I had my Egypt vs Assyria game scheduled to run at 10AM on Thursday, but we got to the Convention Center so early (about 8AM that were pretty much set up by 9:00 AM, so I started with a short introduction to the rules and the game at 9:30 AM.
New Kingdom Egypt
The set up from the Assyrian Right...
And from their Left.
Close up of the Assyrians - mostly late 1970's era "new" Mnifiogs, with Hinchliffe 4 Horse Chariots. .
And of the Egyptians - mostly 28mm Old Glory, with some Essex and Black Tree Designs added in.
Assyrians from the opposite side.
Egyptians from the opposite side. The Pyramid is a paper print out I found on line for free. Just about fits in a 6" square "box". You didn't notice the grid? That's the idea; it's marked with dots at the corners only, so that you only see it when you want to!
A turn or so into the game. Bill is at the far (distant) left, and John Mumby form Colorado at the far right
Neither side wasted time in advancing... the card play permitting, of course!
That's Dave in the bright shirt at left, Clif Castle at the distant right. The Oasis is being hotly contested. And in Fredericksburg in July, Hot meant 102 degrees Hot!
"Czar" Barry looks on as the lines close. Barry helped me test out the rules at home.
Ra's eye view of the field.
An ugly gap in the Egyptian center.
This game we had 3 payers who were pretty familiar with the rules, and three who had never heard of them!
The Assyrian Cavalry has really pushed back the Left flank Egyptian Light Chariots. It takes some experience to handle the Light Chariots well - you HAVE to use their greater flexibility in movement to get onto the flank of the heavier Assyrian troops!
Things don't look much better for Pharaoh's men on their right flank, either!
In the center, though, the weight of Egyptian bow fire has taken its toll on the better armored Assyrian infantry.
Situation near the end of the game. The Egyptians surrendered the last of their Victory medals soon thereafter - Assyria prevails! We had 8 players for the game (6 slots listed in the program), and everyone enjoyed it, and most would have bought a copy of the rules in the deal;er area... but no one carried it this year. I pointed every one to Simon Miller's Webstore. This is one set of rules where I think the electronic version is better than a print copy - although you can get both for a little extra!
Here's the composition of the armies I used for the game:
New Kingdom Egypt
CMD
|
Description
|
Save
|
Spec/Ammo
|
Pts
|
VMs
|
1
|
Att General Chariot Heroic Ramses
|
3+
|
6
|
2
| |
1
|
Light Chariots, Bow, Veteran
|
7+
|
4
|
6
|
1
|
1
|
Light Chariots, Bow, Veteran
|
7+
|
4
|
6
|
1
|
1
|
Light Chariots, Bow, Veteran
|
7+
|
4
|
6
|
1
|
1
|
Light Chariots, Bow, Veteran
|
7+
|
4
|
6
|
1
|
1
|
Light Chariots, Bow, Veteran
|
7+
|
4
|
6
|
1
|
1
|
Command Cost, Demoralized
|
36
|
4
| ||
2
|
Att General, Heroic Div Amun
|
3+
|
5
|
2
| |
2
|
Medium Infantry, Shieldwall
|
7+
|
7
|
2
| |
2
|
Medium Infantry, Shieldwall
|
7+
|
7
|
2
| |
2
|
Medium Bowmen, Veteran Nubian
|
7+
|
7
|
8
|
2
|
2
|
Medium Bowmen
|
8+
|
6
|
7
|
2
|
2
|
Light Infantry - Bow/Sling
|
8+
|
3
|
4
|
1
|
2
|
Light Infantry - Bow/Sling
|
8+
|
3
|
4
|
1
|
2
|
Hero
|
1
|
-
| ||
2
|
Camp
|
1
|
3
| ||
2
|
Command Cost, Demoralized
|
44
|
8
| ||
3
|
Attached General, Division Set
|
2+
|
4
|
2
| |
3
|
Shardanna Royal Gd - Auxiliaries
|
6+
|
8
|
2
| |
3
|
Medium Infantry, Shieldwall
|
7+
|
7
|
2
| |
3
|
Medium Bowmen
|
8+
|
6
|
7
|
2
|
3
|
Medium Bowmen
|
8+
|
6
|
7
|
2
|
3
|
Light Infantry - Bow/Sling
|
8+
|
3
|
4
|
1
|
3
|
Light Infantry - Bow/Sling
|
8+
|
3
|
4
|
1
|
3
|
Hero
|
1
| |||
3
|
Camp
|
1
|
3
| ||
3
|
Command Cost, Demoralized
|
43
|
8
| ||
4
|
Attached General, Division Re
|
2+
|
4
|
2
| |
4
|
Shardanna Royal Gd - Auxiliaries
|
6+
|
8
|
2
| |
4
|
Medium Infantry, Shieldwall
|
7+
|
7
|
2
| |
4
|
Medium Bowmen
|
8+
|
6
|
7
|
2
|
4
|
Medium Bowmen
|
8+
|
6
|
7
|
2
|
4
|
Light Infantry - Bow/Sling
|
8+
|
3
|
4
|
1
|
4
|
Light Infantry - Bow/Sling
|
8+
|
3
|
4
|
1
|
4
|
Hero
|
1
| |||
4
|
Camp
|
1
|
3
| ||
4
|
Command Cost, Demoralized
|
43
|
8
| ||
5
|
Att General, Heroic, Division Ptah
|
3+
|
5
|
2
| |
5
|
Medium Infantry, Shieldwall
|
7+
|
7
|
2
| |
5
|
Medium Infantry, Shieldwall
|
7+
|
7
|
2
| |
5
|
Medium Bowmen, Veteran Nubian
|
7+
|
7
|
8
|
2
|
5
|
Light Infantry - Bow/Sling
|
8+
|
3
|
4
|
1
|
5
|
Light Infantry - Bow/Sling
|
8+
|
3
|
4
|
1
|
5
|
Light Infantry - Bow/Sling
|
8+
|
3
|
4
|
1
|
5
|
Hero
|
1
|
-
| ||
5
|
Camp
|
1
|
3
| ||
5
|
Command Cost, Demoralized
|
41
|
7
| ||
6
|
Att General Chariot, Heroic Seti
|
3+
|
6
|
2
| |
6
|
Light Chariots, Bow
|
8+
|
3
|
5
|
1
|
6
|
Light Chariots, Bow
|
8+
|
3
|
5
|
1
|
6
|
Light Chariots, Bow
|
8+
|
3
|
5
|
1
|
6
|
Light Chariots, Bow
|
8+
|
3
|
5
|
1
|
6
|
Command Cost, Demoralized
|
25
|
3
| ||
TOTALS
|
243
|
(24)
|
Medals = Total divided by 3
Reserve Ammo = 1 chit for every unit that can fire
Demoralized Command = Lost ½ of Victory medals
Later Assyria
CMD
|
Description
|
Save
|
Ammo/Spec
|
Pts
|
VMs
|
1
|
Att General Chariot, Essarhadon
|
2+
|
5
|
2
| |
1
|
Hvy Chariot shock Vet extra bow
|
5+
|
3 Shock
|
15
|
2
|
1
|
Hvy Chariot shock Vet extra bow
|
5+
|
3 Shock
|
15
|
2
|
1
|
Cavalry, Javelin, Vet
|
6+
|
3
|
11
|
2
|
1
|
Cavalry, Javelin, Vet
|
6+
|
3
|
11
|
2
|
1
|
Light Cavalry, Bow
|
8+
|
3
|
5
|
1
|
Command Cost, Demoralized
|
62
|
6
| |||
2
|
Attached General: Division Ishtar
|
2+
|
4
|
2
| |
2
|
Light Infantry - Bow/Sling
|
8+
|
3
|
4
|
1
|
2
|
Assyrian Hvy Inf -Shieldwall, vet
|
6+
|
9
|
2
| |
2
|
Assyrian Hvy Archers/Slingers, vet
|
7+
|
7
|
9
|
2
|
2
|
Camp
|
1
|
3
| ||
Command Cost, Demoralized
|
27
|
5
| |||
3
|
Attached General Div. Shamash
|
2+
|
4
|
2
| |
3
|
Light Infantry - Bow/Sling
|
8+
|
3
|
4
|
1
|
3
|
Assyrian Medium Inf Javelinmen
|
7+
|
2
|
7
|
2
|
3
|
Assyrian Hvy Inf - Shieldwall, vet
|
6+
|
9
|
2
| |
3
|
Assyrian Hvy Archers/Slingers, vet
|
7+
|
7
|
9
|
2
|
Camp
|
1
|
3
| |||
Command Cost, Demoralized
|
34
|
6
| |||
4
|
Attached General Division Ashur
|
2+
|
4
|
2
| |
4
|
Light Infantry - Bow/Sling
|
8+
|
3
|
4
|
1
|
4
|
Light Infantry - Bow/Sling
|
8+
|
3
|
4
|
1
|
4
|
Quradu Royal Gd, Shieldwall, Vet
|
6+
|
9
|
2
| |
4
|
Assyrian Heavy Inf, 2 H mace, Vet
|
6+
|
9
|
2
| |
4
|
Camp
|
1
|
3
| ||
Command Cost, Demoralized
|
30
|
6
| |||
5
|
Attached General Division Nergal
|
2+
|
4
|
2
| |
5
|
Light Infantry - Bow/Sling
|
8+
|
3
|
4
|
1
|
5
|
Assyrian Medium Inf Javelinmen
|
7+
|
2
|
7
|
2
|
5
|
Assyrian Hvy Inf - Shieldwall, vet
|
6+
|
9
|
2
| |
5
|
Assyrian Hvy Archers/Slingers, vet
|
7+
|
7
|
9
|
2
|
5
|
Camp
|
1
|
3
| ||
Command Cost, Demoralized
|
34
|
6
| |||
6
|
Att General Chariot, Sargon
|
2+
|
5
|
2
| |
6
|
Hvy Chariot shock Vet extra bow
|
5+
|
3 Shock
|
15
|
2
|
6
|
Hvy Chariot shock Vet extra bow
|
5+
|
3 Shock
|
15
|
2
|
6
|
Cavalry, Javelin
|
7+
|
2
|
9
|
2
|
6
|
Cavalry, Javelin
|
7+
|
2
|
9
|
2
|
6
|
Light Cavalry, Bow
|
8+
|
3
|
5
|
1
|
Command Cost, Demoralized
|
58
|
6
| |||
TOTALS
|
245
|
(22)
|
Medals = Total divided by 3
Reserve Ammo = 1 chit for every unit that can fire
Demoralized Command = Lost ½ of Victory medals
Nifty game, Peter! Troops look great and Simon should give you a small commission for successfully promoting his rules. One day, I will give them a go.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jon. I am open to bribes, LOL! Seriously, I think these are a special set of rules that offer a number of unique things, and my chief interest in running this (and the Hussite game, write up to come) was to expose more people to them.
DeleteLooks like fun Peter. How long did the game run for in the end?
ReplyDeleteBoth games were slated to run 3 hours, and they finished in exactly that amount of time. The 2nd (Hussite) game also had 4 players, so this time we used 2 decks per side, one for the 2 right flank players and one for the two left flank players. That worked great and sped things up further.
DeleteEpic! Thanks for sharing this beautiful game, atmospheric table and wonderful armies, even if I was on the side of the Egyptian light chariots!
ReplyDeleteLOL, thank you, Phil! Once you learn how NOT to run the Egyptian LCh, they work a lot better when you use them the right way!
DeleteI'm not a fan of grids but your solution works really well. Nice to see the old school minifigs triumph over the new model egyptians. The towers and palm trees look great too.
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Thanks, Iain. The grid presentation is Simon's idea, not mine, and I think it works super. Having used gridded games off and on for decades, the advantages of a grid are many - no need to measure anything, angles of fire and attack are completely unequivocal. All that greatly speeds up the game. The cards also speed up the game - no dice shaking rituals,LOL!
DeleteGreat looking game Peter and a set of rules and a unique gaming system I intend to master in the coming months. I have no problem with the grids myself and have purchased the 8 X 4 gridded plains mat from BIG RED BAT to play with. Well done on bringing the game to Historicon!
ReplyDeleteI think you'll enjoy TtS. The first game will go a bit slow as you wrap your head around the key concepts, but after that, it flies!
DeleteI suggest using my summary sheet - I had the rules with me but never referred to them once during either game!
Super looking game and report for a set I REALLY must get into action
ReplyDeleteYes, Garry. Your rules junkie status is in serious doubt if you don't! :-)
DeleteSeriously, as I have said before, the electronic version is reasonable in price, and is the best done electronic rules set that I have seen to date, even including DF2.
Hi Peter, that's a super looking game- thanks very much for publicising it!
ReplyDeleteI like the towers and pyramid. :-)
My ancient Assyrian army is so old the miniatures were casted when the Assyrians actually ruled the near east I think. Still have them.... but limited on their opponents. Reading your A vs. E battle maybe I should drag out the Egyptians for the painting table.... but... my pretty Hesse Kassel army is firmly occupied that strategic position in the family den. Idea...! buy another painting table then I can roll the chair between both tables (or be committed to the white coat society).
ReplyDeleteGreat game and scenario Peter.....
M aka WR
Michael,
DeleteMy Assyrians date back to the late 1970's as well. Maybe Egyptians after the HK? They do paint up very quickly!
Great to see all those units and terrain pieces that you have posted about on the table. I particularly love the 'camps' of the two armies!
ReplyDeleteThank you kindly, James! The "camps" do set the atmosphere, even if utterly unrealistic otherwise! I'll take the former over the later any day, though!
Delete