Little Battles 2024

[dwkay57]

Managed it  but had to crop down some of the photos and reduce the resolution on others.

Anyway here are Xerxes' Persians taking on a mix (but probably not historically accurate) of Greek states.
Much longer report on my website for those who have already completed their seasonal chores.

[Imperial Dave]

and very good it is too David...must have taken ages drawing all the directional arrows!

[Jim Webster]

Excellent battle report 

[dwkay57]

Not too much time Dave. I always do the long report first and then the short report. Once I have the P1 slide done in the short report, the others are fairly quick - just copy the current slide, slot in the new photograph(s), use the detail report to remind you of what happened, and it's just a case of changing the end points and updating a few words.

[Imperial Dave]

Its still remarkable for your diligence in constructing the reports

[dwkay57]

The remarkable diligence is those people who have read all 3 parts of long report....

[Jim Webster]

The remarkable diligence is those people who have read all 3 parts of long report....

well worth the effort

Anyway I drink coffee out of a large mug 

[Imperial Dave]

The remarkable diligence is those people who have read all 3 parts of long report....

well worth the effort

Anyway I drink coffee out of a large mug 

Me too! 

[CarlL]

David

The first image of your long report is very stunning and really gives a feel for a grand tactical battle arena. I know your figures are small but how big is this space? The image gives a big tabletop feel? (I lost sight of how many hexes long this battlefield is, is it 24 hexes?)

I see its ten / eleven hexes (alternating) in width; but not sure what size hex you use. Are these 15cm width or much smaller?

All these questions as I have many little figure armies for 19th century and your report and terrain quality encourages me to dig them out!

Anyway on the the AAReport: I really liked those paired photos showing unit (apologies division / corps) advances in context of the wider terrain, paired with the 'close up' shot of the troops concerned, as this adds to the drama of the report. And to the visual impact the little men can have, even on a giant battlefield!

Detailed, and incredibly well illustrated, and a mix of style with a sense of "Herodotus reported" mixed with "Previously" at the movies! Great fun if complex by virtue of moving around battlefield in a blow by blow account.

I assume the rules (given its solo play) determine the morale state (and so the eagerness to engage or fall back)?

CarlL

[dwkay57]

CarlL, thanks for the feedback and glad you, and the others, are enjoying the reports.

The hexes are from Kallistra and are 10cm across from flat edge to flat edge. There are 26 rows of them either 10 or 11 deep (i.e. across). The playing surface is about 2.3m x 1.1m.

I'm trying to investigate further options that would allow me to photograph the whole battlefield without distortion or trying to patch separate images together, but not much luck so far.

Yes, morale is tracked at various levels and impacts eagerness, or lack of, from senior commanders to individual units. I've bored on it in several threads but happy to provide more information if needed.

[dwkay57]

For the final solo battle of 2024, a few more Greeks ventured to the Near East to take on an alliance of two of the local warlords.

[Imperial Dave]

And very good it is too 

[Chuck the Grey]

Another great AAR, David. I always enjoy your reports and look for to many n 2025. 

[Jim Webster]

Interesting battle 

What I rather like about your Commagene and Herodian army is the feeling that they're quite good when they're small but the bigger they get the more you end up padding them out with dross

[dwkay57]

My 6mm Commagene army is based on my 25mm Commagene army which in turn was determined from the Asiatic Client allies in the Early Imperial Roman list (no 64 Book 2 WRG January 1982), hence quite a bit of it is in the D to E morale classification. But being rather small (the army size, not the figures or the general), Antiochos can generally be close enough to "shout loudly" at them (Steven Fry as Wellington in Black Adder 3) which gives them a touch more resilience.

When researching Herod's army, I came to the conclusion that he had a core of good troops (probably Roman trained) but due to Augustus' watchful eye couldn't have too many of them, but did make use of militia / settler types to bolster numbers and provide some form of local protection against bandits and raiders. Hence the two provincial meros which are generally of low quality, armour and command leadership.