OT2025 Round4

rjvonline - Parthians 7
gdnuke - Romans 6

Parthian shooting was rather ineffective throughout, and so they took advantage of the few risky opportunities they had to prevent retreats of Roman LI and attack them, but the HCC were quite ineffective too. Having a bunch of infantry (2 LC, 1 DT) or blue cards (2) didn't help either. For all that the banner count crept up on both sides until the Roman left got to pin the Parthian right and led 6-5, but they got perhaps a bit ahead of themselves on their right with a Mounted Charge that was not too successful and eventually another pincer move of HCC and LBC won the 2 last banners for the Parthians. Return game on Tuesday.

Hi FoxK, did you get my emails re setting up a game? Thanks Steve

OT Round 4: Carrhae 

Game 1 
BrentS (Parthian) 7
David I (Roman) 2 

Parthia cycled a couple of Double Times early and that gave the Roman lights enough time to eliminate an LBC with ranged fire....but worth it for Parthia to strengthen and balance their hand. The Roman cavalry advanced on the right but over several cards, including a Spartacus, the Parthian leader and cataphract cut off retreat paths and pinned units and took 4 banners in that section. Inevitably Crassus came forward with the Roman centre to force the evading LBC to disrupt their own lines but a rainy day MFM allowed them to rearrange them. Rome never quite had the oomph to break through and pin the Parthian cavalry to their baseline and Surena took the last two banners in the centre.  

Game 2
BrentS (Roman) 7
David I (Parthian) 4 

There is an art to playing with a Command of 4 but that’s usually because the scenario design gives Command 4 something to work with, some edge to exploit. I’m not sure that that applies to this scenario. Rome has to push hard with whatever they get. If that’s two Line Commands, like they got here, then the job is half done. Their front Mediums took some range fire attrition but they were sacrificial. An Order Mounted risked a Parthian Counterattack but it got all Rome’s leaders into the front rank and luckily no Counterattack happened. The predictable Parthian Mounted Charge came and the depleted Roman Medium Infantry died but bringing the cataphracts into disrupted lines exposed them and it was on. Their retreat paths were cut off and Rome killed two of them and one of their leaders. A couple more sacrificial Roman units died on their right but the victory was with the LBC pinned to their baseline and Cassius took the last two banners there. 

I’m going to hold up my hand for a ruling error. I told David it wasn’t legal to use a section card to order a leader and the unit he is attached to, move the unit away and leave the leader in place and move another unit into that hex for the leader to attach to. It’s rare but I thought the leader had to move 1 to 3 hexes as stated in the rules and that a leader sharing a hex with a unit was attached to it. I subsequently dug up a very old ruling from Mr Borg himself. It is legal. At the end of this BGG thread.

boardgamegeek.com/thread/316695/article/2366457#2366457  

I don’t think it changed the outcome of our first battle but still not great, sorry David. 

Thanks for a couple of really fun games. 

Brent.

rjvonline - Romans 7
gdnuke - Parthians 6

In this one, the Romans took the lead on some decent ranged combat and a double time that caught an HCC after a Mounted Charge and destroyed it. Once again the Parthian hand seems to have become clogged up with infantry-only cards while the Roman hand did not see one left sector card or multiple-sector game during the entire game. The Roman right flank made the most progress thanks to a couple of LI cards, but no Roman unit ever made it more fewer than 4 hexes from the Parthian rear row. Eventually the Parthians got another Mounted Charge card, but were unsuccessful in killing any unit on their right, largely because the first MI they attacked retreated 3 flags. As the Romans, I had held on to a First Strike because I thought I could survive the attack on my left (I did) and would do some real damage against the attack on my right, but I did not. The FS was a bust against a LC that would have died with but one flag, and that side of the Mounted Charge did nab 3 Roman units bringing George ahead 5-6, but he could not get his 7th... Next, I was able to cut off the retreat of the two LCs that he had wagered and squeeze by 7-6. Always a pleasure to play with George, and I feel fortunate I won twice by a score of 7-6.

Game 1
gotigerssc - Parthian: 7 banners
treeslinke - Roman: 4 banners

Started out poorly for the Parthians as they lost a HCC and leader but somewhere about mid-game the remaining HCC went on a rampage and did some damage. A lot of ranged shots from both sides with the LBC maneuvering around a bunch at the end to pick off a unit or two. I forgot to start a logfile in game 1 so the attached game here is the end save. 

Game 2
gotigerssc - Roman: 7 banners
treeslinke - Parthian: 6 banners

This came down to me getting a Mounted Charge card and saving it for just the right time. In doing so I was able to claim three units on one turn, including the HCC on the Roman right. That ultimately made the difference but it was another game with lots of ranged shots and tough decisions. Really tight games and it was fun playing against Evan.

Game 1 

taliapharaoh (Parthian) 7 banners
Lornlane (Roman) 1 banner

I very much enjoy these asymmetric matchups, where the composition of the armies are so completely different that it seems the games could go any number of ways. As the Parthians in Game 1, I was determined to make sure the Romans were not allowed to advance easily up the board, and my 6 card hand continued to support my tactics throughout the game. After eliminating an exposed L infantry early, advance upon the adjacent MI, and eliminate that unit as well. I charged ahead for BCC, knowing I held the FS card if needed. After losing two blocks to a LI on my BCC, I wasted my FS card with no hits, but fortunately avoided elimination until a couple of turns later, putting the score at 3-1 in my favor. After some repositioning and ranged skirmishing made it 4-1, I was able to draw a MC card that allowed me to menace both ends of the Roman line with my two remaining cataphract units, and get amazing rolls that ended the game 7-1 in my favor. I certainly had the advantage in cards in both of these games.


Game 2

Lornlane (Parthian) 4 banners
taliapharaoh (Roman) 7 banners

This one could've gone either way, despite Nikolay not getting much help from his 6 card hand throughout. I did not have great options, but I always had at least one card that I could play as a response to his moves. Nikolay moved quickly to surround my exposed LI on the Roman right, but did not get the rolls despite a solid plan of attack, and I was able to counter for the first banner. More importantly, it allowed my MI to advance up the board, which was my singular goal in this game, to close the distance quickly if possible. Nikolay got the next two banners, efficiently eliminating exposed Roman units, but these sacrifices allowed more MI to move up the board. After some back and forth, I made a move for the all-important 2nd banner by charging some infantry into a packed bunch of light cav, which resulted in the 2nd banner. My opponent made quick work of that exposed unit for a 3-2 lead, but I was able to continue to move the infantry up the board as a result, trading units for an advance that eventually paid dividends on turn 7, when I was able to eliminate two units on evades, and push many of his units back to the map's edge. His cards once again betrayed him, and he was unable to move these units far enough away from the steady pressure of the Roman infantry. I was fortunate to take a 5-4 lead, and on my next turn surround a light unit to push the lead to 6-4. On my opponent's next turn, I played a FS card for the final banner and a 7-4 victory.

Game 1:

Ken (Romans) 7 Banners
Alessandro (Parthians) 4 Banners
The battle opened with a Parthian arrow shower and a Roman reorganization.  The Romans managed to counter a move MI card to form a solid line, as the Parthians continued to skirmish.  The Roman right pressed forward, and the Parthains countered by pressing the Roman left. A lucky retreat by a LBC left an opening in the Parthian line, and the Roman left charged via double time.  One LBC was pocketed and killed, while a lucky double square finished off a Heavy CC unit. Parthians charged the overextended Roman Left, killing two roman LI, but the Roman MI stood strong and counterattacked. The Parthians reverted to showering the Romans with arrow fire, and the depleted roman left took one final charge, with the roman MI killing the remaining HCC, advancing to pinning and killing an LBC at the edge of the board, and forcing the Surena to flee the field. The Parthians charged to pocket and kill the Roman MC. The action shifted to the Roman right, where the Roman LC staged an unsuccessful charge the ended with the death of a Roman LC, but the other Roman LC held on to pocket a last Parthian LBC for the win. 
 

Alessandro (Romans) 7 Banners
Ken (Parthians) 5 Banners


The weather was partly cloudy with showers of arrows in the morning.  One MI was felled by missile fire as the Romans reorganized into a solid line. The Roman left charged, driving back the Parthian right, who countercharged , and were again counter-countercharged, who were then counter-counter-charged.  The net result was two dead parthian HCC, 2 dead Roman MI, and one dead Roman LC. The Romans then charged the center as the Parthians pressed their right flank. The Roman center pressed forward, and the Parthians picked off one more MI on the Roman right. Pinned against the baseline, the Parthians finally broke. 
 

Two very close games.  I simply had better luck with my missile fire, which netted me an early MI kill that was decisive in the banner count. Alessandro, thanks again for all that you do for the site!

Round 4 

Game 1
EZPickins (Roman) 7 Banners
Big Skull Z (Parthian) 2 Banners

Game 2

EZPickins (Parthian) 7 Banners
Big Skull Z (Roman) 5 Banners

In game one the Roman MI engaged the Parthian LC and grabbed the early lead in which held throughout the game. Game 2 was a tougher fight. The Parthians had a nice lead but the Romans battled back and nearly won if not for a few bsdd rolls.

Iuri was a challenging and fun opponent.


   

Game 1
lunacab (Parthian) 6 banners
GomJabbar (Roman) 7 banners

lunacab's Parthian's charged boldly forward in their left flank taking out a couple of Roman cavalry but losing 3 LBC of their own. The Parthian HCC on the left made some quick advance and retreat attacks with little effect. The Parthian's then abandoned the left flank and consolidated in the center. The Roman LC charged forward too far and paid the price. 3-3 at this point. Very even. Then the Parthian's charged forward again on the left. 2 more banners for the Parthians. It was looking dire for the Romans. The Romans got 1 more banner on the Parthian left due to an overextended LBC. It was 5-4 for the Parthians. Then the miracle happened. The Romans drew 3 Line Commands in a row and all the infantry was adjacent. It was a sight to behold. The Parthian center and right was squeezed with their backs to the wall. The right flank Parthian HCC made a valiant charge getting another banner. It was scary for the Romans. One more banner and they were lost. But the final Line Command gave 3 banners to the Romans in one turn and the game.
 
Game 2
GomJabbar (Parthian) 7 banners
lunacab (Roman) 0 banners

lunacab conceded this second game and said to mark it as 7-0 win for me (GomJabbar).

Thanks for the match lunacab. It was an interesting one. Good luck in the rest of the tournament.

OT Round 4: Carrhae 

Game 1 
Viridovilas (Roman) 6
Azzy (Parthian) 7

Parthian and Roman kept on exchanging arrows and stones all the time with mixed success. At the end of the day, though, a pair of well-thought cavalry charge on both wings of the Surena army made the Crassus forces flee the field

Game 2
Viridovilas (Parthian) 7
Azzy (Roman) 2

This time Surena tried to make a cavalry charge on the opening stage of the battle taking advantage of the disorganized march of the Crassus army in the desert. Once disarrayed the Roman forces it was relatively simple for the Parthian to take the win