OT2021 Round 2

Thank you Travis
It's not enough to beat you
You also need to be knocked down

As soon as I forget about it, I get hit with a bat on the knuckles of my fingers, which I use to press the keyboard...

very difficult for me both games
deserved 1.5 points

OT2021 Round 2Game 1Bangla (Eumenes) 6 BannersMarco (Craterus) 3 BannnersWell, this was one of the longest CCA games I've ever fought.  Most are over within 75 minutes tops, but this one was very cagey.  No initial charge from Craterus and his cavalry.  Instead Craterus redeployed himself to the centre, retired the cavalry, and put his bowmen out to harass the Eumenid lines.  It was an opportunity too good to miss, with the bowmen being surrounded by the LC and two MCs.  But somehow no banners were forthcoming to eliminate the light troops and they held firm.  The LC was then cut off and destroyed in turn, and the first banner went to Craterus.After that there developed a game of cat and mouse and both sides tried to manoeuvre to get the odd block kill from ranged fire and at the same time protect their lines of retreat.  The Eumenid centre line even advanced and then retreated as they sought to ensure their flanks couldn't be exposed.  Eventually Craterus brought his whole line forward to set up an attack.  Eumenes reacted swiftly, picking out the weakest HI (no leader support) and eliminating it pronto.  The big surprise was a MI also wiped out a second HI with an instantaneous 4-block kill.  That stunted the attack somewhat, but Craterus pushed on and got a 4-block kill of his own.  The battle was swinging in Craterus' favour and he looked like another kill was set up.  Eumenes played a First Strike and then rolled another 4-block kill!  That made it 4-3 to Eumenes, and a mounted charge eliminated two 1-block units, including those pesky bowmen who were by now on their own baseline.  A long game that came to a quick end once the two lines had joined, and a result that was turned on the success of a First Strike card.Game 2Marco (Eumenes) 5 BannnersBangla (Craterus) 5 BannersThis battle was totally different from the 1st.  The Eumenid MCs advanced on the left, Craterus attacked and eliminated one, then advanced to take out the LC too.  But in doing so he left himself exposed, was cut off, and Craterus then failed his leader escape after his cavalry were eliminated.  2 banners apiece, but the Craterus side down a leader and a card.  After that, Eumenes clearly had the upper hand, but it would take a while for him to bring his troops to bear.  The Craterus right flank advanced to try and keep him off balance, then the left came forward to challenge there too.  When the Eumenid right advanced as well, after peppering the Craterus line with fire, they were hit with a Clash of Shields that eliminated a third unit.  Given their dire situation, Craterus side were looking for a 4th banner to the tie overall.The Eumenid army began to press,  Craterus went after a lone MC on the Eumenid left.  Just before the pressure might tell, the MC was forced off the field for that 4th banner.  Then the HI hit home.  That gave Eumenes a 5-4 lead and the battle looked won.  A cavalry charge took out one of the HI to make it 5-5, but the momentum was now with Eumenes and he found the 6th banner in the nick of time.  The Eumenid army did have 2 attempts to kill the second leader, and win the game earlier.  One of them was a single d6, but both attempts failed.  In the end, an excellent battle, and a fair result.

so to confirm please

Game 1
Bangla (Eumenes) 6 Banners
Marco (Craterus) 3 Banners


Game 2
Marco (Eumenes) 6 Banners
Bangla (Craterus) 5 Banners

 

Yes Mark, that's correct.
Apologies for the formatting. I dunno what happened. It al looked good when I was posting it.

Game 1
Giulio (Eumenes) 6 Banners
Mark McG (Craterus) 5 Banners

A tense encounter that featured a lot of leader shielding. Only extreme circumstances pulled Eumenes from his corner.
The Craterid phalanx took an opportunity to double time into the Eumenid centre that was unsupported, and manged to break into the Eumenid centre, but the dice weren't smiling on Craterus that day, and the golden chance passed. The Eumenid response had Eumenes up 4-2 after some terrible fumbles by Neoptolmus, but he pulled a magnificent response to get 3 banners in a turn. Eumenes had to be very creative to lead his remaining cavalry to victory!
 
Game 2
Mark McG (Eumenes) 6 Banners
Giulio (Craterus) 2 Banners

Outstanding missile fire from the Eumenids had 3 banners on the track before the armies even clashed. This game is probably the most outstanding dice and cards I can recall, especially the missile fire. I was never short of a card, and at the end game when Craterus was breaking my line, I drew cavalry charge that almost effortless took 2 final banners from full strength Auxilia.
I lost 11 blocks, Giulio 30
 

Game 1- PCScipio42 (Craterus) 2 banners
             Moose (Eumenes) 6 banners

         Craterus aggressive move didn't pay off and was never able to play Clash of Shields he was needing to turn the tide.

Game 2- Moose (Craterus) 4 banners
             PCScipio42 (Eumenes) 6 banners

        Craterus got a heavy next to cav units at end of board to gain an additional 2 banners before Eumenes could get his 6th banner.

   

Game1
GomJabbar  (Craterus) 6 - Andygor (Eumenes) 4
A difficult battle for Eumeneus. The loss of all the cavalry on the left flank gave Craterus the advantage. After that, the troops of Eumeneus took a blind defense, with difficulty bringing the score to 4 Banners of Victory.

        Game 2
GommJabbar (Eumenes) 2 - Andygor (Craterus) 6
Eumenius forced the battle in the center. Stronger units of medium and heavy infantry attacked the Craterus auxiliary infantry, and almost destroyed them. Only the retreat flags saved the day. The attack of Eumeneus ' cavalry on the cavalry detachment under the command of Craterus was unsuccessful. Rallying the squad, Crater moved to the attack, which ended with the complete defeat of the cavalry detachments of Eumeneus. Eumeneus 'retaliatory cavalry charge was unsuccessful, and allowed the remnants of Craterus' detachments to take cover behind the lines of medium and heavy infantry. Eumenius rushed to finish them off, but also without success. The battle ended with the blocking of the commander's detachment of Eumeneus, and the destruction of the remnants of the detachment of medium infantry in the central sector.

Match 1

EZPickins (Craterus): 2 Banners
Stanislav27 (Eumenes): 6 Banners

Battle started very evenly after the first engagements. But when the two lines of infantry clashed, I had First Strike at just the right moment and the advantage of a leader in the centre - as well as useful cards and good dice - provided enough momentum to sweep all three of Craterus' Heavy Infantry and two Mediums from the field.

Match 2

Stanislav27 (Craterus): 6 Banners
EZPickins (Eumenes): 4 Banners

Game started fast and furious with John utilizing a Mounted Charge to great effect and me messing up with a bad Spartacus roll and a stupid lonely attack with Neoptolemus' whose unit died on the battle-back. John the counter-attacked the I Am Spartacus card to terrific effect - to begin with. His final Spartacus-driven attack on my left resulted in the luckiest outcome possible for me: My Auxilia rolled 3 blue to kill Eumenes' full-strength Medium Cavalry and even followed up with a Helmet on the LC1 roll. I went from feeling swiftly destroyed to being back in the contest, maneuvered my weakened units back and the battle lulled into long-range sniping. When finally the lines of infantry clashed, John had the better of it to begin with, but I regained some initiative with a Double Time and good rolls. The final unit fell on the battle-back.

Thanks to John for two excellent games. No doubt I had a bigger share of Lady Luck's ephemeral gifts this evening, but the contest was very close and hard-fought. 

Match 2
RiverWanderer  (Eumenes): 6 Banners
LiamBN (Craterus): 2 Banners

Craterus developed an attacking stance on his left but his formation was disrupted by some accurate ranged combat early on. On the other other flank, Neoptolemeus led his cavalry in combination with light infantry for a probing attack on right flank of Eumene's infantry line, rather than risk a deeper attack on Eumenes himself. Neoptolemeus was seen off but in good order, pursued by Eumenes. A poor Eumenes attack and a strong rebuttal, saw Craterus edge ahead at 2 banners to 1 and Eumenes pulling back.

From there, Craterus developed his main attack, bringing his centre forward to threaten a full assault on the, by now, fragmented Eumenes' battle-line. Increasingly pressed, the Eumenes' army reorganised and sent forward their left flank in a desperate bid to stem the tide. The gamble paid off, as an Auxlia unit was battered away in the last of 3 combats, allowing cavalry to breakthrough, taking out Craterus and his remnant cavalry.

The expected annihilation of the now over-extended Eumenes' cavalry did not come and instead it was Eumenes' right flank that took the heat. Given breathing space to press further attacks, it was Eumenes' left that brought the battle to conclusion, gaining the last two banners required.

Exciting game; thanks to Liam.

Crateros (Polonus100) - 6
Eumenes (Stephent) - 4


Crazy battle. Crateros' Army attacks on both wings were somewhat unlucky with losses, but counterattack of Eumenides into  the fragmented Crateros' Center met First Strike from H with the disastrous 4 hits from 5D accuracy (without leader). The rest was simple coup of grace on Brown Army's Right made by Crateros personally.

Crateros (Stephent) - 1
Eumenes (Polonus100) - 6
 

Cards of Eumenes were the perfect ones. Mounted brought leader from Center to Left Wing of Cavalry and moved Right Wing cavalry with Eumenes closer to prepare the stroke. Many "Comand Left"  and one "Order Light" weakened Crateros' Right. And two consecutive Mounted Charges finished the affair on both wings. Heavy Crateros' infantry simply didn't fought.  Crateros fled off the board. Neoptolemos probably would do the same, but this (MC under him) was 6-th flag for Blues.