DBMM Yuan Chinese vs Samurai

Played another Dbmm game at Stephens as he had yet another army he wanted to try this time Samurai (and very pretty it was too). I having as late as this so borrowed a Yuan Mongol/Chinese army as a near contemporary. Samurai used Pallisades (ie Temporary Fortifications) which we have not used before and it took us a bit of head scratching to work out rules for them as sort of strewn throughout rules. We made a couple of mistakes early on, main one being that whilst a destroyed TF counts as difficult going the winner advances beyond rather than into/upon this difficult going which makes sense, when combined with loser recoil base width not depth but took us a few reading to realise this. Another fun game of Dbmm



'Auld' iPhone pics (ie a bit ropey)

Thirty Years War video waffle & Kutusov

Another go with iPad of a trial run through of Thirty Years War Europe In Agony 1618-1648 by GMT games. And a very fun game it was too.

Since finishing Thirty Years War have now set-up Kutuzov on table for try out

Wings Of War plus Pike & Shotte arrive.........

Couple more goodies arrived today

£15 on Ebay and in excellent condition (does not look to have been played) I suspect if its a decent game  I will no doubt collect a few of the very nice miniatures associated with this

Big fan of FOGR but could not resist this one (£19.50 on Amazon) !

Personal note:
My son Steven got his his A Level results today and passed and so is off to Nottingham University to read History from late September.
I am a heady mix of immensely proud/relieved/emotional/missing him madly already (as essentially an overseas 'posting')/feeling rather old/end of an era.

NB He has had his girly hair cut since this as a real bug-bear of mine !! that is him on right by the way not the dashing and youthful figure on left playing 'pocket billiards' :-)

Postscript:

Check out 'The Blog With No Name' who has a giveaway type competition running and is looking to boost his follower numbers, some very nice prizes in pipeline

http://walladvantage2.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/100-followers-why-thank-you-all.html

Thirty Year War: Europe In Agony board wargame

This game arrived from chap in Spain in absolute mint condition and just managed a hour or two (by burning midnight oil) to get it set-up for a try out.
Another card driven type and looks rather interesting (its a period I like).

This one just arrived today too !!!

DBMM Maurikian Byzantine vs Islamic Berber

Busy busy week but managed to get a Dbmm game in with Stephen.
Very little prep time (ie none) so we just picked a Book 3 army each to use and abuse.
I selected my Maurikian Byzantine (a glutton for punishment) and Stephen arrived at chez Barr with Islamic Berbers.
Another fun game ensued as I mass charged the Berbers hoping to pin them back and break through their massed lines.
My Kavallori 'wedges' as ever led by two Generals in front line failed again as ever to break through the spears.
Sadly my supporting Skutatoi foot were decimated by the Berber foot opening a gap that I could not fill (my Pip dice were awful this game averaging 5 or less each turn on 3 dice !!).
With terrain I could (indeed should) have adopted a defensive posture as I had two difficult hills on each flank...................but.......................its just not in my genes..........................


My excuse is I needed a quick game as I had to head off to work for the evening :-)

Both armies deployed note the Byzantine position nicely anchored on two hills

Psiloi on one of the difficult hills

Khazar contingent in march mode

Worms-eye view of Byzantine line

Kavallori massed in center

The Berbers (Herbet Lom is in there somewhere)

Byzantines initiate proceedings

Berbers await (El Cid contingent hug rear edge)

Kavallori up the Berber gullets

Mexican stand-off on my leftKavallori impact spear line

Charged blunted with some 'wedges' repulsed

Byzantine foot in trouble

Byzantine Knights in diffs as well

Maurice Seven Years War

A Seven Years War bash today at Stephens with my Russians against the Prussians using the most excellent Maurice rules.
A really enjoyable game it was too (these are another very fun set of rules by Mr Mustafa).
We used the army builder points system and random terrain set-up with two 100 point armies.
Terrain was Plains and eight pieces in total. Stephen had Great Captain card (very appropriate for Frederick of course) Lethal Volleys and Cadence Step.
I had Rally To The Colours and Steady The Lads for my Ivans. Prussians were attackers and set up second (a big advantage).
They massed on my somewhat week left flank and with Cadence they were able to rush forward in column and deploy into line right in my face.
Russians were able to shore up flank by marching two Infantry units that had deployed in column as a reserve but of course being Maurice this meant they were doing little elsewhere having to dance continually it seemed to Prussian tune (composed by Frederick).
The ability of a Great Captain to allow the CinC a 'free' 8" move each round proved very effective indeed whereas the poor Russian CinC had to burn cards to move or else staying one place.
Pressure on Russian left eventually told as Prussians outgunned them.
We also tried using Notables for the first time today.
I had Cameron Von Muller (a Scots exile enobled in Germany) who I placed with my Elite Horse Grenadiers but since my Cavalry wing was not involved he got no chance to shine.
Prussians had a chap whose name I neglected to note who also attached to a Cavalry unit which charged a single battery of Artillery and was repulsed (my base 2 plus a 6 rolled vs a base 6 but only 1 rolled !!) and to add insult to injury he then failed his Hazard roll and was then killed !!
This was my only success however......................
A really fun game indeed with a set of rules I enjoy a lot as a nice balance of that chaos factor I like with very slick and playable systems. Everything is integrated very well and just simply works.

Russians deployed

Russian center and right wing Cavalry

The weaker left wing

Prussians massed on their right

Prussians getting numbers to count

Prussians deploy from columns

Russian center tries to re-deploy (note two units in column scurrying to left)

The Russians left has disappeared !

Out of focus (due to my tears !) shot of Russian dead pile

No Gold Medal for me but plenty for Team GB !!!! Huzzah !!!!

DBMM Polybian Roman vs Selecuid

A miniatures game today huzzah !! Stephen brought his Selecuids (mainly as he has several newly painted figures in particular some KnF Wedges) and I fielded my Romans for a historical type match-up (always my favourite). A really good game ensued even though I got absolutely no terrain on my half of table whilst invading Selecuid lands !!
Successors deployed first and I tried to make things awkward by deploying at an angle but being regular he was able to wheel easily. First sign of trouble for Latins came as their Spainish Allies on their right flank went unreliable (bloody Greek gold no doubt). However this meant Stephen could not approach them too closely or they would 'activate' so they were a sort of human terrain piece. It took several turns to get them into fray. Phalanx advanced in center which I held up with Velites before a straight clash between the Pikes and my Legionaries. Successors had a block of Cataphracts on my left which I faced with my lowly Roman and Italian Cavalry (did mean I got to initiate charge). The Wedges were on my right facing the Spainish (mostly auxilia) and a group of Legionaries I managed to redeploy. Initial clash saw my Legions bloody Greek nose with loss of couple of Pike and Auxilia. But following turn I lost a couple of Blade and Auxilia elements. Key loss was a blade in middle of a line leaving gap for pike to exploit as second rank reserves were off facing the wedges. My cavalry charged the Cataphracts but my General failed to kill opposing element despite my managing an overlap ! A couple of turns of indecisive combats were suddenly followed by a complete collapse on Roman side as my Legions were disheartened then broken and whole army folded. Still a great game that could have gone either way. The Selecuids are a nice balance of tough foot, Auxilia types and good punch with the Cataphtracts and the Wedges (who never count overlaps against any by light horse). Romans as ever outclassed in mounted arm but Legions are fun to use.

Selecuid deployment

Romans on featureless plain !

Successors wheel

Romans advance to meet the Phalanx

Phalanx 

Romans deploy to their right to face the wedges

Clash of arms !!

The end as Roman lines are punctured and shattered

Another game planned for next Saturday and my choice of game but oh what to play !!??
Maurice SYW ? IABSM WW2 ? Spearhead WW2 ? Lasalle/FOGN ? FOGR ? or ??????