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Saturday, March 25, 2023

Sumerians In Action

The Sumerian armies regrouped to fight another battle on Thursday.  The setup is the same as the prior two battles with each army fielding 12 BMUs.  For a refresher, see Sumerians in Action Again and A Loss of Pre-Biblical Proportion.  Yep. In both battles I suffer serious defeats.  Can I turn it around in this next game?

In this contest, I face off against Peter from Grid Based Wargaming.  His battle account can be read at Sumerian Remote Wargame.

Without further delay, on to battle.
Battle lines drawn.
Red Army (Jon)
Blue Army (Peter)
As the battle opens, the two armies slowly begin to close the distance.  While Blue keeps his battle cars stationary, Red swings both of his battle cars off to the right.  Perhaps, one flank can be overwhelmed by the powerful carts?  The two armies are within striking distance.  
Red swings battle carts to the right.
The two armies close.
Already, one of Red's skirmishers is driven back.
The armies are within striking distance.
Winning initiative, Blue strikes first.

Preceded by a hail of arrows to soften the enemy spear block, Blue marches forward into the disordered spear block to its front.  Red's disordered spearmen fail to stand and take flight having suffered a casualty.  The momentum of Blue's spear block carries it into a unit of Red's massed archers.  Blue suffers hits as it closes but continues to bear down on the archers.  The archers buckle and run for the rear.  
Blue attacks!
Red spear are driven back as Blue pursues.
Seeing the middle of Red's battle line breached, Blue's second spear block advances into contact.  Before it reaches the enemy spear block, a volley of arrows leads the way.  Seeing friendly troops in flight, the spearmen, having suffered heavy casualties, break for the rear.  The entire Red center is gone!  Swept away in a matter of minutes.
Hard attack in the center by Blue spearmen.
Red's center is in flight!
In an attempt to salvage the situation, Red Army sends its battle carts into the fray.

The battle cart on the right drives off two enemy skirmishers and pursues into an ongoing enemy battle cart.  The Red battle car, disordered from its efforts, is defeated and wheels around to return toward its lines.

Red's Lugal at the reins of the second battle car, aims for the massed archers to his front and trots ahead.  Expecting the archers to collapse in the face of such a threat, the archers stand firm and deliver a punishing volley.  Stunned by the damage suffered, the Lugal carries into the archers.  The archers repulse the Lugal and he wheels his cart about.
Red cart drives off enemy skirmishers.
Red Lugal attacks massed archers.
A short melee ends with...
the Lugal in flight!
Following Red's quick collapse in the center, Red's center begins to stabilize as the retreating spear blocks halt, reorder and turn about.  As it prepares to take back lost ground, it sees more activity out on its right.  Watching Red's Lugal wheel around and head for the rear, Blue pursues with one of its battle cars.  Catching Red's Lugal in the rear, the Lugal is quickly dispatched. 

The battle is over.
Red's Lugal is pursued,
quickly caught, and destroyed.
With Red's center in disarray and its Lugal dead on the field, Red Army has no option but to withdraw from battle.

Massive victory for Peter and his Blue Army.  Congratulations, Peter!

Where did I go awry in leading the Red Army?  Well, I will not need to worry about chronicling those failings since my Lugal is dead on the field and the victor writes the history.

Well played, Peter!

58 comments:

  1. Was that a quicker game than previous because of the early collapse of the centre. When the happens, is the system kind enough to give hope of recovery or is it likely a slippery slope after a major event like that?

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    1. The battle lasted about 90 minutes, I think perhaps a little longer. Had I not lost the Lugal and valuable battle cart, my center had reformed was readying a counterattack. Peter's center had taken some damage with several units weakened. I may have been successful in a counterstrike. I am forever the optimist.

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    2. The pursuit rule is a real feature of the rules and allows a player to occasionally chance their arm and capitalise on their success. In the centre I had pushed my luck as far as it would go and was relying on my chariots from that point on for success following up on Jon’s misfortune with his Lugal.

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    3. The pursuit rule is a powerful one but, as Peter says, it can be a double-edged sword. That rule makes for a very dynamic and occasionally unpredictable game. I like it.

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  2. Oh dear Jon ……what have you been feeding those asses ?

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    1. Indeed! It is a good thing that my resolve is so hard to crush.

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  3. Another great report, you've got me thinking of using hexes for my Trojan War collection

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    1. Thank you, Neil! Playing on a hex grid makes a lot of systems simpler and especially helpful when playing remotely.

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  4. Excellent report. I hope you enjoy playing with the Sumerians Jonathan, because you are certainly not enjoying any wins with them.
    The rules seem fairly unforgiving once things go badly. Is that so?

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    1. Thanks, Richard! Oh, I enjoy the defeats as well. One gets used to it.

      As mentioned to Norm, above, having stabilized my center, had I not lost my Lugal, I think I could have given Peter a run for the money. In the sense that pursuits can occur more than one in a turn, serial pursuits can be unforgiving if on the losing end. Typically, a pursuer will quickly become exhausted and not wish to press on or refuse to pursue at all.

      I am reluctant to blame the dice but...

      When you are ready to step into a battle cart in command to try for yourself, let me know.

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  5. Nice report, but I think those Sumerians of yours need to return to the training camps, Jonathan.

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    1. Thanks! My army certainly sees a need in returning to training camp.

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  6. Another great hex report!
    Thank you Jonathan.
    Love to see Summerians in action too.

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  7. They do seem like an ungrateful lot, after all the care and attention you have spent in so beautifully assembling them. although I suppose at least half of them were on the winning side. Hopefully next outing they will repay the love.

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    1. My Sumerians seem to prefer fighting against me than for me. We will see what happens next game. They may get their chance for redemption on Sunday.

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  8. The armies look great, as always, Jon. I note your comment re the dice and there are some aspects of your loss that beg that question ....obviously, wuth average rolls, the rules are designed to ensure a Lurgal battle cart will beat archers in combat...but, if the Lurgal rolls a 1 and the archers a6 (or equivalent) then the archers will win! I am sure we have all seen similar results in various games over the years, it's what makes wargaming so much fun ( mind you, I don't think I would be as accepting as you, if I had spent a year building up a magnificent collection, only to lose the first three battles in a row....fingers crossed for the next one!)

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    1. Thanks, Keith!

      My Lugal in cart may have been a bit unlikely but nothing in the order of suspending belief. The archers got off a volley as I closed disordering and causing hits to the Lugal's cart. That damage was enough to see the Lugal go in against the archers disordered, with no Impetus, and at least one casualty. While the Lugal still held an advantage, I was bettered by those dastardly archers. I'll get 'em next time!

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  9. Thank you for the remote game which was most enjoyable, virtually moving around your wonderful Sumerian armies which you have painted and posted photos of over the last year or two.

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    1. You are welcome, Peter! Only too happy oblige.
      Matching wits with you is always a challenging and enjoyable endeavor. Looking forward to our next meeting. Very fun game that you clearly deserved the victory.

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  10. Very nice looking game. Sounds like you had a good time.

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    1. Thank you, Lee! Yes, this was another enjoyable fight with an adversary from another part of the world.

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  11. Dont worry matey I’m sure you’ll get the victory you deserve very soon…

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  12. Jonathan, I can offer you the use of my machinist vise to 're-educate' your dice.

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    1. Thanks for the offer. I will give the dice another chance in tomorrow’s game.

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    2. Ok, just remember that using the same dice and expecting a different outcome sounds like.....madness!

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    3. I hope my dice have a short memory.

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  13. Superb armies, glad to see heavy chariots in action...Nice report!

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    1. Thank you, Phil! Everyone enjoys seeing chariots at play.

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  14. Another day and another defeat, ah, I know it so wellπŸ™‚ Regardless of the outcome a splendid looking games in the company of like-minded fellows what's not to like about our hobby in victory or defeat?

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    1. Indeed. Another day, another defeat...
      The Sumerians and I are up for another test today. We will see in a few hours if this trend continues its run.

      Glad you liked the look of the game. Always great fun whether we win or lose.

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  15. Another lovely looking game Jonathan…
    There is certainly a lot more to wargaming than just getting a victory…. Well that’s what I keep telling myself.

    All the best. Aly

    P.S. I think you keep pointing your asses in the wrong direction πŸ€”

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    1. Thanks, Aly! Some of us don't count wins and losses. Some of us avoid this counting exercise for good reason.

      Yes. My assess often seem to be headed back toward the barn. Sigh.

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  16. Always fun watching your sumerians in action!

    Christopher

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  17. These games seem to very nicely combine the gestalt of open-table miniatures with the clean play of hexes/and/or grids.

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  18. Well not a lot more to add on the outcome than hasn't already been said. The main thing is these wonderfully painted troops have seen action and you've enjoyed yourself, despite losing each time.

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    1. Exactly right, Steve. Exactly right.

      One more round in about an hour. If I cannot remain with an Ever Victorious Army then let me command an Ever Hopeful one.

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  19. A good outing for the troops... at least on the Blue side.
    Perhaps you would be better employed as GM (only!) for these Summerians. :-)

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    1. I am beginning to think I am only suited as GM. My Sumerians fell in defeat again today. Oh the humanity.

      I do have a remedy. Change to another period!

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    2. Certainty one of the advantages of a broad collection is the ability to change it up when needed, for whatever reason!

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  20. Oh man, your Sumerians don’t seem to appreciate you and your generalship. As a suitable punishment they probably should just be packed up and shipped to some other gamer just so they know how good they had it. Just pick someone at random. Maybe someone with the first initial of S for Sumerian…πŸ˜€πŸ˜€
    And here I was rooting for you the whole timeπŸ˜€πŸ˜€.

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    1. Stew, the Sumerians are not responding properly to my commands. When I am ready to pack them up and off, I will let you know.

      I need to visit Peter’s blog and see if you were rooting for him too.

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  21. Thanks for a great game yesterday. The pursuit rules are indeed punishing. Most of my guys had suffered some major attrition by the end of the game. Don’t think I’ll be getting a battle cart to nip down to the shops either - they're way to difficult to park in a small space, lol. Turning circle of a super tanker!

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    1. Thank you! Very fun game. While your army may have limping been around the battlefield, much of my army was dead on the field. Good to see you are reconsidering the purchase of a foursome of asses and a battle cart to roam the streets of your village. Still, as an exercise in experimental archaeology, I think you idea has merit.

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  22. Oof... that read as though perhaps fortune was most definitely with your opponent? I liked your plan for swinging your carts out right to disrupt his flank. Just a shame that plan didn't work out.
    0 for 3 with this set-up. Will there be a 4th outing of the pre-biblicals?

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    1. Hello Dai!

      Quite right. My plan did not work out this time.

      Will there be a Game #4?

      You read my mind. Game #4 was fought on Sunday. I think I will entitle the post,

      "Going Down for the Last Time"...

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  23. Lovely looking game, same unfortunate result, still I'm sure it was fun!
    Best Iain

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  24. Very nice to see you continuing playing the period. I saw that Linear A has started to produce new troops with Sarissas. Maybe I will find rules which suit better to my wife to find back into the ancient period.

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    1. Back into ancients, for you? That is a surprise. I figured you were solidly committed to 18th Century warfare.

      I have one more Sumerian game to recount and then it is on to the 18th Century for me.

      Thanks for your comment!

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  25. That looked pretty decisive. Well done Peter. Hard luck Jon.

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    1. It was pretty decisive! I am having a tough time with these Sumerians.

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  26. Nice looking game. Sumerians are definitely looking the part.

    Cheers

    Meic

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