Ballsy Light Horse and Impetuous Auxilia

For those who may have recognized the title of this particular post, rare as most of mine can be of late, this is going to be a discussion of DBA.  De Bellis Antiquitatis (if questions start here or here) has been the game I most often have been able to play, though it's been close to a year since I've been able to crack it out of storage.

So it's time for DBV, the annual regional regional tourney hosted by the nice gentlemen at WADBAG (there's also a separate tourney until recently at Huzzah Hobbies but if it happened (likely) in May I missed it this year. Thankfully DBV was themed as Rome and Its Enemies, so the armies I own fit. I once again broke out my Patrician Romans (if you absolutely need an army on the cusp of extinction, 420AD to the fall), but swapping out the army mix from last time, going Eastern instead of western, Small Knight Core, instead of my past favoring of cavalry, Auxilia instead of Warbands (though I miss the hairy barbarians), and a little extra skirmisher line.

I'd averaged around 6th out of 10 most tourneys I'd participated in throughout the past, with Patricians and Scots-Irish taking the brunt of the punishment.  The way I saw it, it was a day of rolling dice, and with a first child on the way, there wouldn't be many more of these available.  I had low expectations for success, but with the crew I'd encountered in the past, I expected to have fun.

Dave K. was kind enough to host the event and Chris B shepherded us through with his management of the event, with gentlemen from their pre-teens to sixties, from well seasoned to first time players pushing lead under the panoply of the flags of Sienna. I should have kept better notes, but instead I focused on the game, forgetting photos until odd moments, and I'll add those as soon as I can get them transfered over.

As I recall, and writing this after the whirlwind of the last few days, there may be speed blurring:

Round One, Rob and his Goths.  Though a gentleman, loaning me measuring sticks for the day, he didn't mess around and came thundering in.  I spend the entire start trying to coordiate different battle groups in some messed up ballet.  I had forgotten simple is beautiful for DBA, don't be smarter than the dice. While I was trying to find my pips, he was throttling some of my light horse who got a little too close to the action (a theme I found in my play of the day until the end.  I was lucky enough with a few strong rolls to stabilize my line, and while his Knights attempted to break me on my left, my Auxilia charged forward and took the fight to the warbands.  It came to the dice, and the dice favored me on this one and, in the end, I eaked out a 4-3 Win.

Round Two, David K and his Dacians.  Admitedly I was a little apprehensive.  I figured I had the force advantage, Knight and Blade vs. Warband, and the terrain opened up with a couple of lucky dice rolls, giving me a potential valley of death wide enough to run my cavalry through.  However, once more light horse got too ambitious, charged deep into the Dacian rear, and got cut off.  I salvaged a little, but far from enough, and was cut down in detail, never able to maintain concerted pressure and lost 4-2.

Round Three, I met with George, a first time player, who brought forth his Spanish.  This game was more of a teaching game than anything else, and George was crushed on the right wing by a quick charge of the Auxilia to a quick 4-0 resolution.

Last round was Doug and his Nobades (Anti Roman Nubians as far as I can tell, Horse, Aux, Camels, and a bunch of Bow).  I was on the clock (upcoming dinner reservations with the folks) and as a result I played quick.  Before I knew it I had lost the terrain on the left to ambitious auxilia, which a single skirmisher unit struggled to control.  Again though, the auxilia managed to charge forward to victory, encircling the Bow, and allowing enough distraction for my cavalry and some foot to wrap around the flanks of his center.  Admitedly this came to fruition from a bunch of sixes, the strongest of all strategies, and I walked into a 5-1 victory.

It was fun, I'd have done it for twice as long given the chance, which I was not, but maybe come Fall in.  There remains something to be said for a wargame that is setup, played, and broken down in less than an hour.  DBA remains a favorite, and I actually feel like I learned a little this time out (beyond roll sixes).  Thanks again to Team WADBAG.

Beer, Dice, and Friends

Brooks came out, and for that it was an occasion for challenge. it came in three parts, two parts I will recount here, the third I'll do as the next portion.  

Round 1: Dux Bellorum.  Late Romans vs. Sub-Roman British

Late Romans were straight forward an effort to charge through the enemy in a very rough proxy of knights, something they’ve so far been unsuccessful in achieving in their outings (spoiler alert....er, too late). They were a full half Riders with Continental Horses, vs the mere ponies they faced, supported by a line of scrubs posing as a Shieldwall, and a single stand of bow armed light horse (for ease I will refer to as Huns), in Brook's capable hands, on a quest of collection.  Tax Collection that is.  Empires don’t come cheap. 

Facing them were the legion of delinquent taxpayers. The Sub-Romans were built on a core of Shieldwall, half ordinary, half noble, supported by a small contingent of riders, as well as two bands of bow armed skirmishers and a contingent of massed bowmen.  Little bit of everything, and they would need it. 

Clearly the bard broke into the celebratory mead before the battle as early photos were blurry.  By the time he came to there were some photos, but too little too late for the initial setup.  As remembered the invaders occupied the north, Riders to the east, Shieldwall to the west, and Huns in the center, with a clearing between two copses of trees.  Facing them, the shieldwall held the southern center with skirmishers to the west and bows then cavalry to the west with a hill to his rear.  

In the end it was a swirling affair-the Sub-Roman Shieldwall split, half to face the cavalry, half to face the oncoming weak sheildwal while flanked in the woods by skirmishers.  The Roman Cavalry charged forward, losing their Huns to concentrated bowfire.  The Sub Roman Companions and other riders tried to hold the hill against the onslaught, but a poor command roll left the rest of the riders on the hill to be slaughtered. 

Why rolling 11s is bad. Ordinary Riders vs. Imposing Noble Riders and Companions-it lasted about as long as you might imagine. 

Roman Shieldwall marches to face the British Shieldwall, while British Skirmishers maneuver through the forest to make things difficult for them. 

Mid Game, Roman Shieldwall encircled to the left with British Companions desperately trying to hold the hill to the right. 

It ended up a race, but the Roman Shieldwall in the north crumpled before the Brits did in the east.  Somehow the British companions held the hill, off an on, throughout the battle.

Endstate

I’ve played a few games of this now, but this was the first Shieldwall vs. Shieldwall grind out.  I do like the system, but there's quirks and it's not perfect.  It wasn't wargaming Yatzee, but central to winning this as shieldwalls are all about rolling sixes when you get to it, and the dice were with me.  We went with the option to limit wound reduction to one leadership per turn, thank god, otherwise we might still be playing.  

I don’t think Brooks was sold, flank hits on the shield walls weren’t telling, and oddly bowfire, thanks to leadership, was.  

Round 2: Maurice, Blue vs Red 75pts/Side

No pictures of the second game-it's tokens not miniatures, so really not a lot to see.  

It was a quick, which tends to happen when you attempt double cavalry envelopments while on the defense.  I tend to be aggressive on defense, but a 3'x6' table there was little time before impact.  Stupid tactics is its own reward. 

Being aggressive from round one, it meant that I never built a reserve of cards and played most of the game with a single card in my had.  Not complaining, it's how the system works.  We played fast, never getting into the combat modifications, and I think we had one combat that wasn't flanking.

Maurice is a good one.  Needs a big enough playing space which will be a challenge for the future.  

Chance Encounter-Solo Playtest-Samurai Robots Battle Royale

So I have been trying to balance real life and being on the list of playtesters for Samurai Robot Battle Royale soon to be forthcoming from Ganesha Games.   To be fair the real life stuff has been modestly impressive, but causing unacceptable delays.  I finally was able to get a game in with the only person whose schedule I could coordinate with lately, me, and a solo round SRBR commenced.

If you're familiar with the Ganesha suite of games, the theory is the same.  It keeps the quality mechanic where if you are more ambitious you can act more, but there's a greater chance of losing control of initiative.  Unlike most of their other games, where individuals have a single stat line (Quality, Combat, and Special Abilities) each location has this stat line.  If you've familiar with the Mighty Monsters from Ganesha, it's the same theory, in fact they'll integrate to allow for Pacific Rim style action.

While you will see from below, I'm using the rules for more of a Battletech feel, they're written clearly in the vein of Anime inspired conflicts.  Don't let that dissuade you however, as they include enough optional rules to bring them from the Age of Steam to Robotech, as well as Mecha vs. Army options.  Like all of Ganesha Game's products, this has a lot of options and easy to customize to the campaign you feel like, or, if you want, just have a pickup game.

The premise was simple. Two Silverbacks (lower right, poorer quality AI controlled Mechs, all activations on a 4) wandered into Captain-Regent territory while a Freelancer in his Ranger (upper left, all activations on 3s) is stretching his mynomer muscles in preparation for an upcoming challenge. All craft were generated quickly before the battle, and the points on the two sides are equal.   You'll notice three dice between each figure-this is their dice for activation and their health-as they get injured they fade to yellow and then red (except I have no yellow dice, so it's White to Red to Black), which allow for interruption by your foe if those dice fail.  The table's only 30" square, with hills and ruins blocking line of sight.  The ruin in the lower left (rotated 180 in all following photos) would serve as the locus of activity for the conflict. Colored sticks are Short/Medium/Long measuring sticks.

One other note-it's roll then declare, not declare and then hope you roll well enough, I was doing some in reverse in the playtest. 

After rolling for initiative, the victorious Freelancer Made a dash for the cover of the ruins, and promptly failed to activate to fire, passing control over to the AI Legion.

Silverback I charged, moving three times directly to the edge of the ruins.  I then checked to see if it would successfully take a shot, and if it would activate more than one time, which would allow it to make more powerful strikes.  It would need it, for though Silverbacks packed linked lasers, they were short range, and as can barely be made out due to my poor photography, they were three range bands bands away, thus -2 on the roll. So before rolling, I opted for a Surgical Strike (+2 to hit, max one damage).

Again, chalk it up to poor photography, but that's three 6s on activation, allowing for a Very Powerful(tm) shot.  Once the combat roll was complete (1d vs 1d + combat values +/- a few quick modifiers) the Silverback had seriously beaten the Ranger.  However, as it was a surgical strike, it only allowed one point of damage and the Freelancer's roll against Knockdown (the random damage effect) was weathered.

Silverback I being done, it immediately passed the dice over to Silverback II, who promptly did nothing (three failures on three dice).

Payback time.  The Ranger carries on it's Torso a L5 Missile (One Shot), which it immediately fired at close range at SB-I.

Above you can see the range band, and the two dice in the center (SBI's Red 1 and Ranger's Black 3) leave for a poor day for the Silverback.  It promptly took two points of damage, rolled for effect, and had its sensors go blind.  Ranger decided to follow up on its success, took a leg action to close the distance, and then rolled for arm activation to give a flying elbow (or, you know, a punch in the rules).

Problem is, the earlier point of damage resulted in a red die (again, yellow die in the rules, but I have no yellow dice).  It failed, allowing the blind SB-I to attempt to interrupt, and it did, lashing out and making a general fool of itself as most blind boxers might. Crisis averted, the Ranger cracked some knuckle actuators on an exhaust manifold, leaving SB-I with all Red.

By the next photo I have of the battle, SB-II has finally entered the fray, after SB-I, on a very lucky Black damage roll (lucky for the pilot of the Ranger at least) shut down. Ranger's taken a couple of pings to the armor and is starting to have some concerns.  Out of Missiles (when you've fired one of one, it's easy to keep track) he's shooting his regular lasers, with medium range, here two bands out to mediocre results.

With only one Mecha on each side, the quality difference proved telling, allowing the Ranger to maneuver out of SB-II's punishing linked short range lasers, up until the end.

The last bit of damage on SB-II is not shown, but by the end it had achieved all black (er...red in the rules) dice and failed its integrity roll...spectacularly.  Worse for wear, the Freelancer piloted his dented Ranger home, to war of the encroaching AI Legion.

Playing both sides, the game took under an hour-in part due to mulling over sections to see if they could be misinterpreted.  It was quick and easy, but the game needs a bigger table and bigger forces than what I was able to muster.  Definitely one I'm looking forward to more of once I get a chance.

Let's Sink a Battleship - Ugly Draft Edition

Well, so I was working on the A!M rules, and discovered that the good gentlemen at Battletech figured out their rules had too many bubbles being filled out.  So Alpha Strike is now on the way.  This won't kill A!M, but I won't deny it takes a little steam out of the project.  Instead I've finished up an Ugly Draft version of a quick ship to ship rule set targeting turreted metal ships up until the aircraft carrier, with a targeted period of the Pre-Dread. I have creatively called it Let's Sink a Battleship.  Heck if I know if it's any good, but for now, let me share for your viewing pleasure.  Feedback welcome.


Let's Sink A Battleship by Sean D. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Oh...

A!M is coming.

One of those occasional games

///First started writing back after the Fall Season Novag Game Day.  Now as I start to work on completing it, I'm two weeks away from the Spring one.  Whoops.////

If you live in the Greater DC Metro Area, and have not linked up with NOVAG, I highly recommend it.  Good group of gamers, and yesterday they held their Fall Game Day.  Sadly I only could only stay until Noon, which I was fortunate enough considering moving requirements.

Some things came out of this.

First of all, General Quarters 3 from ODGW is actually an enjoyable game.  So far it's the best game I've seen for addressing the game vs. simulation balance for World War 1 Naval, and I understand it does the same for World War 2.  Someone at the game event was running his "Wobbly 8" scenario, with a British Fleet of Armored Cruisers and Pre-Dreadnaught Battleships fighting four ultra modern German battlecruisers.  I was doing ok, about to cross the T before I ran out of time, but only due to the absolutely dreadful luck of my foe.

So, with that in mind I was reminded of two projects which have been sitting on the way back burner.  The first was Aeronef which is, more or less, normal pre-dreadnought at 10,000 feet, and I think GC3 would capture it well and quickly with only the addition of altitude mechanics while maintaining speed of play.  For a long time I had been looking at the possibility of using Battlefleet Gothic.  No clue why, as I'm sitting her thinking about it.  It just seemed to make sense...I should probably go back and reread it to see if that core theory applies.  My books have finally returned from deep storage (and let's face it, I'm still doing a happy dance.

Project number two, and maybe more viable is the CSN vs. USN in the 1901-1905 period. However this is for another time.

This has been sitting in my drafts for too long. just some random thoughts

I have a pulse dagnabit

The new job, in short, is about two jobs. Not an excuse, rather an explanation. Mainly to Brooks, my own personal Wargaming Jimminy Cricket.  But, instead of "Conscience", his badge says "Paint Something".  And he's taller.

I'd like to say things will get better, but it won't, not for a while.

So I finally got to get some dice rolled of late.  Dux Bellorum against goodman Erik and his fine collection of beer and hospitality, with kind wife Jenny and bashful child looking on.  The phone died so no photos (I never foresaw that statement about a decade ago...but that's another story). Only optional rule in play was "no more than one wound could be avoided by leadership".  Time was tight.

Game 1-Erik's Early Wild Welsh vs. Sean's Overly Overly Enthusiastic Irish (Is there another kind).

     The Welsh were a "I have figures, let me make a last minute 5th army", and one I didn't expect to be effective frankly. Warrior Welsh vs. Warrior Irish with Chariots, with the Welsh foregoing their ambush and holding on to their Javelins.  Shockingly, and painfully, effective javelins.

    I learned a lot that first game.  Mainly I learned the optional rule of "spend one leadership point for avoiding charge" I've since found on the net.  Though I outnumbered the Welsh, I didn't out maneuver my foe and was defeated in detail.  Once I got within charge range (4 base widths, or over 5" on a 24" table for Chariots), it became a die rolling exercise, with all my forces on auto-charge.  In short the Irish were unplayable with Chariots. But not Irish without them. Not historical with them, mind you, but who lets history get in the way of a good wargame.   At this point i wasn't sure if this was a game for me.  Frankly the game didn't play like it read.  I made mistakes, i failed to take advantage on my better speed and didn't focus on one of his two rather divided flanks.

None the less...On to game 2

Game 2-45 minutes on the clock for Dux Erik's Late Romans (Imposing horses and poor infantry) vs. Theign's Sean's drunken Saxon (Mead ability, basically making them orcs).

     The time was tight, but while I was slaughtered the first game, it was a good time.  Mead is a wonderful rule for a short game (+1 offensive dice, -1 HP per unit).  So I had to unleash the Saxons.  Things played different.  The Romans were a poorer force.  Heavy on cavalry in a game in which cavalry is not decisive, and completely hamstrung by no good leadership among their infantry, trailing far behind the battle.  If it had been another game, I would not have stood a chance, and if we replayed, I'm certain Erik would have learned and I wouldn't stand a chance.

     There is one other optional rule, scouring the internet, is that supporting units add two not one die that must be considered.  I'm not sure if it should be 2 for the first and 1 for the second and later, but there needs to be better support.  Flanking is rather easy, but i guess that's the way it should be in this time and era. This is a good game to simulate the difference between Shieldwall and Warrior armies, and probably Sheildwall vs. Shieldwall (which I haven't played), but as mentioned before, for warrior vs. warrior, it needs some modifications.  This is a great sandbox rule system, good value for the money, but it needs some work in this gamer's humble opinion.

And all that said, if you're interested in the period in an approachable method, I really recommend the British History Podcast which is currently reaching the middle saxon period.  If you have issues with Liverpool FC, then avoid, but he's in the weeds on medicine, food, and warfare, bringing interesting scholarship which, if not definitive, is worth listening to.

May you roll sixes, unless I face you on the field of battle. Apparently in latin this is: Sit seni volvere, nisi in facie tua proelio.  I think I just found the new phrase for the hobby room door.

WADBA(?)

Something that's been kicking in the ample space of my mind has been the possibility of linking DBA and WAB (Warhammer Ancient Battles-1st edition for me for what its worth) into a coherent system.

Yeah....probably not.

So, this is the basis of the idea-well, it's nothing revolutionary by any means.

Building Units: 

DBA has the army lists for a couple hundred historical forces- but limited to 12 stands each.  Work off the 2.2+ unit types (sorry I'm of that hetrodox order).  Each unit type has a line item in WAB. Modify the stat line for equipment as appropriate.  

Now once you're done this you're going to find some armies don't hit the threshold of 500pts in twelve stands. This is where we start adding additional stands until you hit the number or twenty four stands-some armies will never reach it.  You can never more than double stand types. 

So...why?

The advantage is spacing. Heavy infantry fights at four to a 40mm stand (in 15mm). Medium's only three. In combat rolls that will be telling. 

So why not just play Dba?  Because am a tinkerer mainly. And why not just build WAB armies?  Other than the fact that I am among the slowest painters in the hobby it allows for quick decisive games. Oddly this could also work in 15mm on a 4x6 table to allow for that oft overlooked maneuver phase of the battle's course of events. 

I will let you know if I make something happen with this one or if it stays a passing fancy

When did it become 2013?

I'm sitting here at the new house, cat asleep on my lap, an O'douls by my side, which can only mean one thing.  It's sober January, which means we crossed some annual meridian into 2013.  I'm sure few others are surprised, frankly with the fanfare it's hard to miss.  But looking around and my last entry is Sept 2012...Ok. So where are things?

1. The house is purchased, and there is a hobby room.  It's small, not a complaint, but frankly right now it's appropriately sized.  Frame in book shelves and other storage solutions and I'm really not sure what I'm going to do for a gaming table.  4x6 will fit.  You won't be able to sit down at it, or probably stand either, but it will fit.

2. Stuff is back. After about a three year hiatus for some of my key items, and a good 20 month hiatus from all the toys. And that feels good.

3. Holy Crap I have a lot of toys.  I've reduced already-twenty one boxes of books and other stuff, and tossing papers of previous eras. But as I have continued to dig, and placed to the side a full box of miniatures for a good home.  Even as I look to other solutions for storage, more have to go. Or at least get them off Popsicle sticks.

4. Project take aways.
     a. Finish unpacking
     b. Reduce, reduce, reduce I've gotten rid of about half my books at this point, and probably it was time.  But more minis have to go.  Already I've cut some 28mm Heroics, 28mm WW2, 6mm Epic, and, sigh....10mm Warmaster.  Maybe.  That may be later.  Stuff is still missing though.
     c. From here I shouldn't need to buy anything new for a while...what's old is new.   I'd forgotten about some of my projects.  And wow that's a lot of Austrians. This means no 3mm modern/advance wars, no investments in figures frankly for a while.  Terrain's in play of course.

Sigh...not very exciting.  But let's face it, it something.  Let me go nip off and work on the other drafts I have laying around.