Tuesday 31 December 2013

Happy New Year!

It is New Year's Eve and I remain in a quandary over which armies to take to Cancon at the end of next month.

One of my objectives for wargaming in 2014 is to become more competitive playing DBA.  Presenting as if I was a 'baby seal' for other competitors to club, virtually at will, is no longer an option!

What I need to do first, is get back to basics and re-read the rule book.  Next, I will need to play the game more frequently!  This year, I think I managed to get ten games of DBA in, eight of those were at Cancon last January.  Is there little wonder I fail to perform competitively when I lack a good understanding of the rules developed through match play.

The second step is to select two armies, one for each day, that will provide me tactical versatility.  This is the step which is causing me some concern.  Previously, I had selected my armies based on what new figures I wanted to paint or had purchased!  I'll leave that selection criterion to the more experienced players.

I am fortunate enough to possess a large number of armies, both painted and unpainted.  The disadvantage is a lot of these armies were purchased based figure selection, rather than playability.

I need to decide which two armies I will be taking by the end of this week.

Have a happy, safe and productive New Year!

    


Sunday 29 December 2013

Upon closer evaluation

Following on from Phil's comments, I have taken a closer look at Fanatic Berbers (DBA III/74) as a likely army to be fielded on day two at Cancon.

I rate it a chance at this stage.

The following documents my evaluation of the army.

The army list comprises, in effect, two choices. First, should a cavalry or light horse general be fielded.  I would opt for a cavalry general over a light horse general every time, however I can see how the latter could be more durable, if the general found himself isolated.

The second  choice is between an additional two light horse, or two bases of three camel equipped cavalry or one base of knights and a base of three crossbowmen.

The remainder of the army are three light horse bases, four bases of infantry, each with four spearmen and three psiloi.

The army has a high aggression factor of four.  This will most likely render it as the invader in most games.  If it were to be the defender, as its home topography is arable and therefore its compulsory terrain feature is a BUA.  Garrisoned by a spear armed element this feature becomes a difficult nut to crack wherever the BUA is placed!

The army's optional terrain features could enable the battlefield to be reduced in size by the inclusion of a waterway and/or river.  A defensible site, by the placement of at least one steep hill in the army's deployment area could also be included.
 
The army's centre could be ably held by the three elements of spears (this would be reduced to two elements if the BUA is garrisoned by one spear armed base), perhaps these two bases could be augmented by a psiloi, if encountering a mounted opposing force, leaving the remaining two psiloi and three light horse to guard the army's flanks.

The light horse could be released to pillage the opposition's camp if an opportunity presents.  Having placed a BUA, I would not need to be concerned with my camp's protection, as I would not have to place one.

The critical decision with fielding this army is its composition, should the Tuaregs (i.e. the two elements of camels) be preferred over the Christian knights and crossbowmen?

Camels are marginally better in close combat with mounted troops than cavalry, but are not as good against foot (i.e. +2 against foot, while +4 against mounted).  Camels move at the same rate as cavalry.  It is unlikely the army will encounter any dunes or oasis, so the preference for camels would be restricted to, will mounted troops be more likely to be encountered or will foot?

If the camels are run, they could be deployed with a light horse element to harass the enemy's flanks if mounted.
 
The knight/crossbowmen combination would provide a sole element capable of distance shooting and  provide a mounted element which is marginally better than cavalry when encountering mounted opposition, but comes with a reduced movement capability (i.e. +3 against foot, while +4 against mounted, but but move in good going at 300 paces).  Additionally, if knights are successful in close combat it must follow up leaving a sole knight element, even supported by light horse, to be easily flanked and killed in the second round of combat.

I think I will play a couple of solo games to see how a Fanatic Berber army, commanded by a Berber light horse general and equipped with Tuareg allies will fair.

Friday 27 December 2013

More mining results in...another army!

I had purchased my Khmer and Cham DBA army on eBay some years ago and to date, have not gamed with it.  In checking its composition against the DBA 2.2 army list, I found that I am down two archers - the painter of the army fielded two elements of three bow, instead of the required two elements of four bow.  For gaming purposes there is no adverse impact, just annoying!

I find myself in two minds, should I run the Cham on day two of Cancon, with the artillery element instead of the blades or run a Fanatic Berber army which I found in the lead mountain?

Tuesday 24 December 2013

Up date

My all options New Kingdom Egyptian DBA army (DBA I/22ab) has been re-based and is awaiting flocking, as is my Middle Assyrian DBA army (DBA I/25).

The Early Bedouin (DBA I/6) option (c) is based and the unpainted figures are awaiting priming and then painting on the element bases.  I had sufficient figures to be able to morph this option of the army list to include option (b) though I am, presently restricted to running the 3Cm (General).  I need to get an Auxilia general which will not only expand my command element options but will also enable me to run the (a) option of the army list.

Whilst working on this side project, I discovered I only needed eleven more Essex Nubian archers in order for me to be able to field another DBA army, Nubians (DBA I/3) bow option.  An interesting army, as in this variant it is comprised of nine bow, including the general and two war band elements.  It certainly does not present as a balanced open competition army, but will fit in well as opponents for the New Kingdom Egyptians.

Cancon 2014 is approaching and the latest report indicates about 15 registered players including a junior.

I will have to consider which two armies I will take.  This competition is run over two days, the first day, the players are restricted to fielding armies which appear in Books I and II.  The second day sees armies from Book III and IV being run.

The difficulty for me is to run two balanced armies which respond to the distinct challenges presented on each day, such as chariots and spears on the first day and knights and bows on the second.

At this stage, the second day of competition might see my Cham (DBA III/23) facing their inaugural game.  Potentially this is a good army to go up against the knight/bow combination which could be expected.  It has two elephants, which if nothing more will cause a distraction to a lot of players, some bad gooding troops, in the form of four Auxilia, and two bow elements, but the one blade element can only be fielded at the cost of the artillery element.

In the interim, I wish all who happen by a happy festive season!      

Tuesday 17 December 2013

Mining commences

Whilst awaiting the delivery of my recent eBay DBA book IV purchases, I started to identify projects which will produce completed DBA armies in a short turn around.  So far, I have on my painting desk six DBA book I armies!

Three of these armies came into my possession as a result of an eBay purchase from about four years ago.  A gamer in the UK off loaded about five incomplete book 1 armies in one lot.  The armies were incomplete by DBA 2.2 standards.  I think they were used under DBA 1 rules.

These three armies (I/18 Minoan & Early Mycenaean, I/24 Hittite Empire and I/22 New Kingdom Egyptian) were the easiest to finish as each required re-basing and the addition of a dozen figures in total.  I am just getting around to doing that now.

The other two armies required more work and have been left to the side for the interim.  However, one army has been the source of a camel contingent.

I am also re-basing a I/25 Middle Assyrian & Early Neo Assyrian army, again obtained from another eBay purchase, as well as a I/53 Saitic Egyptian army.  Both only needed re-basing.

The last of this group of six is a partially painted I/6c Early Bedouin army which was to be used at MOAB this year.  It's half painted so shouldn't take that long to finish as the camel contingent is already painted.



      

Friday 13 December 2013

DBA IV/39 Navarrese

Despite already having an excessive lead mountain as previously stated, I still couldn't resist acquiring another three unpainted DBA armies from eBay for $A125.60.  Yes, it is an obsession!

I now have the following additional armies: Navarrese (IV/39), Feudal English (IV/23) and Post Mongol Russian  (IV/44).

I already had a painted Feudal English force, but wanted to get another to enable me to refight the period of English history, referred to as the Anarchy, where Stephen fought Matilda for control of the English crown.  

Unlike previous similar acquisitions, these will go straight to the front of the painting queue and the first of these new armies to be painted will be the Navarrese.

The figures for the Navarrese are of 'Essex' manufacture and the seller quite rightly alerted any prospective bidder that additional figures would be required to field the (a), (b) and (c) variants of this army.  Fortunately that didn't present as a difficulty for me, as a search of what I have on hand revealed all of the additional requirements to enable me to field this army with all of its options when painted.

I normally paint 15mm figures by cleaning the figures of any flash and mould lines, before temporarily attaching them to tongue depressors for priming and painting.  The tongue depressors are readily available from any craft store like 'Riot'.

This is an approach adopted by a lot of gamers however, for this army, I have decided to try a new technique and instead of using tongue depressors, the figures will be attached to the final base for priming and painting.  Similarly, I normally apply a black primer, however I intend to apply a dark brown primer instead.  This should reduce time spent painting both horse flesh and the base coat of the visible flesh of the infantry and knights.  It will also serve as a base coat on the bases, prior to flocking.







 


Wednesday 11 December 2013

Towards 2014!

The commencement of this blog reflects my new approach to wargaming.

Over the years, I have accumulated more unpainted lead than anyone else I know.  This virtual lead mountain has gone unchecked until this time last year, when, over a week, I sorted through it, bagged the figures and created an inventory for ease of retrieval with the help of my wife.

Following the sale of my apartment in Brisbane's West End, we moved into a house where I am fortunate enough to be able to allocate a room to my hobby.

I now have no further excuses, 2014 needs to be the year that the lead mountain is mined and useable, painted wargaming figures produced whilst I still am able to do so! Along the way, I will record my progress using this blog to ensure I remain on track.

Secondarily, I want to game more regularly.  I have committed to attend both Cancon (held in Canberra in January) and MOAB (held in Sydney in October) to play DBA in 2014.  I need to get some practice games in before each event for the sake of my ego!  This is something I haven't done previously and suffered the consequences.

Whilst in the UK in 2012, I got hooked on Saga, a rule set for dark age skirmish encounters and have over the ensuing year, acquired two rival factions of 28mm Normans and Anglo Saxons.  I have shied away from using plastic figures, instead I have sourced both factions from 'Gripping Beast' and 'Crusader'.  I have used 'War and Peace Games', located on the Central Coast of NSW, in this endeavour and recommend them!

These 28mm figures are on the painting bench awaiting cleaning prior to priming.

Last month, we visited Gettysburg in Pennsylvania.  This experience rekindled my interest in the American Civil War.  I meet John Zabawa, who operates 'Gettysburg Miniature Soldiers'.  John is a re-enactor and he put me on to some of the most accurate 10mm resin buildings I have ever seen.  These buildings depict the farms surrounding Gettysburg and are sold under the business name of 'Buildings in Turmoil'.

Whilst at Gettysburg, we visited the 'Victorian Photo Studio' operated by Patricia and Del.  Patricia took our photo using 1860s era wet plate photography.  It was a great experience!