IWF Athens 2006 Reports - Game 3
Friday night had been reasonably quiet, for a night that involved starting drinking at around 6pm and had a kebab (Read about the benefits of kebabs here) deployed at a very early stage of the evening. However the highlight was Wine served by the Kilo.
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A Kilo of Wine
(one of several) |
Fortunately we all had metric measuring sticks with us, and so were able to legally drink it. On the way to the DBM hall the next morning, we passed the home of the new, WWF-inspired Renaissance Wargaming Sensation
- Yes Folks, its TV friendly DBR Brought to you Live and Direct from
"The DBR Arena !"
Pushing past the crowds of sub-teenage autograph hunters looking for a glimpse of their lycra and spandex-clad (super-) heroes Dave "The IceMan" Clarke, Charles "Mad Ferrit" Masefield, Steve "Tiger" Tresadearn and Jim "You Looking at me Pal?" Hughes, I finally arrived at the hall to find the draw had pitted the by now "yep, they still work" Lithuanians against The Emperor Christos' Nikephorian Byzantines. Given the compulsory Bw(X) in the Byzantine list, I again opted for the 2nd "with artillery S" Lithuanian option.
Christos deployed a river, and the Lithuanian terrain picks included a fairly hefty compulsory wood, which fell intriguingly in the front central part of the Byzantines left flank - they would probably have to split their forces, and did not have much to cope with the wood. The middle of the field was however quite narrow - no room for playing around!
The Byzantine army contained a surprise package - a block of irregular spears in the centre of the army, set back to allow them to also deploy the allied boat. There were also a couple of artillery on carts to harass my war wagons - but the Bw (X) were still there, and being backed with Bw (O), only counted as Bw(O) against the wagon shooting.
The small force to the right of the wood contained a tempting target for my auxilia and WWg command - 6 Bw X and the Art on a Cart - if I could get the matchups right. Despite having 2 commands, one was virtually a pip dump with just an Art on a Cart to speak of, and with the wood only defended by 3 Ps (S) it would be hard for the Byzantines to stop me overwhelming them on this flank.
As the game developed, so it proved, with the Bw (X) being depleted by wagoneers shooting, and then finally being overwhelmed by weight of auxilia - forcing the Byzantines to commit cavalry from the reserve to help shore up a worsening situation.
Over by the river, my artillery had a good field of fire, and with little else to do and a defensive posture, there was even the chance it could actually achieve stuff this time - and soon it was in action, forcing back the Byzantine bowmen as the Lithuanian axemen shielded their wagons from counter-battery fire.
The Teutons did not fancy taking on a 13 strong spear command, and so attempted to redeploy to the left to support my Hussite axeman, and jointly take on the Varangians. Unfortunately my Hussites were keen to do the deed themselves, and despite a couple of 6-1 losses to the Skoutatoi bowmen quickly found themselves embroiled in a scrap against the Viking mercenaries.
The Art (S) was enjoying a purple patch, and had managed to shoot at bowmen in every turn, chipping away gradually. With nothing better to do, some of the light horse from its command forded the river and made threatening moves against the Byzantine baggage, drawing off light horse (and pips) from the Byzantine command against the river.
| By now on my right, the Skoutatoi bow had been almost totally whittled away, and the Lithuanian auxilia were flooding through the rapidly appearing gaps, mopping up psiloi as they came |  |
In the centre, the Hussite axe and flailmen were trading blows against the Varangians, with limited success - whilst the allied spearmen were getting increasingly frustrated by the harassing pressure of Lithuanian light horse. Between the two commands a small gap appeared... The Teutons, with little better to do, decided to try and sneak through....
Their general wasn't entirely sure what do if and when they managed it, but he was sure it was worth a laugh anyway!
However, once they did insert themselves behind the Byzantine lines, they found plenty to occupy themselves, and in concert with the Hussite flailmen rolled up the Byzantine flank.
With both Byzantine commands now in disarray, the end was close - and with a final flurry the Byzantine army crumbled to a total (10-0) defeat.