OT2021 Round 1

Match 1
Romans - Giulio 6
Germanic Tribes - RiverWanderer 4

The initial warrior's assault in the center gives the Germanic Tribes a substantial lead of 4 to 1. The Roman counter-offensive is swift and Mark lacks the cards to effectively oppose it. The luck factor changes side, the Romans eliminate several barbarian units and finally conquer two wall hexes, for the victory.

The special rule assigning immediate medals for the simple occupancy of walls hexes favors bold assault moves by the Roman. It's a different style with respect to the objective control victory points a' la Napoleonics, apparently more depending on the vagaries of dice rolls.

 

Game 1:

Romans Alister 4
Germans Andygor 6

At a critical moment, the German cavalry unexpectedly ran out of the forest and smashed everything in its path.


Game 2:

Romans Andygor 3
Germans Alister 6

The Germans did not hope for fortifications and did what they know best - they threw them wildly into the rush, this time they were lucky

Rand vs David I

Game 1
Rand (Germans) - 4 Banners
David I (Romans) - 6 Banners

The Germans immediately attack in the center believing in the strength of their cards, but the Romans are able to to hold and their counter smashes a huge hole in the German lines. A further Move-Fire-Move card allows them to gain two banners by occupying the German ramparts.

Game 2
Rand (Romans) - 6 Banners
David I (Germans) - 2 Banners

Fierce fighting erupts in the woods but neither side is able to gain the upper hand. A line command card allows almost the entire German horde to hurdle into the Romans, who despite losses, are able to hold. An "I am Spartacus" card and a later counter cuts a hold in the Roman center. A further Move-Fire-Move card allows the Romans to gain the ramparts.

Thanks to David for the games, and I wish him luck in the rest of the tournament.

 
 

Benlore vs Stephent

Game 1
Stephent (Romans): 4
Benlore (Germanic tribes): 6

Roman’s were fast to attack on the left flank putting Arminius and his troops in the woods under pressure.  A quick lead to the Romans.   Then Gemanicus’s general on the right flank charged the ramparts but was unable to penetrate to take 2 more casualites for the win.  Arminius’s general counter struck and took 4 units in a come from behind win to Benlore. Benlore wins 6 to 4.

Match 2
Stephent (Germanic tribes): 6
Benlore (Romans): 3

The Germanic tribes attacked out of the ramparts hard and early with a double time. Taking 4 banners. The Roman’s managed to counter with 3. Then a further push from the Germanic warriors down the middle completed the victory.

1 victory each but the count back gives Stephent the win 4 banners vrs 3.  Well done.

OT2021 Round 1
Game 2
Bangla (Germans) 6 Banners
Milla (Romans) 4 Bannners

As has been the case in many of these battles, the Germans began with a move through the woods on the right.  The Roman left responded.  Given the Germans had FOUR cards that worked on that flank, this was just what was needed.  Having sucked the Romans in, the Germans eliminated that whole flank to take a quick 4-1 banner lead.  A weakened Roman Auxilia unit that had escaped from that left flank was the next banner to fall.  But, with one banner to go, the Tribesment then hit the brick wall that was the Roman centre.  A Clash Of Shields card from the Romans with both centres engaged spelt trouble.  A quick 3 Warrior unit eliminations and the ramparts were within sight for the southern oppressors.  It took a 'lucky' 3-dice roll to kill off an unsupported Legionary unit to win the battle.  Andrew, staring at what might have been a 6-1 defeat, turned it round and almost snatched victory.
These were an excellent couple of games to play, played in great spirit.  I look forward to playing Andrew (Milla) at some point in the future, and I'll certainly watch out for his results through the rest of this tournament.

Match 2
Romans - RiverWanderer  6
Germanic Tribes - Giulio 4

A more cautious affair than Match 1, eventually dominated by close combat in the centre of the battefield. Leaders and cavalry were to the fore in decisive moments and neither side seemed to run out of steam. A Rally allowed the Romans to re-vitalise their attack and both sides had a victory in sight when a Roman "First Strike" narrowed the Germanic Tribes options. Their next combat was a cavalry gamble that came up just one cherry short, whilst the Roman battleback got all three to claim the final banner.

An exciting game. The Romans got the cards and dice rolls to sustain their main attack, though a stout defence meant that the ramparts were not in danger during the game.

 

Match 1
Moose (Romans): 6
Dawnreader (Germanic tribes): 4

Germanic tribes tried to thrust forward maintaining the line in the center and left flank. Romans counterattacked and inflicted heavy losses. The next barbarian's attack on both flanks gave mixed results - some degree of success on the left-wing, but nothing on right. Romans simply moved forward in the center where Germanic tribes were scattered and occupied ramparts getting 2 last banners.

Match 2
Dawnreader (Romans): 6
Moose (Germanic tribes): 2

Germanic tribes started with light troops attack in the center and in the woods. Romans advanced with the whole line forward and destroyed 3 units in the woods by paying the price of one warrior unit and as well inflicted some damage to auxiliaries in the center. Romans continued pushing forward with medium troops and killed the Germanic leader. Germanic tribes counterattacked with warriors but one of the legionnaires' cohorts withstood against three units and the delivered final blow with battle back.

 
 

Can I ask people to try and finish their matches this weekend!
This week I am going to a music festival, and I've just discovered that the 'powered' site is in fact 12V power.. enough to charge a phone, but not enough grunt to charge a laptop.
So I may not have the facilities to publish the Round 2 draw on April 1.. so if I can get it done a little earlier, that would keep the schedule from flagging.

Match 1
Spleen1980 (Germanic): 2 Banners
Stanislav27 (Roman): 6 Banners

The battle began with a Roman advance on the left, which occupied both sides for the majority of the first phase of the battle, with the Germans succesfully holding the forrest and depleting several Roman units (but without managing to destroy them completely before they were withdrawn). The Germanic centre then embarked on a sortie, which was inconclusive. Several turns followed where the Romans marshalled their weakened units to the rear while bombarding the Germanic warriors with missile fire. Especially the Roman Light Cavalry and the Heavy War Machine proved effective at reducing enemy units from maximum strength. Alessio burned through relatively useless cards while wisely regrouping his forces to re-form a strong defense of the rampart. 

After the patient regroup-and-missiles of the middlegame, the Romans finally got in position to Double Time it to the rampart. It proved the decisive blow as the fifth Germanic unit fell and the Romans gained a foothold within the rampart for the sixth and final victory banner.

Match 2
Spleen1980 (Roman): 3 Banners
Stanislav27 (Germanic): 6 Banners

Once more, the Romans pushed on the left. However, a subtle difference from the first battle was that this time the Romans advanced at the centre-left joint of their formation rather than extending to the far left. The Germans countered in the forest but were bloodied by their determined adversaries. As in the first battle, Roman missile fire was overall more effective than the barbarian ditto. The Roman advance on the left flank was halted momentarily (mostly by the forest itself), while they pushed on in the centre-left. Two Germanic Warrior units embarked upon an adventurous charge on the advanced Roman centre-right. They inflicted a good number of casualties before being forced to retreat back to the rampart by Roman battle-backs. The Romans managed to Rally a number of depleted units and to plug a gap, which the barbarian cavalry had hoped to exploit on the far left of the Roman formation. 

Unlike the first battle, patience was in short supply. The decisive moment of the battle arrived when Germanicus ordered a Double Time from the Roman centre-left onto the rampart. The attack was successful, and with most of the stronger Barbarian units on the opposite flank of the rampart, a Roman breakthrough seemed very likely. However, the Germans immediately iniaited a Counter-Attack, utilizing the reversed Double Time to devastating effect. With a very healthy portion of dice luck, the Germanic warriors dispatched two Roman units *and* slaughtered Germanicus himself on a 2-dice leader casualty check. 

The Romans tried to regroup and succeeded in defeating a weakened German Medium Infantry unit. However, the right portion of the Roman army was too far away to alter the course of the endgame. The Germans had softened up two Roman medium infantry units who were both dispatched on the subsequent turn. 

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Thanks a lot to Alessio (spleen1980) for a great bout of CCA. Especially the first battle reminded me of why I love this game, because it provided different times of excitement and tension throughout its various phases; ebbs and flows. The second one was more of a fast-and-furious affair where the luck of my Counter-Attack dice had an outsized impact on the outcome, possibly depriving us of another tense ending. Still, there was plenty of action and I think this scenario is truly excellent with its blend of terrain and unit compositions. Thanks, Alessio, and hopefully see you on the battlefield soon again!

  

Game 1
PCScipio42 (Rome) 6
Gonzo (German) 4