Has.been and vodkafan's continuing DBA thread. New games page 2

[vodkafan]

Good close ups again! Thanks for leaving your base camp undefended again  . Curse that area of scrub! I could have held out a bit longer if I had skirted it.

[Digits]

Locks like you both had fun...the key ingredient to a good game.

[Westbury]

James, am I seeing a tactical genius at work?
Nice to see others gaming in these restricting times.

[has.been]

We recently got two more DBA games in. Pictures & (rambling) comments follow.
To introduce new troop types to Vodkafan I raided my 25mm DBM matched pair,
(Sassanid & Late Roman). This allowed us to use 'Knights' & 'Horde' bases.

The initial deployment, I was the Sassanids while James (Vodkafan) took the Romans.
'Great race the Romans'.
I had lots of Cavalry & deployed most in my centre & right. On my left (across the river)
were my cataphracts (Knights), Light Horse (LH), Tribesmen (Auxiliaries) & Slingers (Psiloi).
James opted for two main blocks. On his right the Legionaries (Blade), Auxiliaries & Bows (Psiloi).
His left was were he concentrated all his Cavalry, Cataphracts (Knights), Cavalry & Light Horse.

[has.been]

James sends his LH forward, good idea to limit my manoeuvre room. Just as long as
they don't do something silly like charge my entire line.
On his right he moves the Psiloi (Ps.) to cover the river bank, but declines my invite to
cross over, 'Come over to the Dark Side lucus'.
Next move & the LH... charge into my entire line, elephants & all !?!?   Brave or stupid?

On my left the mighty wing (4 bases) advance towards the Roman skirmishers (2 bases)
who are nervously defending the river bank. At this stage neither of us know how difficult
the river will be to cross.

Big surprise the LH (2 bases) fail to make a dent in my line (5 bases).

[has.been]

Light failing as the evening moves on, but we continue.
James rushes his Auxillia over to aid the worried Ps. on his right.
He then launches his main attack in the centre, but too late to help the LH.
Darkness is falling fast as the LH retreat.
Good news for the Romans, the Cataphracts near the river BREAK THROUGH !!!!!
This does leave his general nervously looking around for someone, ANYONE  to help him.

[has.been]

The Roman general prepares to sell his life dearly while taking on my elephant when...
a previously fleeing LH base come to his rescue. The elephant turns to engage it, but
leaves itself no room to retreat. Even worse, if it is pushed back it will SQUISH two
bases of Persian Levy (Horde).  That would take ME up to game lost status.
Tense dice throw!  A quick prayer to Zoroaster (Persian god) & I throw a 6! James' throw
is low, the valient LH fall.

'Down by the River-side' the previously victorious Cataphracts are heavily outnumbered,
and pushed back into the river. As it turns out to be a difficult river James must throw,
at least, a 3 or drown.  Enough to say it is very difficult to swim when both you, and the
horse you are riding on, are covered in metal armour.
Game over.

[Digits]

Bad luck James!

Good fight!

[has.been]

Our second game saw the same table set up, & as I have a knack of throwing ones,
the same orientation. James said, ' It must be the second day of the same battle'.

As the light failed the pictures (& the Romans) got gloomier & gloomier.
Despite better use of his light troops (he pulled them back into rough terrain)
it was not to be a Latin victory.
He risked it all in the centre, where he had twice as many Cataphracts, but...
I'd brought a CAVE TROLL!!!   well an elephant really, though the effect was similar.

The light faded and with it any Roman hopes of snatching a draw out of this two day battle.
2:0 to the Sassanids.
 Had the dice gods been a little kinder to James he might have actually won,
still it was nice, for us, to throw the dice & play with the toys again.