HOTT Winter's Day, Game 4

Good evening,

And onto Game 4. New game, new army (I love that format - five games, I get to play with five different armies), so I pulled out my Hoplite Greeks. Who were up against Gordon's 25mm Samurai. Bows, Blades and Heroes. Urghh.

So...time to hide 'tween the terrain!

Whilst I try to hold my right with a lowly Bow element.

Come on, ya big Hero, come into the rough.

Yeah, nah...don't!

So, the boys try to hold the line in the face of Bow shot.

Kaboom!

And low and behold...Ares arrives.

Sweet!

Huzzah!

And in the middle...

...the boys really pushed back.

Seeing as how the boys were kinda stuck there in the middle, Ares sallied forth hisself.

All whilst Gordon started applying pressure around the edges.

Ah, rats!

Still, on the other flank...

...Huzzah!

Against all expectations, Ares stuck around.

Albeit being...well...a little...ineffectual...

And the centre begins to break up.

Aww, I was sure I had a cavalry element in the back there...

Finally, Ares gets some back up...

Huzzah!

Huzzah again!

Huzzah again, again!

And so the men from the West triumphed over the men from the East.

Though, if those men from the West had headed out into the open, (not to mention had Ares headed off as is the want of so many HOTT Gods) those men from the East would have had them for lunch!

Thanks for the game Gordon,

Nick

HOTT Day in December, Game 4

Good evening,

Right, back to the HOTT Day in December!

Where were we? Oh, that's right, we'd done Game 3, where I got done indeed, and we're on to Game 4.

This time I brought out my HOTT Hoplite Greek army.

• Spear General
• 7 Spears
• 1 Rider
• 2 Lurkers
• 1 God - Ares

It was facing a 25mm LOTR Orc army.

• Behemoth General (the Troll)
• Behemoth (the War Wagon)
• Magician
• 3 Warband
• 1 Spear
• 1 Shooter
• 1 Flyer

And away we went.

Ares turned up early. Usually a bad sign - I did not expect him to stick around long!


So, seeing as I was expecting to not see him for long, I flew him into what I hoped to be easy meat.


It wasn't.

Just as well Gods can't be recoiled.


At least Ares pushed his weight around a little.


Unfortunately, my Rider didn't last as long as I had hoped, and seeing as Ares wasn't really getting anywhere (and he was now overlapped), I flew him out to take on something that he should be able to handle. The flyer hanging round in the back.


In the meantime, my left flank start to tackle his Troll General. Who was caught in the rough - 2 factors down. So, 4 vs. foot - 2 for being in the rough, + 1 for being the General vs. my 4, -1 for being overlapped. 3 all.


A stand result on my left, but at least my double ranked Spears recoiled his War Wagon Behemoth.


Unfortunately, my single ranked spear fared poorly against it's opposing Warband, and...crunch!

Next bound Ares finally takes care of the Eagle, and, against all odds, my single ranked Spear managed to recoil a Warband up the hill.


With the enemy Flyer out of the way (and, against all odds, still being on the table), Ares moves into the flank of the War Wagon. While not providing overlap support, it did mean...


...that it couldn't recoil as it had enemy in contact on its flank.


Unfortunately, this minor triumph was somewhat lessened with the loss of my double ranked Spears at the hands of the Warband-on-the-hill.

Rats!

It got slightly worse when he double ranked his Warband up against my Spear General. Warband quick kill Spear. All they need to do is get a higher total - and at 3 +1 for rear rank support against my 4 +1 for being the General, the odds were pretty good that my game would be over soon.


However, 'twas I that got lucky...


...and I actually won! My only genuine victory of the tourney, as it happened.

Nick

One HOTT Spring Night - Game Three

Right. Two down, time to put those silly Knights away and pick up some good old fashion Spear.

Release the...Hoplite Greeks!

• 1 Spear General
• 7 Spear
• 1 Rider
• 2 Lurkers
• 1 God - Ares. He may look familiar...

I'm the defender again, so I set up some more rough going to limit the width of the battle space, and away we went.


Robin also changed armies - VSF Brits.

• 1 Blade General
• 1 Blade
• 2 Shooters
• 4 Riders
• 2 Flyers
• 1 Behemoth - a Steam Giant

I tried to delay his cavalry-held flank with my one rider (!), while trying to push forward with the strength of my army, the men in bronze. And linen. There's even one in leather...



Unfortunately, Robin also pushed forward his mobile assets on his left. Flyers. To which I had no answer. Bother.



Just then Ares hisself decided to turn up to strengthen my left. Cool!



And in piled my centre...


While Robin's Shooters sprang my Sneakers.


To good effect!


At about that time, Robin's darsterdly Flyers, well, flew up behind one of my valiant Spears.


But he lived!


On the other flank, Ares was holding his own...


...until he decided to, well, beedle off!


Blimmin' Gods!

Still, at least my pointy stick'd wonders were dealing to the enemy.



Unfortunately, they weren't the only ones with pointy sticks. Robin dealt out some bayonet'd justice himself.


Things weren't going so well around the edges either.





At least I was doing better in the centre.







So there we were, both down 10 points. If either of us were to lose one more element, it'd be all over.


And in flew Robin's remaining flyer...



...and well, err...


...still, a jolly good time was had by all!

Thanks for the evening Robin, and the coffee.

Nick

Oh, and this just in... Robin's version can be read here.