AAR Bosphorons vs. Epirus (Pyrhus) Cold Wars 2008
Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 10:26 pm
The last game in 25mm at CWs.
We had a beautiful layout--well painted armies, a nice table and good terrain--which always heightens the pleasure. We had ended up with too few players to make a round,so we were "round-robining" with both armies and players.
I had 650 points of Bosphorons, with two armoured lancer units, three LH units, some Olbian city militia, some Thracians, and a unit of Light Infantry with Bow as well as a 300BC (my army is 310 BC) Sindii archer unit (MI). My opponent had 16 stands of pike, as well as an 8 stand unit of Galatians, a unit of LH, a unit of LI javelinmen, and some other cavalry. I think we had the same number of units--10 each.
I won't go through a long report. On my left, my partner very nicely pressed forward with the bulk of the LH, shooting the enemy Cavalry to fragmented in a single bound and then turning his flank, stranding an 8 stand unit of pike for the game and forcing that flank to play defensively. In the center, a single unit of LH in line screened a good deal of the enemy army. On our right, my infantry line (Thracians and City Militia) waited in an enclosed field alongside the Sindii Archers. The enemy pressed forward resolutely, even after the stopping of their flank. I launched my armoured cavalry against their light horse (in a single rank) and bid fair to chase them off the field.
My archers failed to inflict either death tests or morale, even though they rained hits on the pikes (opponents good luck. No complaints there). I elected to put the CinC in the front rank of the Thracians and go straight at the enemy line before I got pressed off the table.
Suddenly, everything I rolled turned up a six. In the most unbelievable two minutes of dice in my 30+ years of gaming, I stopped the Galatians cold--the addition on the next bound of the Militia sealed their fate and they were utterly destroyed, loosing 5 bases and auto-breaking. This left the Thracians behind the pikes and in charge reach, while the Sindii archers, having failed to beat the pikes in shooting, proceeded to refuse to lose to them in impact or melee (that light spear sure is handy!)
On the next turn, the enemy LH units had to leave the table, one in rout, and the other still evading (I think that's right) while the collapse of the Galatians exposed his whole center and the left was still stalled. An uncommitted Armoured cavalry unit in our center lined up to finish off various stragglers and we called it.
Just as advertised, the balance in every bound was on commander use. My choice to send the CinC to stiffen the Thracians allowed them to re-roll a handful of 1s that became the forest of 6s that won me the game. My choice with my TC to join the armoured cavalry allowed me to get them into a single rank so that they could utterly dominate the LH in front of them rather than getting shot to pieces (as happened to Ken, my excellent opponent, on the other flank).
Thanks to my opponents and partners for a series of instructive and excellent games bereft of argument. I look forward to the next time! And hope for more 25mm players.
We had a beautiful layout--well painted armies, a nice table and good terrain--which always heightens the pleasure. We had ended up with too few players to make a round,so we were "round-robining" with both armies and players.
I had 650 points of Bosphorons, with two armoured lancer units, three LH units, some Olbian city militia, some Thracians, and a unit of Light Infantry with Bow as well as a 300BC (my army is 310 BC) Sindii archer unit (MI). My opponent had 16 stands of pike, as well as an 8 stand unit of Galatians, a unit of LH, a unit of LI javelinmen, and some other cavalry. I think we had the same number of units--10 each.
I won't go through a long report. On my left, my partner very nicely pressed forward with the bulk of the LH, shooting the enemy Cavalry to fragmented in a single bound and then turning his flank, stranding an 8 stand unit of pike for the game and forcing that flank to play defensively. In the center, a single unit of LH in line screened a good deal of the enemy army. On our right, my infantry line (Thracians and City Militia) waited in an enclosed field alongside the Sindii Archers. The enemy pressed forward resolutely, even after the stopping of their flank. I launched my armoured cavalry against their light horse (in a single rank) and bid fair to chase them off the field.
My archers failed to inflict either death tests or morale, even though they rained hits on the pikes (opponents good luck. No complaints there). I elected to put the CinC in the front rank of the Thracians and go straight at the enemy line before I got pressed off the table.
Suddenly, everything I rolled turned up a six. In the most unbelievable two minutes of dice in my 30+ years of gaming, I stopped the Galatians cold--the addition on the next bound of the Militia sealed their fate and they were utterly destroyed, loosing 5 bases and auto-breaking. This left the Thracians behind the pikes and in charge reach, while the Sindii archers, having failed to beat the pikes in shooting, proceeded to refuse to lose to them in impact or melee (that light spear sure is handy!)
On the next turn, the enemy LH units had to leave the table, one in rout, and the other still evading (I think that's right) while the collapse of the Galatians exposed his whole center and the left was still stalled. An uncommitted Armoured cavalry unit in our center lined up to finish off various stragglers and we called it.
Just as advertised, the balance in every bound was on commander use. My choice to send the CinC to stiffen the Thracians allowed them to re-roll a handful of 1s that became the forest of 6s that won me the game. My choice with my TC to join the armoured cavalry allowed me to get them into a single rank so that they could utterly dominate the LH in front of them rather than getting shot to pieces (as happened to Ken, my excellent opponent, on the other flank).
Thanks to my opponents and partners for a series of instructive and excellent games bereft of argument. I look forward to the next time! And hope for more 25mm players.