Wednesday, January 8, 2014

1st Battle of Azuki-zaka, 1542 - BatRep



Game  4 in the four game Samurai Battles' series in December concludes with the First Battle of Azuki-zaka.  The battle pits Oda against Imagawa for control of Matsudra arrayed as shown in the photo below.
Initial dispositions
Oda begins by advancing all along his battle line towards the Imagawa battle line.  Imagawa line prepares to receive the attack.
Oda advances
Imagawa defenders await
Suspension builds
The two battle lines crash into each other near the center of the battlefield.  Both combatants take casualties as the fighting ebbs and flows.  Successful attacks are, themselves, counterattacked.  Gaps in the line from repulses are quickly plugged. 
Lines contact
Imagawa counterattacks
Oda line repulsed
The fighting builds to a crescendo in the center as units throw off casualties freely.  Units are destroyed and the outcome is in the balance.  
Heavy fighting on Imagawa right
Imagawa Samurai breakthrough the Oda center while pressure mounts on the flanks.  Banner count stands at 4-3 to Imagawa.  
Breakthrough!
Success in the center;
pushed back on the right
Imagawa need only one more banner to seize victory. The Imagawa problem is that there are no cards left to play in the center.  The victorious Samurai halt short of the Command Tent.
Imagawa Samurai posed for assault on command tent
Meanwhile, Oda pursues deep into the center destroying another Imagawa foot.  Next commander to destroy an enemy unit wins!
Ranks are thinning
On the last turn before Imagawa Samurai awake from their paralysis, Oda takes the final banner.

Oda Victory!
Down to the last die roll
Oda Victorious!
Another Samurai Battles game that came down to the wire.  In this game, whomever won that final combat would take the victory.  Fortune smiled upon the Oda commander this time.

12 comments:

  1. Looks great and seemed to have been quite the nail biter!

    Christopher

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    1. Not to answer for Jon, but I can assure you they were a real nail biter for the Oda side the whole way through. It is what I love about this game.

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    2. Almost every game we play comes down to the wire. Fortunes turn quickly. Victory and defeat are constantly looking over your shoulder.

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  2. I'm enjoying these armies. I'm very tempted to pick up the game to add to my Battles of Westeros with C&C.

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    1. I own this one, Command and Colors Ancients, C&C Napoleonics and Battles of Westeros. It is by-far my favorite of the bunch.

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    2. It is a very enjoyable system with high replayability. A bonus is that all of the rules' materials are available online. You only need to supply the troops.

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  3. These battles always seem more exciting when you write about them.

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    1. Notice that I didn't comment on your dastardly Dragon Card play in this one.

      That was really a great set of four games.

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    2. You really need to be more specific, all of my Dragon Card plays are dastardly. (Although I may be transposing the a d for a b...)

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    3. True. With every play, I always expect the worst possible outcome when you have a handful of Dragon cards.

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  4. A fine conclusion to a great series of games!

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    1. It was a day well-spent, for sure! And, we each won two games. That is a good conclusion.

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