Grand Final
Game 1:
Greg O: Ostrogoths 3 Banners
Gileforn: Byzantines 6 Banners

This battle started off with a Ostrogoth double time into both flanks and the Byzantines took some hits but stood and responded to gain the first banner and the Ostrogths punched back, eliminating a key HBC and an Aux and LB fell as well.  The battle raged back and forth, and while the Byzantines caused losses, they could not close the gap and the battle was won by the Ostrogoths.

 Game 2:
Greg O: Byzantines 6 Banners
Gileforn: Ostrogoths 1 Banner

This battle was a quick one with the Ostrogoths hitting the right flank with Warriors causing some losses and taking a Warrior loss, but they got behind John and eliminated his HBC and captured John as he fled through the lines.   The Ostrogoths cleaned up the right flank and they struck on the left for the victory. Andrey is a superb player and a gentleman, and I was very excited to play him as the battles are always fun and tense.   I look forward to the next time and appreciate all the fine competition we’ve had during this tournament!

We reach the climax.. the Euro champ vs the US Champ

Andrey (Gileforn) vs Greg (gottoman)

Scenario: GI05 Battle of Mons Lactarius 552AD

Game 1
Geoff Heintzelman (Alemanni) 3 banners  23 blocks lost
Greg O (Byzantine)  6 banners  13 blocks lost

The Alemanni moved forward into the Byzantines and struck first causing two losses.   The Byzantines responded with a Cry Havoc and got a kill but took losses and were also ambushed.  The Alemanni kept up the pressure in the weak Byzantine center and caused another loss, but John escaped.   Another Byzantine Cry Havoc enabled a ferocious and lucky response on both flanks that secured 5 banners in that one card and the win.

Game 2
Geoff Heintzelman (Byzantine) 6 banners 19 blocks lost
Greg O (Alemanni)  4 banners 27 blocks lost

The Alemanni struck first in almost the exact same manner as the first battle and the battle raged back and forth in an aggressive manner, perhaps given the fact that the Alemanni just needed to secure 4 banners before they collapsed, and they were able to do so.

Geoff is an outstanding player and this set came down to a Cry Havoc card that was the most effective that I have ever seen in a CH or I am Spartacus play, which normally fizzles for me....

US SemiFinals

Game 1
Greg O (Ostrogoths) 6 Banners 14 blocks lost
John S (Byz) 2 Banners 25 blocks lost

Game 2
Greg O (Byz) 4 Banners 24 blocks lost
John S (Ostrogoths)  6 Banners 19 blocks lost


Game 1:   The Goths used a line command and they stepped into the cool river before launching into the Byzantines with Warrior and Cavalry, but the Byzantines struck back hard and drew first blood.   The battle raged back and forth on the left until the Byzantines lost their leader, which turned the tide and the Goths carried the  day.

Game 2:  The Goths took to the woods on the right and the Byzantines moved right to counter the threat, but soon the battle moved to the left flank where it raged back and forth in a mostly even manner until both sides exhausted themselves and the battle moved back to the right where the Goths eventually sacked the camp and gained the victory.
 

US Semifinal Vandal game 2
gheintze (Goths) 6 Banners, 18 blocks lost
scipio1zama (Byzantines) 3 Banners, 27 Blocks lost

gheintze (Byzantines) 4 Banners, 30 blocks lost
scipio1zama (Goths) 6 Banners, 20 Blocks lost

Match score: gheintze 10 banners, 48 blocks lost -- scipio1zama 9 banners, 47 blocks lost

Another great game with Mike. Mike took an early 3 lead with the cavalry on the Goth right. However, a timely First Strike followed by a Foot Onslaught allowed me to tie the game up. Mike got another medal before the action shifted from the Byzantine left flank. 

There was a long stalemate of missile fire back and forth that resulted in a wounded Goth HC, but Mike was leading 4-3. When Mike moved his Warriors across the river,  with a line command, I knew that I only had one more turn to get the last medal. Luckily, my SHC and heavy infantry managed to eliminate his heavy cavalry before the Warriors charged and won the game. 



 

European Final.

It is a very special scenario with a lot of luck with cards going.

Game 1

Zamba Bone (Alemanni) - 1
Gileforn (Byzantine) - 6

Cavalry has made the biggest thing it should. Shooting, attacks with dominating, but one heave cavalry has been destroyed by two medium infantry attacks. Then foot onslaught rush by Alemanni with "Leader" push back. Very fast and brutal. Thanks to Zamba for the good game!

Game 2

Zamba Bone (Byzantine) - 6
Gileforn (Alemanni) - 2

All Alemanni needed were two banners. So all has started with warriors onslaught. The first banner was get, then counter attack by Byzantine with messing some warriors. The next turn has started in the center with warriors push back. The second banner was got. After this the game was also quick with good Byzantine attacks and destroying of warriors troops.

Thank you to the Zamba for very good games!   

US Semifinal Vandal match
gheintze (Goths) 6 Banners, 18 blocks lost
scipio1zama (Byzantines) 3 Banners, 27 Blocks lost

Great game with Mike. The Goth cavalry on the right saw the first action, but only killed 1 auxiliary unit before taking heavy damage. From there it was back and forth, with a strong counterattack on the Byzantine left. Several turns of action left the battle tied at 3 banners. A potentially reckless mounted charge by the HC on the Goth left and a wounded MC on the Goth right led to 3 banners for the 6-3 win.

Rematch will be tomorrow night at 8:30 Eastern US time.

 

Round 1

Greg O (Byzantine) 5 banners 10 blocks lost
Jon (Vandals) 2 banners 22 blocks lost

The Byzantines led off by reforming their lines a bit on the left flank and during the majority of the battle, they Byzantines evaded back as the Vandals pressed hard on the left.  The Byzantines had the right cards to maintain a sold front as they refused the left flank.   While this was taking place the Byzantines struck on the right with the heavy cav.   The Vandals eventually launched a mounted charge tha broke up the Byzantine skirmish line on the left, but by then the Byzantines had 4 banners and gained the 5th be exiting a SHBC off the map.

European side finals are up, ZambaBone vs Gileforn

I'm currently away from home, after a rather dismal week of getting a new PC up and running after a hard drive failure. So for the US Tournament, I'm extending the deadline to 5 April, but will progress to Semi-Finals after that date.

Round 3

Greg O Byzantine 5 banner 18 blocks lost
Travis Vandals 2 banners 23 blocks lost

Sorry, very late report from a January play.   Battle ensued in the center resulting in death and carnage.

Semi-Final Game 1

Gileforn (Vandal / Goths) 6 Banners, 14 blocks lost
Giulio (Byzantines) 2 Banners, 26 Blocks lost

That was a really good game as always with Giulio. Nice tactic reposition, but a lot of luck on the Vandals side. The most important was warrior rush with foot onslaught that destroyed left flank power of the Byzantine forces. There were difficult to do more but two units were destroyed with the last turn.

Semi-Final Game 2

Giulio (Vandal / Goths) 3 Banners, 26 blocks lost
Gileforn (Byzantines) 6 Banners, 17 Blocks lost

This game was with a lot of shooting and repositioning before the final attack. 0 banners for the both sides and endschpiel has began. Cataphracts have done the most part of the job (and were destroyed) and foot onslaught have finished all. Byzantine has luck in this game.

My big thanks to Giulio who is a very polite and good player!

I have some problems with the second log, just save, may be Giulio has a better one.

Semi-Final Eurasia Game 2
mk20336 (Byzantine) = 4 VB (33 BL)
Zamba (Ostrogoths) = 6 VB (22 BL)

The Ostrogoths charged the Byzantine Left, backed up by one warrior, with another warrior going Center. The Byzantine counter-charged once, managing to surround twice or so, and deleted three Gothic cavalries and the Warrior, with themselves losing the SHBC, the H, the M, and an Aux, all on the Left. The Goths brought the other HBC and the Warrior up Center to prey on the foot units. The Byz. might have been able to thwart this effort and get the last two needed VBs before the Goths, had they had better cards. But two flank attacks were not enough, and so the two Gothic units found the two points just a bit sooner.

Thanks for a very close and exciting game.
 

Yes, the move from 2-5 to 6-5 in almost 1 turn was very painul. Happens in CC. The rematch next week!

Semi-Final Eurasia Game 1
Zamba (Byzantine) = 6 VB (22 BL)
mk20336 (Ostrogoths) = 5 VB (25 BL)

The Ostrogoths very determinedly hustled for the Byz. camp, killed the Aux effortlessly and took the camp with an LB soon after. (Note to self: Do not entrust camp defense to Aux troops, but when you do, leave them in the camp because 2d max, and, as I now see, they can ignore 1 flag in camp omg!) The Byz. formed a line and then split it with a Line Command, closing in on the Horde of Medium troops on the left and the camp raiders on the right.

An Ostrogoth MC and the HC with Totila crossed the ford on their right and charged a Byz. Aux, killing it with two blows, but galopping into an SHBC ambush, which inflicted two hits and sent Totila back across the ford into relative safety. Then the Goths put their Berserkers into the river hexes to prepare their feral onslaught, while Constantin summoned his troops to form a defensive line against them, and to set up a Leadership Left card for a fierce response. The Gothic Warriors, however blew a hole into that line by killing a Medium Infantry with two massive attacks. At this time it was 5 for the Goths and 2 for the Byz.

The Byz. Leadership Left now activated only two units, Constantin's SHBC and a H. The H tenderized Valaris and his Berserker, paving the way for glory: Constantin killed Valaris along with his unit, momentum advanced and fatally bonus-pierced Valaris's 3-block berserker sidekick with 4d in a superlucky obliteration frenzy to tie the score 5-5.

A Gothic Order Medium Troops card moved five of them across the ford, with two MCs hiding in the wood, not attacking either of the two Byz. Heavies in range (which both had 3 blocks left). On the Byz. right, their MBC and SHBC were just close enough to get behind the ex-camp LB to prevent evasion, and finished them.

Thanks to Michal for the game and a great attitude, he took this swing of fortune with exemplary grace.

Round 2

jongautier (Vandals) 0 Banners, 14 blocks lost
Mark McG (Byzantines) 6 Banners, 6 Blocks lost
 
Initial card plays on each side moved units from the Vandal Right & Byzantine Left onto the hill.
Thought I might be in trouble when my initial HBC with leader attack onto the hill got 1 hit on the LC which didn't evade, and rolled 2 Reds in return. My LBC then rolled 2 Greens in attack, so the initial setback was revenged.

Jon then played Order Mediums to move his MC up, and since this was far better than any card I had, the Counterattack card meant my MBC closed up, killing the LC, a MC, and driving the Vandals off the hill.

Jon then played Probe Centre, moved up two HC to attack my MBCs, but critically did not occupy a hill hex.
The MBC evaded away, leave the HC stuck off the hill. I could then claim the 3 banners for the hill, also played Probe Centre and moved to attack a 1 strength MC on the Base line, with the leader moving to adjacent. I played a Battle Bonus, and had a nasty fright when the MC played a First Strike, but 2 hits and no flag meant I could stay and finish the game. All up, a 6 played cards game, and damn near reciprocal cards.

Hi Mark, 

You may have missed this score from Round 02. Thanks!


Round 2 gheintze (Vandal / Goths) 6 Banners, 26 blocks lost, gonzoj (Byzantines) 5 Banners, 25 Blocks lost
 

Sorry. For the late report!
Round 1 RiverWanderer- Azzy_23 4-5 (26-25)
 
 

Rd 3 Decimum Final
RiverWanderer (Vandals) 5 banner 23 blocks lost
Kandras78 (Byzantine) 2 banners 22 blocks lost

An early, desparate, attack by Vandal Heavy Cavalry gained a lucky break, claiming Solomon and exchanging a HC banner each. Gelimer soon led a follow up attack which claimed a remaining Byzantine SHBC in the centre. Thereafter, the Vandals adopted a strategy of threatening on the flanks, whilst hoping their centre might hold long enough for fresh Medium Cavalry to come into play. Accordingly, Gelimer relocated to lead a attack against the rear of the Byzantine left. The dice gods continued to support the Vandals, as ranged fire rained down on many vulnerable Vandal units but failed to cause the damage required and instead aided a tactical retreat. At the crux, a Byzantine Medium cavalry advanced after firing to melee a single block HC unit, but to no avail, itself falling to the Vandal Cavalry charge that came in riposte Meanwhile, to the Byzantine rear, their Light cavalry, scurried forward away from danger and hoping to sweep up a depleted unit. Again dice failed to oblige and, returning back to friendly lines, a unit was caught out of position, cut off and annihiated by a horde of Vandal medium cavalry, bringing the game to a close.

The Vandals must feel lucky for this win. Similar attacks to the initial Vandal heavy cavalry attack more often end in speedy self-annihilation. The banner count is testimony to how close the game was.

Thanks to Andras for an entertaining game.

Round 3

Michal (Vandal): 3 banners, 20 blocks lost
Giulio (Byzantine), 5 banners, 19 blocks lost

Fast and furious... as it has to be. Early charge by the Vandals forbade the ranged fire the Byzantine general would have liked so much indulging into... but the dice did what the arrows cannot.

 

Rd 1 Decium
Gonzo (Byzantine) 5 banners, 17 blocks lost
Gotigessc (Vandals) 4 banners 26 blocks lost

First phase of battle was Byz LBC and LC manuevering to avoid repeated Vandal Cav Chrges, able to hold their own on inflicting damage through Parthian shots and missile. Vandals finally backed them up onto center hill and started grinding them down, eventually killing 3 and the leader. While that was happening , the Byz SHBC and HBC closed and did 3 Cav charges in center then right to kill 5 units for close win. Thanks to Justin for tight game.

Regarding my Post (#566) -- I forgot to state the report was for RD 5.

Rd 3 Decimum Final
jongautier (Vandals) 1 banner 20 blocks lost
Gonzo (Byzantine) 5 banners 7 blocks lost
Game lasted until the Vandals 3rd turn.  Byzantines started with 3 leadership cards.  Played the first 2 as mounted charges.  Vandal responed to the first with a Mounted Charge, blunted by a successful Ambush from the Byzantines.  Third Vandal card was rally and attacked SHBC with 3 pt HC, only to see the bb kill both the HC and the leader for the win.  Very good Byzantine cards and luck doomed Jon in 30 minute game.  Thanks to Jon for the good humor and game.

MT03 Round 5 - Taginae

Ostrogoths - gotigerssc (Justin) – 3 banners – lost 26 blocks

Byzantines - Mark McG – 6 banners – lost 14 blocks

The worst cavalry charge I have ever seen, 3 charging Heavy Cavalry rolling 5 dice each managed 1 kill, and lost blocks in return. The infantry then surrounded them and killed or fored them away. Justin had the worst rolls I have seen for a long time.
Byzantine cavalry was quite indolent, so the Byzantine infantry had to carry the day.
 

Here is log

Round 4 013 Tricarum

Gonzo (byzantine) 6 banners 14 blocks lost

Scipio1zama (Vandals) 3 banners 26 blocks lost

Interesting battle.  Byz man the river and push acroos on far right.  Vandals move to their right, then attack in the river.  Mounted charge from Byz on that side of river, responded to by Vandal MCharge leaves 2 dead Vandl HC, 1 dead Byz SHBC with some damage on both sides.  Byz fall back across river and Vandals push into river again, giving no respite for ranged attacks.  Their last attacking unit broke the river with 2 out of 2 hits and momentum.  Byz leader paused on edge of board.  Vandal HC now had to either attack a 3 pt SHBC wiht 4 dice or follow the ;leader and attack him with 4, leaving the HC exposed.  Aggressive as always, Mike goes for the leader with a bravery dice and missed the leader with 5 dice.  A Byz leader card and leadership token for  MCharge surrounded and killed HC.  Vandal leader survives running through Byz MC to a 1 pt MC that gets killed and then leader failed his roll.  Down 5-2, Mike charges the river again without much luck until lucky ldr 2 roll gets his 3rd banner.  Byz command cards finishes for the last banner.  Thanks to Mike for a good game and able to catch up on thins.