Cruel Seas and Tibetans for ADLG

Mark R was keen to try out his night fighting rules for Cruel Seas and I was keen to actually use the PT boats I had painted earlier in the year for the first time in a game. So we played one of the convoy scenarios (scenario 5 from memory) from the rule book.

Mark had two armed trawlers accompanied by an M-class minesweeper. I was lying in ambush with one Elco and three Higgins PT boats (starting the game as blinds, with an additional two blinds to confuse Mark). I therefore started the game with a clear tactical advantage over Mark's slow fleet and my aim was to ensure I kept it by swamping him with torpedoes and machine gun fire. It worked (okay I only had a few successful torpedo contacts).

The night time rules worked well, with the unpredictable visibility distance (potentially shifting up or down in 10cm bands) meant I couldn't hide just inside a magic cloak of darkness, but had to be adaptable. I think they reflected the historical situation well.

And after sinking his fleet (though I came 4 hull points close from losing one of my own boats), I am sure Mark is keen to fight the next scenario with me having to shepherd some cargo ships across the table while he has fun zipping around.

In the afternoon I faced Ian S and his Feudal English in a game of ADLG with nearly painted Tibetans. I was massacred.

I deployed poorly, with my cataphracts not lined up to face Ian’s heavy foot. They were also one combat factor down against his knights, so it wasn’t surprising I only killed two elements to Ian getting 28 (my army break point was 21!). This also included him killing two of my generals.

The surviving general’s report states it was a resounding victory, with the rest of the army taking a well deserved holiday (England is always sunny to a Tibetan).

Ancient Spanish for ADLG

The June League of Ancients meet saw me face Lyle D and his Middle Assyrians (I/25a) with my Great Sumerian Revolt army (I/1c) for a morning DBA campaign game.

It was a short game, more due to luck than skill - I was able to quick kill Lyle's light chariots with my bow, with two (maybe three) 6-1 rolls in my favour. The other kill was a 5-1 from memory.

It had been a while since I played Art De La Guerre (ADLG), so I took up an offer from Matt W to play a classical-themed game in the afternoon. He fielded an Alexander the Great (#40) army and I wanted to field something suitably historical. I fielded something I haven't used before - Ancient Spanish (#89). These were from my Field of Glory Carthaginian army (Magister Militum / Chariot Miniatures), and I used the African spearmen from that army as my Celtiberian.

The list consisted of:

Thurro (competent C-in-C)
2 Celtiberian (impetuous heavy swordsmen elite)
4 Celtiberian (impetuous heavy swordsmen)
2 Light infantry (sling)
1 Burning cart (scythed chariot)

Lubbo (ordinary sub-general)
1 Celtiberian (impetuous heavy swordsmen elite)
2 Celtiberian (impetuous heavy swordsmen)
4 Caetrati (javelinmen)
2 Light infantry (sling)
2 Light cavalry (javelin)

Caciro (competent sub-general)
3 Medium cavalry (elite)
3 Light cavalry (javelin)
3 Light infantry (javelin)

I have never used many of these troop types (including javelinmen) and consequently deployed poorly. Very poorly.

While on my left flank I deployed the mounted command, I engaged them against Matt's mounted command that outnumbered me and was better equipped.

The centre command should've been the one to face the elephants and be able to take the ploughed field, instead I sent them off on the far left flank. They did next to nothing all game (in part due to having a commander that was hardly able to activate).

However the impetuous heavy swordsmen ability saved me, because when I hit Matt's line I was able to claw back something (helped also by some fortuitous shooting rolls). In the end I lost, but I was close to breaking Matt's army (18 demoralisation points from his army value of 20). But not a victory.

Overall I was happy with the Ancient Spanish list, and a little tweaking of the commands has me ready to field them again.

Last Game I Played - Tupi Battle the Texcala and Cruel Seas

ADLG
Club day at the League and the morning game was 200 points of ADLG with my Tupi (#277) against Andrew's Texcalas (#273). I used the same army list as last month, using the tactic of trying to turn the flanks before charging in the middle. I made a few errors in match ups, but I was able to give Andrew a close enough game, breaking when he was only three units away from breaking himself. It was also amusing to see how poorly his Spanish ally contingent performed. I think the first three turns he rolled '1' for the activation die.

Cruel Seas
After lunch it was an introduction to Warlord Games' Cruel Seas with Mark and the collection he painted over the Christmas break. Lovely little models, full of detail.

The first game was Mark running an S-100 class Schnellboot against my two Vosper Type I MTBs. Setting up on opposite corners, my objective was to escape off the corner the Schnellboot started from.

It plays fast.

Mark took out one of my Vospers with the special "park 5cm next to me special and unload with all your weapons" (that I used to devastating effect in game two). It’s a powerful tactic as the target ship can’t easily strike back (having already activated, or if it hasn’t, it has to move before it can shoot). I wasn't able to take out the Schnellboot in the scenario's five turns, so lost.

The second game had me fielding Vospers Type IIs, upgraded with more weapons and damage capacity. This time I also had the use of torpedoes. They didn't fail me.

The scenario has the Germans escorting a tanker, which has 80 damage capacity so needs two torpedoes to take down. This really means three to four should hit if you take crew skill and duds in consideration (I haven’t done maths on this) to be sure it sinks (in addition to your ship's guns).

I was lucky that my guns and only one torpedo were enough, as the moment you pass the tanker your turning circles are a bitch. So you need (like X-Wing) to be careful in that first pass.

Finally, as the League's new home is an RSL club, the Queen's image is almost in every room. This is over the tea station the games room.

She seems like a happy warmonger. (She's German after all.)

Last Game I Played - Vikings invade Brazil

The first League of Ancients meet at its new home at the Caulfield RSL looked promising with a better than average selection of beers on tap and a bistro that offered a broad menu. Things looked good.

To ease myself into a new year of gaming I lined up some relaxed games of ADLG. I hadn't played with my Tupi for a long time (they were originally painted for a Field of Glory Renaissance tournament in April 2014). I probably haven't used them since, though I remember painting a few extra bits for them a few years ago. I lined them up for a semi-historical game against the Texcala (list #273), but that game fell through. The second game was against Michael B and his Vikings (list #150). Watching 'Vikings' I guess this would be a historical match-up.

I deployed with a large command in the middle (with 6 medium swordsmen 2HW, 3 medium bowmen and 3 light foot bow), with flanked by identical wings (with 3 medium swordsmen 2HW, 3 medium bowmen and 1 light foot bow). Michael's had a heavy elite central command, flanked by two weaker commands - one of them full of the Irish.

I surged forward, keen to find a gap and exploit it.

Which quickly went pair-shaped as I lost an element and the army general!

My left (blue) wing went a lot better (nearly wiping out the opposing command).

But the devastation wrecked in the centre...

...and eventually the right flank:

Meant that I was always going to struggle, eventually going down in a one-sided affair.

I think with 28 units I should've worked the flanks, delaying the centre with all the light foot. The medium swordsmen aren't bad, but are always going to struggle against mounted and heavy foot.

I was impressed by the new home, even if the staff felt a little overwhelmed with us at lunchtime. Looking forward to February's meet!

Victorian ADLG Tournament 2018

Last Sunday I took part in the League of Ancients' annual ancients tournament. Once again L'Art de la Guerre (ADLG) was used, with the armies restricted to 200 points from the Biblical and Classical Period lists.

I took a Scythian army (using the Saka options to represent the Yuezhi) consisting of:
Army Corps I
C-in-C General King Luo (Competent) (3)
4 Cataphract (Elite) (52)
2 Medium cavalry bow (Ordinary) (18)
2 Light cavalry bow (Ordinary) (12)

Army Corps II
Sub-General Prince Kumul (Ordinary) (0)
2 Medium cavalry bow (Ordinary) (18)
2 Light cavalry bow (Ordinary) (12)
4 Bowmen (Ordinary) (28)

Army Corps III
Ally (Mountain Indians) General Gerald (Competent) (3)
1 Elephant (Ordinary) (13)
2 Light cavalry javelin (Ordinary) (12)
3 Medium spearmen (Ordinary) (21)
1 Bowmen (Ordinary) (7)
1 Light infantry bow (Ordinary) (4)

The lists of armies taking part included:
Assyrian Empire and Sargonid (9) x2
Sea Peoples (24)
Mycenaean (Trojan) (30)
Seleucid (42)
Ptolemaic (43) x2
Pyrrhic (44)
Italian Tribes (Samnites) (47)
Camillan Roman (52)
Republican Roman (53)
Carthaginian (55)
Cyrenian Greek (58)
Galatian (72)
Early Arab (75)
Scythian (76) x2
Classical Indian (79)

In the weeks leading up to the tournament I repainted the foot archers and the cataphracts to add to the rest of the army I had painted (or re-painted) over the last year.

In the morning I faced Richard S's Ptolemaic and lost...

...followed by another loss in the afternoon game against James B's beautifully painted Carthaginians.

The cataphracts and the elephant were stand outs, but there was some poor match ups created on my part. The bowmen also shouldn't have been in one block. Overall though I like the army. Just need more games to improve my game.

Last Game I Played - ADLG Tournament Practice

Next month will be the League of Ancients' annual ADLG tournament again, this time limited to lists from the Ancient and Classical periods.

I tweaked my Scythian (#77) army from earlier in the year - basically the Saka option to represent Yuezhi cataphracts with a Mountain Indian ally. I swapped a lot of the light horse I had used for infantry bowmen to give myself a little more flexibility if there was terrain in the game (and also to push myself to paint the unused Nepalese bow elements I had for this army - original build as a Tibetan one, but easily morphable to other Central Asian options).

First game in the morning was against Michael and his Achaemenid Persian (#64). On my left flank I placed my Mountain Indian command opposite his infantry command (that included two units of Immortals), in the middle my infantry bowmen with cavalry and light horse support faced off mainly against heavy cavalry bow Persians, and on my right my cataphracts were opposite a bowmen and a mix of heavy cavalry and light horse command.

I was lucky with the shooting I received early in the game being ineffective, but in turn three I took a bit of a hammering - and it delayed my charge of the Mountain Indians.

But charge they eventually did (photo above is from just beforehand), hammering in and cutting open the lines (first time seeing the benefit of an elephant in ADLG). Meanwhile on the other flank I managed to use my most expensive units to chase light horse around the board. I wasn't thinking (again!).

Unsurprisingly I lost the game, but a few simple corrections in deployment and tactics could've seen a vast improvement in results.

In the afternoon I played against Tyler with his Cyrenian Greek (#58). His army seemed to be pretty much unchanged from the game earlier in the year. I deployed my Mountain Indian command opposite the terrain (off to the left in the photo below), with my cataphracts opposite two foot commands.

On my right flank I placed my archers and supporting mounted elements, slightly refused (but not enough as it turned out). There's also three unpainted elements in the back (the horror, the horror!).

Because these guys would come thundering in. Again.

I was able to shoot, retreat and shoot again a few times and take down two of the chariots, but my infantry bowmen suffered rightly for being in the open. They got crushed under hoof and steel, with the remaining Greek chariots and elite horsemen mopping up the leftovers.

Meanwhile, back in the middle of the battle, there was a bit of chaos with my poor rules knowledge showed as I was flank charged a few times for particular set ups (slides and semi-exposed flanks).

However, my elephant did have success again and punched through the lines to cause cohesion drops on the Greek hoplites behind the main line.

But yet again, this was all not enough - I failed to keep my troops together; "look at all these little things! So busy now! Notice how each one is [not] useful. A lovely ballet ensues, so full of form and colour." The game was a lot closer as I had a plan (charge with the cataphracts and elephant), although the cataphracts all got destroyed (as Tyler divided them up to deal with each one in turn).

A few tweaks to the list is needed, but nothing major. The elephant and supporting medium spearmen were good performers, the infantry bowmen were just poorly utilised. Let's see what next month brings.

Last Game I Played - DBA and ADLG

Just a couple of photos from games I played today. The first was against Timur's relentless wall of medieval knights in DBA. He was running Later Crusader (IV/17) to my Mongol Conquest (IV/35) in another campaign game.

In the afternoon I played against Tyler in a game of  ADLG. Short review is I played poorly.

I fielded a Scythian (#77) list against Tyler’s Cyrenian Greek (#58). Lots of cavalry and light horse against his pike, spear and chariots. I failed tactically by charging forward with my wings while my mountain Indian ally stood still (rolled a ‘1’ for their first activation) for the whole game. Meant Tyler only had to face 2/3 of my force with everything he had.

Tyler's review was that it takes a while to get used to how much quicker you engage in ADLG than FOG (which is what I'm used to), and how decisive it can be once lines are stuck in. The idea that you'll have time to get your reluctant commander moving, and bring him up, might make sense if you're overestimating how many turns until the stabbing happens.

I think timing was a factor, but I have played enough games to not really be able to use this excuse (although first time with Cv/LH heavy army). Like every other set of rules, you’re rewarded for hitting your opponent with everything you’ve got at the same time. So yeah, will think about timing more, and maybe a different list. Particularly as I suspect the tournament in November will be populated by heavy chariot, pike and heavy spear as the lists are restricted to the ones in the Ancient and Classical periods from the rules.

Victorian ADLG Tournament 2017

The League of Ancients ran its annual ancients tournament over the weekend. It was the second year of using 'L'Art de la Guerre' (ADLG) third edition rules. This year armies were restricted to 15mm 200 point armies drawn from the Dark Ages, Feudal Ages and Late Middle Ages lists.

I took a Medieval German (227) army consisting of:

Army Corps I
C-in-C Frederick III, the Peaceful (Ordinary) (0)
x4 Heavy Knight impact (Ordinary) (52)
x2 Heavy cavalry firearm (Ordinary) (22)

Army Corps II
S/gen Louis, Duke of Savoy (Ordinary) (0)
x2 Heavy Knight impact (Ordinary) (26)
x2 Heavy cavalry impact (Ordinary) (20)
x4 Crossbow (Ordinary) (28)

Army Corps III
S/gen Tully Bascombe (Ordinary) (0)
x4 Pikemen (Ordinary) (44)
x2 Light infantry firearm (Ordinary) (8)

As you can see, a pretty ordinary army. Having only had four games previously under my belt, it was a good learning opportunity. What follows are pictures of mostly my army's backs (not such a bad thing - that's how I want to be seeing them during a game) and them being thrashed (I didn't win a game!). In all 21 people played over the weekend (some only on the Saturday or the Sunday), with a mix of armies.

The lists of armies were:
Feudal Spanish (148)
Beja (162)
Feudal German (183) x2
Later Crusader (187)
Teutonic Knights (209) x2
Later Samurai (210)
Medieval Scandinavian (221)
Feudal Scots (222)
Medieval Scots (222)
Hundred Years War English (225) x2
Medieval German (227) x2
Medieval Spanish (228)
Free Company (230)
Burgundians (231)
French Ordonnnance (234) x2
Burgundian Ordonnance (235)

In the morning on the Saturday I faced Alex I's Medieval Scandinavian (221) and lost 96 - 14 (he would go on to be the overall winner).

In the afternoon I faced Andrew W's Feudal German (183), losing 95 - 15.

On the Sunday morning I faced Andrew O's Hundred Years Wars English (225). Lots of Lb. And stakes. I was wearing him down (he had a few units with cohesion markers), but it was not quickly enough, losing 99 - 11.

In the afternoon I faced Peter C's Burgundians (231). This was another close game (the the final score doesn't truthfully reflect the closeness of the game. Honest! I lost 95 - 15.

Another well run tournament, things went pretty smoothly (three playing umpires were in use again and worked well). While I didn't get anywhere near the podium (okay, I was second last, but only because the player in last place only played two games). I did win the player's choice for best painted.

The guy on top is charming - I'll have to find out where he's from.

Edit: the drinking Saxon is from Wargames Foundry's SAX005 - Saxon Shield Wall Characters set:
https://www.wargamesfoundry.com/products/sax005-saxon-shield-wall-characters

All in all a fun weekend, doubling my number of games of ADLG I've now played, making me a lot more comfortable with the rules. More a definitely on the horizon.