AW

Ancient Warfare magazine

Saturday, February 28, 2015

A Day with DBA 3.0!

Had a great time learning the NEW version of DBA - and wow is it so good. Had a wonderful time. I do have to admit that it has been a long tie since my last game of DBA. If I remember it was back in the 2.0 version of the rules (and the last game I played involved these TWO very same armies - Polybian Rome vs. Later Seleucids!). Go figure :). A perfect "historical" match-up.

Anyway, here are some pics of the battle. Took about two hours including a break for lunch and LOTS of gibber-jabber. All in all about  8 total bounds (?) and probably less than an hour of game play.


The armies deploy. Romans closest to camera.

The Romans prepare their defense on the hill.
 
The Seleucids prepare their advance.

The Seleucid Galatians and Aux. rush the rough
ground ahead threatening the Roman camp; The
main line advances on the hill.

The Seleucid shock troops assault the legionaries!
However,the Cataphracts are recoiled and the
Scythed Chariot destroyed! Only the relentless
elephant pushes back the heavy infantry of the
legion.


The Romans committed there General to help the lone
skirmishers hold back the flank attack. However, after two
combats, the General was killed; followed in the next bound
by his skirmishers!
The Romans (red) were rolling horrible throughout the battle!
 
 
With the elephant continuing to push back the Roman center,
the Roman General dead, and the flank open, the Seleucid
General commits to the fray supporting the now engaged
legionaries and pikes on the hill.

The Romans situation looks grim!

A look from the Roman camp.

The Seleucid General commits to the assault!

The elephants breaking through!

The battle ended with the Romans losing 5 elements
(the General counts as two). The only loss for the Seleucids was
their scythed chariot (to be expected, so counted as NO LOST
elements).

All an all, DBA 3.0 is a far better version of the rules!
Great fun!!!

For more on my "Day with DBA", check out PART TWO here!




Monday, February 23, 2015

Introduction to the Wall of Shields

Well, here it is: The Wall of Shields! Everything about my wargaming the era of the sword and shield.

If you already follow some of my other blogs you will be quite familiar with my format. This is basically where I log all my hobby activity from making terrain, testing rules, battle reports, posting pictures and painting information, etc. Of course there isn't a whole lot here at the moment, but that will be changing very shortly as I add content.


I have been playing wargames set in the era o the sword a& shield or a long time. However, over the years I have managed to focus my attention on the periods that interest me the most. AT the moment the Dark Ages are o great interest to me. O course the battles and wars o the Romans and Greeks is always fascinating as well.


Anyway, I am sure this blog will be of some use or interest to wargamers out there. I do post many battle reports on my YouTube channel, as well as doing full write-ups. My tinkering with all kinds of sets of rules may as well be of some interest. I hope to give not only reviews of some of these rules, but also give a run-down on what rules I myself prefer and use more often than others. At the moment all I will say is that I am a huge fan of the *NEW* DBA 3.0 rules. I can remember playing these back in the version 1. days. This version has captured my attention once again. There are other rules out there as well I will be trying and reporting on.