Agema fight with sticks of celery

[davem]

My opponents Ottoman flank march comes on. He has 2 x 4 BG Cv, Protected, Superior, Bw, Sw.
My recpeption committee is waiting: 1 x 4 Cv, Armoured, Elite, Lance, Sw (the Agema)and 1 x 6 Cv, armoured, Superior, Lance, Sw.(Companions)

I take no losses from shooting and charge in. The Agema loose a cohesion test and a base, the Companions draw. Melee, the Agema loose a cohesion test and a base, the Companions force their opponents to loose a CT and a base. Next round of melee, the Agema break and the Companions break their oppo's.

Oh, and Alex was fighting in the front rank of the Companions.

I think the Agema had spent too long in Hespastion's tent last night.....

Or maybe they had a massive sulk on as Alex wasn't with them?

Story of my night really, I went into every combat at least equal and lost almost all of them

[firefalluk]

that should teach you to only go into combat when you need lucky dice to win

Oh, and the agema -always- suffer from, err, limp xystons, if Alex isn't at the point of the wedge

[neilhammond]

What are you complaining about? Under DBM Alexander always dies.

And the Companions always evaporate

[davem]

Sooo, you're all saying that the best cavalry of ancient times should be expected to loose?
Did anyone bother to tell the boy Alex this at Granicus, Issus and Guagemela? He might have had to rethink his tactics.....

[CLAVDIVS]

All I can say is Hay ho it is all in the hands of the dice Gods you now hay ho




Yours in the Hobby "CB"

PS keep on rolling the dice man

[ars_belli]

Sooo, you're all saying that the best cavalry of ancient times should be expected to loose?
Did anyone bother to tell the boy Alex this at Granicus, Issus and Guagemela? He might have had to rethink his tactics.....

Well, if the "golden boy" is faced with highly skilled, heavily armed opponents from 1500 years in the future (none of which happened at the Granicus, Issus or Gaugemela), his Companions might indeed be expected to lose! Or to put it another way, just because Alex rolled over an Achaemenid Persian empire that was well past it's prime, it does not mean that he should be expected to roll over everyone, under any and all conditions.

Cheers,
Scott

[davem]

Sooo, you're all saying that the best cavalry of ancient times should be expected to loose?
Did anyone bother to tell the boy Alex this at Granicus, Issus and Guagemela? He might have had to rethink his tactics.....

Well, if the "golden boy" is faced with highly skilled, heavily armed opponents from 1000 years in the future (none of which happened at the Granicus, Issus or Gaugemela), his Companions might indeed be expected to lose!

Cheers,
Scott

Yes, but I had more bases and was a POA up in every combat!!!

[shall]

'tis but 1 BG - what happened across the rest of the front?

Si

[ars_belli]

Yes, but I had more bases and was a POA up in every combat!!!

And that's where luck comes in... factors may indeed increase the probability of victory, but they should rarely guarantee it outright. The historical Alex was very nearly killed in battle on a number of different ocassions. If in one of those he had in fact died, then the Macedonians may never have conquered the Persians, and world (or at least western) history may have turned out very differently. Such is the role of luck in history.

Cheers,
Scott

[davem]

'tis but 1 BG - what happened across the rest of the front?

Si

OK,

Roughly...

Paul FM'd on both flanks, the Agema and Companions faced off their lesser and fewer opponents. In the centre I had 2 Bg's of Lh, one with Lance, Sw one with LS, Sw vs 2 BG's Lh, Bw, Sw. Then behind FF he had 1 x 4 Impact foot, Superior and 1 x 6 MF, superior, Bw. Against these I 3 x 8 Bg Pk, one of which was superior. Apart from the BG of Cv on the FM, I only broke 1 Bg of Lh!!!!!
As we were spending a lot of time reading the rules we only got 6 bounds in. More time would have seen me win in the centre as my Hypaspists had finally Disrupted the Iyalars, although the Janissaries had Dis. a Bg of Pk in HtH!!!

Oh and the worst insult was my El being broken by the Serbs!!

A game where my combat dice were completely pants and even though I felt I had done everything right, I just couldn't get the breaks

[malekithau]

Sad but will happen when dice are involved. I'm willing to bet that in about 5-6 games time this won't be such a problem when you stop worrying about rules and start to concentrate on tactics and matchups. I had a hell of a time when I was playtesting with several different opponents none of whom knew the rules as I was spending so much time explaining rules I lost every game I think :{ Then I played a few games against the same opponent and as we had the rules more or less worked out by then we could concentrate on the tactical side.

Most fun I've had with ancients in 20+ years.

[davidandlynda]

Its funny but I'm finding that a bad dice roll in FOG dosn't seem to hurt me as much as a 6-1 in DBM ,it fact I'd go so far as to say its even enjoyable, time will tell on that though
David

[davem]

Its funny but I'm finding that a bad dice roll in FOG dosn't seem to hurt me as much as a 6-1 in DBM ,it fact I'd go so far as to say its even enjoyable, time will tell on that though
David

I must say I was struggling to see the funny side of it after a succession of combats where I went in at least equal and often better than my opponent. Indeed I don't think I went into any combat at a disadvantage!

A 6-1 in DBM can be bad, but is usually only one element and unless you have no reserves can often be covered. In FOG an entire BG sufferring a severe luck swing is almost unrecoverable as there is a very large hole where that BG used to be!

Regards

Dave M

[nikgaukroger]

I must say I was struggling to see the funny side of it after a succession of combats where I went in at least equal and often better than my opponent. Indeed I don't think I went into any combat at a disadvantage!

I'd have thought you'd be used to this being a dyed in the wool All Black

[davem]

I must say I was struggling to see the funny side of it after a succession of combats where I went in at least equal and often better than my opponent. Indeed I don't think I went into any combat at a disadvantage!

I'd have thought you'd be used to this being a dyed in the wool All Black

Oh, low blow!
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing end them.

[rayfredjohn]

Mad Dog stick to Kung Foo. Forget the poetry.

Ray

[Scrumpy]

Lucky at cricket, unlucky at FoG Dave seems to be the rule for you Kiwis.

[davem]

Lucky at cricket, unlucky at FoG Dave seems to be the rule for you Kiwis.

No need for luck in cricket when your opponents are so inept

[PELAGIUS]

Sooo, you're all saying that the best cavalry of ancient times should be expected to loose?
Did anyone bother to tell the boy Alex this at Granicus, Issus and Guagemela? He might have had to rethink his tactics.....

*At Granicus he had a tough time against satrapal cavalry nearly getting killed (twice?), at Issus he hit unarmoured, stationary infantry (the weak spot between hoplites and kardakes), at Gaugemala he waited until a gap had opened between centre and flank and his opponents were weakened and then charged. He was brash and brave but all his risks were calculated and carefully planned. I doubt he would have charged head-on into good, fresh cavalry.

*Out-thunk 'em then outfight 'em

*Yours disgracefully

*Pelagius

[daveallen]

Oh, and Alex was fighting in the front rank of the Companions.

I think this might have been the mistake - throwing away flexibility for that huge +2 on CTs in return for a small extra advantage in a combat where you were already better.

Paul FM'd on both flanks.

Ye gods!

I haven't even seen a flank march, let alone a double. Every time I'm tempted I look at the odds and the urge goes away. Are they common in 15mm?

Dave Allen