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.

SAGA: FIGHTING FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN.

The most recent Thursday game of SAGA, saw my Scots take on Rick's Anglo Saxons. The scenario was 'sacred ground'. The terrain was simple, two sacred groves and a stone circle on a hill.
The stone circle was a new piece of terrain, to replace my old one. A simple job. A plastic Stonehenge set picked up in a publisher's outlet , drybrushed and stuck on  flocked bases. A lot easier to move.

Opening positions from the Scots' lines.

The early moves saw Rick use tricks from his SAGA board to move units quickly. The Anglo  Saxons were able to score victory points from turn 1. This would prove decisive.

The Scots Warlord leads the advance on the stone circle.

The Scots levy enter the wood. They would start to score victory points. The battle for the stone circle can be seen in the background.

The battle for the stone circle, a closer look.

Almost unnoticed, the battle for the wood on the Scots' right flank had been going on. The rmains of a Scots warrior unit holds ground and so scores points.

The battle for the stone circle continues.

The Scots levy keeps up a barrage on the Anglo Saxon warriors in the left wood.

The Scots warlord amd his thegs, drive the Anglo Saxon Warriors from the stone circle.

The Scots levy,, after relising that shooting was useless, pile into the left wood .

The Scots warlord holds the stone circle, after killing the Anglo Saxon Warlord.  stone circle. It is still contested by Anglo Saxon warriors, who took advantage of the fight to get back in the circle.

The Anglo Saxons in sole possession of the right wood. 

After 7 turns, it was clear that the Scots could not generate enough victory points. The  Anglo Saxons were declared the winner. 

The game turned on Rick managing to double his units using abilities from the SAGA board. He was able to score victory points in that first turn. The Scots never caught up. It was enjoyable trying , though.

SAGA: BATTLE AT THE BRIDGES.

A few Thursdays ago, we had another go at SAGA. This time it was the Battle At The Ford scenario. 

Once again, Rick took the Anglo Saxons and I used my Scots.

Starting positions. The Scots on the left, the Anglo-Saxons on the right. 

View from behind the stone circle of the starting positions of the levy archers.

Warlord and the bulk of the Scots set up to take the right hand bridge.

The Anglo Saxons attack over the bridge to drive the levy archers from the stone circle.

After causing casualties, the Warriors engage the Scots levy. This forces the Scots Warlord to move to intercept.

The Anglo Saxon Levy cross the bridge to support the warriors attacking the stone circle.

The Scots Warlord and his bodyguard cause heavy casualties among the Anglo Saxon levy and warriors. 

The Anglo Saxon warlord and his bodyguard holds one bridge (after seeing off the Scots warlord). A unit of Thegns attacks a unit of Scots warriors. The Levy engage the remaining Anglo Saxon Warriors.

The end of the game. The Anglo Saxons claim victory as they hold both bridges and score more VPs for having figures on the opponent's bank.

It was a close result on points, but a comprehensive Anglo Saxon victory. I concentrated too much on one bridge and ended up with neither of them.

A couple of weeks later, we played the Sacred Ground scenario. After having problems with the stone circle terrain, which meant having to remove it, I knew I had to find a solution for he next game. More details in the next post. 

DBA 3.0. THE BATTLE OF FOUR ARMIES.

For our game two Thursdays ago, we went back to the future! Rick put on a couple of games of DBA 3.0, which we had both acquired last year. For the first game Rick's Late Imperial Romans took on my Sub Roman British (Artorious).

Starting deployment. From the British perspective.

Good dice rolling gives the British enough pips to make a huge advance across the field.

The Romans finally roll more than 2 and advance to contact.

With the Roman knights having a back and forth with the British cavalry, the battle lines clash, with inconclusive results

During an intense battle Artorious was killed. A history changing victory to the Romans.

My Late Pict army set up to take on Rick's Early Ostrogoths.

The Picts, being mainly fast spears, race across the battlefield. They are charged by the Ostrogoth knights.

The supported ranks of spears push back the knights, supported by the general's cavalry unit.

The Ostrogoths counter attack hits home. A general melee ensues with some Picts getting behind the Ostrogoth units and spears hitting the Ostrogothic battle line.

The decisive combats take place.

The fragile nature of the Pictish units is exposed as no less than  five are destroyed during combat, ending the game as an Ostrogothic win.

How did the game play? There are a lot of things that are similar to 'old' DBA. Where the game has changed is with the introduction of further subdivisions of the old unit descriptions. This allows units to be used historically. For example, in DBA 2.2, the Pict spears were just that, with no difference from any other spears. In DBA 3.0 they are classed as fast spears which allows them to move fast, but they are brittle, adding a hint of realism and another aspect to generalship.  You could say that the level of command has zoomed in one level.

No doubt there will be more to learn in the next game!

SAGA: SCOTS v ANGLO SAXONS.

Last week, Rick and I continued the SAGA theme for our Thursday game. I got another chance to try out my Scots and Rick tried the Anglo Saxons. We played the 'Escort' scenario. My Scots had three baggage elements and had to escort at least two of them off the other side of the table. The Anglo Saxons win by destroying them all. 

Early in the game, the Scots make progress across the table. 

Scot's eye view of the Anglo Saxons.

A wider view of the battlefield.

The Anglo Saxons counter attack. But one baggage element manages to escape down the right flank.

The Scot's Warlord and his bodyguard face a large unit of warriors.

The Scots come off second best at the farm, but the levies managed to reduce a unit of Hearthguard to half strength, through some good shooting.

My Scots were painted by South Of The Wall Miniatures. www.facebook.com/South-of-the-wall-miniatures-1625931510974164/?fref=ts

The Anglo Saxon's relentless advance surrounds the remaining Scots. The Fyrd have just repulsed a unit of Scots Spearmen.

I managed to get one lot of baggage off the table. The other two were lost. Victory to Rick’s Anglo Saxons.  As the baggage needed the same dice as a hearthguard to activate, this meant having to prioritise which units move. I made a mistake in having two baggage units together, allowing Rick to concentrate on his victory conditions.

The next scenario will be ‘Battle at the Ford’.

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