BBDBA EIR vs ABs

Lots of acronyms there - Big Battle DBA, Early Imperial Romans versus Ancient British.

Good afternoon,

Shortly after Friday afternoon's bash in space, I trotted around to Mark O's place for a bash in the gentle fields of Blightly. Circa 43AD. Big Battle DBA, Early Imperial Romans versus Ancient British.

Essentially three DBA armies going up against three DBA armies all at the same time, but with a touch of flexibility as to how you can split them up into commands. I chose a strong centre of legionaries, with flanks of a mix of cav and auxilia. Plus shooters on the western end of my centre. It seemed like such a good idea at the time...


Mark opened by sending forward LH to hold and harass my advance.




I countered by throwing forward my own mounted on my western/right wing.

Note the Knights in the background. I had high hopes for them.


Mark edged forward his chariots on that flank, and waited...


Just right of centre my scorpions and bowmen managed to push back marks LH advance.



Huzzah!

The view from Mark's perspective.


In the east, seeing as I'd stuck out an Auxilia to "protect" my left, well...DBA 3 movement rates are nice and quick!

Rats.


However...


...huzzah! DBA 3 Auxilia factors against mounted have been increased. Huzzah!

So, seeing that elements caught in two Threat Zones (the old Zone of Control) can choose who to turn to face, I turn tables on that pesky AB LH.



Huzzah!

On the other flank my mounted trot forward - Mark's still not coming out to play. Hmmm...


In the centre, Mark pulls back his LH. Well, the ones that my artillery doesn't dispatch.

Huzzah!


And since his LH are running anyway, I thought to send my bowmen a-chasing. (Yes, I know they're Psiloi, but I haven't got round to getting some EIR Bw elements together.)


In the east...



Rats!

And so battle is joined in the centre.


Huzzah!



That's right, you run away!

However, further along...


...there start to appear holes in the line. Hmmm...

In the east...


...the Auxilia stand...


...as indeed do my cav.


Back to the centre.

Seeing the holes appearing in my centre I try to rush forward the Auxilia that were keeping out of the scorpions' way.


And so the carnage continued.




Huzzah! That's was one of Mark's generals.

The east of my centre seem to be holding their own. Indeed, they are advancing. (Blades now follow up infantry.)


However, just further to the west...



...arghh!

At least the CinC was having some success.


There used to be a Warband a'front of him.

However, overall...


Arghh!

Things look a little better in the east...


...with a chariot down, and...


...my galant Auxilia holding his own against those contemptible little Britons!

Unfortunately, Mark rolls in more Warband from the ploughed fields in which they were waiting.


Bother.

Then things start to get really messy in the centre.


Isolated chortes of legionaries are getting surrounded.



As are indeed my over extended bowmen.



Well, that ain't good!



And that's even worse! Arghh!

Don't ask me how these two survived...



...but they keep getting themselves further and further into trouble!

Finally my galant eastern Auxilia manage to flee that pesky LH. Though not off the table, bother it!


So we get to redress the lines a little.


But it's a little too little, a little too late.

Over the course of the following few bounds, my centre collapses...






...as does my right.



There once stood one of my generals.

Arghh!




And my left wasn't looking too flash either!



The final bound saw a complete collapse of my centre and my right. The carnage was so great that I couldn't bring myself to document it!

Great game Mark, well done.

Next time I won't hold back a whole bunch of elements just so's a couple can get clear shots at stuff!

Cheers,

Nick