Wednesday 11 May 2016

ADLG Tournament Murcia 9th May 2016


ADLG Tournament Murcia 9th May 2016


During my time off from writing on my blog, one of the new periods and rules I have started and played in abundance, is the French "L' Art de la Guerre" (ADLG) . In the last two years I have played in quite a few tournaments all over Spain from Malaga to Barcelona with an ever evolving army(s)  lists and strategies. This journey to where I am now with the game, I will write in a seperate post but for  this  one I will just concéntrate on the latest tournament we played in.

This Tournament came as a bit of a surprise when it was announced, due to the fact that nobody actually plays ADLG in the city of Murcia. However  Angel who owns the Wargaming Shop "Strategos" in Murcia and  in partnership with some of the guys in Alicante. Decided to put on the tournament for the local Wargamers so they could see the merits of the game in action. A bit like when FIFA hosted the Football World Cup in the USA to gain more interest (obviously this was on a smaller scale).


For this Tournament only Ancient armies could be used, no medieval so I went with an Army that I first started gaming these rules with, but lost heavily. The Romans, but with a twist they had  Arab Allies as well. Usually Roman units can be expensive in points so there are less units in the Army. making it easier to reach their breakpoint. After the great mistake of taking an elite but very small Roman Army to my first tournament with very poor results. I have always gone with large armies with the máximum of 36 units in a 200 point tournament. After a few changes my army was as follows:










Altogether 26 units including a fortified camp.
 
All packed the night before ready for an early start on Sunday morning.



My first game was against David from Alcoy, he had a 42 Selucid Army which consisted of:

Right Flank

Commander Ordinary
2 LMI Bows Mediocre
1 Elephant Mediocre
1 Light Infantry Bow

Centre
Commander Brilliant
4 Heavy Infantry Pikes
2 Heavy Infantry impetuous
2 Medium Infantry 2HW

Left Flank
Commander Competent
2 Light Cavalry Bow
4 Heavy Cavalry impetuous
2 Medium Camels Bow
 
Unfortunately I only managed to take a couple of quick shots of the first game as I was fully concentrating on the game. David's right flank was pretty weak and I was able to take out some of his units including his Elephant.
My left flank
David had his first kill on my right flank with me going into melee with two of light cavalry against one of his. However my other cavalry faired better pushing his left wing back and letting me gain the high ground. In one turn David lost about 4 or 5 units and it wasn't long after the main bodies clashed that David had reached his Break point and my first game ended in victory.
 
 
My centre advancing up to the hill.
 
My next game was against Rafa from Alcoy, also with a Selucid Army, this game was going to be a lot tougher due to him being currently second in the world rankings. I won the initiative so I chose to defend and  was able to choose the terrain. It seems Rafa had never come across this before, because he disappeared for a few minutes to fetch his French book to make sure this was possible in all three languages. I had a field and a hill in my sector also once again we had a coast on one side. I usually try to get a coast because if an opponent tries a flanking attack you know for sure where the attack is coming from. Also you can place your baggage train there where it is more secure.

Rafa's army was as follows:

Right Flank
Commander Ordinary
1 Light Cavalry Javelin
1 Light Cavalry Bow
2 Medium Camel Bow

Centre
Commander Brilliant
3 Pikes
4 Cataphracts

Left Flank
2 Pike
1 Pike Elite
1 Elephant Elite
2 LMI Bows
2 Javelins
1 Light Infantry 

  

Rafa went first and slowly advanced his Pikes, then to scupper my plans of my two mounted Corps forming a grand  manouever around his left flank, I threw a 1 and failed to activate my Arab Allies. Rafa spent next few moves carefully advancing his troops making sure that none of his troops came within 4UD of my Arabs. I also spent several turns sending valuable command points from my commander to attempt to activate them, all to no avail.


 On my left flank things were becoming a stalemate, Rafa did not want to advance his cavalry into the fields against my light and medium infantry. I didn't have many command points to use to take advantage of the situation due to my commander having to waste them on trying to get the Arabs activated.

 

 However one light archer of mine was exceling in his ability to shoot arrows and was hitting Rafa's pikemen with every shot.


My Arabs were finally activated on about the third attempt. I decided to carry on doing a wide sweep, this I realise was a mistake and I should have gone and attacked directly his troops to help my Roman cavalry.

 

His Elephant and archers were able to advance and get closer to my camp, luckily it is fortified. His archers chased away the rest of my archers and his pikes were getting the better of my legions. Also my flank attack was held up by a single Pike unit. Then disaster struck his lowly archer unit attacked my camp and he threw a six, immediately capturing it and breaking my army's morale. So after two games I had one victory and one defeat.

After about an hour break for dinner we headed back to the venue for the last game, with me needing a win to be in a chance for a medal position. 
 
My last game was against Javier from Benidorm this was going to be a Roman Civil war game because he was using Patrician Romans although there wasn't any actual Roman legionares in his Army. His army consisted of:
 
Left Flank
Commander Brilliant
4 Heavy Cavalry Impetuous
2 Heavy Cavalry Bows
3 Light Infantry Javelins
 
Centre
Commander Competent
5 Heavy Infantry Impetuous
2 Cataphracts
1 Medium Infantry Mediocre
 
Right Flank
Commander Ordinary
4 Medium Impact
2 LMI Bows
1 Light Cavalry Javelin
 
Once again a coast was diced for and this time my Arab allies were activated and faced off against his cavalry next to the coast.
 
My left flank
 
My main infantry forcé faced off against his Foederati infantry with their blue wode painted bodies.
 
 
Javi had moved his Light cavalry within 4UD of my unreliable Roman cavalry and so automatically activating them. Which was lucky because I threw a one for my command points. This was his most vunerable forcé, as long as they didnt move into the field next to them. So I quickly charged to bring them into contact.
 
 
In the centre his barbarian infantry moved ever closer- Surely my well drilled legions will smash through their chaotic ranks. 

 
Oh dear, due to the fact he had furious charge and my armour didnt count in the first combat, my legions were shattered, funny enough my médium infantry faired better on the right of my formation.

 
My Roman cavalry destroyed both of the archer units in the first combat and destroyed a médium infantry unit in the second.

 
On my left flank my Arabs were fairing quite well to, with the camel archers actually destroying a Heavy cavalry bow unit with their arrows (must have been the height advantage on those humps).

 
On the last turn we were both 2 points away from destroying eachother. I managed to rally 1 unit, but failed on the other. I destroyed another couple of his units breaking his army and in the final combats I managed to hold on just losing one unit, However when we came to count (including several recounts)  I had actually lost 26 points and so my army was broken as well. This meant we had drawn to the  delight of Miguel who knew that he had secured third place.
 
 
 
Rafa once again came in first place.
 
 
Javi came in second place.
 
 
Miguel once again came third
 

All the players who participated in the Tournament.
 


                                               Official results and placings for the tournament.


This was actually a very good Tournament and even though most of the players were from my club, I played against two new players. The venue was good with lots of other games and tournaments going on in the hall. Also in the foyer/café área all day there was lots of board games being played with people of all ages. Thanks to Angel and Salva for organising it.



















Monday 9 May 2016

Saga Tournament Alicante 2014




                                                                Introduction May 2016

Sorry I haven't published anything on my blog for a while. This was due to a number of things with other projects and work etc taking my time. I found this report half written in my draft from 2014 but thought it would be beneficial to still publish it even if its just for proof that I can actually throw sixes! Hope you enjoy the photos and vague scribblings.




 On Saturday 29th of November 2014 we had our second Saga Tournament. As soon as the date was announced I put my name forward. Funnily enough I hadn't had a game of Saga since our last tournament around 18 months ago. I decided this time to play more to my Norman Battle Board strengths and use only archers and mounted knights. Looking for inspiration on the Saga fórum I decided to play with the  "William the Bastard" special rules. My army  consisted og

                                                  3  points of heartguard armed with bows 12figs
                                                  2  points of mounted warriors 16 figs

 I was undecided whether to swap one mounted warrior with a dismounted warrior unit  with crossbows.



We diced off for who paired off with who and for my first game I was against Salva and his Welsh boyos. I was deemed the attacker and although most of his troops hid behind the hill and woods in the centre of the board. One of my archer units ( I had decided to split my archers into two six man units). I threw seven dice, one for each figure and an extra die from a battle die. I could not believe my eyes , I threw all sixes and even after the saving units. Salva had lost six men from a warrior unit. Not a bad start.

Even at extreme distance my archers proved deadly.


  The Welsh used a tactic to bring  one of my units into their javelin range and my 12 figure strong mounted warrior unit charged forward. The welsh came out of hiding to throw their pointy sticks and killing five of my troops.-


    My archers on the flank fired to full effect and killed seven welshmen in the unit nearest to them. My Knights decided to go for glory and charged uphill at another welsh warrior unit.



Although they destroyed another welsh unit, they lost most of their remaning figures with only one rider to make a hasty retreat. 


                      Whilst most of his army retreat back into the woods , the Welsh war leader decides to show them how its done.


However with my army mostly intact by turn six, I win by 21 points to 12 points.


The night before the tournament I decided to read the scenario rules for each game and realised in this scenario "Slaughterfest" that any casualties caused by my bowmen would not count, so I was at a serious disadvantage before I started


            The second game I was against a Scots army that had ran out of blue woad and appeared to be trying out a black woad. They tried to hide from my archers but my cavalry charged straight into their left flank.

My tactic was to weaken the size of the Scots units and then attack with my cavalry.
My cavalry finished off a Scots Warrior unit and the game ended with surprisingly myself having more points than my opponent and winning the game. 
 The last game was against Juan Marcos and his Jomsvikings duel between the warlords



My archers advance to chase the Jomsviking around the house, stay still you buggers



The Jomsvikings playing Hide and seek, cowards.



Trying not to get the Jomsviking wrath up but its a hard task with the options given.




Mt warlord is starting to get a thrashing now his warlord has got his wrath up.


Some pictures from others games.


                                   Beautifully painted Normans, obviously not mine.



                                 Carlos' Vikings also painted brilliantly.



                                 Lone Norman archer takes on the Warlord


                                                    The Welsh hiding in the woods





                          
                             
                                  Juan Marcos comes in first place.



Salva takes second place with his Welsh



I take third place with my Normans.