New FOGII (April 2018) Campaign Tournament (bbogensc)

[gamercb]

The vast numbers of Slaves attempted to overwhelm the Antigonids as they sought to capture Slave42 and nearly succeeded in defeating the Pike Phalanxes. In a close run battle, the Antigonids finally won, 66% to 49% with the Final Results being 58% losses to the Slaves and 24% to the Antigonids. A victory but at a heavy price.

[gamercb]

Duplicate post due to error when posting so removed text.

[Ludendorf]

I will never underestimate a veteran pike phalanx again. I must have flanked some of those pike groups five times before I got them to break. Well played by gamercb; some excellent manoeuvring near the end of the game sealed my fate.

[Cunningcairn]

(5) 2x1 Cunningcairn (Jewish 64BC) v Numidian51 (Najanaja)

The Jewish army defeats the Numidians by 9% to 40% with army losses of 7% to 44%. Tie break time I think.

[bbogensc]

Yes, Najanaja should post the result for the tiebreak. Also, players should send an update on open battles.

[bbogensc]

Kapp37 62-32, cas 11%
Sskythia 40-5, cas 5%
Judea46 offense 48-7
Judea46 defense 59-61
Seleucid39 6-7, turn 9

[bbogensc]

I'm thinking we should make the next turn a 14 day round bc we are beginning league and some players have the silly tournament games. Does anyone have any objection?

Also, on the 2 battles (greece, seleucid) that basically did not get started in the 7 days of turn 6, these attacks will just be cancelled and not drawn. So, both morbio and nosy will keep the armies and can attack again if they wish with extra time in the next turn.

[Cunningcairn]

I'm thinking we should make the next turn a 14 day round bc we are beginning league and some players have the silly tournament games. Does anyone have any objection?

Also, on the 2 battles (greece, seleucid) that basically did not get started in the 7 days of turn 6, these attacks will just be cancelled and not drawn. So, both morbio and nosy will keep the armies and can attack again if they wish with extra time in the next turn.

I think that 14 day rounds are a good idea at this stage.

[Morbio]

This battle will almost sure result in a draw, leaving Dacia in control of a province.

Many thanks. Since attacker outnumbered defender in the battle both sides lose 3 armies on the draw. The remaining syracuse army retreats back. Greece26 then enters Turn 6 with no armies controlled by Dacia.

Well, we finished the game and I managed to win it! 52-21 with 54-19 casualties. It's a shame we didn't complete this in time for the end of round 5, but it's nice to complete it and nice to get a win against Nosy's Dacians.

I'm now hoping that the turn 6 re-run (4x4 rather than 4x3) goes the same way. We are about 6 turns in at present and the skirmishing is almost complete...

[bbogensc]

Nosy_rat has some master level play.

[Nosy_Rat]

Thanks, bbogensc, but I've yet to beat you
I hope we will be able to finish our battle with Morbio in time, we are going full-speed.

[Najanaja]

My Carthaginians beat the defending Numidians (Cunningcairn) 48% to 7%. Actual casualties 48/8

[nyczar]

14 days is fine with me

[RagnarOneTooth]

14 days would be brilliant, I have a show about to hit the stage in June a job to apply for and (mumbles) the digital league.

[bbogensc]

Turn 7 Orders due 6/1 1500 GMT.

The map shows 2 pr. results on Carthage15 and Greece26.

The Carthage15 battle had 4 turns to go as of yesterday and is expected to be either a Spain victory or draw. So, this result should be posted shortly.

The Greece26 rematch battle was started very late. If the match does not finish again, then it will not go past the deadline this time as I will post a final result on the battle before the order deadline at 6/1 1500GMT.

Carthage won the tiebreak on win% in Numidia51, Ptolemy won with alternating tiebreaks on Judea56 as Persia got the tiebreak on Seleucid39 in the prior turn. Carthage and Ptolemy will lose the next tiebreak.

Gamercb still had a neutral battle going in Kappadocia and he mentioned this looked like a draw so it is reflected as a draw.

[Kabill]

The first warning the Carthaginians have of the Spanish raid is when their galleys strike the shores. A great host of raiders and warriors disembark, full of confidence and eager to plunder. The Carthaginian watchmen ride hard to warn their masters: doom approaches.

Impetuous, the Spanish are soon on the march. When scouts catch wind of the Carthaginian army mustering to face them, they double their pace to try and catch them unawares. It seems, as the Spanish army closes, that they have had success – arrayed in column, the attack quickly, sensing their advantage. But it is deception.

Carthaginian light troops screen the main force, and the Spanish quickly realise the Carthaginians are marching for a narrow pass screened by woods and marsh. With each step forwards, the Carthaginians fall back, and in spite of their confidence the Spanish commander slows their pace. Overconfidence has destroyed many king; he will not make that same mistake.

In fact, however, this caution plays to the Carthaginian's advantage. As the two forces close, half the day's light is already wasted. There are already mutterings from the lower officers, who remain eager to attack, and the commander fears that if he cannot win this day then he will lose the confidence of his army and be unable to prosecute the campaign. In view of this, he spurs to action, marshaling them to ready an attack against the Carthaginian position. The action is organised: at the near side, a host of Scutarii are already ready to charge, while heavier troops slowly move up from the far flank. Yet Carthaginian light troops stall the attack further, as do bands of troops occupying the woodland in front of the main Cathaginian force.

Tired of waiting, the amassed Scutarii disobey their orders to hold and rush the Carthaginian line. It is a poor move - arrayed before them are veteran soldiers tested in battle against the fierce Romans. Despite their ferocity, the Scutarii pay dearly for their impetuous charge, losing five lives for every one they take. They are repelled once, then again, and again over the course of the afternoon. The inveterate Carthaginians do not waver.

Still, elsewhere, the Spanish fare better. Their own warbands and well-equipped veterans charge against the weaker Carthaginian infantry and, after furious fighting, eventually begin to gain ground. Even as the Scutarii are pushed back again by the Carthaginian veterans, the remainder of the Carthaginian force is finally enveloped and collapses.

The Spanish troops issue no pursuit - they are tired, and hurt, and darkness draws. And, for all that, they still do not hold the field. Abandoned by the remainder of their army, the African veterans remain steady, spears bristling from all sides. Knowing they will not yield, the Spanish commander approaches them in the dying light.

"Soldiers of Carthage!" he hails. "You have fought us with skill and bravery we have never seen. I have no wish to waste your lives, and no wish to waste the lives of more of my soldiers trying to do so! So you may leave, if you wish, and return to Carthage in shameful defeat. We will not oppose you; we shall even gift you a galley to sail on, vacated by the many Spaniards you have slain today." He pauses. "But if the thought of returning to Carthage in such dishonour stings you, then consider this instead: join our army, and return to Carthage not as her failed servants but as her victorious conquerors."

After a tense and challenging battle, the Spanish finally defeat the Carthaginians in the final hour of the day. 61-30 (or something close), 18% casualties on the Spanish force so no armies lost.

[RagnarOneTooth]

The Antigonids marched their pike into kappodokia, the Kappodokian's arranged their small horde of Galatians on a hill and hid their own warriors in the small forest on the sea beside it. Their cavalry observed the pike and lancers advancing from the west, backed by elephants and rapidly headed for the southern hills, followed by every light troop in the army though they kept a more discrete distance.

Dispatching a small formation of pike to match the galatians, escorted by lights and theurous to flank and dispatch them, the Antigonid lancers, the majority of their pike and the other half of their light and medium forces commenced rapid marching and galloping after their fleeing foes. Initial charges drove over the disorganized kappodokians flanks, but the lancers soon found pushing too deep into the enemy cut off and surrounded, flanked by the kappodokian nobility on their decorated mounts or peppered with arrows by the close supporting lights who had saved their fire.

Meanwhile some few kappodokian lights and cavalry feeling unable to break through returned to support the force of Galatians on the hill, who contrary to wisdom had advanced off their high ground to smash into the well lead pike as they moved up to support a developing skirmish of light troops. The theuros meanwhile who had been pushing over the irregular foot in the narrow wood soon found out why. Suddenly hordes of tribesmen poured out of the trees to flank and smash into both them and the pike overwhelming their flanks and rear in repeated charges.

The pike fled back and tried to rally several times but the galatians pursued them relentlessnessly. Meanwhile the lancer forces separated from their pike and elephants had been shattered, though not without inflicting heavy casualties as their support troops finally came up. The remaining noble cavalry now turned scattered to the wind before regrouping in small bands to shoot and ride down the theuros and light troops trying to get back in support, the pike wearily turned and marched back across the field, but unable to push into the woods, whence the tribesmen had returned, without breaking their formation found themselves forming squares as their strung out arrival left them vulnerable to tribesmen and galatians catching them as they passed over rough ground, only to be broken. It could have been disaster but night fell and In the end there was no clear winner 41% loses Kappodokian, 50% Antigonid with both forces ending with 20% casualties, as fleeing troops returned to their camps.
It is rumoured Kappodokians slaughtered the remaining Antigonids in the dark then slipped away from their generals to return to their home and enjoy their spoils and elephants, leaving no armies on the field.
Thanks for the tense game.

[gamercb]

Antigonids fail to take Kappadocia30.

Night fell and the Antigonids were forced to withdraw having failed to corner the Kappadocian cavalry with their pike blocks. It was a 50 v 41 result in favour of the Kappadocians with a both armies losing 20% final casualties.

[Morbio]

The armies of Syracuse had previously fought the Dacians to a standstill in Northern Greece and had to retire through lack of light. Having tended their wounded, patched their armour and sharpened their weapons they retook the battlefield to renew their efforts to repatriate Greece from Dacian aggressors. They knew Ares was on their side and their cause was just, they just need to persuade the Dacian army of this perspective!

The battle started with a skirmish conflict and the Dacian skirmishers strayed too far towards the Syracuse lines in their eagerness for blood, caught by the Syracusan skirmisher they were trapped and the hoplites helped to to give a bloody nose to the Dacians. the remaining skirmishers retreated to the Dacian warbands. The hoplite line advanced and although outnumbering the warbands, their flanks were guarded by many lancers on the left and woods with falxmen, which had been spotted by skirmishers sent out to scout. The hoplite line supported by the cavalry had extended to stop any flanking by the lancers, whilst the skirmishers started to whittle down the lancers and the Syracusan MF began to flank the falxmen on the other flank. Disaster struck as the skirmishers were over eager and blocked their own retreat to the hoplites and the lancers had their fun then more disaster as additional lancers sprung their trap from behind the falxmen and the Syracusan MF were in trouble! Half the Syracusan cavalry rushed from right flank to left and the hoplite reserve rushed to help too. The substantial lead had been severely reduced in one moment of over eagerness and some poor scouting.

All was at risk so the hoplites attacked the lancers and took a beating in the initial combat, units were disrupting, fragmenting and soon routing, but enough held their ground to push the lancers back and began to threaten flanking the warband line that was still still stationary and taunting the hoplite line. The warbands saw the threat and attacked! The hoplite line mostly stood firm and now they were in the ascendancy! The falxmen attacked and battle was joined throughout field.

The cavalry, the MF and hoplite reserve had the numbers if not the quality and the right flank was a marginal victory to Syracuse, the warbands won many fights, but their lack of restraint with their desire to punish the routers was often their undoing as hoplites and cavalry attacked the warbands' flanks and rear. Despite this the centre was fairly even in terms of those going to the underworld. The lancers fared less well versus the hoplites and were soon sent packing.

As the light was failing the heart went from the Dacians and they rapidly withdrew from the field and the victorious were praising Ares!

Victory to Syracuse 60%-47% with casualties 24%-55%. Northern Greece is free from oppression!

[bbogensc]

Battle List Turn 7

(1) 4x4, Nosy_Rat (Dacian89AD) v Morbio Greek26 (Syracuse 412BC or Greek 460BC ATTACKER CHOOSES)
(2) 4x4, Morbio (Syracuse 412BC or Greek 460BC ATTACKER CHOOSES) v Nosy_Rat Macedonia25 (Dacian 89AD)
(3) 4x2, Nosy_Rat (Dacian89AD or Bosporan) v Kappadocia30 (bbogensc)
(4) 4x2, bbogensc (Persian 480BC) v Kappadocia30 (Nosy_Rat)
(5) 4x3, cunningcairn (Ptolemaic 320BC) v Nosy_Rat Bosporan28 (Dacian 89AD)
(6) 4x4, Ludendorf (Galatian 280BC) v Dacia22 Nosy_Rat (Dacian 89AD)
(7) 4x4, gamercb (Antigonid) v cunningcairn Antigonid34 (Ptolemaic 166BC)
(8) 7x4, bbogensc (Arabian) v cunningcairn Judea46 (Judea 64BC)
(9) 4x3, najanaja (Hannibal in Africa) v cunningcairn Pt50 (Ptolemaic 166BC)
(10) 3x2, cunningcairn (Ptolemaic 166BC) v najanaja Numidia 51 (Hannibal in Africa)
(11) 4x7, Ludendorf (Galatian 280BC) v paulmcneil Ireland (ancient british)
(12) 4x7, Ludendorf (Gaul 300BC) v paulmcneil British8 (ancient british)
(13) 7x6, nyczar (Rome 199BC) v RagnarOneTooth (Pyrric) Pyrric21
(14) 4x4, batesmotel (Rome 199BC v ragnaronetooth pyrric19 (pyrric)