Thursday morning I played in someone else's TtS! game - Kurt Schlegel of the HAWKS ran the Battle of Paraitekene. From the program, "317 BC. Antigonos and Eumenes square off deep in Persia near Susa. And everyone has elephants!" The Wikipedia article has a useful summary of the battle and its background. GM Kurt ran the game twice, on Thursday morning and Thursday afternoon.
This game used 10 mm figures and some rules variants he termed "Epic scale'.
The three Eumenid players. The pipe cleaners denote the command boundaries.
This was my command; a lot of decent Scutarius type infantry, and not nearly enough cavalry, plus a few elephants. I brought my own QRS. Kurt stated that he was a bit intimidated by seeing me registered as a player; he had no reason to, even though I have been running and promoting TtS! at Historicon for 10 years now. Kurt nearly took a vacancy in my Nineveh game, but the player arrived right after that. 
Even in 10 mm, a mass of pikes looks awesome!
My cavalry is severely outnumbered, even if the bulk of the Eumenid cavalry on this flank was Light cavalry. A swarm of them with wide open flanks is a potential for big trouble!
Action on the Antigonad center and left flank. Talk about an invisible grid - the grid was marked with green dots - I have lots of home made TtS! gridded cloths like that. Then there was some light green flock scattered on the felt, about the same color as the grid markings - Ancient camouflage!
The Eumenid LC has eaten my HC for breakfast!
Overview from the Antigonad Left, mid battle. Kurt used D10's for activation and combat, which is why each player needed a pile of them. He didn't track ammunition, either. When shooting Lights went out of ammo on any odd die roll, while formed missile troops (archers) went out of ammunition if they rolled a 3, 6, or 9. worked OK and decreased markers on tjhe tyable. I don't think I will adopting it, however.
Flanks? What flanks?
My elephants threaten some trampling! Things aren't going so well on the Eumenid right and center; some LC is sent back towards the center to counter my Nellies!
Turnabout is fair play, I managed to get in several successful flank attacks owing top the gap that formed between the Eumenid Center and their Left. Overall, loses were probably about equal in my zone, but favored the Antigonids elsewhere. In a further heresy, Victory Medals were not tracked, but the butcher bill on each side still pretty much told the story... a modest victory for the one-eyed Antigonus. Overall a fun game - thanks to GM Kurt for running it!
Also run at 9 AM Thursday was my friend Eric's TtS! game, The Battle of the Sabis River. The Wikipedia article once again gives a decent background and account of the battle.
Caesar faces a surprise attack by a swarm of Gauls, chiefly the Belgic Nervii tribe. 
The other four guys of our group coordinating TtS! games, left to right Jim, Jeff, Milton, and Eric. I've known them all for 25+ years now, meeting at Historicons. All are part of the Piquet/Field of Battle crowd. As previously noted, the principles of TtS! track very well with those of that rules family.
Very cool Roman marching fort made by Eric; for the actual battle, the Fort was still incomplete.
Eric is using 15mm Wofun acrylic "flats"... which are looking great!
Close up of the Wofun troops and Eric's custom bases...
and of the fort! I was fighting for Antigonus during this time, so I couldn't watch the battle, but I am told it was a hard fought battle, with the Romans prevailing after a shaky start. Eric used chits for activation and combat, and his own rules variant for the Legion's combat properties.
Two cracking looking games and both stylistically very different but both look super.
ReplyDeleteTwo cracking looking games and both stylistically very different but both look super.
ReplyDeleteWas TtS the prevalent rules system at Historicon Peter, and were there any other rules used in other games?
ReplyDeleteNice big battles! What is your impression of using WoFun plexiglass flats for gaming?
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