A test game of Conquerors and kings Bish, bash, Ouch!

[martin]

Myself and the team are play testing CK ( Conquerors and kings). This is an update of the 1998 first edition.

I have copied the WRG idea of allowing armies from different eras to fight each other . This is in the interest of getting a game.

The troop categories are limited.
Close order foot.(bonus for supporting each other)
Auxiliary foot.(bit more mobile than close order. Less mutual support)
Skirmisher foot.(great at covering)
Cavalry.(Good when they win)
Mounted skirmishers (great at covering)

Anyway

We played Mongols versus greek hoplites.
This was to test out a  solid foot army against a more mobile shooty force.

Mongols
8 cavalry(fighting units).(mostly un armoured)
6 levy units (auxiliaries)
10 mounted skirmishers

Greeks
12 Hoplite units (unarmored)
2 mounted skirmisher units.
4 foot skirmisher units.

Both armies had a few veteran (better) units and 2 generals.
The mongols won the pre game . Partially due to a bonus for having so many mounted units.

The greeks used their battle tactics (each army has a choice of 3 to choose in a mixture) to rapidly advance in order to close upon the mongols.

The mongols struck first though.
The Greeks held off one mongol attack (table frontage 6 zones; fight =zone v zone) but succumbed to the other. The mongol attack was held off by the hoplites having supporting zones and having good quality units. Plus a bit of good D6 rolling too.

The Greeks lost the other assault by the mongols.
Because the fight difference was only small, the greeks just lost some chaps and fell back a zone.
The problem got worse when the start of turn morale test were taken. The morale test can cause a zone to stand still or even fall back (rout). This caused rifts in the line.


The Greek battle line got a bit bashed and started to fragment ( a bad thing).
Elite and veteran hoplite units steadied the line, but constant shooting from the mongols  started to  take the edges off.

The mongol manoeuvrability helped them.
The greek extreme wing did push right up the table and secured some valuable zones against some very poor mongol mounted skirmishers.

The game result was a  small win to the mongols.

The win criteria is a combination of zone ownership (some zones out of the 30 are worth more than others.) and kills along with some other odds and ends.

The Greeks could have won if the hoplites had held more firmly or had some helpful scenery such as a hill.
The Greeks also lost two generals in very bloody fighting early in the game.
The game lasted for 10 turns. 5 per player.

The game was most enjoyable.

We are presently considering if we might reduce the number of D6 in a fight. Currently it is about 17 per side with 5,6 being hits. 12 would be better.

The game lasted about 2 hours from start to pack up.
The Mongols were commanded by Weymouth Mike and Stewart.
The Greeks were commanded by Big Mike and martin.

This would all make more sense if there were some photos.
(Of the game not the players)
I will include some next time.

martin

[Prufrock]

Sounds like a good game. Thanks for the report!

[Jim Webster]

Glad the old set is being re-furbished
I think it's got a lot of potential

[Imperial Dave]

I think I have a copy of it somewhere....

good report and good fun

[Chris]

Wondering if you take requests for additional test games?

Would like to see something wherein Spartans face off against Vikings . . . ahem 

Interesting report. Perhaps an idea for a submission to the Journal so as to provide some additional items for the new editor?

Cheers,
Chris

[martin]

Hello Chris
We would be honoured to do such a game.
Without being too weird, how about you e mail me   martinraegoddard@gmail.com , I send you the army lists and you design the armies. Then we can play it out with those armies and report back?

martin