to put archers, because the naive conception is that shooting from a high position seems better. However, as hills are counted as difficult, and the archers were light foot, they lost 1 dice in three for shooting off a hill. I wonder if we are missing something here, because that feels wrong. Though maybe it's just my warhammer background, because you can actually shoot with more models rather tham less from hills in warhammer.

The second point was that it felt like a proper battle. The manoevering, the way combat worked, break offs, evasion by light foot, it all just felt really neat to both of us.

Oh, and we don't use counters, btw, and quite like the staggered base effect!

Thanks for the feedback and plesaed to hear your initial impressions.

On the hills - the hill you are using is a Steep Hill in the new version. It is difficult and rugged so not easy for MF bowmen, say, to fire in. What you want in the rules you are using is Slopes. Then they can shoot overhead at times and get uphill advantage if attacked without the disordr penalty. Or as Richard says use LF bowmen who will no longer be penalised in difficult hills.

Cheers

Si

[plewis66]

Thanks for your feedback. You will find that your games speed up a lot as you get used to the system.

In the forthcoming update LF are not disrupted in difficult going.

I meant to mention a few days ago, and so will now, thatwe don't see the length of time our games are currently taking as being any great issue. It's plain to us the Richard is correct, and that thre is plenty of opportunity for speed increase as we internalise the rules.

Also, we're now starting to enjoy it enough that the time seems to fly by!

This does give me a thought about game sizes, though...