Slitherine

Excuse my delay in playing the 3rd match but due to an awful connection I'm not able to download the turn. I hope the problem will be solved tomorrow.

Londo (Abbasids) 46/67 - Lysimachos (Byzantines) 58/54

I deployed in an experimental formation, with several infantry blocks stacked up in a large column in the centre, a few cavalry to the right, and the rest of the cavalry on the left. I expected to be able to leisurely deploy the infantry depending on the Byzantine disposition, but was surprised by the speed of the enemy approach, and their devastating archery.

The Abbasid infantry was decimated by missile fire, and my right wing cavalry destroyed. But on the left, once I had sorted out the traffic jam problems due to my bad deployment, Abbasid troop quality and weight of numbers overwhelmed the Byz cavalry, and then the Byz infantry was surrounded and crushed.

Thanks for a tense game which seemed headed for a Byzantine win until the last couple of turns!

No camp looting or commanders demising!

By the way, this battle is a good illustration of how FOG never really got troop cost and BP numbers right.

Byzantines had about 6 superior armoured lancers, a lot of average armoured lancers, a few average protected horse archers, and some average infantry.

Abbasids had about 20 superior armoured cavalry, 10 average protected lancers, and a lot of good infantry, including 5 superior armoured Dailami and 5 superior protected MF.

To make it a fair fight, I think Byzantines should have had at least a 10 BP advantage. But as it happened, I had a 13 BP advantage over them!

I substantially agree with Londo, noting that the problem usually pertain to mainly cavalry armies, given the fact that mounted BGs costs much more than foot ones, without giving greater advantages.
Anyway it is interesting to try to get the best from the Byzantines and my defeat was also due to a poor leading of the army by myself, because I should have avoided the contact of my right wing with the left Abbasid flank.

Now is time to start the 4th round, with the following matches:
• Abbasids (Londo) - Musafarids (allendeuce)
• Fatimids (Ironclad) - Hamdanids (NikiforosFokas)
• Georgians (MikeMarchant) - Byzantines (Lysimachos)

The home players are requested to launch the challenges.

Challenge up for NikiforosFokas

Fatimids v Hamdanids

Pw: Battle

Good luck.

Challenge posted for Lysimachos

My Georgians are in the field, waiting. Password: Georgian


Best of luck Lysimachos.


Best Wishes

Mike

Challenge posted for allendeuce, password deuce

Good luck and enjoy!

Ironclad (Fatimids) 73/74 defeated NikiforosFokas (Hamdanids) 63/61

An incredibly close game with an equally startling reversal of fortune. The early turns saw the Hamdanids opening up an apparently unassailable lead of over 30 points only for the position to change as the Fatimids moved back into contention and managed to win by a whisker thanks to their higher break point total. All credit to my opponent for his blistering opening and his resilient efforts that made the game, particularly the closing stages, so tense and exciting. A memorable fight indeed. Both C in C's perished but the camps survived.

Ironclad wrote:Ironclad (Fatimids) 73/74 defeated NikiforosFokas (Hamdanids) 63/61

An incredibly close game with an equally startling reversal of fortune. The early turns saw the Hamdanids opening up an apparently unassailable lead of over 30 points only for the position to change as the Fatimids moved back into contention and managed to win by a whisker thanks to their higher break point total. All credit to my opponent for his blistering opening and his resilient efforts that made the game, particularly the closing stages, so tense and exciting. A memorable fight indeed. Both C in C's perished but the camps survived.

Amazing battle indeed. Thanks for this dear Ironclad

Londo (Abbasids) 41/67 - allendeuce (Dailami) 63/54

Abbasid cavalry concentrated against the Dailami left, while the Abbasid infantry tried to hold back the frenzied attacks of the Dailami centre. The Dailami right was distracted for most of the game chasing light foot and cavalry.

The Dailami camp was looted.

The Dailami C-in-C wasn't killed in the sense of the helmet symbol coming up, but his unit was routed, pursued by cavalry, and completely eliminated on the field. Does that count as a kill for tournament purposes?

Well Londo, if the unit, as you say, was completely eliminated, also the Commander has to be considered as dead.
So that you'll be awarded with another 0.5 pts.

Lysimachos (Byzantines) 43/55 vs MikeMarchant (Georgians) 55/55

A strange battle during which, in order to avoid the onslaught of the superior Georgian cavalry, the Byzantines organized a general retreat of their centre and right wing towards the left, where their infantry was atop some hills, trying to lure the enemy in a breathless charge which, luckily, permitted to open a gap between the Georgian centre and their right flank.
Through it some mounted Byzantines units were able to pass attaccking then the enemy from the rear while, in the meantime, a sweeping maneuvre of the left flank enveloped the rest of the Georgian army.
A real mess! (but also the only way to snatch victory from a very determined opponent.
The Georgian C-i-C fell during the battle while no camp was looted.

Time is ready for the last turn to start, so the home players may launch their challenges!
Let's see who will gain the laurels as ruler of Xth century Levant ..

Here are the matches of the last turn:

• Byzantines (Lysimachos) - Fatimids (Ironclad)
• Hamdanids (NikiforosFokas) - Abbasids (Londo)
• Musafarids (allendeuce) - Georgians (MikeMarchant)

The home players are requested to launch their challenges!

Challenge posted for Ironclad.
Password; Jerusalem

Good luck and honour!

The Musafarids (allendeuce) 43/54 (80%) defeated the Georgians (MikeMarchant) 53/55 (100%) in a tough contest fought between two river sources.
The Georgians arrayed themselves across the open, flat ground between the rivers, and the Musafarids were obliged to charge them with the help of allied Kurdish cavalry. Although still heavily outnumbered in cav, the Musafarids charged, and the Kurds held the bulk of the Georgian cav at bay, although almost wiped out in the process, while the Musafarid Inf. stormed and overwhelmed the enemies left flank, and rolled it up as far as their camp, just as the Georgian cav were beginning to rid themselves of the Kurds in their WAY...(Curds and whey; get it?). Another turn or so and it might have been very different...
Good game, Mike, as always.

Lysimachos wrote:Challenge posted for Ironclad.
Password; Jerusalem

Good luck and honour!

Thanks, challenge accepted. The battlefield awaits your opening.

Enjoy.

Hi everyone,

I haven't heard anything from NikiforosFokas. I've PM-ed him to ask that he put up a challenge. If anyone is playing him in another tourney or a casual game, could they ask him to attend to his duties here?

Cheers,
Paul.

Londo wrote:Hi everyone,

I haven't heard anything from NikiforosFokas. I've PM-ed him to ask that he put up a challenge. If anyone is playing him in another tourney or a casual game, could they ask him to attend to his duties here?

Cheers,
Paul.

I am here pm-ed you the pw. Sorry for the delay

Londo (Abbasid) 41/67 - NikiforosFokas (Hamdanid) 77/73

No camps looted or commanders killed.

The battle was fought on the same map as my encounter with Lysimachos. There was a large ridge running north-south, and on it, both sides' infantry fought. This was basically a draw. On the large expanse of open ground on my left, there was a huge swirling cavalry battle, which Abbasids won through numbers, armour, and troop quality (lots of superior armoured cavalry archers). Some Hamdanid cavalry probed around the Abbasid right, but were unable to make any headway against defensive spearmen lining the ridge.

Thanks to Kostas, to my other opponents, and to Lysimachos for organising this excellent small tournament!