Final Elements For The Summer

Good evening,

And here are my final efforts for my summer holidays. My completed Marian Roman Legionaries/Polybian Roman Principes, and their Italian Allies, all dipped up, dulled down and based.

And since the dip was about to be brought back out, I quickly finished/base coated these Later Achaemenid Persian Auxilia...

(I'm still waiting for the cash for the parched straw for their bases)

...and then brought out some of my pre-painted Wizards of the Coast Star Wars Miniatures, the ones that looked particularly blah, and dipped (and sprayed) them as well.

They've made quite a difference on some, not so much on the others. But that Duros has turned out beautifully!

So, since it seemed to work on them...

...I brought out some more! Worked a treat on those Rebel Honour Guards, the Quarren and those Jawa. Especially the one in the lighter robe.

So that brings up my grand total of painted figures to...nine more than last count?

28 elements, comprising of...

• 112 infantry or rider figures
• 28 horses
• 1 chariot, and
• 1 undead dog/giant rat

...as near as I can figure it, over six weeks. Plus a few games here and there, including Star Wars Edge of the Empire RPG this afternoon, in which some of these very figures made an appearance.

Cool!

Nick

Battle of Marathon Game 2

Good evening,

Following one from the first Battle of Marathon, here's the second.

With a subtle difference - Stan handed over the con to Neal, a mate of mine who had just popped 'round mid way through the first game, and then continued to dispense sage tactical advice.

We both advance, once again my Persians having to roll a 6 on the PIP die before calling on the cav.

Silly scenario rule!

However, this time I deploy close to the steep hills...

...so my lights could run for the hills!

All the while shooting with my Sparabara.

Ineffectually!

And so, while my cav look on from the corner...

...Neal springs his trap on my exposed flank.

That ain't good!

Still...

...I did at least recoil a single spear element.

However...

...it was all a little grim for the easterners.

I try to reform a firing line...

...that once again prooves ineffectual.

Neal pushes through the centre...

...to a fairly predictable result.

It gets worse.

Aw stink!

Still, at least I managed a recoil on the final roll of the die!

All while my mounted watch on.

Bother it all!

Good game Neal, well done.

To be fair, according to the original scenario, the Greek's psiloi should have stayed in their camp until a roll of a 6. Stan must have brushed over that bit!

I'm looking forward to a rematch, but this time with the mounted on point from the get go.

Nick

Battle of Marathon Game 1

Good evening,

As a bit of a "celebration" (commiseration?) of the end of the hols, Young Stan spent his lunch around here for a couple of DBA 3.0 games to break in my recently completed I/60 Early Achaemenid Persian army.

I thought that a replay of the Battle of Marathon might be in order, so I searched for an appropriate DBA interpretation thereof, and found this...

The Battle of Marathon

The Persian invasion of Greece in 490 BC involved many battles and sieges, but none is more noteworthy historically than the land battle at Marathon. Because of this, some rule modifications have been provided to raise the importance of a battle at this location in the campaign and to make the DBA battle as historically accurate a possible. These modifications also make it advantageous for all players to be involved in a battle at Marathon. The following rules ONLY apply if a battle at Marathon is between the Athenian and Persian armies, and should only be used the first time a battle between the Athenians and the Persians occurs at Marathon. If any subsequent battles occur at Marathon between these armies during the campaign, ignore all the following rule modifications and conduct the battle as per the normal DBA rules.

Both the Athenians and the Persians will earn an additional 3 prestige points if they battle each other and win at Marathon. The Asiatic Greeks will earn an additional 3 prestige points if they are an ally of the side that wins the battle at Marathon.

The terrain for the actual Battle of Marathon is rather uninteresting from a DBA game perspective as the majority of the battle took place on an open plane. However, a stylized DBA map for the battle is included if players wish to use it. The map assumes that players will use the optional rules listed below, so the Greek 2Ps elements and the Persian LH and 3Cv elements are located in their respective camps. Much of the terrain on the map was actually to the rear of each force during the actual battle. But to make an interesting DBA game, the terrain is placed in the front of each force. The relative positions of each army, however, were maintained to be consistent with the likely deployment of the Athenian and Persian troops during the actual battle.

* Special Rules for the Persian Player

There is some evidence that the Persian cavalry did not even participate in the Battle of Marathon ("The cavalry are away!"). For the game, the Persian player must place his 3Cv and LH elements in his camp and may only move them out of the camp on a PIP roll of 6.

The Persian player may select one of the 4Sp elements to serve as his General element during this battle. However, if he wishes, he may still use the 3Cv element as his General element even though the element must start in the camp as stated above.

So I broke out my EA Persians...

• 1 x 8Bw Immortals (General)
• 3 x 8Bw Sparabara Infantry
• 1 x Horde
• 1 x Auxilia
• 2 x Psiloi
• 1 x Cavalry *
• 1 x Light Horse *

...and some Athenian Early Hoplites.

• 1 x Spear General
• 9 x Spear
• 2 x Psiloi

And away we went.

It was a pretty quick game.

 Close...

...and crush.

One...

...two...

...three...

There once was a Psiloi at the end of my line, making four. Or five, really - the first double element lost counts as two elements lost.

All while my mounted stayed in camp. Man, that scenario rule is tough.

So...we set up again, this time with Stan bringing in a ring-in...

Brucie's Epic X Wing Bash Game 2

Good evening,

Following on from the first game, we swapped sides and went again, though this time Bruce swapped out...I think it was the single turbo laser...for some Tibanna Gas Supplies, Veteran Instincts and Marksmanship. Marksmanship on the corvette. Brilliant!

I head straight for him, he holds the corvette right back.

Some long range sniping ensues, while the fighters close.

Too close! Keyan one shots Winged Gundark.

Boom!

I try to navigate around the asteroids, while the corvette siddles along the outside.

Night Beast K turns in behind Mr Farlander.

Next bound and the big boys carry on closing, while the B K's. (Hang on, it must have K'd before then...)

Alas...

...the CR-90 one shots the TIE.

Drats!

Keyan, thinking that he's out of immediate danger flies north...

...right into the path of the 'vette!

Crash!

And so it was that the two capital ships begin circling each other like prowling cats, looking for an advantage.

All the while snipping...

...and occasionally running into things!

I decide that enough is enough, so determine to turn into the centre, asteroids be dammed!

Bang!

I finally line up a shot, ready to fire with all weapons...

...and my primary weapon just sputters and fizzles ineffectually.

Bother!

(And it was about here when the battery on my phone said "No more flash!")

I continue to turn inside Bruce, only to find that now I'm too close, and my rear arcs cannot target his aft.

It's worse than that, Jim...

Smash!

Silly 'roid.

Soooo...

...ramming speed!

That stops just millimetres short of contact!

 Still, what, with shootin' 'n all...

Kablammo!

Bruce takes another crit from a 'roid...

...and heads north, hoping to escape.

Ah, and here's evidence that I didn't understand how the Ion Cannon Batteries worked.

I thought that when it said...

ATTACK (ENERGY): Spend 2 energy from this card to perform this attack. If this attack hits, the defender suffers 1 critical damage and receives 1 ion token. Then cancel all dice results.

...it meant that the target suffers a faceup damage card.

Upon further investigation, it actually means that you essentially hit with a crit, just as if you had diced it (just like a Y Wing's Ion Cannon Turret). The crits can be soaked up by the shields. Opps. The Corvette suffered at least a couple of crit effects that it shouldn't have.

Sorry Bruce.

Anyhow, the CR-90 limps off the battlespace...

...and into hyperspace!

Thanks for the games Bruce they were way cool!

Nick