Roll Call 2004

This years Roll Call was 350AP with 3 games on the Saturday and 2 on the
Sunday. I entered the Roman Expansion period. Army choice was relatively
simple, after toying with Numidians with an EIR ally I decided on LPIA as
having reasonable tools to take on likely opponents.

The army was:

Cv(O) C-in-C, 5 LH(O), 5 Cm(O), 5 Bd(O), 3 Bd(I), 6 Bw(O), 2 Hd(O);
LH(O) Sub 1, 3 LH(O), 8 Bd(I), 6 Bw(O), 1 Ps(O), 8 Bg;
LH(O) Sub 2, 4 LH(O), 6 Cm(O), 4 Hd(O);
LH(O) Ally, 3 LH(O), 3 LH(I), 3 Cm(O);

All troops irregular, of course. This was a settled army so Ag 0 and no
initial terrain choice for any nasty invader :-) the thinking behind the
organisation was to keep it pretty simple - in my experience LPIA is
actually quite hard to use - and so I had 2 "movement groups" in each
command apart from the C-in-C who had 3 due to his extra PIP. This
approach always worked well with the Dynastic Bedouin.

The entries for the period were low - only 10 - but included 3 of the
current gecko rated top 10, 5 of us in the 40 - 60th ranked area and a
couple a long way behind that. Looked a hard pool to me as to win it you
were likely to play all 3 of the top 10 players in the period - Keith
Martin Smith, JD and Eric Doman.

Game 1 - Ben Stewart using Hatrene Arabo-Aramean

I invaded and there was no weather. I chose no terrain and Ben chose 3
patches of rocky RGo which all landed on my right which partialy narrowed
the table for Ben. I expected Ben's mounted to be mainly on the open side
of the table with Bw stretching to the RGo so I deployed, from my left,
Sub 2, C-in-C, Sub 1 then Ally. Ben deployed as expected. From my left he
had 12 LH(F) inc. sub, 4 Kn(X), 8 Bw(I) and 2 Ps; Cv(O) C-in-C, 14 Bw(I),
4 Bd(I), 3 LH(F), 3 LH(I), 4 Ax(O), 3 Ps(O); 4 LH(F) inc. sub, 14 Bw(I), 4
Bd(I), 5 Ps(O), 4 Ax(O). Unfortunately for Ben he thought that Ax(O) could
ambush in the rocky RGo and when revealed 4 Ax(O) had to be placed at the
centre of his base edge.

The game was fairly straight forward. I pushed Cm at his LH(F) and Kn(X)
and the C-in-C's Bw & Bd supported to flee LH and create overlaps. Sub 1's
Bw & Bd also advanced to take on the next command's Bw(I) whilst LH
skirmished in fromt of the rest of Ben's army. I also sent the ally with
his LH(O) round the flank through the RGo (which is when the ambusg was
found) to cause a distraction - this they did splendidly and drained most
of Ben's PIPs on that flank so leaving his Bw line static and out of the
game. The Cm got at the LH and Kn(X) and when my Bw(O) initiated the Bw +1
Vs +1 contest they blew away Ben's front rank almost in one bound. After
this the Bd(O) got into the Bw(I) and Ben's right collapsed rather
quickly. I sent my LH into the Bg and got Bd(I) into the end of the next
command and broke Ben's army on total losses. 10-0.

Game 2 - Keith Martin Smith using Picts

Keith had chosen this army as being good against LPIA. I defended with no
weather. I placed 2 H(G) which had no effect on the game so we played on
basically an open table. I decided on a cautious deployment to have Cm on
both wings so went, from my left, Ally, C-in-C. Sub 1 and Sub 2. In
general it was LH up front the rest some way back. Keith had only 3
commands which were, again from my left, 7 LH(O) inc. sub, 3 Cv(O), 14
Ax(X), 7 Ps(O); 4 LH(O) inc. C-in-C, 12 Ax(X), 8 Ax(S), 7 Ps(O) and 7
LH(O) inc. sub, 3 Cv(O), 14 Ax(X), 7 Ps(O). Hum, not a lot for the Cm to
get into.

The game was dictated by Keith's PIPs which fell just how he wanted them
basically allowing him to do what he wanted. So he redeployed his centre
infantry to my right to gang up on what was definitely my weak wing - I'd
deployed Sub 1 badly with his Bw pretty much centre of table and so very
easily avoided, if they'd been more to the right they would have caused
problems. So I was pretty much in reverse gear on my right whilst trying
to manufacture something on my left where Keith had set up his command in
a fairly safe position expanding supported Ax(X) to the table edge. I made
things worse for myself on the right by half sending the Cm forward to
look menacing at Keiths mounted only for them to see 2 commands of
infantry rushing at them - many many PIPs weer spent extracting them with
the odd Cm and LH being sacrificed for the greater good. However,
eventually I made the right safe. On the left I got a break when Keith put
his general in a position he thought safe, only to find it wasn't and it
died on a +4 Vs +3 fight against a Cm. This, coupled with a series of bad
PIPs for Keith allowed me to work LH onto the flank of his Ax(X) block and
kill quite a lot - but the end of the game intervened before I quite got
the command. 5-5.

Game 3 - JD McNeil using LPIA

I invaded with no weather. JD placed a BUA at the back of his deployment
area and 2 small H(G) that played no part. Now I knew JD only had 3
commands and his army was structured in such a way that on this
battlefield it's deployment was pretty obvious with an infantry centre and
mainly mounted wings. Therefore, I decided to put mainly LH in the centre
and attack the wings strongly, so I deployed, from the left, Sub 2, Sub 1,
Ally and C-in-C. JD deploys as expected, from my left, 7 LH(O) inc. sub, 2
LH(I), 6 Cm(O), 6 Bd(I), 1 Hd(O); Cv(O) C-in-C, 1 LH(I), 16 Bw(O), 6
Bd(O), 1 Hd(O); 7 LH(O) inc. sub, 4 LH(I), 6 Cm(O), 6 Bd(I), 3 Ps(O) - his
Bg is in the BUA on my right.

Again the game goes pretty much to plan, which is always a bonus when
plaing a top 10 player :-) My left wing Cm + LH plus Bw& Bd put heavy
pressure on JD's right and when the Cm clash I've killed one by Bw and
have overlaps inthe combat, I also catch a couple of LH with Cm as well
during the fight. JD helps things along with some dismal combat dice and I
break his command for no losses amongst my troops! In the centre my LH
fall back infront of his Bw whose only real contribution is to shoot dead
2 Bd(I) who get too close. On my right Jd ries to get his Cm away from my
Bw whilst also trying to get his LH away from my Cm + LH. 4 Cm do not make
it but his LH do and then my command goes into PIP drought. However, all
this opens up the end of JD's Bw line onto which I stick a couple of LH -
rude not to as they say - which take out 4 Bw nicely. I now get a chance
at the end of his Bd(O) who due to needing PIPs elsewhere are double
ranked. So 2 LH attack at +2 Vs +2 and JD rolls a 1 ... and so do I ! JD
can now salvage a defensible position for this command and my chance of a
32-0 is gone (I'd only lost the 2 elements at this stage) So in an attempt
to break him on total losses I manage to get a LH into the BUA to sack the
Bg - however, time arrives when I'm 2 EE short. One more bound ... 6-4 to
me. To be honest this game was always in my favour due to the army
compositions and invading helped as I saw all of JD's army for half of
mine.

Game 4 - Mike Goss using Numidian

I defend and there is no weather. I put a BUA + E on my left base edge and
Mike gets a H(G) on his half opposite this. As with JD I have seen what
Mike's army looks like so I expect a Bd centre with LH wings and so deploy
in a similar way to the last battle again planing to smash the wings and
not have to fight the Bd. So I deploy from my left C-in-C, Ally, Sub 1,
Sub 2 so as to have Cm on each wing. Mike deploys as predicted. His centre
is a Roman ally of 11 Bd(O0 inc general, 2 Ax(S) and a Cv(O) dismounted as
an Ax(S). behind this is his C-in-C of LH(O) gen, 10 Bd(I) and 6 Ax(I).
Each wing is 10 LH(O) inc general and 12 Ax(I). Mike deploys his right
badly leaving the Ax(I) on the end of the line lying on the H(G) flapping
gently in the breeze. His right is a bit dodgy too as he has the Ax(I) up
front to face off the Cm. All his Ax(I) is double ranked.

Mike's PIPs are lousy and effectively the initiative passes to me. I race
my C-in-C's LH around the flank of his Ax(I) and get to hit them in the
flank with the LH counting uphill - messy. With disaster looming Mike
throws his LH into the C-in-C's Bw in an attempt to get something,
however, these die messily and suffer a Cm counter attack. This coupled
with the dead Ax(I) means I break his right one hour after the game
started! On the other flank I contain and push back Mike's LH with Cm
allowing me to again get LH into the flank of Ax(I) with the predictable
messy result. A final frontal charge by LH into the Ax finish that command
off for the army almost exactly 2 hours into the game. 10-0, and to be
honest a soft game for the 4th round (resulting from the small pool of
players).

Game 5 - Eric Doman using early Armenian

Nerve wracking time coming - Keith is playing JD on table 2 which has draw
written all over it. I am 10 BHGS points clear of Keith and 13 clear of
eric so a draw will see me win as nobody else is close. Play for a draw
with LPIA against Eric - not likely IMO. Effectively as long as I can get
10 BHGS points I should be OK - realistically that means no worse than a
3-7.

To my surprise I invade, thus I bin all my thoughts on what terrain I may
put down when defending. No weather either. Eric liberally scatters rocky
going and orchards, most of which land on my right and effectively narrow
the table for me by 2'. I deploy cautiously knowing all of Erics commands
have infantry in them - Ax and Bw - so it's LH up front everything else
back. I go for, from my left, Sub 2, C-in-C, Sub 1 and Ally - the latter
screening off bad terrain waiting for Ax to come through. I have taken a
risk with Sub 1 and deployed his Bw in one rank as a bit of a tempt. Eric
deploys, from my left, Cv(S) sub, 6 LH(F), 6 Ax(S), 4 Bw(I), 4 Ax(O), 1
Ps(O); 4 Cv(S) inc. C-in-C, 3 Kn(F), 8 Ax(O), 4 Bw(I), 5 LH(F), 1 Ps(O); 7
Cv(S) inc ally, 5 LH(F), 8 Ax(O), 4 Bw(I), 1 Ps(O).

I start by being very conservative basically pushing the LH forward to see
what Eric is going to do. the answer is not much as his ally is unrelaible
which means he cannot realistically attack without leaving his C-in-C's
command horribly vilnerable. Suits me as a game not going anywhere is to
my advantage, so I sit tight. Bound 3 his ally rolls a 6 and it is game
on. (which to be honest is a lot better than a dull sit around and wait
for a draw) Eric attacks hard with his Cv(S) and Kn(F) aiming these at my
Bw and Bd. The risk with Sub 1 pays off with the Bw being (O) they kill
all but 1of his Cv(S) - with them looking a tempting target Eric didn't
support them as well with the LH(F) as he otherwise might, and being Bw(O)
they are much harder to kill. This effectively ends the threat on this
side, although Eric does send the infantry towards the orchards on that
side but they never get anywhere. However, his attack on my C-in-C is more
sucessful. Although I get Cm in the way he gets his Kn into the Bw and
these kill a few along with a couple of LH who try and stop them. By the
time I kill them off along with the Cv(S) the C-in-C's command is
tottering. We both now get poor PIPs in this area which means that Eric
only manages to break the command with about 20 minutes left to play. We
then hurtle through 5 or 6 bounds before the end is called with me
frantiacally pulling troops back to avoid losing another command, or
accumulating total losses. In the end I keep it together reasonably well
and the game ends 3-7.

More impotantly it ends 10-22 in BHGS terms and so I beat Eric to 1st by a
single point - second time it's happened to him this year, Hammy did it at
the BHGS Challenge.

Talk about a damned close run thing.

So my winning score was the very low 107 or 34 in rules terms.