Slitherine

Weekly round-up
It is still very exciting at the top of Division A where three players are in with a chance of being the champion this season. CheAhn (Arab Conquest) has a very creditable 6 wins from 8 starts but he can still be caught by Nosy_Rat (Abbasid) and unbeaten harveylh (Khorasanian). At the bottom Cunningcairn (Byzantine) is almost certain to be relegated. In Division B rbodleyscott (Arab Conquest) has posted a very good target of 30 points from his nine matches. Both melm (Andalucian) and Geffalrus (Polish) have chances to overtake this total but will almost certainly need 8 wins to do so. In Division C GDod (Arab Conquest) is still out in front by 3 points although he has completed his matches now. It looks certain that fikabo (Polish), who posted his fifth win from 5 starts) will soon hit the top spot, while oscarius (Rus) and sunnyboy (Scots) are still in with a shout if fikabo slips up. At the bottom the automatic relegation place is between Ulysisgrunt (Byzantine) and Rob123 (Hindu). Another 30 point target has been set in Division D by Schweetness 101 (Abbasid) who has now completed his fixtures. One player, Questar17 (Pictish) has a reasonable chance of overtaking this total after starting with 3 wins and a draw from his first 4 matches.

Unbeaten runs of 3 matches or more
harveylh (Division A) 5 matches
Nosy_Rat (Division A) 5 matches
Geffalrus (Division B) 3 matches
melm (Division B) 3 matches
rbodleyscott (Division B) 4 and finished
fikabo (Division C) 5 matches
gamercb (Division D) 4 matches
Questar17 (Division D) 4 matches
Schweetness101 (Division D) 4 matches and finished

Match completion rate (45 matches in total to be played in each division)
Division A - 32 out of 45 matches completed
Division B - 24 out of 45 matches completed
Division C - 28 out of 45 matches completed
Division D - 26 out of 45 matches completed

These are good match completion rates.

Player of the week
fikabo (Division C) 2 wins this week.

Weekly round-up
desertedfox (Egyptian) has moved to the top of Division A after posting 2 wins this week and now leads Snugglebunnies by 1 point. However, the group of three players behind him look more likely to challenge for the top spot. ianiow (Arab) got his faltering campaign to win this section for the third time in a row back on track with a closely fought win over previously unbeaten fifth-placed sunnyboy (Lydian). harveylh (Kyrenean Greek) is currently fourth with 4 with 4 wins from 5 starts. The third 30 point target set this week is in Division B where Ulysisgrunt (Cypriot) has finished his matches with an excellent 8 wins. It is still possible for markwatson360 (Median) and General Shapur (Egyptian) to beat this score but they will need perfect performances in all their remaining matches.

Unbeaten runs of 3 matches or more
desertedfox (Division A) 3 matches
markwatson360 (Division B) 3 matches
MikeMarchant (Division B) 3 matches
Ulysisgrunt (Division B) 5 matches and unfinished

Match completion rate (45 matches in total to be played in each division)
Division A - 30 out of 45 matches completed
Division B - 25 out of 45 matches completed

These are very good match completion rates.

Player of the week
Ulysisgrunt (Division B) with 3 wins this week.

I have completed the Second Time Control check now and everyone has the green light to continue. There are a few players who have only registered two results in a division but I am satisfied that these are still playing and have enough matches in progress to ensure that they will finish all their matches by December 15th. Some of the players still on 2 matches have exemptions because they joined the tournament as reserves well after the starting date.

Thanks to all the players who replied to my Time Control check PM with all the details of their matches in progress.

Division B Challenges
Ulysisgrunt (Jewish 167-164 BC)
Challenges:

desertedfox (Antigonid) PW: desertedfox

oscarius (Thracian-Hellenistiic; Antigonid ally) PW: oscarius

phoyle3290 (Carthaginian-Hannibal in Italy) PW:cphoyle3290

Division B

Nijis (Byzantine 493-550 AD) defeats devoncop (Moorish), 4-0.

After the initial skirmishing, the Moors decided that their skirmishers did not have the means to defeat a force based around armored horse archers, and scattered. (Concession.) The Byzantines were glad not to have to face the javelin swarms. They erected a monument to their victory and departed, leaving the arid hills to the tribesmen.

Division B

Geffalrus (Poles) defeats youngr (Anglo-Danes and Welsh) 52-26

As the score attests, this was a real beef-slapping competition between packed shield walls. The Polish army anchored itself between two forests with some low hills where the massed archers were stationed behind the shield walls. The Anglo-Danes brought an absolute ton of up-armored spears with some Huscarls, skirmishers, and Brythonic foot in support. The sheer number of armored spears diluted the efficacy of the massed archers who were eventually swarmed to death by any thirsty dane that found a hole in the valiant Polish shieldwall. As the left bent, buckled, and almost gave out, the Polish right wing was able to secure victory. While the Welsh medium foot were able to slowly clear the light archers out of the great forest, doing so left them out of position to prevent the Polish cavalry, hidden behind the forest, from doing a wide ride around the Danish line. This was combined with a spirited assault by the dismounted Polish nobles massed on the right wing to bring the anvil to the hammer.

No victory is without cost, however. The Polish offensive was almost undone by the untimely - and simultaneous - death of the Polish commander and his lieutenant (two generals died near each other in the infantry line during my turn). Another general was auto-broken and wiped from existence. Bad as that luck was, the nearby infantry held their cohesion and the offensive continued (EXTREMELY lucky to pass those two cohesion checks - the heavy infantry +1 bonus made a big difference as nearby cavalry units failed those same checks).

Good game to youngr, my valiant foe in all three divisions this season.

The lines clash a turn before the synchronized death of both my generals.

Div D

cromlechi - Egyptian 405-343 BC defeats SLancaster - Indo-Greek 175 BC-10 AD with Indian 500 BC- 319 AD allies 60 -49

Very close game. The Indo Greek Elephants soaked up a lot of Egyptian arrows at the start of the game and the Pike Phalanx became isolated in the centre and were forced to form squares for a period of the battle. Egyptian numbers just edged it in the end.

Div C

General Shapur - Spanish 300-10 BC defeats DzonVejn - Saka 300 BC-50 AD with Seleucid 166- 125 BC ally 61:47

Hard to chase the horse army down with foot troops, mid-game it turned into a brawl where the dice decided the outcome more than strategy.

Division C

fikabo (Polish with Vikings) defeated lydianed (Ghaznavid) 42:5

Very complex map - forest, lake, hill and marsh which give some more power my massed archers and skirmishes.
I was slowly starting to win but elephants were coming which could reverse result.
Fortunately, after shooting down another horse, 2 elephants near got disrupted. This was I think decisive moment of game.

Division A

nyczar (Ancient British 60 BC-80 AD and Roman 24 -196 AD Ally) defeats harveylh (Roman 197-284 AD) 47%-21%

Division C

General Shapur - Spanish 300-10 BC defeats MikeMarchant - Seleucid 124-63 BC with Jewish ally 61:54

Something that didn't look like it was going anywhere turned into a massive brawl.

The Spanish fearing the Seleucid pikes set up in rough ground split about 50/50 on both sides of the field. The enemy were not going to fall for so obvious a ruse, however, and bypassed the Spanish for some nearby high ground. Seeing this happening the Spanish rushed in from safety while the pike squares were scattered across the hills managing to single out a few that broke easily when flanked and then attacking themselves from the high ground. Well, you had to be there. Great game.

(3-1)

Div C

herm (french) challenges :

Oscarius (rus)

Sunnyboy (scots)

pm and pw sent

Division A

harveylh – Roman 197-284 AD challenges Nosy_Rat - Hunnic (Western) 376-454 AD, password nosy, pm sent

Division A

XLegione - Achaemenid Persian 550-546 BC defeated Cunningcairn - Hebrew 681-586 BC with Egyptian 664-571 BC ally 59% - 34%

Ciao

Division A

youngr (Dacian) challenges nyczar (Ancient Brits with Roman Ally), password is "nyczar". PM sent. Right armies set up now!

Cheers
Richard

Division B

Challenge1 (Lydian) defeated paulmcNeil (Thracian) 63-31

The Thracian gods were not with the army this day......

Thanks for the fight!

Division B

markwatson360's medians defeated garymanns Arabs 46-10

Thanks for the game Gary.