Museo Naval

It took two goes to get to see this museum in Madrid.  It is based in the Spanish Naval HQ building, and the first time we walked all the way around trying to find the museum entrance.  At the end I thought it must have been closed for construction work, but I think it was just a well-hidden entrance and that it might have been closed on that day.  Second attempt was much more successful.  Better still, the museum was effectively free to enter.  

Well worth it just to see the building in which it is housed.  It is also laid out following the historical time frame which saw Spain become the dominant naval power in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries before its decline.  The navy was a major expense but required to maintain their colonies. 

The collection included various artifacts, models and dioramas as well as paintings.

Magnificent model.

As it was in a glass cabinet 

I had to be careful of reflections

and use of flash.

Combate Naval Entre Espanoles Y Turcos

by Juan De La Corte 1597-1660

The Pope looking at the Battle of Lepanto

Unfortunately, I can't read the descriptive plaque in this photo.

Don Juan of Austria

daring you to comment on his fashion sense,

so he can stick you with his stiletto.

More stirring paintings now moving to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Not just ship models (of which there were a lot)

but also some interesting dioramas of various Spanish naval bases.

Spanish navy bombarding a Peruvian city 2 May 1866

during the Chincha Island Wars.

Orleans

Another week another boardgame.  This one was easy to pick up and quick to play, but had a bit of agonising over what to do.  Good game.

I was blue, Richard yellow.

Nubian versus Early Achaemenid Persians and Siege

A scant 2,000 years difference, but let's see what my Nubians can do against Mark B's Persians and the subsequent siege.

Nubians were out scouted which means they are defending against the Persian invaders.

There is a lake and some broken ground on their left.

Things start cautiously.

Skirmishers to the fore!

While the skirmishing continues,

the main mass of the Nubians starts to advance.

The Persian light cavalry has broken through,

but still has hordes of Nubian skirmishers to deal with.

The battle is now a contest of bow fire.

There is limited success so far...

But both sides have lost units although the danger to the Nubian right flank has ceased.

Time for the Nubian warriors to charge.

The Persian cavalry flee,

but the Immortals stand firm.

The other Persian foot are moving forward,

having seen the Immortals repel the best of the Nubian foot.

But the Nubian archers withstand that threat.

The Nubian warriors surge forward again...

The Immortals are routed their general running off in time honoured Persian fashion.

Victory to Nubia!

Siege

The Persians retreat to their nearest stronghold and the Nubians follow up.

The Nubian have 10 units comprising 15 steps, 26 manpower and 25 combat strength including

their commander with his still fresh unit.

The Persians have only 4 units comprising 7 steps, 9 manpower and 11 combat strength. They have lost their commander. 

The Resistance Factor of the Persian stronghold is 5 and is not a port.

Before the siege commences, the Nubians call for the Persians to surrender.  They need to roll higher than the RF on a D6, but having leader with a fresh unit they gain a +1.  Regardless they fail.

The Nubians easily have the manpower to maintain a siege and implement a blockade which they do.  They then proceed to deploy Sappers and Miners and the RF falls to 2.

However the Persians Break the Blockade and the Nubian's lose 2 steps.  Ouch!

The Nubians create Lines of Circumvallation and reestablish the blockade.

They then attempt to starve the Persians, but they are well provisioned and suffer no losses.

The Nubians wait some time longer, still hoping to starve the Persians and are gratified to see then lose one step. 

But the Persians again Break the Blockade and the Nubian's lose another step.  

The Nubians deploy Ladders and Mantlets causing the RF to drop to 1.  They decide to assault. At this stage they are down to 21 combat factors and can only manage to inflict a 3 step loss on the Persians.  The Persians however, with 10 combat factors and the still adequate stronghold defences inflict 2 step losses on the Nubians, thereby avoiding having their losses doubled which would have caused them to surrender.

The Nubians call on Fortunes of War, but to no effect. They decide to assault again. At this stage they are down to 19 combat factors and can only manage to inflict 1 step loss on the Persians.  The Persians however, with 7 combat factors and still enjoying stronghold defences inflict 3 step losses on the Nubians.

At this stage the Nubians have 4 units, 7 steps, 12 manpower, and 14 combat factors.  The Persians have only 1 unit with 2 steps, 3 manpower and 4 combat factors.

Running out of time (as in cards to play) the Nubians again call on the Fortunes of Wall, but once more to no effect.  Regardless, they assault causing 2 step losses and receiving 1.  As they doubled the defender they won a major victory, but it didn't matter as all the Persians were wiped out.

Whoops! I forgot that after an unsuccessful assault the RF increases by 1.  Admittedly I had left this out of my rule's transcription, so I am still going to claim victory.  But the two unsuccessful assaults would have left the RF at 3 which is three shifts on the combat table and with the weakened combat strength the Nubians would have been able to do only 1 step loss at the end, not enough to win.

Great Western Trail Again

Not so successful this time, I was one cow short at Sacramento.  So it goes.  Great game.

Nubian versus New Kingdom Egyptians and subsequent siege

I decided to try something almost contemporary to face Karl and his New Kingdom Egyptians.  I had to cobble the Nubians from my Carthaginian and Arabian armies and add in a DBA army that I had purchased but never used.  How would it all go?

Please note, for this post photos are mostly after each player's turn rather than pair of turns. This should provide a better feel for the action.

The Egyptian went up the Nile and invaded Nubia.

The Nubians were ready, deployed with a scrubby wood on their left

and some broken ground in the centre.

The Nubian wings fly forward

as the Egyptian chariots start to roll.

Nubian skirmishers run forward,

while their archers start shooting.

But once they get in range the Egyptian chariots have significant missile fire power.

The chariots mostly annihilate the Nubian archers.

But there are plenty of Nubians and their arrows continue to rain down on the Egyptian chariots.

In the centre the Nubian warriors are now with strike range.

The charge by the Nubian warriors cleared away the Egyptian archers, 

but was not able to prevail against the Egyptian foot.

The Egyptian chariots are now faced with redeploying while avoid being shot at.

A mighty charge by the Nubian warriors lead by their nobles scores a massive set of hits.

But hits alone do not do it.

The Egyptians reel back, 

but are not broken.

The Egyptian chariots are trying to get back into action.

However, the Egyptian foot must be feeling a bit abandoned.

Nubian archery decimates the Egyptian chariots

And the Egyptian morale collapses.

 Subsequent Siege

The Egyptians flee until they find refuge in a Stronghold on the Nile.  The Nubians pursue.

The Egyptian force is just 3 units with 3 steps, 7 manpower and 10 combat strength.

The Nubians have 8 units, 15 steps, 18 manpower and 20 combat strength.

They can easily lay siege but being on the Nile the Egyptians have the benefit of a port and are therefore not blockaded.  The Stronghold has a Resistance Factor of 7 and would resist any immediate call for surrender.

The Nubians start by filling in the moat, reducing the RF to 6.  They then deploy catapults further reducing the RF to 5.  Thinking they will get the Egyptians to surrender they supply lavish gifts, but the Egyptians can see bad omens if they accept and refuse to surrender.

At this stage the Nubians have run out of playable options and call upon the Fortunes of War, only to find a traitor in their ranks and the RF raised to 7.

But things get worse as an epidemic breaks out in their camp.  They still have 8 units, but now only 9 steps, 10 manpower and 12 combat strength.  The epidemic spreads to the Stronghold, but has lost it virulence and with the Egyptian washing of hands policy, has no effect on the defenders.

The Nubians continue to call upon the Fortunes of War only this time to find their supplies are running low which sees their force drop to 6 units, 7 steps, 8 manpower and 10 combat strength.  They might still have a significant force, but its strength has been halved. The RF has risen to 8.

However, the Fortunes of War start to smile upon them. They construct a siege tower which brings the RF down to 6. And then another siege tower is constructed, and the RF falls to 4.  Finally ladders and mantlets are deployed causing the RF to drop to a low of 3.  In desperation they would try an assault, but the Nubian combat strength, after adjustment for the RF, prohibits such a venture and the siege fails and the Nubians withdraw.