8-7 banners

taliapharaoh: Antigonid, 7 banners, 31 blocks lost
TTK: Seleucid, 8 banners, 28 blocks lost

An absolute bloodbath, won fairly by my opponent. Several opportunities existed for both sides to exploit advantages, but this slugfest was a battle of heavies first and foremost. When it became apparent to me that my cards were a bit scattered, and since I was playing with an 8-5 lead from the first game, I decided to try to counterpunch only. It ended up working primarily against the elephants and heavy infantry in the center-right of my opponent. I was lucky to have a FS card from the initial draw, which took down an elephant during a furious mounted charge. Antigonus himself perished, but after taking down two heavy infantry; however, the real hero of the game was an amazing Seleucid light infantry unit which took down a heavy infantry unit in a great Clash of Shields play by my opponent. I was fortunate to rally my remaining infantry units and draw a DT card which allowed me to get the 6th banner which sealed the series win. Overall, I would say in these two games I was outplayed, but I had just enough cards and luck to get by! Well played TTK!

OT19 Semi-Final

Game1
BrentS (Seleucid) 8 - Polonus100 (Antigonid) 5

Game 2
BrentS (Antigonid) 8 - Polonus100 (Seluecid) 3

Game 1

This was a long, slow, patient, bloody grind that extended over two sessions…..but swung dramatically and unexpectedly at the end. The Antigonids started with a MFM to threaten my Heavy Chariots, then a Mounted Charge. The Heavy Cavs went hoof to hoof and the charging Antigonid HC was unlucky to be one hit short of killing Antiochus’ unit, which was lucky in turn to kill the enemy on battle back. I Countered the Mounted Charge to try to take out some pinned units, throwing in the Heavy Chariots. Rule of thumb, don’t ever commit chariots, they’re just banners for the enemy!…..and so it proved as the Antoginds re-Countered the Charge and killed both chariots and my Heavy Cav. With both flanks in tatters for both sides it settled down into a shooting match, which the Antigonids did the better of with a Darken the Sky, killing two more units. Down 5 banners to 3, and losing the skirmishing contest, it was time to get bold (read desperate) and switch the play. I Double Timed my Heavy Infantry away from the strong Antigonid centre and into his left flank, killing an elephant and getting a double helmet leader kill on Pyrrhus…..my least favourite aspect of the game and it swung it. The Antigonids pulled their heavy centre across to try to intervene but they were too slow. Another Double Time right into the infantry pinned on the Antigonid baseline took out three units in one play for the victory, with Lysimachus taking out two units himself.

Game 2

This was much quicker, taking maybe less than 30 minutes and evolved very differently to the first, probably more in line with how this scenario usually plays out, with most of the action on the strong Antigonid right. I was concerned that I didn’t start with any cards to order that flank but every single card I drew thereafter was a right order. I pressed forward on my right and the Seleucids answered with a Mounted Charge which didn’t have any hard targets except Demetrius’ Heavy Cav, making me think he was short on orders there…..and unfortunately for him Demetrius and his unit just survived the charge. I Countered the charge, killing pinned units and from thereon it was an exercise in sustained pressure, with the Seleucid lights repeatedly being pinned and killed. Interestingly and unusually it devolved into an elephant on elephant battle there, with four of the pixelated pachyderms duking it out at one stage, including multiple rampages and one trampling (that’s really rare). The Antigonids switched the action to my left flank, which I’d left exposed, and killed a couple of units, but the battle was already over and ended with the elephant there dying on battle back.

Thanks to Michel for some strongly contested, well played games. I really enjoyed them. Thank you also for your patience with scheduling difficulties, dropouts and rule confusion (all cleared up but it does happen when playing with rarely used units like chariots and elephants). It might not have influenced the overall result but you were very unlucky in the first match……it’s part of the game and thematically understandable but double helmet kills are the one feature of Ancients that I wouldn’t mind playing without.

...comics...

Hello, comrades!

I want to thank Travis for his lesson in self-control.
The game is always full of surprises and the ability to implement them in their favor is a skill that comes not only with experience, but also depends on the individual characteristics of the person.

Travis had done well twice as a tactician. Just hats off.

His LC with last block did not leave the battlefield, and having thrown a javelin, took out my unit MC, and the next campaign, despite the threat from the right, light troops surrounded my second MC unit and once again terrible LC marksmanship forced to scatter and these brave men.

As a result, I had to curtail the most powerful attack of the debut of the party. With a score of 3:2 and a battered heavy cavalry (1 block total).

Second case.
A long time in our party expense on banners remained 3: 2...
My left flank has taken the tactic of throwing the fight. It wasn't long before Travis had to lead the battered soldiers to the rear again and again. I had a lot of Orders and the shooting was effective. But he waited for Orders a Cavalry charge and a qwick extension of his heavy cavalry and chariots swept AUX and allowed to surround the archers who had nowhere to Evade, when to continue the attack trampled my boys into the ground.

These two points showed me how important it is to stay focused. So, when I had no luck with the roll cubes at key moments...
I still tried one last attack, a detachment of the phalanx of Antigonus and the vanguard of the mercenaries of Pyrrhus (1 block) attacked, bringing me +2 banners and fixing the score 5:8.

To be continue.

Game 1

taliapharaoh (Seleucus ) 8 banners, 33 blocks lost
TTK (Antigonus) 5 banners, 26 blocks lost

TTKs cards were solid, and his tactics sound, but the dice failed him on a few key rolls which made all the difference in this one. His early cavalry charge on the right smashed my left, and he seemed poised to strike the death blow were it not for a heroic stand of Antiochus commanding a LC unit. That bought me just enough time to parry the blow until I was able to draw a MC card and trap some units on his left as well as take down a few other units to seal the win, but I was outplayed for sure.