DBMM game: Western Frankish vs Carolingian

Played a Dbmm game today to give Stephen a practice game for Munster competition in January (which sadly I have to miss for second year in a row).
The theme is Armies and Enemies of the Celts but has a broad range of possible armies from all four list books. Stephen is thinking if trying Carolingian and nearest I could field from the theme list was Western Frankish (a sort of a successor army).
He used Charlemagne so his Knights were Regulars. However he used a Croatian ally which is disallowed by theme restrictions but made no matter to me.
My Franks where of course Irregular with a Viking Sub General.
It has been a while since we played Dbmm and both now find we have an 'issue' with several things the most glaring being with the amount of manoeuvre that is possible which we find is way too much for Ancients  period when thought about logically/historically.
After deployment it feels like we are re-deploying every game with the ability to march large groups of 'units'.
It happened today as my Knights found themselves facing diddly squat and marched across table to opposite wing (aided of course by good Pip rolls despite being Inept Irregulars)
The Carolingian knights done similar to switch sides and attack my now weakened flank. Hard to think of too many historical accounts were this happens so regularly.
The standard two Light Horse marched past my open wing into the 'backfield'.
However despite this it turned into a really good game as it essentially became a race to crush opposite left wings.
I was aided by the Croatian ally being Unreliable and allowing me to try to gang up on them. I was however unable to break through the Croatians and accompanying Franks and found my own left wing crushed by the highly mobile Regular Knights.
Dbmm certainly has a lot of variety built in with weather, time of day, and suchlike compared to Field Of Glory but now on balance I think I prefer the unit based approach.
And despite our chatting about how we have gone look warm on what was very much our favoured Ancients set we had damn good fun actually playing !!

The photos do show a good 'look' to the 'battle'.


My center

My Knights start their trek across battlefield leaving a doomed rearguard

Their destination a hill in front of static Croatians

Overview of set-up (note Light Horse at bottom starting their 'outflank')

Knights arrive and begin to form for charge

 Carolingian Knights doing same on opposite flank

DBMM - Maurikian Byzantine vs Western Hunnic

Played game of Dbmm with Stephen as practice for his going to Munster at weekend (which I sadly cannot make again this year due to working grrrrrrrr).
Stephen is using Huns (I wont reveal army OOB) and I used Maurikian Byzantine.
Turned out to be quite a bloody game this one as we both got to grips quickly.
My left flank was wiped out to a man but this allowed my other two commands to deal heavily with opposing Hun commands.
We did not get game finished and outcome was still in balance as Huns on edge of defeat with two commands about to break but my whole left wing gone and so lots of Hun light horse about to wheel onto my center.
Quite a lot of rules discussions as we tried to work out several awkward situations regarding Flees in a feigned flight, bursting through and such like.
But then that was part of point of playing a practice game.
Still good fun game overall.

Really wish I could have made trip south.....................

DBMM Avar vs Carolingian

Played a game of DBMM (first in absolute ages) against Stephen last night at my gaff.
He brought Carolingian so I fielded my Avars.
This was in preparation for Munster competition in January at which we both hope to make an appearance.
A good game although we felt that in a competition we would both be less aggressive and good chance of a boring old draw (I never 'suffer' these of course !).
Was good to get back to the inertia of PIP dicing system but after playing FOG so much lately Dbmm seemed rather fiddly with lots of single elements moves and a lot (I never really noticed this before) of micro managing moves.
Rather more 'symmetrical' look to game than the 'firework display' style of FOG.
Of course once we got to grips this is all paled into insignificance as the number of 1s that I managed to roll in majority of combats was as ever totally amazing and hard to fathom !!
Overall good fun and a nice change of system from FOG system.















Armies deployed

DBMM Galatian vs Selecuid

Played another Dbmm game today against Stephen to give him another practice game for next weekends Munster Competition (which I am getting really miffed I cannot attend due to ongoing work issues !).
I decided to use Galatians (ie glutton for punishment) despite knowing they are up against it with the Selecuids having KnF wedges and KnX troop type to which the Celts have no real answer.
I ended up as Invader (quite becoming the Galatians) and we generated quite a lot of terrain mostly on my side.
Thankfully the Greeks set up first so I had a bit of leeway in deployment.
I had two commands with mainly Warband a command with Cv, CvI and some CvO Chariots, an Ally Thessalian (of which more later) completed my lot.
Wont detail Stephens in case enemy spies read this prior to next Saturday. Suffice to say no surprises.
As ever with Warband army it was a straightforward (in all meanings of word) advance to contact (or 'just as Mr Barker intended' as its known).
Psiloi held my Warbands up for a turn whilst enemy mounted got ready to charge. I pre-empted the Cataphract strike by charging with my Chariots and Cavalry but the outcome was predictable and my Cavalry command was soon shaken.
The Companion wedges then hit home and over course of couple of turns decimated my central warband command. Meanwhile..............over on my right my Thessalian allies had decided to be Unreliable (paid off by Greek gold !?) and refused to activate.
When my mounted command succumbed this then led to their bloody well changing side and charging erstwhile allies !! damn traitors.
This sort of stuff of course is why we like Dbmm and we just realised today that we have been playing this system for almost 6 years !!! my goodness how time flies.
I had decent Pip dice rolls today but combat rolls were usual awful standard.
A quick but enjoyable game.
Those KnF Wedges are very potent as the not counting overlaps is rather awesome.
Good luck to Stephen for Munster (some other sod will have to take pics and do a report this year).

Galatians deployed (traitors at bottom)

Selecuids arrayed

Selecuid view of Galatian lines

Traitorous sods

Galatian view of Greek lines

About to clash

About to die

Traitors spring into action attacking 'allies' in the rear......ouch

DBMM Roman vs Selecuid

Played a game of DBMM (first since August !!) at Stephens today.
He wanted practice for the Munster Open (Cork competition that I very very sadly cannot attend this year !!!!) at end of month.
I brought my Polybian Romans (which I intended to use at Cork) with intention to play a more defensive game than usual to give him practice against this sort of play.
He decided to use Selecuids (although he has not yet decided which of his multiple armies to field - note to opponents he is looking at at least 5 possibles !!).
I managed to setup between two hills which pretty much sat with defensive posture.
I placed two Legions beside each other between the hills and my Cavalry in rear as second line (which worked quite well)
This does however yield initiative to other side.
Game was essentially decided though by charge of the Greek Companions (KnF in wedge which never count overlapped) and the massed Phalanx (very tough to disrupt) which quickly broke my right flank command.
My mounted arm done stirling work holding the line but losses mounted to break the army.
I did have two decent chances to kill a KnX Selecuid General  but of course failed miserably although overall my dice rolls were not too bad.
A fairly quick but fun game and hopefully some food for thought for Stephen and possible army choice.

Selecuids deployed

The Romans await

The Phalanx with Companions in support

Roman Cavalry in reserve

Selecuid Cataphracts

Lines clash

Companions have broken through

Auxilia types stare each other down

Not so on the other flank