Open Tournament Results

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8 years 5 months ago #1392 by BrentS
I couldn't find another thread for this, so I've created a new one. Apologies if this isn't the right place.

Semi-final: Cefn Carnedd

Game 1 - BrentS (Rome) 6 - Gonzo (Britons) 2
Game 2 - Gonzo 6 (Rome) - BrentS (Britons) 4

I'm sorry, there's no first log file (unless Joe has one). After trying to untangle some observer interference (purely innocent and unintentional but frustrating) the first logfile was dumped, I was distracted and didn't start a second when we finally got going. A shame because they were good games but draining……4.5 hours and a 1.30 am finish at my end, almost like an Epic double header! This scenario does tend to play out long and the concentration required to deal with a difficult tactical situation and remembering those damn steep hill rules is exhausting.

I wish I could remember full details of the first game but unfortunately I can't. Rome won it with two opening hand Double Times, the first to get them into the river, the second to push deep on their right flank and pin the Britons after breaking through the Ramparts (which is where the Britons are vulnerable in this one). I also drew two Mounted Charges and an Order Heavy in that opening hand so I'm not saying any Hail Marys about those Double Times.

The second game was very tense. Joe played very well. Instead of risking early death against the hills, he camped almost his entire line in the river and shot me to to pieces. Even at 1 ranged die there are enough Romans to eventually whittle away static defenders. A cheeky 1 die speculator that killed both a Warrior and its leader, and a devastating Darken the Sky , changed the dynamic of the whole game (one turn after I'd dropped both my Counters…..I think Joe had been waiting to pull them out of my hand if I had them, so well played). I think we both thought he had the tie there and it reached a point where I knew I was going to have to get desperate and/or stupid, come out of the hills and risk losing the lot. Some of my early ranged fire had take two of his Mediums down to 1 block but they'd retreated to his baseline, agonisingly out of range. It would be extremely rare for the Britons to cross the river in this one but that was where my banners and win were going to be if I could get there. This was a particularly satisfying game because I was able to feint, one of my favourite opportunities in Ancients, even if it doesn't always come off. I'd been holding Double Time and First Strike since very near the start of the game and had slowly grouped Warriors in the centre. I was obviously going to lose my entire left but left them exposed to tempt him and when Joe made his push there, drawing his best units and leaders away from his centre, I dropped the Double Time and charged into the exposed, unsupported and leaderless Roman units near the river, then next play got two Warriors across (one onto a steep hill), within striking distance of his 1 block units. This left Joe with the dilemma of pressing on and finishing my left or dealing with my diversionary attack. He did this very well, using two consecutive Order Lights to shield his 1 block Mediums while continuing to hammer my left. A few very tense plays, where the whole tie was in the balance, saw my 2 block hillside Warrior First Strike a flag and force a retreat on an Auxilia blocking his own retreat path (a flag against that isolated Warrior would have lost it for me) and my 1 block Light Infantry survive 2 x 3 dice Auxilia attacks on my baseline. Down to 1 block now , my isolated Warrior eventually got his men, taking out both 1 block Roman Mediums for the double header win, although Joe finally finished off my charmed Light for a well deserved victory in the second game.

Thanks to Joe for some enjoyable and strongly contested matches.

Brent.
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8 years 5 months ago #1394 by taliapharaoh
Semi-final: Cefn Carnedd

Scipio1Zama and myself played to a tie, in both banners and blocks after two games! Until the tiebreaker later this week, here are the details.

Game One: Playing the Britons, I lost the initiative early, as the Romans were able to force their way across the river with relative ease. Fortunately, I was able to hit and run my way from the hilltops, and do enough damage to withstand the second Roman push on the left. After an unfortunate roll on the Spartacus card, and another unlucky roll while trying to nail down the sixth banner, I was able to surround a unit and win the game with a dramatic last roll, winning 6-5 as the Britons.

Game Two: Scipio's Britons were hot with the dice early on, vaporizing some of the first Roman units across the river. I was able to do just enough damage to score five banners before Scipio claimed the victory, 6-5.

Scipio1Zama: 11 total banners, 59 total blocks lost
Travis: 11 total banners, 59 total blocks lost

Apologies for the truncated game log in the second game....
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8 years 5 months ago #1395 by mk20336
Replied by mk20336 on topic Open Tournament Results

taliapharaoh wrote: Semi-final: Cefn Carnedd

Scipio1Zama and myself played to a tie, in both banners and blocks after two games! Until the tiebreaker later this week, here are the details.

Game One: Playing the Britons, I lost the initiative early, as the Romans were able to force their way across the river with relative ease. Fortunately, I was able to hit and run my way from the hilltops, and do enough damage to withstand the second Roman push on the left. After an unfortunate roll on the Spartacus card, and another unlucky roll while trying to nail down the sixth banner, I was able to surround a unit and win the game with a dramatic last roll, winning 6-5 as the Britons.

Game Two: Scipio's Britons were hot with the dice early on, vaporizing some of the first Roman units across the river. I was able to do just enough damage to score five banners before Scipio claimed the victory, 6-5.

Scipio1Zama: 11 total banners, 59 total blocks lost
Travis: 11 total banners, 59 total blocks lost

Apologies for the truncated game log in the second game....


Wow guys, that was really a close game - to get a complete tie, on both banners and blocks...

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8 years 5 months ago #1396 by BrentS
Replied by BrentS on topic Open Tournament Results
Can't get much tighter than that!

I coud have sworn that the original tournament rules had a mechanism for breaking this sort of unusual tie (without having to play a rematch). If they did I can't remember what it was and I can't find the ccavassal yahoogroup now (has it been deleted?).

Brent.

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8 years 5 months ago #1397 by Mark-McG
Replied by Mark-McG on topic Open Tournament Results
Link to Yahoo group
groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/ccavassal/info

However, the current rules cover exactly this contingency in Step D, for which I am thankful
www.commandsandcolors.net/ancients/index...catid=151&Itemid=181

"I will either find a way, or make one."
attrib to Hannibal Barca

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8 years 5 months ago #1398 by mk20336
Replied by mk20336 on topic Open Tournament Results
That would be interesting - especially, chosing the scenario.

Guys, if you do not mind (and time zone allows) let us know when you will be playing that play-off game - would be interesting to see.

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8 years 5 months ago #1399 by scipio1zama
Replied by scipio1zama on topic Open Tournament Results
Well, I'm sorry I didn't read this thread before we played the tiebreaker or Travis and I would certainly have invited those who asked to observe. Fortunately, I remembered this time to make a complete logfile, which is attached.

As noted in a previous post above, Travis and I tied - exactly - in our two games of Cefn Carnedd. They were both great games, obviously tight and we had great fun playing them. Travis is a truly worthy opponent. But we tied.

So Mark, following the tourney rules, had us play a one-game playoff. The game - Ipsus 301 BC, from Exp. #1 - Antigonus vs. the Seleucid alliance. The ancients.net website stats show the scenario to be evenly matched, he told us. On a die roll, Travis played the Seleucids and I played Antigonus.

The game started off with some sparring on both flanks, then unfolded historically with a cavalry charge by Antigonus' forces against the Seleucid left flank. In contrast to the historical result, however, the Antigonid cavalry did NOT over-pursue and Antigonus emerged with a win, 8 banners to 2.

For those who want more detail:
We sparred on the flanks a little, and I was able to get one ranged fire hit on each of his Heavy Chariots, while he got three hits on my LI on my left flank. I had held an Order Mounted Troops card from the beginning, but had nothing to back it up. Then I drew Mounted Charge.

I was tempted to try to set something up first, but I didn’t have the cards for it, so I decided to just take the initiative and attack on his left flank. For part one of the attack. I had to use the Mounted Charge card first to give my HCav the ability to move 3 hexes. With the help of the extra die, I was able to remove 2 blocks from his LC (his battle back removed one of my HC blocks) and two blocks from his LI, which evaded back to the board edge. (My 2 MC were just behind, waiting for part two of the attack.) I also attacked Seleucus and his Aux unit with my right flank elephant, and the elephant bounced off of Seleucus like he was made of rubber, with a 1-block loss to my pachyderm and no enemy damage for my troubles.

I was anticipating an unpleasant counter attack from the alliance – but I had, most fortunately, caught them without good response cards. Seleucus played a Medium Troops card to move one unit – Antiochus and his HC – to attack Demetrius and my HC. He missed, and I got 2 of his HC blocks in the battle back – neither leader was hurt.

Now came part two of the attack - I used the Mounted Troops card and my four cavalry units to eliminate, in order, his nearby 1-block Heavy Chariot, the LI, the LC, the HC unit AND with a lucky die roll, Antiochus. Three more turns of chewing on the now-exposed left flank of the Seleucid line (at a cost to Antigonus of 2 units) garnered three more banners for the win.

I was flabbergasted - and lucky. If his HC attack had succeeded, it would have been a whole different story.

Thanks, Travis, for 3 great games. I do hope we can play again soon.

Mark, I'll await your word.
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8 years 5 months ago #1400 by BrentS
Replied by BrentS on topic Open Tournament Results
Well done guys. What a mammoth effort.

Congratulations Scipio. Just a heads up that I'm going to be away for almost 3 weeks. I'll be in touch to set up a time for the grand finale when I get back. Looking forward to it.

Brent.

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8 years 5 months ago #1401 by Mark-McG
Replied by Mark-McG on topic Open Tournament Results
Who dares, wins!

So I'll remain undecided about a scenario for the Final until Brent returns. Some may call this procrastination, whereas I prefer the term 'masterly inactivity'.

"I will either find a way, or make one."
attrib to Hannibal Barca

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8 years 5 months ago #1402 by scipio1zama
Replied by scipio1zama on topic Open Tournament Results
Brent,

Let me also congratulate you on your win. Gonzo is a great player - he spanked me twice playing Mantinea earlier in this tournament, and also beat me in the Battle Cry finals at WBC back in August.

I don't know if you remember, but you were one of the very first people I played Ancients with when I joined this group back in late 2010. You filled me in on some of the conventions of play used by the group and were very helpful in getting me started.

So you are gone the next three weeks. When do you get back exactly, because I am gone the first 2 weeks in November. Possibly we could play October 31 or November 1, otherwise we'll need to be looking at some time after November 16.

Mark, I hope that will be all right. It may give you more time for "masterly inactivity" depending on when Brent is scheduled to return. :)

Keep me posted, guys, and thanks for all you do for this players group - what fun!

Cheers.

Mike Stanley, aka scipio1zama
gamingwithmike@yahoo.com

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