Later Seleucid versus Palmyra

Same general location around Syria, but a few hundred years apart.

Curtis assisted me with the Seleucids (which included some of my latest units) in battle against John and Brad and their new Palmyran army in its first outing.

For this AAR I took a photo after each impulse, rather than one per turn (two impulses)

The Seleucids were out scouted,

but found favourable terrain.

A lake on their left and difficult ground on their right.

First turn and the Palmyrans send their light cavalry forward.

The Seleucids attempt to catch them but miss, becoming disordered.

Second turn and the Palmyrans cavalry fire and retire.

The scythed chariots charged but collapsed after the Palmyrans delivered some defensive fire.

The third turn and the Seleucids got the initiative and advanced,

their cataphracts charging into the enemy.

The Palmyran cataphracts try a countercharge, but the Seleucid horse hold.

The same cannot be said for the Arab archers covering the Seleucid right flank.

The fourth turn and the Palmyrans are now threatening the Seleucid's rear.

The Seleucid cataphracts have been repulsed.

The imitation legionnaires have become engaged and the phalanx is inching closer.

The thureophoroi have about faced to cover the right flank.

Turn five and one unit of Palmyran cataphracts has perished before the Cretan archers.

The Seleucid right is suffering under massed bow fire from the Palmyrans.

The Seleucid phalanx has pushed the enemy back but failed to pursue.

Turn six and the Seleucids continue to advance.

Their cataphracts have rejoined the fray,

the phalanx has continued to push forward

but again failing to follow up.

The elephants are getting close,

and even the thureophoroi are looking threatening.

The Palmyrans keep shooting.

Their cataphracts have prevailed but failed to follow up.

Turn seven and again the Seleucids surge forward,

the phalanx again just failing to rout the archers to their front,

but the elephants successfully stomped on their opponents.

The elephants success was short lived.

The cataphracts are fighting it out to the bitter end.

At this stage each side is one unit away from breaking.

Turn eight and the Palmyrans try to shoot their way to victory.

But victory goes to the Seleucids as their cataphracts succeed 

while the phalanx again fails to deliver.

Museum - Second Opening

Richard and I played this game again, but with fewer of the expansions.  It was a close-run thing.

My museum at the end of the game

Note 5 point Japanese card on the Research board

Richard's museum

The card that thwarted a win

Scoring is not really obvious until the end.

It was 136 for me and 147 to Richard.

If there hadn't been a standstill...

Good play by Richard.

Kaiser class versus King George V class

I am working on an adaption of Avalon Hil's Jutland with SPI's Dreadnought to use with miniatures.  So far I only have the basics, 1" equals a 1,000 yards and one turn is 10 minutes and just doing battleships, but it was enough to give it a try with the help of Simon, Brad and John.  

Four King George V class battleships

captained by Simon and Brad

Four Kaiser class battleships

kaptained by John and myself.

The British using the longer range of their guns 

dropped three salvos on the lead German battleship, the Kaiserin.

The "splashes" represent ship's being fired at.

Once all the fire has been plotted,

hits are rolled and totalled

by placing dice recording the hits achieved.

The Germans are coming off worse.

It pays to pair off firing, but also to be able to gang up on ships.

Individual ship charts record hits keeping on table clutter to the minimum.

For a first game it was a success.  The Germans took a pounding but kept afloat (but not for much longer).  One British ship almost sustained a critical hit.

Museum

Hot on the enjoyment of Museum Pictura today Richard and I played Museum, the second edition deluxe and included every expansion.

1) Archaeologists

2) World's Fair

3) Black Market

4) Cthulhu Relics

5) Historians

6) Bad Press

7) Crystal Skulls

8) People's Choice

9) League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

10) Additional Cards from the Curator Pack.

Perhaps a little over the top for my first game and some aspects of these expansions we didn't really use.  As with Pictura lots of moving parts and tricky to know how you are tracking regarding the other player.

The French Museum (on the left) collected 158 points while the German Museum collected 153.

We will play again, but perhaps with not all the expansions.  As wonderful as they are they possibly obscured a great game under the principle less is best.

Catapults

Two models, one purchased a while back and another constructed from bits.

Lithobolos

Constructed onager.  I had the base and wheels.  

Matches supplied the rest with crew from Tin Soldier Univeral Soldier range

All together along with one I did decades ago,

These were a distraction after I started work on adapting siege rules from the Kingdom of Heaven boardgame for use with Basic Impetus, which I really need to get back to and finish.

Burgundian Ordonnance versus The Tudors

Medieval and while not an historical match, they were close enough and more importantly the game is good practice for the club's competition. Mark B tried out the Tudors that he is running in the competition.

The Burgundians were out scouted and found the Tudors sitting on a hill between two woods.

The Burgundians start to advance, 

their hand gunners rushing forward 

trying to dodge the enemy cannonballs.

The Duke with his retinue shuffle left.

The distance has been closed and serious shooting is about to begin.

The hand gunners didn't all dodge fast enough.

The other Burgundian knights have shuffled right.

The Tudor knights have matched these shuffles.

The initial round of firing has seen serious casualties inflicted on the Tudor longbow.

Casualties that proved fatal.

At this stage the good Duke predicted it was all over for the Tudors.

To encourage the Tudors to decamp, 

the Burgundian missile troops advanced.

Goaded into action, the Tudors advance.

A charge by the Tudor lefthand knights run over some Burgundian longbow,

but find themselves countercharged by Burgundian knights.

The knights keep fighting.

The infantry has also come to blows.

Both sides have lost their heavy guns.

The Duke's knights have been successful,

but a flank charge by the other Burgundian knights failed to deliver.

The double unit headed by the dismounted Tudor men-at-arms is tough!

The other unit of Tudor knights is having a hard time.

Game over.

The Burgundians have lost three units,

the Tudors somewhat more.

Imitation Legionnaires

I am sure I purchased these in England in 1986.  I was excited about the expanded Tin Solider range that I had found in a shop (which I think was Gamers in Exile in London) while on holiday in the mother country.  However, I was disappointed that they were not up to the same standard as the Tin Soldier hoplites (single pose, but also noticeable mould lines).  That disappointment has lasted for close on 40 years, but no more.  They have been painted and based to join my Seleucid army as imitation legionnaires.  The code on the base is RR2 and RR6 for the officer but I see them in the current catalogue as ITA5 Latin Infantry with the officer as ITA7 (as well as seeing a much-expanded range from the time I was actively collecting or rather accumulating them).

I got bored filing off the mould lines on the helmets.