OT2025 Semi Finals

OT 2025 Semi Finals
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OT2025 Semi Finals

Joe, I've sent you an email a few days ago about setting up a time (I have limited windows to schedule this month). Please let me know here if you didn't receive it.

Brent.

Getting this message every time I try to post a match report. Happened last round, too.

A pattern has been discovered that could indicate a hacker attack. Your request can not be processed.

SEMI FINAL - 312 Bagradas River

Game 1
BrentS (Numidian) 5
Gonzo (Caesarean) 2

The Numidians advanced Lights to harry the flanks and the Caesareans advanced with a Line Command. Worried about being pinned by a Double Time, Saburra sent his cavalry against the leaderless Caesarean right but achieved little and the advancing Roman infantry sent them into retreat. The Caesareans dropped a Darken the Sky with pretty disappointing results (just a couple of flags, often the case with Darken). They then advanced to engage the Numidian line and their Medium Cav with leader pushed deep to pin unsupported units on the Numidian baseline, killing two. A bold move but very risky and so it proved to be. Warriors and Cav surrounded and destroyed it and forced a successful leader escape kill (I always feel a little guilty with the luck of a leader kill but never a leader escape kill….it’s the outcome of the tactical decisions of both players). From there it was the lines grinding out attritional slaughter. A Numidian Rally was successful, a Caesarean Clash of Shields wasn’t, and that finished it.

Game 2
BrentS (Caesarean) 3
Gonzo (Numidian) 5

I know the idea of play twice and count banners is meant too even out asymmetrical scenarios and balance the odds, and it is the best way to do it, but it’s still not quite balanced. The result of a double headed elimination tie absolutely affects the way you play the second. I try to ignore it but I’m still prey to it. Knowing I needed 3 banners to advance I played aggressively for the 3 banners, not the more patient way I think I’d otherwise approach the Caesareans in this scenario if I wanted to try for the win. And I nearly paid for it. I pulled my left leader onto my main line infantry and then used Julian movement to push hard forward with both leaders. A Numidian Mounted Charge killed a leaderless Auxilia and when my advance forced them back they left their Warriors without leader support near their baseline. I Double Timed into them, confident with 13 leader supported dice that I could break their line and take at least 2 banners, maybe 3 that turn. No. The Warriors both survived at 1 block and did more damage on battle back than I did to them. The counter killed 2 units and Curio and I was down 4 banners to 2, heading for a tie and block count. Trying to get just one more block before that I played the only card I had to order my centre (not having cards to follow through my attack, beginner’s mistake)….an Order Heavy’s “if you have no Heavy units” clause to send a 1 block Medium Infantry against an evading 2 block Numidian Medium Cav…..and rolled 2 blue dice to kill it. The Numidians finished off the Romans next play for the victory.

These games in the elimination brackets are always very challenging, against great players and Joe is one of them. Getting through them is as much chance as skill when everyone is evenly matched and here I just squeaked through with a major slice of fortune. Well played, Joe, and thanks for two very dynamic and tight games.

Brent.

Trying to send the log files separately.

Logfiles

BrentS wrote:

Getting this message every time I try to post a match report. Happened last round, too.

A pattern has been discovered that could indicate a hacker attack. Your request can not be processed.
 

Hi Brent, to improve website security, I've had to add some controls and tighten some restrictions.
Please let me know if messages are consistently blocked or if you make any changes when they're posted correctly.
Thank you for your help and patience!

azzy (Caesarian)- taliapharaoh (Numidian) 6-3
azzy (Numidian) -taliapharaoh (Caesarian) 6-5
First game was very hard for me. I had 2 line command, it is seemed good, but u cant run. So, i slowly go forward. My opponent had drawn his cavalry away from the center and was firing well at the flanks. I suffered terrible losses from arrows.
We traded in the center. Then he gathered a good force on the right flank and went on the attack. I got lucky with the dice here. My counterattacks were deadly. The score was 3-3, but I was desperate, out of cards. So I went all-in. Charge+1 and my cavalry raid netted me two dice.


In the second game, I was really nervous. There was a chance to reach the final, after all. I built the game around Charge+1. As soon as the trades started in the center, I counterattacked with a charge, and that brought victory.