Saturday, July 19, 2014

"To the strongest" - Successors WAB Game

Being Northwest Historical Miniature Gaming Society's monthly game day today, Old Bob from Oregon and I met at the Game Matrix in Tacoma, WA for a fairly large Successors game using WAB 2.0 for rules. Bob brought his Ptolemaic army and I dusted off my old Seleucid army. As may be evident in the photos, I haven't rebased my phalanxes to the more optimum three ranks for wider frontage per 2.0. I don't play WAB often enough, so don't really mind when the Cool Kids lap me a bit in Combat. Pat L. (Socal Warhammer) also showed up with his Seleucids and played Bruce D.'s NKE army (which hadn't seen the gaming table for several years also).
Seleucids at the start of the battle. From their right to left: Agema cav in wedge, four units of phalanxes with two elephants in between the center units, Cretan archers screening, a scythed chariot, and out of the picture is a unit of Scythian mounted archers (who did very well the entire game). Unfortunately, the scythed chariot was destroyed by enemy missile fire before it could get into charge range. The Cretan archers did very well by taking out a battery of heavy ballista early in the battle.
Ptolemaic army arrayed in the distance
Agema cavalry wielding xyston in wedge on the Seleucid right. The phalanx units each had a character to boost their Leadership. The phalanx unit to the Agema left has the Army General, the one next having the Army Standard, and the other two having a taxiarch each. Both elephants have barding, howdah with shields and three crewmen - one each pike, javelin and bow - actually one only had two crew models, but I paid for three as I wanted the archer.
Seleucid center with elephants interspersed between phalanxes.
After losing an Agema cavalryman from pesky bow fire on the steep hill, the Agema wedge charges into a Peltast unit with javelins and thrusting spears. The missing rear rank of Peltasts being taken out by the charge.
Agema cavalry flattened out after combat, but the Peltasts having passed their Leadership test held the cavalry in combat. With typically bad dice rolls, the Agema cav would eventually be whittled down to four and failing a Leadership test,  had them fleeing off the table by Turn 6.
Ptolemaic and Seleucid center units bravely advancing towards each other. The elephant and phalanx on its right managed to charge into the  phalanx unit to their front. Don't ask me why Bob had one of his cavalry wedges behind the phalanx - but I was thankful for it.
The Seleucids won the first round of combat, but the Ptolemaic forces consistently passed their Leadership tests to have multiple rounds of combat which eventually wore my phalangites out. Yes, the overlapping did come in handy for the Ptolemaics, but my attacks were pitiful unto themselves.
The elephant eventually lost a round of combat, and failing its Leadership test stampeded back whence it came from - never to return to battle.
Bye, bye elie. The phalanx unit with the Army General eventually failed a Leadership test after losing a round of combat in Turn 6, and decided the game in favor of the Ptolemies. At least the three other phalanx units, as well as the other elie managed to survive the battle.
Anyway, we played a grueling 6 Turns and the Ptolemies got the better of the Seleucids through superior dice rolling. For once, I can say I was very satisfied with my tactics - but I am convinced my dice rolling is worthless. For instance, I don't remember how many times I rolled 14 dice and scored 2 hits - followed by even less wounds. My Army General with 3 attacks normally had no hits whatsoever! Oh, and when I needed to roll low for Leadership tests, I'd roll 9's or 10's followed by 11's or 12's with the Army Standard re-roll. Anyway, it was nice to take the Seleucids out from the cabinet where they hadn't seen any action for several years.

40 comments:

  1. The table full of phalangites looks great . Beautiful painting for both armies.

    Joe

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Joe! It was nice seeing all those pikes :)! Best, Dean

      Delete
  2. Beautiful game! That would be a sight to see in person. Too bad about the dice rolling. I know the feeling all too well...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Jonathan. So, I'm not the only one - about the dice rolling. That's a bit reassuring. Maybe I just need to play more to see if it averages out ;) Best, Dean

      Delete
  3. Great looking game Dean, Succesor battles are always a lot of fun!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Very evocative stuff Dean, thanks heaps for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Nice to see a tabletop full of Successors Dean, always an inspiring sight. See you have the same luck with dice that I do.

    Regards HGA.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks everyone, and HGA - your comment along with Jonathan's before is reassuring. I thought I couldn't be the only one who threw dice so badly. Maybe it's just here in the local area. One thing I notice is that the larger dice seem to roll better, and the small Chessix ones I use never seem to tumble enough.

      Delete
  6. Superb painting and basing, a very impressive collection.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Replies
    1. Thanks, Simon. This game would be a mere side-show to the hugely impressive ones you host. ;) Best, Dean

      Delete
  8. Great game Dean.

    Superior dice rolling will always trump tactics :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I truly believe this, Paul. To be honest once in the distant past, I played a buddy's Nap. skirmish home brew rules, and I consistently rolled perfect scores (using D12's) and screwed up his scenario by killing off all the French officers in the beginning turns of the game. :)!

      Delete
  9. Planning, Tactics, Calculated Determination... All Fail When The Dice Just Simply Hate You!

    Get Game. I Think Dean Just Loves Playing The Game!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pat, on cue, you witnessed my rolling - as the standard. Thanks again for the instantaneous rules clarifications.

      Delete
  10. These armies look great and very threatening with those long pikes Love the elephants and scythe chariot.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I wish the chariot could had it's chance to crash into the enemy.

      Delete
  11. Outstanding looking game, and a great write up too. Maybe you need to sacrifice some dice to the dice-gods? I recommend a ball-peen hammer :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I would - about the dice - but I'm too cheap :)!

      Delete
  12. Just stunning, a wonderful looking game Dean.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thanks for interest and kind comments everyone. I'm glad you like the games. Warm regards to all - Dean

    ReplyDelete
  14. Those are some impressive looking armies. Those pikes make quite a statement and the nellies-love 'em.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Anne. I agree about the pikes and elies being quite the spectacle. Best, Dean

      Delete
  15. Lovely looking clash of phalanx based armies Dean!!

    Christopher

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Christopher. I think you may have something with that for a supplement title - "Clash of Phalanxes" :) Best, Dean

      Delete
  16. Great looking game. Sometimes the dice wanna just pile on the hurt!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Wow, almost missed this report. It sounds like a nice game in general. If it is any consolation... I got cheated badly by my dice earlier this month as well. But the next game was better and I am sure, so will be yours!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Burkhard. I'm considering replacing my Chessix rounded edged dice with straight edge dice - just to see if they roll/bounce better. Best, Dean

      Delete
  18. Terrific looking game, it's like reading a Wargames Illustrated.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Dean's dice rolling was truly horrible!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I had to work that day, and I'm sorry I missed the game. I can understand your dice-rolling frustration. Mine can be pretty bad too. And the few times I've played WAB, usually at Enfilade, I get frustrated rolling bunches of hit, but then little or no wounds.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Love the look of this game, well done sir!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, LR! Old Bob had the Alex the Great figure you painted leading his army. Love the tiger skin blanket; very nice work, indeed! Best, Dean

      Delete
  22. Nice one Dean, please give my regards to the Old One.

    Gareth

    ReplyDelete