DBMM 400pts Hunnic vs Late Roman

400pt Dbmm game using Hunnic vs Stephens Late Imperial Roman

I had 3 Irr Cmds

CIC CvS 2 CvS 15 LhS

SG CvS 1 CvS 15 LhS

SG CvS 11 LhS

Gepid Ally KnF 4 KnF

No Baggage

An Ambush and Feigned Flight strategem were paid for

The Romans had 3 Reg Cmds plus usual Baggage/Camp Pip Dump

1 Cmd had several Cataphracts with couple of Huns

A Cmd with Legionnaries backed by LI Bow and LH and 4 ArtF (I hate these sods !)

A Cmd with Bow and Aux (Lanciarii)

several Cav and LH interspersed

Huns invaded and had plenty of open terrain with only a small wood of any note

Romans managed to get a DH on their right and 2 RH on their left with no real room to circumvent them basically providing them with a terrain 'fort'

The Roman 'fort'

The Hun LH where therefore nullified as no real opportunity to outflank on or off table (I was loathe to use flank march after non-appearence in previous games)

As expected the Romans lined up between their hills with Inf on the hills.

Huns had little option but to line up opposite. I did place a 4 element ambush of Lh in my wood hoping to use the feigned flight to draw enemy on DH towards them (bit optimistic as wood fair distance from hill)

Huns advanced with Lh and Gepids. The Roman bolt-shooters on carts moved to their right immediately to face the Gepids. They fired several times at Geipds but thankfully no kills just several of recoils.

Battle was joined with several Hun Lh charging into Blade and being charged by KnX

Couple of Huns spent and 1 killed by KnX but nothing too drastic. But they lack power to deal with a wall of foot or mounted if they cant gain overlaps. The Gepids managed to charge in despite attentions of bolt-shooters and they had an overlap on the right flank of Legionary line. This was facilitated mainly by use of a feigned flight by my left Cmd forcing the Roman infantry to halt.

But.........isnt their always at least one.............the Gepids could not kill any Legionnaries !! this was true for a full 3 combats...................

Meanwhile I was taking some losses on my right from the Cataphracts so I decided to hurl my CiC with his accompanying Nobles (a 3 element line with Gen in middle) through my Lh into the Legions to try to punch a hole.

But................told you there is always at least one !............of course this failed with my Nobles recoiling leaving the Cic overlapped twice in Roman turn and.................wait for it................the loss of my CiC !!!!

True to form on my next Pip roll this Cmd rolled a tremendous 1 meaning I could not even halt anyone so my largest and central Cmd routed (at some speed being mainly Lh)

This of course meant doom for neighbouring Cmds (in fact game nearly finished their and then as the temporary 2ME morale hit almost broke my left Cmd !) as their flanks now exposed.

The Gepids had at last quick killed two Bd plus 2 Ps (this was to be total Roman losses for game !!!!)

but too late as they also lost a 2ME element and my left Cmd became broken next turn ending the game.

Despite yet another drubbing (25-0 this one) it was as ever a good game to play with the Gepid charge and my Cic charge being two events that could have easily gone my way against the Blade.

The feigned flight was interesting to use but needs a lot of careful planning and timely Pips. Still at 5pts and capable of being used 3 times its a useful stratagem.

The Roman Art F is potent with ability to move and also to 'gang up' on single target (I was lucky not to lose anything to their shooting). Blade with PsO in back rank are tough for mounted to defeat (even the Kn) usually even or better factors for Bd.

The terrain was major factor as the hills robbed me of flanks to target.

Hunnic array

DBMM 400pts Turgesh vs T'Ang Chinese

400pt game today with my Central Asian Turks (Turgesh) vs Stephens T'Ang Chinese

T'Ang invaded in spring and terrain consisted of 2 DH 3 GH 2 RH and 2 RF.

I used Su Lu a brilliant General with 2 CvS, 8 LhS, 6 PsO, 6 HdO, 6 BwI a CvO SG with 4 CvO 8 LhS a second SG with 2 CvO and 6 LhS, Army baggage comprised 6 BgF and a Sogdian AG with 4 KnF and 2 LhF and 2 BgF.

Su Lu bought an Ambush, a Flank Attack and Feigned Flight (ambush discarded). Sogdian sent on Flank Attack on left and smaller SG Cmd delayed to rear. Su Lu deployed on left with LH to front and Bow in RF with Ps on a RH to rear with Hd guarding the baggage. The other SG deployed in Centre and to Right with 2 groups (turned out to be a major mistake) on 4 Lh with 2 CvO behind.

T'Ang comprised a Reg Bag (Pip dump) cmd and 3 largish Cmds with lots of Reg CvS several KnX, BwX, LhF and subject LhS turk renegades 2 ArtO also appeared.

I went first as defender and rolled a 6 for Su Lu and a disasterous 1 for on-table SG (other 2 Cmds not appearing yet. The 1 was major bind as I had deployed the SG in 2 groups and could only halt/move 1 and had to watch 4 of my Impetuous LhS ride forward onto lower slope of a GH in staggered formation.

The oppossing T'ang Cmd rolled a 6 of course and marched CvS right into my LH with upslope advantage.

It was shape of things to come as T'ang consistantly rolled high Pips and my lot low.

After 2 turns my SG Cmd had lost 4 elements of LH and were being outflanked on table by oppossing Turkish LH. My delayed Cmd appeared on turn 3 but despite the Flank Attack my Sogdians remained off table (they had a nice open flank to appear on as well with T'ang Cv and BowX).

In centre it was initally a stalemate as my Lh screen managed to survive vs BwX, Art and Cv. But once the KnX got into contact I began to lose a few elements. By this time my right flank had become disheartened and then broke.

In centre I moved a group of 6 Bow out of RF to counter Cav threatening Su Lu but this proved another mistake as large Pips by T'ang allowed them to surround the bow and destroy them in 2 turns.

Things looked bad (as usual) as I had inflicted only minimal losses on T'ang. I then charged Su Lu into an T'ang General using a brilliant stroke to try to turn things around. But.....you guessed it............ he threw the inevitable 1 to enemy 6 and bounced ingloriously off !

Still no sign of Sogdians despite by this time only needing a 4 or better to appear.

They had not arrived by the time a lost several more Lh and a CvS element which broke Su Lus Cmd ending the contest.

Despite yet another loss it was as ever an enjoyable game. My Pips were frustratingly low each turn and the non-appearence of the sodding Sogdians was not that helpful to my cause...........

BwX are a pretty decent troop type.

The impetuous LhS are caught by Cav

DBMM 400pts Polybian Roman vs Carthaginian

Game today with Stephen using my Romans vs his Punic bunch

I defended with DH on my left and a fortuitous river om my right (DH to Punic rear only other feature)

I had large cmd of Blade (16 elements) with PsS, SpS and 4 Iberian AxS in centre with AG on right with 4 Bd 2 Sp 2 PsS 2 PsO. The left flank (on the DH) was held by Iberian Ally. My Cic with 4 CvO was in reserve. No baggage used. I allocated highest die to CIC and lower to SG.

Punics had 3 Elephants interspersed with WbO with several Reg AxS, SpS and numerous Numidian PsS AxI and LhO and about 10 CvO. My narrow frontage and presecence of river/DH thankfully stopped his LH from worrying my flanks.

Main attack came from the Wb/El combo in centre.

I put my Cic & Cv in behind my blade and velites with ful intention of pushing them thru to counter the El/WB but suffering a brain barf i neglected to do this instead sticking my velites into close combat with blade close behind (usual unhelpful minimum Pips not aiding my decisions).

My Iberian allies fought well on flank holding up the Rg Ax/Sp and some Cav and my Roman AG was also successful in thwarting Punic Cv/Lh on my right.

Crunch in centre saw my Velites recoil behind the blade who then were charged by Wb/El and suffered several QKs, on my following turn I only managed a couple of QKs on WB.

Next turn saw the Punic shock troops break my main Cmd (32ME) and leave them only 3 ME from routing my Army.

A lucky Pip roll allowed me to keep the broken Cmd in situ and low and behold my broken troops offered stout resistance (ie winning several die rolls !!). However it was a transitory 'victory' as then soon succumbed which of itself was not too bad (as already counting lost) but on my right the game was decided by 3 Punic CvO vs 3 BdO as two Cv recoiled but the third doubled opposing Bd which combined with loss of 2ME earlier from Iberian Cmd routed my Army.

Despite its one-sided nature this was still an enjoyable game and I kick myself for not following my plan to engage the Wb/El with my CvO which may have course made no difference given my penchant for losing key die rolls :-)

The Roman Cav watching inital stages of destruction of their comrades.......................................

Dbmm 400pts Khazar vs Early Byzantine

Dbmm at Stephens 4th Oct 07

Another (!!) Dbmm game with my Khazars having another outing this time vs Early Byzantines.
I had 3 Irr Cmds using basis of CvS (was tempted by the KnF option) backed by Lh F with LhS and 3 KnF several hordes and a few Slav AxO/PsO and again my newly painted Guard.
Byzantines had 4 Reg Cmds and Pip dump of BgF.
Another really good and close game which could have gone either way in the end hingeing on my right flank Cmd getting anything but 1 on Pip dice (of course 1 is exactly what they got) and then a Lh vs rear of enemy Cvs Gen which I failed to Win !!! this then lead to right flank breaking and game ending but I did at least shatter the Byz CICs large Cmd.

Bit of a brain-barf between us regarding Broken vs Shattered (we had forgotten the claraification) status (so much to remember each game).

Dbmm 400pts Islamic Berber vs Feudal Spainsh

Dbmm game 28th Sept 07 at Stephens

I used his Islamic Berbers vs Spainish to try out a Spear based army.
Spear dome quite well especialy in defense against Knights but are rather poor on own turn as lose back ranks and therefore have difficulty killing anything but are vulnerable to doubling. Losing only a single rank is a bonus though.
A Cmd of SpO fought Knights and eventually succumbed but mainly by their being ouflanked.
A Cmd of SpI fought Spainisg Aux and Ps and done rather well.
However the Berber Light horse suffered from enemy mounted and Berber Christian allies were overwhlemed by oppossing knights.

Again another fun game with lots of decisive action.

Stephen convinced Spear armies are redundant. I agree for an open style competition but not for themed comps or near historical match-ups.