Slitherine

Since there is interest in this final, I suggest either or both the finalists post some screenshots during the battle. I would enjoy it.

And I think klay has the odds about right. Of course, the terrain map could significantly alter the odds.

Harvey

Final
1. Macedonczyk (Arab Conquest 638-684 AD) beat klayeckles (Indo-Greek 175 BC-10 AD with Indian 500BC-319 AD allies) 43-7

So this year's final will be between klayeckles (Indo-Greek 175 BC-10 AD with Indian 500BC-319 AD allies) and relative newcomer Macedonczyk (Arab Conquest 638-684 AD). Congratulations to both players for reaching the final and well played too to harveylh and Questar17 for doing so well to reach the semi-final stage. The two finalists can have a break for a few days now and I will get the final under way on Sunday.

As Las Vegas odds makers take a closer look at the match up they'er seeing that the Arabs are the perfect "Indo-killer" army... overpowering Cav, more numerous equivalent HF, better MF, and greater number of skirmishers. And overall numbers are almost equal...the one place Indo usually dominates. Only plus in the Indo column is the Army general has more Lifetime KO victories--but that means nothing once the bell rings...

odds now are 2.5:1 in favor of the Arabs, including an accounting of terrain possibilities!

Wow, interesting turn of events.

harveylh wrote: ↑Thu Jun 04, 2020 5:22 pm Since there is interest in this final, I suggest either or both the finalists post some screenshots during the battle. I would enjoy it.

And I think klay has the odds about right. Of course, the terrain map could significantly alter the odds.

Harvey

If there are no surprises for the enemy to be unmasked (some units hidden in the forest) I will send every day or two screenshots.

And yes, a lot will be depend on the map.

The final will be starting today.

After 5 rounds of competition and 62 matches we are down to the two finalists - klayeckles and Macedonczyk. There is a lot of interest in this final. On the face of it you might think klayeckles would be the favourite given that he is rated at position 6 in the latest FOG2DL ratings whereas Macedonczyk is currently at position 26 after just one season in that tournament. But if you look at the results of both players on the way to this final then you can see that Macedonczyk and his Arab Conquest army have been steamrolling the opposition while klayeckles has had two very close matches that could have ended in defeat. So I think this makes the final too close to call and a lot will depend on the map they get to fight this deciding battle out on.

Route to the final
klayeckles
R1: klayeckles (Indo-Greek 175 BC - 10 AD with Indian 500BC - 319 AD allies) beat Chema_cagi (Ghaznavid 962-1187 AD) 40-7
R2: klayeckles (Indo-Greek 175 BC - 10 AD with Indian 500BC - 319 AD allies) beat DanZanzibar (Roman 199-106 BC with Spanish 300-100 BC allies) 41-17
R3: klayeckles (Indo-Greek 175 BC-10 AD with Indian 500BC-319 AD allies) beat elrawen (Macedonian 260-148 BC with Greek allies) 62-49
QF: klayeckles (Indo-Greek 175 BC-10 AD with Indian 500BC-319 AD allies) beat ConstantinIX (Roman 24 BC–196 AD with Jewish 64 BC-6 AD allies) 62-50
SF: klayeckles (Indo-Greek 175 BC-10 AD with Indian 500BC-319 AD allies) beat Questar17 (Pontic 110-85 BC) 53-26

Macedoncyzk
R1: Macedonczyk (Arab Conquest 638-684 AD) beat karimak123 (Hunnic, Sabir 463 AD) 50-24
R2: Macedonczyk (Arab Conquest 638-684 AD) beat desertedfox (Seleucid 300 - 206 BC) 26-0
R3: Macedonczyk (Arab Conquest 638-684 AD) beat Karvon (Arab Conquest 629-637 AD) 44-10
QF: Macedonczyk (Arab Conquest 638-684 AD) beat nyczar (Scots-Irish 50 BC-476 AD) 43-13
SF: Macedonczyk (Arab Conquest 638-684 AD) beat harveylh (Andalusian 756-1049 AD) 55-19

final match posted....
pw: marbles

Here is picture before and after my first move:
https://imgur.com/a/U9ke0oe
The map is rather favourable for my troops (my first thought was that it was good that not the other way around) although these islands rough terrain will probably be perfectly used by Klayeckles.
I set up my troops a little bit wrong and now they have to move to the right and the forest in the middle is disturbing this.

Thanks for sharing macedonczk!
rather diferent deployment between you two

Now pictures from round 3 and 4:
https://imgur.com/a/7CcI5WT
https://imgur.com/a/pFf5xrb
Klayeckles make untypical move: put general to light arches.I don't understand this movement (maybe it was to encourage an attack on him and then it worked ).
I manage to destroy him with attack slinger on back of another skirmishes and he evade and general evade but in not good direction. So my lancer make back attack.
Now after pursue will my lancer survive elephant and company attack?

Round 5:
https://imgur.com/a/iUiOahY

I'm afraid an elephant with company is about to kill my lancer. As a consolation, my second lance on the right wing threw a horse off the map. I hope he won't come back . There's some chess on the left wing, although there's an elephant coming, which can change things. The center will soon start fighting. I think I've managed to neutralize the good positioning of the enemy units there.

PS: By the way, how to insert a drawing to make it visible in post and not as a link?

Round 6:
https://imgur.com/a/Xu9rl8P

The horse is destroyed.
Surprise: Klayeckles also managed to disrupted my veteran spearman with arrows. This happens to me very rarely (sooner my VS autobrake than get disrupted from shouting). But it did not stop him from charging and fragmenting the massed arches(double drop, good luck).
On the other hand the opponent's horse came back terribly fast .
My skirmishes avenged Spearman and disrupted other elephant.

I don't want to comment on the specifics, but damn that is a tense standoff. Looks like it could swing a few ways.

Ludendorf wrote: ↑Sat Jun 13, 2020 3:42 pm I don't want to comment on the specifics, but damn that is a tense standoff. Looks like it could swing a few ways.

I think no problem with comments. I put screens with little delay to avoid situation that comments can change result(try to comment after my move but wait with post). Now is round 8 finished.

Yes nothing sure at this moment. At that point, time was playing to my advantage because those units of mine in mele had advantage, the shooting was probably balanced and I still correct bad start setup. What I feared most was that I would be flanked on my right wing by elephant, horse and massed archers and a potential Phalanx attack could have hurt me.

Round 7:
https://imgur.com/a/U4hhZwN

I was lucky that Thuropoi under the pressure of the Dailami went back one field and thanks to that I could hit with my VS another massed arches without consequences of flank attack - and I have to keep him in the mele because he is terribly fired. I managed to set my right wing in a very favorable place and here the opponent is more numerous so I hope that's enough.

Another Lancer caught by an elephant and that's weird: I thought that when Lancer is attacked flank or back, he would evade but not, he stayed and started fighting. I managed to help him with Veteran Spearman so he will be suffer but is unlikely to die.

But another lancer in a double chase caught the opponent's horse in back.

And now my main concern is what the Phalanxs will do. I set up my Veteran Spearman so there will probably chance to flank attack but these are the only troops that fight better than my VS.

Round 8:
https://imgur.com/a/TvezaKW

Now it's mele everywhere. There's a hole in the right wing where Irregular Foot is about to enter. As the fight will take more than 2 more rounds may be flank attack. There are skirmishes waiting for the elephant. Generally, the right wing is not in great danger.
In centre, after Thurepoi's elimination I have advantage.
On the left wing only Phalanx is harming me, but he will be soon attacking from flank.
And another strange thing: my skirmish decided not to evade from second Phalanx and now he is fighting a heroic battle. Two mele keep fighting, but can't stand it anymore(but should get medal for this).

Well the Indo Greeks fell to the onslaught of superior spearmen...it was not a pretty sight. Congrats and very well played. Unfortunately my army just didn't match up well here, and the battlefield was a wreck for me. For those that watched it unfold...just a comment on my tactics. I figured he'd bring a mass of lancers on my right flank and send spears and dialami on to dominate the hill. My plan was to just give up the right flank with my weak cav avoiding combat. Meanwhile i wanted to push hard to the left, and make use of the rough terrain on far left with my MF (and avoid fighting him uphill). it was looking good early on, but he must have sensed my plans and sent everyone back up the hill...by that time my center was getting hammered by the superior spearmen, my right was falling apart and so my flanking move to the left was too late and unsuccessful anyway.

But for this battle aside from the terrain, and matchup, the Arabs were brilliant in their army build. It is a tough army that can bring a wall of spear, OR a wall of lancers, or any combo in between I didn't consider the possibility he would max out the superior spear (though my army options had little builds to counter such a plan)...that was a deciding blow, and completely nullified the elephant menace. For those that contemplate elephants...I've used them quite a lot and find that they are fragile...but used at the right moment in the right spot they are a nuclear warhead. i tend to protect them until late in the game then launch them into a place that is weak against them. In this case i didn't have the luxury of waiting...and there was no weakness... so the nukes blew up on the launchpad leading to a quick end to the indos.

sorry it wasn't a better match, and again well played.

Last round screens and final are here:
https://imgur.com/a/Dj0a7J5

I can say that it wasn't an easy battle for me and after a few rounds I had to maneuver the units because I felt that many of them go to trap. Especially where Thureophoroi were standing I couldn't attack and had to wait for the Dailami. The Phalanxs even though they weren't on the hill were also set up so that one of my moves forward and I would have to attack them uphill.

PS: And I rarely take a lot of horses because I can't play them well .

PS2: Now I will be suffer. Look what's about to attack me in the league:
https://imgur.com/a/BxJSlJm