OT2023 Round 1

Nice effort with the minis, guys. Is this a fresh batch or the ones you've used previously, Mark? (feel like it was imperial Romans/barbarians before?).

Brent.

BrentS wrote:

Nice effort with the minis, guys. Is this a fresh batch or the ones you've used previously, Mark? (feel like it was imperial Romans/barbarians before?).

Brent.

had these Republicans and Carthage since 2019 at least..   think I started acquisition and painting around 2014

gradually expanding my Greeks and Persians

Round 1: C3i04 Orongis 

Game 1 BrentS (Carthage)   Banners 6 
Rams1984 (Rome)  Banners 1 

Some early Order Lights skirmishing from both sides was probably won by Carthage forcing the Roman lights back but big time main line contact quickly came with a Carthaginian Line Command copied by two sequential Counterattacks. From there Carthage Double Timed Warriors and Heavies into Rome’s thinly spread left flank.  Rome countered with their Cav and a Medium, eliminating a Carthaginian Warrior but the Cav pursued too far. Carthage sprang a second Double Time, eliminated a Medium Infantry, the cav and killed the leader on a 3 dice escape. 3 banners in one turn and that was the turning point of the battle. Rome brought infantry in to secure the flank but rolled terribly, Carthage Rallied its Heavy and Warrior to full strength and took out the ill-fated Roman infantry and Gnaeus Scipio himself for the last 2 banners. 

Game 2 

Rams1984 (Carthage) Banners 4 
BrentS (Rome) Banners 6 

Carthage pushed forward and threatened with Warriors and Cav across all 3 sections, eliminating an MI on the Roman left but Rome countered to kill a Warrior there and cut off the retreat path of the Carthaginian light cav and eliminate it. Ranged fire from a Roman light took the elephant to 1 block and it threw itself into a suicidal charge against the Roman line and was destroyed. Carthage came back strong with a well formed line, the Heavies making it into the fray, eliminating an Auxilia and threatening to roll up the Roman line. Rome came back on both flanks with a Mounted Charge, killing a warrior and Vismarus on a leader check (although he was going to have to make an escape through the 4 dice Cav so was probably dead anyway but was put out of his misery early). At 5 banners to 2 it looked like it was over but Moenicaptus’ cav Rallied on the Right and killed the Roman Cav and leader on a leader check…..but he couldn’t follow through successfully and suffered the indignity of having his retreat path cut off and dying to a double flag roll from a Roman light in close combat. 

It’s a nice, simple scenario. Rams said he’d only been playing Ancients a few months but played as if he had much more experience. He did show me an automated feature for leader checks in the module using Control - number of hits. I might have missed something but I couldn’t quite work out the advantage over just rolling the leader check straight up. 

Also Mark (Riverwanderer), we don’t need it in the preliminary rounds but I couldn’t find the eliminated block counter function in the module…..at least not in the same way it works in the Samurai Battles module. 

Brent.

Thanks for your nice words.

Regarding the automated LCC I have seen a few people forgetting to roll for the same often, it helps, and also taking multiple block loses in one shot helps .

This scenario seems to favour Carthage, but only experienced players will be able to win both. Patience is of paramount importance, else I would have atleast won 1 game. I ventured too far with my MC unnecessarily to get.

Still learning but hope this OT will make me a better player, one of the main reasons I signed for.

rams1984 wrote:

Still learning but hope this OT will make me a better player, one of the main reasons I signed for.

 

Yes, there's no better C&C:Ancients school than online tournaments. A broad exposure to different players, with different experience levels and play styles from all over the world, across different scenarios. I learn something every time I play.

Brent.

BrentS wrote:

Also Mark (Riverwanderer), we don’t need it in the preliminary rounds but I couldn’t find the eliminated block counter function in the module…..at least not in the same way it works in the Samurai Battles module. 
 

Hi Brent, To see lost blocks, select that option via the Game Options toolbar button. To make this a persistent personal setting, go to Preferences...Game Options.

Mark

 

Round 1: C3i04 Orongis 
Greg and I decided our side randomly for this first game. Second game to follow later in the month.

Game 1
Gottoman (Carthage)   Banners 3
RiverWanderer (Rome)  Banners 6

Under cover of some early skirmishing, the Carthaginians formed up in line and advanced en-masse. Supported by elephants and their skirmish screen, the main Carthage force appeared to focus on the Roman right and started a coordinated attack there. Rome responded by advancing forward in line,  probing out on their right to claim the first banner, taking out a warrior unit that had been suffered heavy losses in the vanguard of Carthage's attack.

At the height of the ensueing melee, Carthage had all its heavy forces in close combat, pressing Rome's right flank to its back-line. Roman units started to weaken and fall, but their counter was equally strong, destroying the cohesion of the enemy attack and claiming a heavy unit and leader in the process. Still, Carthage was not done and they pressed their attack with elephants in the lead; their remnant heavy infantry became an unexpected loss in battle-back from Roman Medium Cavalry but nonetheless two further combats were finally able to claim the MC as a third banner.

With the scoreline at 4:3 to Rome, it was time for the Romans to attack and it came through a double-time against a vulnerable Carthaginian centre. Four medium infantry units were able to battle, with leader support, dice failing to come to Carthage's rescue and instead awarding the final two banners to the Roman side.

Thanks Greg for an exciting game. Looking forward to the next.

Game1