Third re-fight of Battle of Daras using TtS rules

[CarlL]

GAME 3

I decided to keep to the smaller army format (used in game 2) but use the TtS points system to try and create two balanced forces and added more generals so each army had three generals and three commands (ie left, centre, right).

The Byzantine force simply gained two more mounted, detached generals, at a cost of 6 points each bringing their force cost up to 159 points and 31 victory points which (divided by 3) gives 10 victory medals, so, for example the loss of five HI / HC units would lose the battle as this would lose 10 victory medals.

By contrast I made all the Sassanid HC lancers veteran, and added a second LC unit, and added two more generals; thus their whole force cost 156 points (3 less than the Byzantine) but gave them a pool of 14 victory medals (ie 42 victory points divided by 3), so they could absorb more losses.

So each army looked like this (see attached photos too):
Byzantine Left wing, Senior detached, mounted general with 5 veteran HC with lance & bow, and 1 veteran Hunnic LC with javelins & bow;
Byzantine Centre, detached, mounted general with 2 veteran HC with lance & bow;
Byzantine Right wing, detached, mounted general with 2 raw Legion units (with darts / pre melee shock weapon), 2 light infantry (skirmish) bow. 

The Sassanids (who deployed first) had a strong left wing of: detached, mounted general, 4 veteran HC with lance & bow, 2 LC with javelin & bow;
the Sassanid Centre, the mounted detached senior general, 1 LI slingers (not bows as stated earlier!), 2 Shieldwall units; and the Sassanid right, detached, mounted general, 4 veteran HC with lance & bow.

The Byzantines had initiative and activated (to move, shoot, charge or rally) first each turn, their plan to refuse their right and centre and use their strong left to win the game; while the Sassanid plan was a mirror image, to win the game with their strong left, and refuse their right and centre. Of course this plan went out the window when the Sassanid right launched forward, to try and destroy the isolated Hunnic unit that had gone ahead of the rest of the Byzantine left. Was it a cunning ploy? No. Damn stupid by both commanders (IMHO) sadly I was playing me solo, so one bad mistake may be unfortunate, but two, unforgivable!

The battle between both wings swayed back and forth, the initial Sassanid surge on the right took a lot of effort to destroy the Hunnic LC, and led to most of the Sassanid HC then being disordered, but they recovered initially to disorder most of the Byzantine left. However The Byzantines also recovered from their disorder and began eliminating the Sassanid right.

On the other wing the Sassanids nearly broke through but they lost too many units in their attempt and ultimately lost 3 of their 4 HC units and 1 of their 2 LC units for the gain of destroying 1 Legion unit and 1 light infantry archer unit. Poor returns.

The final result, after 8 game turns, Byzantine victory; overall losses: Byzantines lost 1 LC, 1 HI (legion), 1 LI archer for cost of 4 Victory Medals; while the Sassanids lost 6 HC units, 1 LC unit and 1 Shieldwall (infantry unit), for the cost of 15 victory medals, (mind they only had 14 to lose, and with 1 victory medal left in their kitty, they lost a Shieldwall unit worth 2 victory medals)!

The activation system makes for uncertainty. The playing card stack adds to this. You know there are 8 Aces (=failure) and 8 'tens' (=success) and 8 of every other number in between, and any turns first 'easy' activation only requires a playing card turned with a 2 or more for success, but the required scores rise and the pack depletes, only to be re-shuffled on exhausting the players deck. (I play with two separate decks per playing side (ie requires four packs of playing cards). It is great fun and I recommend these rules, 'To The Strongest' (ancient & medieval rules), to veteran players and beginner alike!

CarlL

[CarlL]

Photos 4A to 5A

[CarlL]

Photos 5B to 7.

[CarlL]

photos 7A to 9.

[CarlL]

photos 9A to 10C

[CarlL]

photos 10d to 13

[CarlL]

photos 14 to 16

[CarlL]

photos 17 to 19A

[CarlL]

photos 19B to 22.

[CarlL]

photos 22A to 23

[CarlL]

photos 24A and 24B.

If you have got this far well done!

I think I have probably done Daras to death and over done the poor photography inflicted on this Forum, so I think I best get my paints back out next week.... now should I paint Huns or Imperial Romans of the EIR ir MIR range!?

CarlL

[Jon Freitag]

Well, I am not tired of seeing Daras replays.

[Imperial Dave]

Wow that's a lot of photos Carl. Well done