OT2021 Round 5

Round 5
 



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OT2021 Round 5

Match 1
DanieleC (Macedonian) 6
Andygor (Spartan) 7
Match 2
DanieleC (Spartan) 5
Andygor (Macedonian) 7

the message from the Tournament article ends up on the forums.

but a link
www.commandsandcolors.net/ancients/forum...pic&catid=22&id=1679

Match 1

GomJabbar (Macedonian): 7 Banners

David I (Spartan): 6 Banners

The Macedonians started with a light unit charge up into the hills on each flank but quickly discovered the hills are not a good place to be, especially with cavalry. The Macedonians lost no units in the hills but took some hits and their attack stalled. Next the Macedonians spent a few turns slowly advancing units in the center and setting up for a big Line Command with almost all their foot units on the board. I played the Line Command a little earlier than I would have preferred but I was afraid that the Spartans were onto my strategy (which they were) and would break up my line any moment. 12 units ordered with the Line for 1 banner and 2 heavily damaged Medium Hoplite units. Not bad. The Spartans played a Mounted Charge gaining 2 banners but lost Agis in a battle back. Then the Macedonian heavies got involved and eliminated the 2 damaged MH units but a second Mounted Charge by the Spartans eliminated both heavies and a leader. Not looking good for the Macedonians. But then Antipater and some Auxilia and Medium troops eliminated a couple more damaged MH Spartans and they were back in the fight. The Macedonians only needed 1 more banner (6-5) to win. The Spartans then tried to run away with their damaged units eliminating an Aux on the way to tie the game up again. A timely Order Light Troops by the Macedonians allowed them to hide their heavily damaged units before they were picked off. The Spartan Light Cavalry got a little too overzealous and got into a position where the Macedonians were able to cut off retreat and evade and eliminated them with medium infantry for the win.
It was a close fought match. Thanks David for the game.

Game 1

Gileforn (Macedonian) - 8
Dawnreader (Spartan) - 7

That was an awesome game, where Dawnreader made someting fantastic. It was 7:0, but he got 7 banners before Macedonian recieved the last one. Very nervious game. The most lucky situation for Macedonian was when "I am Spartac" was played with only one good result for Sparta.

Game 2

Dawnreader (Macedonian) - 3
Gileforn (Spartan) - 8

That was a really Spartan lucky game when they twice destroyed full troops, one of them on the battle back. So,it was diffficult to change something.

Big thanks to the Dawnreader! These were cool games.

   

Match 1
Stanislav27 (Macedonian) 7
RiverWanderer  (Spartan) 6

The game was a very tight affair with Mark gaining the upper hand after the opening stages and pushing very hard for a winner on the Spartan left after great use of terrain and leaders. For me, personally, the first sign of impending doom was when Agis III led a charge against Antipater's full-strength Medium Infantry, crushing the unit in one fell blow and decapitating the Macedonian leader in the same swift stroke. The early fall of Antipater made for a precarious situation on the Macedonian right, so I focused as much as possible on the opposite wing. Parity was almost restored in this fashion. However, Mark's push against the weakened centre (formerly right) of the Macedonian army threatened a well-earned Spartan victory. In the last moment, however, the Goddess Fortuna smiled upon the Macedonians, and a single turn of missile fire scored two crucial victory banners; one from dispersing a unit of Spartan cavalry on the backline, and one from murdering Agis III with an extremely lucky throw of the Macedonian Auxilia's javelins. It was an unlikely victory, but fortune helped me snatch it from the jaws of defeat.

Match 2
RiverWanderer (Macedonian) 3
Stanislav27 (Macedonian) 7

In the second game, things were slightly reversed. In the sense that this time Sparta took up purely defensive positions on the left and sought to push on the right. The battle received its specific flavour from the first turn, where Mark used a Line Command to divide up his force in a left and right part - with me following suit immediately afterwards. Mark began peppering the Spartan left wing with missile fire, holding back a charge (and staying out of melee range) until the enemy had been softened up. I looked on with despair as my own return fire was less effective and in any case less coordinated. The decisive moment of the battle occurred when the Macedonians marched confidently on the Spartan right. This played somewhat into my hands, allowing me to be the first to charge, as I had a couple of "Order Medium" cards as well as "First Strike". But it mainly came down the absolutely extraordinary efficiency of my dice rolls in that handful of turns. The Macedonian Heavy Infantry on their left was slaughtered in one roll, and the Warriors took three hits in one roll. The Spartan Hoplites proved highly useful with their added cohesion/staying power, and - with some support from Auxilia and cavalry, scored all the victory banners on the Spartan right (the Macedonian left). Mark made the best possible use of his command resources, but there was no lucky break on the Macedonian right where the pressure was mounting and the Spartan bodies were piling up (mainly from missile fire). A spirited Macedonian resistance on the opposite flank led to some Spartan casualties, but it was too little too late. The battle was sealed when a hopeful charge by Macedonian light cavalry was encircled and dispatched on the bloodied hills of the Spartan right. 

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Thanks a lot to Mark for two challenging and fun battles. I think that my first victory was very fortuitous - especially as Mark would definitely have won on the next turn, if my LC2 had not been successful. The second one was more even with one half of the battlefield presenting any audience with a classic "slow-burner" of missile fire and jokeying for position, but where useful cards and devastating dice on the opposite flank resulted in a faster, bloodier affair, which in the end carried the day.

Gileforn wrote:

Game 1

Gileforn (Macedonian) - 8
Dawnreader (Spartan) - 7

That was an awesome game, where Dawnreader made someting fantastic. It was 7:0, but he got 7 banners before Macedonian recieved the last one. Very nervious game. The most lucky situation for Macedonian was when "I am Spartac" was played with only one good result for Sparta.

Game 2

Dawnreader (Macedonian) - 3
Gileforn (Spartan) - 8

That was a really Spartan lucky game when they twice destroyed full troops, one of them on the battle back. So,it was diffficult to change something.

Big thanks to the Dawnreader! These were cool games.

 

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7 Banners gives the victory.

Game 1
Gileforn (Macedonian) - 7
Dawnreader (Spartan) - 6

Game 2
Dawnreader (Macedonian) - 3
Gileforn (Spartan) - 7

and may I say I have rarely seen such magnificent dice.. 3-4 hits per attack. Never seen so many units just lift off the map on the first roll.

Game 1
Giulio (Macedonian) 7
ExPickins  (Spartan) 2

The usual initial exchange of volleys in which the Spartan did relatively better. The Macedonian move closing with the enemy. Spartans engage but the Macedonian heavy infantry is strong and inflicting several casualties. However, Antipater dies prematurely (2 dice leader check) and this forces the Macedonian to act more swiftly. They attack on both wings, again the heavy infantry being the queen of the battlefield. A series of skirmishes on both sides give the Macedonians the victory.

 

Game 2
EzPickins (Macedonian) 4
Giulio (Spartan) 7

The Macedonians start strong on their left flank but lose a surrounded light cavalry. The Spartan try to maneuver to gain the advantage of the hills, eliminating the Macedonian warriors. The Macedonians advance in line. The initial impact with the Spartan troops is costly, leading to a 4-1 Spartan lead. But they take momentum and eliminate the most powerful Spartan hoplites. The game is essentially tied, with broken armies scattered over the battlefield. Several skirmishes develop, with the cavalry of both sides successfully escaping from ambushes. The Spartans are luckier and they manage to finally kill a Macedonian medium cavalry with the leader, for the victory

 

  R5 game 1

TTK Sparta 7:4 Gottoman Macedonian

Greg and I managed to play almost a classic scenario for the clash of hoplites.

the rearrangement of the lines, the slow approach...
the javelin throwers weakened both lines, the wounded retreated...

my Spartans went to the aggravation, but Greg's MI guys made many Spartan wives cry. So I lost 2 units at the first roll of the answer cubes. 2:2

the shooting thinned the Macedonian ranks and the Spartans escalated the situation again, however, they had to attract cavalry to the center 3:2

but Greg on the DT crashed into the ranks of the Spartans...
however, 5 blocks is a force and one remaining scattered THEM and kill the leader...

5:4... the center of the Spartans represents 2 HI units with leaders
the center of the Macedonians looks more impressive, but has no desire to aggravate, especially since the unfinished units have accumulated in the second line

the Macedonian cavalry invades the hills (Greg forgot in the heat of battle that she would only have 2 cubes there), but is ambushed by LI and LC... with losses, they were forced to roll back... 6:4

Spartan hoplites once again go to the aggravation, while the enemy is being rebuilt... they crash into the barbarians and 7: 4-victory.