Cannes 2006 DBM tournament report
Saturday night had been exceptional – a civilized meal in a Michelin starred restaurant accompanied by some excellent Pouilly Fume, topped off with a swift half on the way home in a local bar. The bar proved so convivial that we elected to sample another. And then another. After a few more similar experiences, we found ourselves in a Discotheque called (imaginatively) "Discotheque", where the bar staff also doubled up as podium dancers. All of a sudden it was late. Very late. And then it was breakfast.
Game 3
Arab Conquest looks like a difficult opponent for Egyptians, but luckily I had played it in their last outing in Milan... and engineered a win.
This time I attempted to duplicate the terrain and of course the result by scattering some orchards across the table – and this time I had included some boats as well.
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My Map Click on it for the full sized image |
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The Arabs were set up less well to fight me than those faced in Milan, with one main and one mounted warband block both deployed alongside the waterway, and with camels, cavalry and Lh filling the rest of the table. The key piece of terrain was an orchard in the central zone, past which the Arabs would have to advance, exposing their flank – but I also had a "Bow Motorway" down the middle as well to help out. Even so I still deployed my bowmen and blades far back, fearing more warband than there ended up being.
Things started well, with the mounted warband command being unreliable, and so were anchored next to the waterway. My navy, seeing an opportunity, sailed behind them and took a pot-shot at the uncommitted general – who survived the 3-2, shooters are S and I cant recoil dice roll to become committed.
Meanwhile the main warband command were attempting to work out how to advance past a wood without exposing their flank to Cv (S). The first idea – of taking the wood with Ax & Ps – fell at a "4 Egyptian Blades and 2 Ax lurk outside it" shaped hurdle, and so they bravely split into 2 groups to wheel around
....and then of course rolled a 1 next time.
Meanwhile the committed camel-mounted warband had advanced – but the general, in a fit of forgetfulness – had stayed attached to the rear of the formation! The Boats seized their chance, and shot again – this time successfully. 1 dead General! (of course, they passed their command roll next turn…), This created an out of control but slow moving juggernaut that was being harried down the waters edge by the Egyptian Navy and some chariotry for the rest of the game, chipping off elements as they advanced.
On the rest of the table, the Arabs were slowly pulling back in the face of overwhelming firepower from bowmen and chariotry – little would be decided here, it was on the warband the game rested.
By now the main warband command was getting frayed at the edges – and in the middle, and on top and probably underneath as well - and this created an opportunity for the Guard BdF to swing into action. Encouraged by the tournament rules they picked off a lone Wb, and killed 3 elements on a 5-3 combat, destroying with it any hope of success from the warband formation for the rest of the game, they broke, and were chased from the field by the rampant guards.
With their colleagues in rout, the advancing waterside command had no flank safety – it was surrounded and massacred by rampant chariotry as the Arabs fell – a comprehensive victory for Egypt!
The Technical Stuff - Post Match Analysis and Hammy-tastic Graphs
