Quarter Final: 613 Mantinea

Note: For clarity, Left and Right refer to the sides of the battlefield, not the commanders point of view.

Game 1
Marco (Argive) 8 banners, 24 blocks lost
mk20336 (Spartans) 5 banners, 40 blocks lost

The Argives started with a strong center, advancing their Hoplites and attaching Nicostratus to support the front line. The Spartans began with missile fire on the left, drawing first blood. Enraged at the cowardly “thistles”, Thrasyllus and his men DoubleTimed forward, destroyed two MH, and sent the Leader to hide alone in the woods. Battle continued on the left for several turns, with the Argive Hoplites trying to pin down the Spartan Lights and Skiritae, finally taking two Lights but losing a MH in the process. Then the Spartans returned their attention to their main troops, shifting their entire line left into the center. The Argives maneuvered Lights to try to reduce the formidable Hoplites, but had little effect. Shifting further to the left, the Spartans engaged and destroyed the two remaining Hoplites there, sending their Leader scrambling onto the Elite Argives who remained there alone. The Argives continued advancing their Lights and raining arrows down on the Spartans, who withdrew their line back up against the woods. In another bold (or reckless) move, the Argives DoubleTimed both Leaders and supporting Hoplites from the center to the right, away from the Spartan Leaders and Hoplites. One Spartan Light unit stood fast, and in doing so, halted the entire attack. The Argives continued to press on the right, taking another banner, until Hipponoidas and supporting Hoplites finally drove forward in the center in a classic 1-2-3 punch to destroy two MH and send their Leader scrambling. The battle now stood at 5-5, but the Spartans were down on blocks, leaving many weakened units on the battlefield. With a Mounted Charge +1, the Argives finished two Hoplites and pushed a Cavalry unit off the field, ending the battle. Great game with mk20336!

Game 2
Marco (Spartans) 8 banners, 28 blocks lost
mk20336 (Argive) 5 banners, 31 blocks lost

This time the Argives didn’t wait. Thrasyllus and his men, including the Argive Elites, immediately DoubleTimed down the Left. The dice gods were not smiling on the Argives and the attack fell apart, ultimately taking two MH but costing a Hoplite, the Elites, and Thrasyllus himself. The score was now 3-2, and the Spartans returned their attention to the center, advancing their entire line forward under missile fire from the Argives. Finally Hipponoidas and four supporting MH DoubleTimed forward, hoping to breach the line between the Argive Leaders. Back and forth the Hoplite battle raged. Men died. Heroes were born. But when Nicostratus was sent to join Thrasyllus in the underworld, it was 6-4 Sparta, and time for the Argives to mount their final effort with a Mounted Charge +1. Again the dice gods were not smiling, and the attack only netted one banner. The Spartans CounterAttacked, the gods smiled, and the game ended 8-5. Surprise quick ending to an otherwise long fight. Thanks mk20336 for a varied and challenging game.
 
 

Quarter Final: 613 Mantinea

Game 1 

kwofford (Argive) 8 banners
BrentS (Spartan) 4 banners 

As I suspect is often the case with this scenario, the Argives advanced their strong right while the Spartans attempted to retire it toward their centre. They linked up but were still pinned and punished, an Argive First Strike doing the most damage and then a Counterattacked Rally giving the Argives a bigger boost than the Spartans. That and a leader kill and the Argives were 5-0 up and it really looked over. So the Spartans did what you do when you’re on the ropes in one section, divert by attacking in another. Agis and co pushed hard into the slightly more vulnerable Argive centre and pulled back 4 unanswered banners but couldn’t quite take out some depleted Argive units. The Argives finished it off next turn with a Mounted Charge, taking 3 banners…..last being a Light Cav on Light Cav challenge (because he was closer to his baseline and I thought it worth the risk to stand because a double banner wouldn’t happen, would it? ). A gruelling battle with a lot of depleted Argive units that the Spartans couldn’t quite finish off……which I cursed but those blocks would come to count). 

Game 2 

BrentS (Argive) 8 banners
kwofford (Spartan) 4 banners  

Similar pattern but it was all on the Argive right. The Argives had the right cards to push there and did but the Spartans advanced and gave them a bloody nose, going up 2 banners. Numbers and two Mounted Charges told, though, and the Argives continued to push and pin the Spartans. The final Mounted Charge play saw a double helmet kill on the Spartan general, leaving Thrasyllus to mop up two pinned lights on the Spartan baseline for the victory. We had to go to block count and it came out in favour of me, due to the carnage from the first battle. Well played, Ken. Two great and hard fought games.That was desperately unfair. I always feel dirty with a double helmet but it actually decided this tie. You should have won it. 

Total block count both matches:
BrentS 44
kwofford 60

Brent.

Match 1

FoxK (Argive) 4 banners won , 43 blocks lost

John S (Spartan) 8 banners won, 23 blocks lost

The early battle was on the Spartan right as Argive’s forces advanced steadily towards my line. Both sides had heavy losses, and I lead 4 to 3. I only had two light units left and my LB without support held on in the woods for 2 turns which was key. I shifted over a MH with a leader to help on my left and finished off a weak MH. Both sides regrouped and fired at range. The Argive’s forces then advanced in the center to engage my lights. I had two ORDER BLUE TROOPs and MOUNTED CHARGE in hand. So, I hit first. I halved one MH and killed off another for a 6 to 3 lead. Then I was hit by MOUNTED CHARGE. I lost a MH as it was cutoff, but the leader survived. My own MOUNTED CHARGE then eliminated two 2 block MH in the center to win.

 

Match 2

John S (Argive) 8 banners won, 33 blocks lost

FoxK (Spartan) 6 banners won, 38 blocks lost

Once again, the opening battle was on the Spartan right. I moved forward and was hit hard losing 2 MH. But I took out one MH in return along with a leader. A turn later, the Spartan Ranger unit failed to kill off a 1 block MI and in my next turn, the Rangers went down. We both played LINE COMMAND. Mine was more effective as I took out a weak MH on my left and got a very lucky 4 for 4 roll on another MH in the center. This gave me a 6 to 2 lead. Another Spartan LINE COMMAND bags a MH in the center and sends a leader fleeing back to a LS on my left. We trade kills in the center and now it is a 7 to 6 game. A turn later I cutoff a LC with my LC supported by a LS with leader. That units falls and that ends matters.

 



I had the better of the luck here, especially in game 1.

I reported my QF match with Max under the Round 5 topic by mistake. Hopefully this will now appear under the QF heading:

CCA2024, QF, Mantinea

Game 1
Max/Viridovilas, Argives, 6 banners taken, 34 blocks lost
SteveT, Spartans, 8 banners taken, 30 blocks lost
Battle began with the Argive right flank advancing towards the Spartan left. The Spartan hoplites sacrificed themselves so that their lights could escape towards the centre (2-1). After some ranged fire on the other flank, the Spartan centre advanced and gained the advantage in a ferocious hoplite melee, including with the death of Nicostratus with his Argives (6-7). The battle ended on the right, with Spartan LC cutting off the retreat of Argive LC, who were then destroyed by Spartan hoplites and slingers (6-. Note that on the log file a Spartan light disappear 1/2 way through, but during the game it was there        .

Game 2
SteveT, Argives, 8 banners taken, 31 blocks lost
Max/Viridovilas, Spartans, 7 banners taken, 42 blocks lost
This time the Argive right flank, lacking sufficient orders, was slow to attack, and the Spartans were able to refuse their left. Ranged fire followed on both flanks, with the Spartans being a little more effective and the Argive cavalry elected to retreat behind their phalanx. At last the Argive right reached the Spartans, and fierce fighting ensued in and around the woods; Thrasylus died with his Argive hoplites and a Spartan leader fled (!) the field (4-4). The right of the Spartan phalanx advanced, while the left took casualties and fell back before effective massed Argive missile fire from the captured woods. Then the phalanxes clashed, but the Spartans had been more weakened by missile fire, and although Laches fell with his men, the Argive phalanx emerged victorious after a gruelling fight (8-7).

Both games were very tough, very challenging and great fun. The luck was generally even and we both generally had good cards, and each battle could easily have gone the other way. Thanks to Max for a great pair of games.

Hi BrentS;

Your profile does not contain your contact email; please shoot me an email at kenwofford1992 at gmail.com so we can set up our games.  

R/
Ken