Gregory
05-27-2008, 01:14 AM
I had been waiting for Jeff Caruso to post something about the results of our tournament, but haven't seen anything yet (Jeff??), so I am going to post my impressions with brief descriptions of the battles I fought. Any and all feedback is appreciated as this is only the 2nd, 3rd and 4th games of BBDBA that I have played, and the first time I had ever played any form of DBA with this army.
I was using a Later Achaemenid Persian army (II/7) with the following commands:
3Cv (Gen), 6x4Sp, 2x2Ps, 1x3Ax
3Cv (Gen), 5x3Ax, 2x2Ps, 2x2LH
3Cv (Gen), 6x3Cv 4x2LH, 2x2Ps, 3xSCh
I did not change commands during the tournament, although I changed which command had the CinC (once with command 2, twice with command 3). I kept the same commands because I didn't want to confuse myself with too much thinking about the games. Command 1 was always the low-pip command with the job of holding/denying open terrain. Command 2 was the mid-pip command with the goal of either dominating bad going, or making a flank attack through bad going. Command 3 was the high-pip command and was going to attack.
In the first game, I played against Teutonic Orders (IV/30) with commands of:
3x4sp, 3x2Ps, 4x3Kn 3x2LH (mid-pip)
3x3Ax, 3x3Cv, 1x3Kn (low-pip)
7x3Kn, 3x2LH, 6x3Cb (high-pip, CnC)
I was defending, and put out a road (no-impact on play), 2 woods and 2 steep hills. I managed to get my high-pip and mid-pip commands to gang up on his mid-pip command, breaking it. His crossbows were deployed too far from the action to take part in any of the battle. His Kn and LH from his high-pip command ended up charging my Ps supported spear line. Initially my spears held up very well, and with an Ax closing the door, killed a LH on my bound. He came back on his bound back with 2 Kn, and I was planning on closing the door with my Ax on the next Kn in the row after my spear repulsed his Kn when disaster struck. The first of his Kn was repulsed, and he was left with a 1-5 combat against my center spear, when the 6-1 die result occurred and he killed my Sp and Ps in one go. I did kill that Kn, but with the spears badly broken up now, he broke that command. It was a very fun game but ended up incomplete with 34 points apiece. At the end of the game, I had 2 demoralized spear in range of my last SCh and some Cv, and he was about to attack my camp. The most memorable part of the battle for me was that my 3 SCh managed to kill a total of 4 Kn, 1 Ps, and 1 Ax, and 1 of the SCh was still alive at the end.
My second battle was against LIR - West (II/78a) with commands of:
6x4Bd, 3x2Ps, 2x3Cv (low-pip, CnC)
6x4Ax, 2x2Ps, 2x2LH, 2x3Cv (mid-pip)
3x3Kn, 3x3Ax, 2x3Cv, 4x2LH, 1x2Ps (high-pip)
My opponent setup terrain, and it was nearly identical to how I setup terrain in the first game. My mid-pip and low-pip commands fought and demoralized his mid-pip command on my left flank, and my high-pip command fought and demoralized his high-pip command on my right flank. He did not advance his blades in the center as I had CV and SCh facing them. I was surprised that on my right flank he charged across the board and fought a 4 LH vs. 4 LH battle on my right flank. I ran 2 Ps through some woods, and my CinC CV to assist, arriving before his Cv and Cv (gen). I won the fight 4 dead LH vs. 2 dead LH, and a dead Ps. I thought I should have done better in that fight, but killing his Cv (gen) too was enough to break that command. I never did charge with the SCh during the game. I mainly ended up using them as interdiction to keep his Bd line back, and also to help isolate the LH battle, preventing his reinforcements from reaching that fight. I won 86-14.
My final battle was against Ptolemaics (II/20c) with commands of:
12x4Pk, 1x3Kn (low-pip, CnC)
3x3Kn, 3x2LH, 2x4Ax, 2x2Ps (mid-pip)
6x4Bd, 2x2Ps, 3xEl, 2x3Kn (high-pip)
My opponent setup terrain with a waterway, a river about 1/3rd of the way in from the left with a marsh running next to it, and a wood about 1/3rd of the way in from the right. I chose to have the waterway on his side of the board so I wouldn't have to worry about a littoral landing in my backyard. His mid-pip command was on my left, straddling the river, the Pk were in the middle and his Bd/El command was on my right. I had my high-pip mounted command on my left, only 2 Ps on the left of the river. Spears in the middle, and my bad going command opposite the woods, not directly facing any of his troops. My mounted command had 3SCh facing 3Kn and 4 LH and some Cv facing the pikes. Next was his Bd line with El in reserve facing my Sp. I launched my SCh and LH at his lines (repeatedly with the LH), and managed to kill 2 Kn and a LH with the SCh before they all died, and the LH managed to kill 3 Pk during the game. I ended up breaking his mid-pip command, but he kept rolling enough pips to hold everything in place, so he didn't expose the flank of the pike block. On my right I managed to get on his flank with my bad going command, but he got Kn and Bd turned to face before I could achieve a decisive advantage. On the last bound of the game, he managed to break both my mid-pip and low-pip commands. This game ended up being incomplete with a score of 40-22, for my opponent. He earned 16 of those points on his last bound (2 elements killed, and 12 more elements demoralized, but still on the board). At one point my last remaining SCh had broken through his line and had the chance to attack his camp in 2 bounds, but I decided to try and kill his LH gen of his mid-pip command. In retrospect, I should have gone after the camp. Capturing the camp would have resulted in victory, while killing his LH gen would have only completed breaking one command and eventually exposing the flank of the pike block with more work still to do. Definitely a live and learn moment.
I had a great time at the tournament (we had a total of 6 players), and just really enjoyed myself. All of my opponents were gentleman and great to play against. We were playing with 2.5 hour rounds, but we had mostly incomplete games. I don't believe anyone in the tournament had 2 victories. The best players all appeared to have one victory and then 2 incomplete games. On average, I think we were generally inexperienced in BBDBA, and maybe this led to more incomplete games. I didn't feel that myself or my opponents were playing slowly.
Anyway, thank you for reading this, and I look forward to any comments.
-Greg
PS - Jeff, what were the final standings from the tournament?
I was using a Later Achaemenid Persian army (II/7) with the following commands:
3Cv (Gen), 6x4Sp, 2x2Ps, 1x3Ax
3Cv (Gen), 5x3Ax, 2x2Ps, 2x2LH
3Cv (Gen), 6x3Cv 4x2LH, 2x2Ps, 3xSCh
I did not change commands during the tournament, although I changed which command had the CinC (once with command 2, twice with command 3). I kept the same commands because I didn't want to confuse myself with too much thinking about the games. Command 1 was always the low-pip command with the job of holding/denying open terrain. Command 2 was the mid-pip command with the goal of either dominating bad going, or making a flank attack through bad going. Command 3 was the high-pip command and was going to attack.
In the first game, I played against Teutonic Orders (IV/30) with commands of:
3x4sp, 3x2Ps, 4x3Kn 3x2LH (mid-pip)
3x3Ax, 3x3Cv, 1x3Kn (low-pip)
7x3Kn, 3x2LH, 6x3Cb (high-pip, CnC)
I was defending, and put out a road (no-impact on play), 2 woods and 2 steep hills. I managed to get my high-pip and mid-pip commands to gang up on his mid-pip command, breaking it. His crossbows were deployed too far from the action to take part in any of the battle. His Kn and LH from his high-pip command ended up charging my Ps supported spear line. Initially my spears held up very well, and with an Ax closing the door, killed a LH on my bound. He came back on his bound back with 2 Kn, and I was planning on closing the door with my Ax on the next Kn in the row after my spear repulsed his Kn when disaster struck. The first of his Kn was repulsed, and he was left with a 1-5 combat against my center spear, when the 6-1 die result occurred and he killed my Sp and Ps in one go. I did kill that Kn, but with the spears badly broken up now, he broke that command. It was a very fun game but ended up incomplete with 34 points apiece. At the end of the game, I had 2 demoralized spear in range of my last SCh and some Cv, and he was about to attack my camp. The most memorable part of the battle for me was that my 3 SCh managed to kill a total of 4 Kn, 1 Ps, and 1 Ax, and 1 of the SCh was still alive at the end.
My second battle was against LIR - West (II/78a) with commands of:
6x4Bd, 3x2Ps, 2x3Cv (low-pip, CnC)
6x4Ax, 2x2Ps, 2x2LH, 2x3Cv (mid-pip)
3x3Kn, 3x3Ax, 2x3Cv, 4x2LH, 1x2Ps (high-pip)
My opponent setup terrain, and it was nearly identical to how I setup terrain in the first game. My mid-pip and low-pip commands fought and demoralized his mid-pip command on my left flank, and my high-pip command fought and demoralized his high-pip command on my right flank. He did not advance his blades in the center as I had CV and SCh facing them. I was surprised that on my right flank he charged across the board and fought a 4 LH vs. 4 LH battle on my right flank. I ran 2 Ps through some woods, and my CinC CV to assist, arriving before his Cv and Cv (gen). I won the fight 4 dead LH vs. 2 dead LH, and a dead Ps. I thought I should have done better in that fight, but killing his Cv (gen) too was enough to break that command. I never did charge with the SCh during the game. I mainly ended up using them as interdiction to keep his Bd line back, and also to help isolate the LH battle, preventing his reinforcements from reaching that fight. I won 86-14.
My final battle was against Ptolemaics (II/20c) with commands of:
12x4Pk, 1x3Kn (low-pip, CnC)
3x3Kn, 3x2LH, 2x4Ax, 2x2Ps (mid-pip)
6x4Bd, 2x2Ps, 3xEl, 2x3Kn (high-pip)
My opponent setup terrain with a waterway, a river about 1/3rd of the way in from the left with a marsh running next to it, and a wood about 1/3rd of the way in from the right. I chose to have the waterway on his side of the board so I wouldn't have to worry about a littoral landing in my backyard. His mid-pip command was on my left, straddling the river, the Pk were in the middle and his Bd/El command was on my right. I had my high-pip mounted command on my left, only 2 Ps on the left of the river. Spears in the middle, and my bad going command opposite the woods, not directly facing any of his troops. My mounted command had 3SCh facing 3Kn and 4 LH and some Cv facing the pikes. Next was his Bd line with El in reserve facing my Sp. I launched my SCh and LH at his lines (repeatedly with the LH), and managed to kill 2 Kn and a LH with the SCh before they all died, and the LH managed to kill 3 Pk during the game. I ended up breaking his mid-pip command, but he kept rolling enough pips to hold everything in place, so he didn't expose the flank of the pike block. On my right I managed to get on his flank with my bad going command, but he got Kn and Bd turned to face before I could achieve a decisive advantage. On the last bound of the game, he managed to break both my mid-pip and low-pip commands. This game ended up being incomplete with a score of 40-22, for my opponent. He earned 16 of those points on his last bound (2 elements killed, and 12 more elements demoralized, but still on the board). At one point my last remaining SCh had broken through his line and had the chance to attack his camp in 2 bounds, but I decided to try and kill his LH gen of his mid-pip command. In retrospect, I should have gone after the camp. Capturing the camp would have resulted in victory, while killing his LH gen would have only completed breaking one command and eventually exposing the flank of the pike block with more work still to do. Definitely a live and learn moment.
I had a great time at the tournament (we had a total of 6 players), and just really enjoyed myself. All of my opponents were gentleman and great to play against. We were playing with 2.5 hour rounds, but we had mostly incomplete games. I don't believe anyone in the tournament had 2 victories. The best players all appeared to have one victory and then 2 incomplete games. On average, I think we were generally inexperienced in BBDBA, and maybe this led to more incomplete games. I didn't feel that myself or my opponents were playing slowly.
Anyway, thank you for reading this, and I look forward to any comments.
-Greg
PS - Jeff, what were the final standings from the tournament?