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

HOTT Day in December, Game 2

Well, sorta.

My second game was a bit of a bust really.

I was playing Tony and his 15mm WW2 Germans who I had met before, but this time with the FW-190 and Stuka swapped out for a HS-129 with my Numidians.

• Rider General
• 5 Riders
• 1 Behemoth
• 1 God
• 2 Blades
• 2 Lurkers

I deployed the troops...


...with their supporting acts waiting patiently in the background.


My first PIP roll happened to be a 6, so, since I had a mounted army facing a bunch of shooters, I deployed my wall of sand...


...and that was the end of that. Tony conceeded, refusing to fight a God - his argument being that they completely imbalance the game. My experience with Gods begs to differ!

So...I sat out this round.

Had a look at a Dystopian Wars game - cool minis.

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.