DBA 3.0. TWO MORE BATTLES.

After our taster game of DBA 3.0, Rick suggested we try the big battle DBA rules. For this, we used three standard sized DBA armies. We fought two different battles on two separate Thursdays. 

The initial set up. The Picts are in ambush positions as the British advance.

For the first game, we decided to ignore the set up rules and set up an historical battle. The battle was Nechtansmere or Dunnichen, between the Picts and Sub Roman British. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dun_Nechtain

The middle command of the Picts charges down from the hill as the Britons try to change from marching order to deploy into battle order.

Two Pictish commands attack the Britons, to try to drive them into the lake. The third command is the plug to stop the Britons' escape.

The Picts crash into the Britons, pushing them back.

Having lost impetus, the Picts are attacked by British cavalry and take losses. In the foreground, the Pictish warband clash with British infantry.

The casualties suffered by the Picts left two commands demoralised.

History was not repeated, as the Picts lost. Two commands lost at least 4 elements and became demoralised. That meant they could not attack, only defend, and only then if pips were spent to hold them. The British were able to defeat the commands in detail. The army morale check was then failed, giving victory to the British.

The second game was based on a randomly rolled battlefield from a Commands & Colors scenario. It was between Rick's Early Imperial Romans and my Early Germans. 

The initial set up. We used coloured beads to denote the commands and CinC. Each command got one pip dice.

As the attacker, I took advantage of Rick's poor pip dice to get my warbands across the river.

The Romans retaliate with a cavalry charge.

An overview of the battle. The Romans are beginning to attack the German right flank,

The German assault begins to cause casualties to the Romans.

The Romans exploit the weak German right flank. 

The Germans continue to push forward, unaware that they have been outflanked.

A view of the German plight.The right flank German command was now demoralised.

A second German command becomes demoralised during the Roman counter attack.

The end state. The Germans failed the army morale check, once two commands were demoralised.

The DBA 3.0 big battle rules give a feel like old style DBM. I have not played DBMM, so can't say what influence this may have had. The rules have tweaked the troop types enough to allow and encourage historical tactics and usage.

Playing DBA again has reignited my interest in the period.