Call to Arms: my four games - posted by Vince Cholewa, 4 September 20245

Brief accounts of my four games at Wellington Warlords’ annual Call to Arms at the weekend are in the captions. I was using Mitanni, book 1 list 19, and finished with 72/100 points from two wins and two draws. DBMM at CTA is played on preset terrain inspired by actual battlefields. Players move around the tables.

Thank you so much to all my opponents, to our organiser and umpire, Paul Graham, and to Alastair Duncan and Martha for so kindly putting me up on Saturday night. 

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A view along the room where we played DBMM. The other competitions were on the other side of the glass wall to the right. Nice to feel part of the big event (about 150 people) while being away from the noise in the big hall

First game vs Bruce Ferguson (Later Hungarian) on a table inspired by Magnesia. With the river being difficult for my chariots (I use 29) and the left flank blocked off with war wagons and knights, I did what I could to delay the Hungarian advance and play for a draw. We did end up fighting along the hill. 11-14 to Bruce.

Second game vs Raymond Dick (Komnenian Byzantine) on a table inspired by Marathon. Raymond's Turkish ally is on the right of the picture, which is the side where I flank marched. The Turks rolled good PIP dice, rubbish combat dice and then poor PIP dice when the flank march arrived. 25-0 to me.

My third game was vs Alastair Duncan's Khmer on a table inspired by Bouvines (not pronounced "bovines" I am told). This tells you something about my combat dice: Reg Bw (I) defending a hill dishearten a command of warband led by an elephant-mounted general and the MVP was an Irr Ax (O) that killed two elephants (it hit one elephant in the flank, which turned, died and that took out the elephant next to it, which was being ridden by another general!) 23-0 to me

My last game was vs Mike Stonyer (Middle Imperial Romans) on a table inspired by Dunsinane Hill and Birnam Wood. I played too conservatively when, really, I needed a bold plan to somehow break through. Mike managed internal lines of communication very well and plugged all gaps and attempts at outflanking. 13-12 to me.