OT2022 Quarter Finals

OT2022 Quarter Finals
 
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OT2022 Quarter Finals

added a deadline..4th Sept

Gonzo (Carthage) 8 Banners, 24 Blocks Lost

Travis (Rome) 7 Banners, 31 Blocks Lost

Romans start strong with 2 line commands and a 4 hit roll on a HI in a camp. Carthage with nothing in middle, shifts Cav to right wing and charges. Back and forth it went on that flank until Cath HI able to step out and get final banner. Very close very fun game, well played by Travis.

Log file would be appreciated.

(Consolidating my report with Gonzo's report from Game 1)

Game 1

Gonzo (Carthage) 8 Banners, 24 Blocks Lost

Travis (Rome) 7 Banners, 31 Blocks Lost

Romans start strong with 2 line commands and a 4 hit roll on a HI in a camp. Carthage with nothing in middle, shifts Cav to right wing and charges. Back and forth it went on that flank until Cath HI able to step out and get final banner. Very close very fun game, well played by Travis.

Game 2

Gonzo (Rome)  4 Banners, 36 Blocks Lost

Travis (Carthage)  8 Banners, 16 Blocks Lost

Seemingly much closer and potentially dire for the Carthaginians than the score would appear.  Romans started out strong in this game, moving quickly on the center and jumping out to a 2-1 lead, trading a MI for a HI and banner for capturing the camp. As the Carthaginians desperately attempted to move their wings towards the center, ranged attacks evened the score at 2-2. 

The Romans then moved on the Carthage right, and Hasdrubal the Dull-Bladed moved on the Roman center, with poor results. Despite using a FS card as well as a very effective Rally card, Hasdrubal met his end after several poor rolls, and things looked bleak for the beleaguered North Africans. Mago stepped into the breach to eliminate two Roman units for a 4-3 lead, but the Carth HI was quickly eliminated after this suicide mission and things were even at 4.  After the Romans pressed the Carthage right again and a MFM play, the game would be decided by consecutive MC cards.  

First, the Romans played theirs to push back advance units on the right, but in the process left an opening that Carthaginian mounted units were able to exploit for the win. Surrounding and eliminating the cavalry first, then moving on weakened infantry, Carthage eliminated four Roman units with very lucky rolls for the win. 

OT QF: ILITURGI 215 BC

Game 1

BrentS (Rome) Banners 8 (Blocks lost 20)

mk 20366 (Carthage) Banners 4 (Blocks lost 33)

Michal pointed out that we’d played this scenario in a tournament years ago and that the result was a tense one banner battle. I don’t remember that game but the scenario was familiar and this game was just as intense. It’s definitely a scenario of painful attrition. 

We played old school with text only as it was late at Michal’s end, so the whole thing is there in the log. 

The Romans arranged their firing line in front of the Carthaginian centre while Carthage did what they needed to do and started to pull their flanks in to support. A plethora of Line Commands and Counterattacked Line Commands saw a lot of fire and rearranging of lines but I chose not to advance into the killing zone at the foot of the Carthaginian hills and camps (it may be the right thing to do in some cases, but not with the flow of the game and the cards I held). Rome pushed forward on both flanks to try to disrupt the Carthaginian ranged attacks and their attempt to consolidate their army, with some temporary success but were repulsed. 

After initially failing every ranged attack the Romans started scoring double colours on multiple shots as they got their sighting in and made an early foray with one supported Medium infantry against the leftmost camp (from the Carthaginian perspective). The Carthaginians diverted the Roman attention from the central assault with an infantry advance on their left, trading a Roman Auxilia and Carthaginian Warrior. The Carthaginians used the breathing space well to reorganise their centre defense and withdraw a couple of 1 block units but were left with no firepower there against a whole line of Roman lights. That was always going to hurt, as the Romans settled in to to pepper the defenseless Carthaginians with volley after embarrassingly accurate volley. 

The Carthaginians again diverted by Double Timing against the Roman left, again exchanging units, and driving P. Scipio back but he was able to consolidate his lines and the advance Carthaginian right was exposed, couldn’t press its assault and was forced to withdraw. 

This time the Carthaginians didn’t have enough in reserve to salvage the centre and C. Scipio charged on a Heavy, knocked out Hannibal’s depleted Medium and advanced to take the left Carthaginian camp and kill a 1 block Heavy positioned behind it for 3 banners on one play. This was the turning point of the battle. Desperation followed as the valiant Carthaginians attempted a Clash of Shields from the hills with a Cavalry and Light Infantry against a full strength Roman Heavy but couldn’t quite finish it. It Rallied and together with a flanking Cav cut off and eliminated a Carthaginian Light Cav to come within one banner of victory. 

The Carthaginains played a Hail Mary and finally sent the elephant against G. Scipio’s Heavy, forcing it to retreat. It came back with a Line Command and only forced the elephant to rampage and retreat but finished it by killing Mago’s Auxilia on the Carthaginian right. 

An enjoyable battle between opponents who know each other’s game too well for surprises, making it very tense. I’d like to applaud Michal for the sportsmanship he showed in letting me play the final flank attack on the left when I’d accidentally ended the turn early. We were both tired and I know he wouldn't want to win by a non-tactical error, but it was a noble gesture all the same. I wouldn’t have expected anything less, or the same of myself in return, but it’s emblematic of his sportsmanship, as it is of C& C players in general. 

Looking forward to part 2, when I fully expect Michal to come back with a vengeance.

Brent.

Kartigan (Romans) 8 Banners, 26 Blocks Lost
Cap       (Carthaginian) 7 Banners, 26 Blocks Lost


It is very difficult for a game to get any closer than this one, with a very narrow 8 to 7 victory for the Romans and each side losing exactly 26 blocks.  

The Romans surged forward quickly with a Line Command and drove into the Center camps immediately, capturing the middle camp relatively soon.  Hannibal brought forces to bear on the Roman right, and the Romans counterattacked managing to eliminate the Carthaginian Left and secure the second camp.  In all of this merely an exchange of banners was accomplished, with the score remaining close on both sides.

As the banner count climbed, the Romans repulsed an Auxilia attack on the central hill they were holding, but the Roman Mediums defending it were eliminated by missile fire, making the score 7 to 6 in favor of Carthage.  On the Romans final turn, they managed to go 2 out of 4 on the wounded Auxilia for their 7th banner, and Scipio threw caution to the wind, charging forward and managing to go 2/4 on the Elephants for the 8th banner.  Had Scipio's attack on the Elehpants failed, Carthage would've very likely won the very next turn.

All in all this was a very entertaining game, with a lot of back and forth, wild highs and lows, and surprise moments.  I think the luck was fairly even for most of the battle, until the end when I managed to have the hot dice and score the back to back banners on the final turn.  Cap put up a remarkable fight, defending very well in what I think are clearly the underdogs in this scenario.  

I definitely will have my work cut out for me to try and beat his score of 7 as Carthage.

OT QF:ILITURGI 215 BC

Game 2

BrentS (Carthage) 8 banners

mk20366 (Rome) 8 banners

A very different battle to the first. We each had limited time before work and thought it would take a couple of sessions to play. It was over in 40 minutes. 

Rome went full frontal, with a first up Line Command and then Centre Leadership to go straight for the fragile Carthaginian centre. This was a potentially winning play as Carthage had very few centre cards….but just enough in the end. Almost no ranged attacks and almost no flank action except for the Carthaginians to get Mago in on his Light Cav and a couple of additional lights for flank support. 

Close, bloody and brutal. A Carthaginian Clash of Shields and a 4 dice single kill on a battle back helped the Carthaginian cause. With the Carthaginian centre shattered and camps exposed the Romans used a MFM to occupy the camps and bring the banner count to 7 apiece. Lots of vulnerable 1 block units everywhere on both sides so time for Carthage to send in the Elephant. Rampaged and killed a 1 block Carthaginian Heavy and a 1 block Roman Medium….we couldn’t remember what the rules for this were (simultaneous or sequential at the rampager’s choice) but as it didn’t decide the overall outcome we decided to call it a draw! 

Well played, Michal. Always tight, enjoyable games and I think this was decided by my lucky ranged dice in the first game. Interesting that we had no leader deaths in either match…..an unusual but welcome outcome. 

This is an uncomfortable scenario, in a good way. A couple of potential tactical approaches for Rome, depending on their cards, and a tense race for Carthage to get her support in from the flanks. Good choice again, Mark.

Brent.

No effect on this pair of battles but I was curious. Rare to find an unanswered question after all these years. This is an old ruling from RB cross-quoted from CSW. Rampaging rolls are simultaneous, so it is possible to have a drawn battle (I guess in tournament circumstances we could always split it on block count if necessary). I've never come across this situation before and from RB's response it seems he never had either. 

boardgamegeek.com/thread/313453/article/2367032#2367032

Brent.

These were two very enjoyable and very different games. The second one will most probably stay as most hilarious of all my ~600 CCA plays so far - and my first draw!

Thanks to Brent for flexibility in arranging the games!