OT2026 Round 1

OT Round 1 - 418 Naissus

Game 1
alecrespi (Rome) 6
Azzy (Goths) 7

Game 2
azzy (Rome) 7
alecrespi (Goths)6
Very intresting games. In first game it was very hard beginning for me in right flank. My attack on the right flank faltered. My General was killed. (check with 2 dices, Karl,2 dices) After that, I had to grit my teeth and endure. At one point, the score was 2-4. And I was already in despair. But a furious barbarian attack on the right flank finished off the wounded, and the situation improved slightly. The enemy launched a furious cavalry attack in the center, but was driven back. The situation was a double-edged sword. The Romans launched a risky attack on the left flank. But that day, the auxilia fought like gods against the cavalry. Luck was on the Goths' side.

The second game didn't start off well either. Two LC were lost in the center, each taking two flags per shot. A fight broke out on the Roman left flank. But the heavy entered the fray just in time and showed who was in charge. The enemy's attack on the right inflicted heavy damage. The score was 6-5. The game was in the balance. But my auxilia and the general managed to take two frags on a double march.

OT Round 1 - 418 Naissus

Game 1
John S (Rome) 4
AnoN (Goths) 7

My Romans start with a MOUNTED CHARGE but little else that is very useful. I start with a CENTER 3 and have my LC fire 6 shots at the HC and a get hit. That was the highlight of my ranged fire during the game. Dave counters with a CENTER 4 and charges my center-right. One of evading LC takes two hits and is finished off the next turn as the Goths continue to advance and hit my right. I had drawn DARKEN the SKY and would have loved to have that in hand to start, but now this card is of little use. I feel I have to use my MOUNTED CHARGE. I lose one MC but take out two HC and a WI in return and lead 3 to 2. I lose a LC in the center to double flag roll ranged fire attack. My ranged fire continues to miss and my DARKEN the SKY does no damage. There is a clash on my left and that does not go in my favor. After one of my MC that was down to one block evades, it is taken out by a 1d ranged fire attack. I then use my second MOUNTED CHARGE but FIRST STRIKE takes out a LC on my left that would have had a 3d attack on a 1 block AI. On right, I a MC gets 3 hits on an WI but is lost on the BB. My HC finishes off the wounded WI and then falls one hit shy of killing an AI which then gets a kill on my HC with a 3 for 3 BB – ouch! My great cavalry charge netted me one banner and I lost three. My mamma told me there would be games like this.



Game 2
AnoN (Rome) 4
John S (Goths) 7

Dave’s ROMANS open with DARKEN the SKIES and both my center HC suffer two hits. That forces my hand and once again I, as in game one, I must play my MOUNTED CHARGE sooner than I wanted to. On the Roman left my HC take out one AI and a bonus attack eliminates a HI and Claudius evades to the baseline. My other HC attacks target units that can evade and whiff on their 10 rolls. Dave COUNTER ATTACKS and surround one HC with 2 blocks and a Leader on my right. His MC 4d attack misses and my BB kills off that unit. A LC also misses but only suffers one hit on the BB. This leaves one LC and it rolls two reds and my HC is shockingly gone. Just when I had counted on it to survive – lol. But a 1 block HC survives two attacks from LC and eliminate one of them. I lead 4 to 1 at this point but have two 1 block HC close to the enemy. I take out Claudius with my HC and a WI kills off a 1 block LC that is cutoff in the center. Now with a lead of 6 to 1, it looks like I have a good chance at 2 pts for the match. Dave plays LIGHT TROOPS and now it even looks that Dave will probably only manage to gain 2 banners at the most. He easily kills off both of the one block HC. He then attacks a WI with a Leader in the center and gets a hit. No big deal – right? Ah but the 2d Leader check gets the two leader symbols and that ties the match. I am able to end the game in my next turn by taking out a MC on the baseline with one of my HC.

OT 2026  Round 1. March 23.
# 418 Naissus (268AD)

Note: For clarity, I use “Left” and “Right” to refer to the left and right side of the map, not to each players left or right flank.

Game 1
Player 1 SkunkyBeer (Goths) 6 Banners
Player 2 Marco (Romans) 7 Banners
The Romans, having no center command at all, advanced on the flanks, while the Goths maneuvered their Lights and rained missile fire in return. The Romans took early losses on the left from both missile and close combat, but finally used a Mounted Charge, taking banners on the right. At this point the power went out for the Goths, and we had to save and come back the next day. Unfortunately, the latter half of the game wasn’t saved. From memory, the battle continued very close, with both sides taking and losing the lead, until at 6-6 the Goths attacked a damaged Roman AUX with their last HC and a WAR, and the HC fell to a three hit battle back. Very close game with SkunkyBeer, who had to delay due to power outages out west. Way to stay in the fight!
 
 

Player 2 SkunkyBeer (Romans) 3 Banners
Player 1 Marco (Goths) 7 Banners
The Romans immediately began missile fire on the two Goth HC, doing damage. The Goths attacked in return, driving back the LC on the center left. Continuing missile fire, the Romans saw the Goths use a Move-Fire-Move to bring forward their Lights and fall into a battle line, but the arrows were starting to have real effect, retreating or damaging critical units. Without those units, the Goths were forced to close with their AUX and other Lights. From that point it was Lights on Lights for some heavy bantam weight action. The gloves were truly off, as at one point a full strength Roman LB attacked a severely damaged Goths HC, which elected to stand. The LB missed, and was lost in the battle back. Both that Roman LB and another LC were pinned and destroyed on battle backs after ill-fated attacks. At 3-0 the battle continued in the center, with the Goths taking block hits on their Lights while the Romans advanced forward. The Goths brought in a fresh WAR from the rear, but the Romans finally closed along the line, with Claudius at the lead on his HI. Even a First Strike could not stop the onslaught, and two AUX fell in short order. But the Goths LDR held on to his last WAR block, and a Clash of Shields was heard on the battlefield. Claudius and his glorious Heavy Infantry fell, along with another Roman AUX, and the tide turned to the Goths at 5-2. With wounded units scattered about the center, the Romans brought in their MC for some mopping up, but the Goths sacrifices to the Gods of Dice were answered and the attack failed, doing little damage and costing the Romans an MC. The Goths finally brought in a LDR with two full strength HC and a WAR to attack an AUX on the left. The brave AUX outright killed an HC on a bb, but then fell to the Goths WARS.
 

Game 1
GomJabbar (Goth) 6 Banners
Asterisk1 (Roman) 7 Banners
The Romans began the battle with a Darken the Sky with arrows and spears. Fortunately for the Goths it resulted in reducing only 1 HC unit to 1 block. The Goth center charged forward forcing the Roman LC back. But the Roman MC pushed forward and gained 2 banners in short order. Then the Goths eliminated both the MC units that got overextended. The Goth HC surged forward to little effect and a timely Roman First Strike on a weakened HC spelled the beginning of the end for the Goths. The Romans counter attack of Mounted Charge on both flanks gained more banners. The Goth warriors and light foot valiantly pushed back the Roman cavalry getting to within 1 banner of victory before the Romans Out Flanked the Goths for the last 2 banners and the win. 
Game 2
Asterisk1 (Goth) 4 Banners
GomJabbar (Roman) 7 Banners
The Romans started with LC throwing spears and MC charging the Goth left flank. The Goths HC in the center countered and pushed the Roman LC back. The Goth HC and Warriors in the center charged forward but their dice rolls were not effective and they were forced to retreat. The Romans continued to whittle down the Goths. It was starting to look dire for the Goths with 3-0 banners for the Romans. But a timely Clash of Shields by the Goths gained them 2 banners. Then a disastrous attack by Aurelian and his MC caused the loss of both in a battle back from Goth Warriors. The tables were suddenly turned 4-3 banners for the Goths. The Romans clawed back to 5-4 banners. The Goths made a desperate attack on their right to finish the battle but a battle back and very lucky escape by the Roman MC unit with 1 block left made the Goth right vulnerable. A final decisive attack surrounding the Goth HC on the Roman left spelled the end of the Goths.Thank you Asterisk1 for the games. It was fun to get back into Ancients. Luckily we were able to get the games done in the nick of time.