"The Rumble in the Jungle" at ENFILADE 2006.

Maybe there really is such a thing as a super weapon in DBA. Chris Rivers of Tacoma, Washington seemed to have found one, at least, using an elephant-mounted artillery element to rampage to a tourney win with a Khmer army at ENFILADE last weekend.

FORMAT
This small 4-player tourney had SE Asian jumbo armies as its theme. Very simple, 3-round, round-robin format. All games in 15mm on standard gameboards. Players chose from a pool of 5 eligible armies. (The one not chosen was another Burmese army.)

ARMIES PLAYED

• III/9b Burmese
• III/23 Khmer
• III/23 Cham (no jumbo-mounted Art.)
• IV/37a Maylay

RESULTS
The tourney was all about the killer Khmer artillery ("Outpost Miniatures"). In the three rounds, it destroyed six elements, one in Close Combat(!), without ever being felled itself. It won one of the games for Chris Rivers with a quick, 1(Gen)-nil victory.

The tourney wrapped up inside of 2 hours. Chris "Elephant Man" Rivers got the trophy and Corvus Belli (Numidian) army-pack prize. Final results went this way:

• Chris Rivers, Tacoma, WA, III/23 Khmer 3-0
• Scott Murphy, Olympia, WA, III/9b Burmese, 2-1
• Gary Pomeroyq, Seattle, WA, III/23 Cham, 1-2
• Al Rivers, Tacoma, WA, IV/37a Maylay, 0-3

FOOTNOTE
In a couple pickup games afterwards, that same Khmer jumbo/Art claimed another three victims, still without being destroyed itself. Scary, eh? Scott suggested I paint kill-markings on the elephant's side. Maybe rings on the trunk, like those on German 88s?

Artillery are fun.

One note, though -- Artillery can't kill anything (anything!) in close combat.

Originally posted by David Kuijt:
Artillery can't kill anything (anything!) in close combat.

True. I was overstating it for effect. The element was technically not destroyed in close combat with the Art element; it was forced to recoil, met friends it could not pass thru, and so was destroyed. Net effect, of course, was the same. Sorry for the misleading hyperbole.

[ June 14, 2006, 09:23: Message edited by: Paul A. Hannah ]

Originally posted by David Kuijt:
Artillery can't kill anything (anything!) in close combat.

Originally posted by Paul A. Hannah:
True. I was overstating it for effect. The element was technically not destroyed in close combat with the Art element; it was forced to recoil, met friends it could not pass thru, and so was destroyed. Net effect, of course, was the same. Sorry for the misleading hyperbole.

Ah, OK -- yes, I would describe it the same way!

Another great sounding tournament. I really like the way you organize these and provide the pool of armies.

I'm impressed with the player who took a Malay army with 6 Wb instead of the Burmese army with Ax. In a jumbo-heavy event, Wb are a particularly brave choice.

I know the Wb can kill enemy Cb or Bw and have a sporting chance against Ax, but with those Tantors demanding 2 pips every turn, the Wb would even be hampered in using their turbo-boost.

Originally posted by John Meunier:
I'm impressed with the player who took a Malay army with 6 Wb instead of the Burmese army with Ax. In a jumbo-heavy event, Wb are a particularly brave choice.

I too was surprised to see the Maylays chosen, and he had first choice! Maybe he wanted the Littoral terrain? Nonetheless, he was either very brave, or very foolish. As gentlemen, we'll presume the former, of course.

Originally posted by Paul A. Hannah:
The element was technically not destroyed in close combat with the Art element; it was forced to recoil, met friends it could not pass thru, and so was destroyed.

Just so historians aren't arguing about this years from now, what actually happend was I charged Arty the Elephant with my cavalry, accepting an overlap from an element of bow because I knew I could not die. We tied on the combat dice (the worst possible result) and on his bound, the bow wrapped up my flank. Oh, the ignominy! It was a great event and I enjoyed the two games I lost every bit as much as the one I won. Thanks, Paul!

BTW, Scott's last name is Murphy.

[ June 14, 2006, 13:10: Message edited by: Gary Pomeroyq ]

Below is a picture of the trio of victorious Kmer elephants. They are (from back to front) the world famous Arty, The Khmer general - on his traditional white "charger," and the as yet unnamed other Khmer elephant. As always, Paul's brushwork is stunning.


photo by Paul Hannah

Very nice paint job. And, no wonder Arty the elephant was so effective, he is evidently so well trained that he does not even need a driver

Originally posted by Bill Sumruld:
And, no wonder Arty the elephant was so effective, he is evidently so well trained that he does not even need a driver

I'm told in his previous gig, all the drivers kept getting shot in the back of the head.

The plan is actually to add an elephant keeper, walking beside the jumbo figure, but in the rush to get these Khmer and my Florentine Condotta ready in the last days before ENFILADE, that didn't happen. Yeah, I know: Excuses...

[ June 15, 2006, 19:45: Message edited by: Paul A. Hannah ]