Online VASSAL DBA game

[Justin Swanton]

After getting the hang of the VASSAL module (called De Bellis Vassalus - bad Latin but no matter), I managed to record a complete game between Shawn Comrie - he's the one who used to do the Comrix cartoons for Slingshot - and myself. Shawn, at the top of the board, played Marian Roman; yours truly, at the bottom, played Numidian. I mistakenly made my general Camels rather than LH and corrected that about halfway through the game. See him as LH throughout. The images for this game come from in-game screenshots which can be taken using a screenshot button and saved as pngs in a folder. Very easy.

It took a bit of a learning curve for Shawn to figure out how to join my game online, but after that we were A for away.

Here's the deployment, using the deployment template which we deleted afterwards. Each unit's designation is on it and should be readable (just about). Shawn had 8 blades, 2 Cav and 2 psiloi. His general was a blade, marked with a star. Yours truly had 5 LH, 4 psiloi, 2 solid Auxilia and 1 elephant. My general was a LH masquerading as a camel - a cunning trick. Shawn was aggressor so I placed terrain - a difficult hill and two woods - and had the first move.




First bound and with 4 pips I advance on my centre and left, holding back on my right (no way my psiloi are going to scrap in the open with those cavalry).




Shawn likewise has 4 pips and extends his infantry line, advancing his cavalry.




Seeing his cavalry are in front of his infantry, blocking them, I try for a quick lunge on the right with everything I can muster. 6 pips are a real help.




The cowardly Roman cavalry pull back. No wonder they became famed for their infantry.




Now time to advance in the centre (actually I was clearing a space on my left to enable a rapid redeployment of the LH from right flank to left).




With one pip Shawn' cavalry continue to manifest a magnificent better part of valour.




Time to reorganise my right wing in anticipation of a general advance by the Romans. But I haven't scrapped my LH redeployment plan...




The Roman general advance duly takes place.




With high pips I pull back my right. I don't want to fight there too soon.




The Roman general advance continues...



Time to start a separate post before I reach my image limit.

[Justin Swanton]

Judging the moment right (high pips), I double-move two LH across to the left and reorganise the right to anchor its defence on the wood.




Shawn crashes his blades into my line. The thumpery starts!




My men fight well, giving ground but suffering no losses.




I move my LH to overlap the Roman right flank and attack the Roman psiloi near the hill.




The fighting is inconclusive but now my LH can't flank Shawn's recoiled blade on the right of his infantry line.




Shawn attacks my right flank LH with his cavalry and destroys a base. In the centre the combat continues to be a slog but my general is forced to flee.




My general moves across to reinforce my right whilst my LH continue to encircle the enemy right.




The psiloi struggle on the left wavers back and forth.




Shawn pushes forward his blades against my centre.




One of my solid Aux are destroyed. Everywhere else my troops either recoil or flee. The blades are showing their superiority.




I must crack those psiloi on Shawn's right and envelop his centre before my own centre is demolished. LH vs psiloi, good odds...





...but not good enough.




One more post to finish the report.

[Justin Swanton]

Shawn drives my elephant back. Can nothing of mine make an impression on him?




With 1 pip I attack his psiloi with my LH again...




...to no avail.




Shawn continues to advance his main line like a steamroller. That red square indicates the base's ZOC. You right-click on the base and choose Show ZOC from a popup menu. The menu also has a recoil option, movement options and much else.




Yep, like a steamroller. My ellie falls back and I lose another solid Aux. One more piece and it's game over.




Nothing for it but to keep trying to take out those psiloi on the left flank. I also send up some psiloi to support my exposed LH in the centre.




My psiloi and LH are driven back but I finally kill one of his psiloi.




Shawn brings up blades to support his push in the centre. I attack his isolated psiloi.




And I kill the psiloi on the left. Score now 3-2 in Rome's favour. I might still win this.




But now having chased away my supporting psiloi in the centre, Shawn targets the isolated LH.




And kills it. Game over!

[Imperial Dave]

nice Justin, glad it worked and for me the screenshots are great

[Justin Swanton]

nice Justin, glad it worked and for me the screenshots are great

Fancy a game some time?

[Imperial Dave]

if I can get the vassal to work Justin. My pc is a work one so its not playing ball....too many restrictions on it. I could try the ipad I think so will let you know if it works

[Chris]

Seeing this reminds me of a line from the original Jurassic Park movie . . . The irritating mathematician (played by Jeff Goldblum) said something to this effect: "Nature finds a way". (Current conditions "force" wargamers to adapt, to seek other avenues . . . )

Many thanks for putting all this together, Justin. Guessing that the compilation of the screen shots may have taken as long as the game itself? Guessing that the game took about an hour? With its limit of 12 elements per side, DBA games are fast, compared to other rule systems.

The results seemed fairly historic or accurate, given the hardiness of the Roman foot against lighter-weight Numidian lights. Had you been able to turn a flank, however . . .

Cheers,
Chris

[Imperial Dave]

still having issues getting this to work (pc or ipad), stumped for the minute and slightly vexed!

[Justin Swanton]

still having issues getting this to work (pc or ipad), stumped for the minute and slightly vexed!

What is the problem exactly?

[Imperial Dave]

well my pc wont allow me to download programs and run them due to company restrictions. on the ipad the vassal website just says the file isnt downloadble on the device

[RichT]

No Java on ipads, so no Vassal. In 2016 http://www.vassalengine.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9232 they said they were looking at ios support in Vassal 4 (current version is 3.2.17 so don't hold your breath). If your work PC won't let you, you are out of luck sadly (without buying new hardware).

[Imperial Dave]

that's what I've now read Rich so I am a bit miffed. I am not sure the C in C will allow me to buy a laptop just for wargaming so I might have to watch others in envy. Justin, when I do get the capability I will let you know as I would like to explore this option at some point in the future!

[Justin Swanton]

that's what I've now read Rich so I am a bit miffed. I am not sure the C in C will allow me to buy a laptop just for wargaming so I might have to watch others in envy. Justin, when I do get the capability I will let you know as I would like to explore this option at some point in the future!

Bad luck Dave. I'll definitely want you a game as and when you're PC-capable.

Just finished a desperate and bloody second battle with Shawn, my Carthaginians vs his Marian Romans. I'll post the battle report some time soon.

[Imperial Dave]

I'll take you up on the offer as soon as I can get sorted Justin...