World Team Championships 2000
(OK, OK, it's in Derby...)

Yet again I had decided that the ideal preparation for a weekend away wargaming would be to go out far too late the night before. So, after a 4am finish on Thursday evening, I was delighted to have the day off, allowing me to actually both wake up and sober up before driving to Derby (a double bonus indeed). 

A fine Thai meal later (plus obligatory 6% imported Singha Beer) , my hangover had returned, and the exotic eastern spices were mixing gently in my intestinal tract with the leftover lager from the night before. Ideal preparation for a good night's sleep.......surprisingly, toast was preferred the next morning, over the usual "Full English"....

 As it was a team competition, with our 3 players playing against other teams of three, Mick & Dave's results have been presented as well, to add  the full context and

For the record the team was:

•  Dave Roberts - Pool 1 , Selucid

•  Me - Pool 2 , Khmer

•  Mick Owens - Pool 3  Ghaznavid (only ever actually used it once before, on the Tuesday before the competition....and lost heavily)

• Game 1 - vs Mongols

• Game 2 vs Abbasids

• Game 3 vs Indians

• Game 4 vs Ottomans

In a surprising reprise of last years competition opener, I found myself defending, and facing a Mongol Conquest army with only 40 elements, split into 4 commands (7/7/13/13).

Throwing down rough terrain on the flanks wherever possible, I succeeded in narrowing the frontage of the table quite well - but leaving a (tempting) pass between two rough hills over to my left. With poor initial pips the Mongols were on the back foot, but still succeeded in throwing out a fairly substantial light horse screen, which gradually was forced back across the table by the inexorable advance of the Khmeric line.

With this inevitability staring them in the face, the Mongols decided to try and sneak a light horse command through the mountains (obviously been reading their Hannibal, but not realised that I had the elephants this time....). Guess what - the hills were alive with the sound of Khmer auxilia (it's kind of a low bass muttering, that due to the short loincloths and bare legs, tends to get higher in pitch when invading enemies from cold climates)   Surprise surprise!

Despite the fact that about 8 various types and grades of auxilia, with the benefit of rough going and upslope advantage proved incapable of mugging a 7-strong LH command, which was by now also in about 9 different groups, it was clear that the outflanking maneuver was doomed to fail. So, the Mongols resorted for the old familiar frontal attack, relying on the LH to explode the elephants before they themselves got toasted.

Of course, 2 vs 5 combats, with no (S) for the LH, and with flanks and overlaps opening up across the line was textbook stuff, and, as is always the case in situations like these, dice deserted the elephants, and they fell like autumn leaves (from a very big, very very grey tree). But - it wasn't to be enough, and eventually the Khmer wore down their opponents - 10 - 0  (30-2)

vs I'm not sure what

I presume his elephants got into the enemy cavalry..?

Mick won 10-0

vs LH- Maestro Jeremy Morgan, with a Huge Hsiuynung Noo army.

Dave played cautiously but sensibly, deploying in a corner behind rough terrain.

He got a 5-5 draw.

In a surprising reprise of last years competition, I found myself defending, and facing Terry Shaw with his standard Reigate-issue Abbasid army.

Throwing down rough terrain on the flanks proved impossible due to poor terrain dice - but one bit of RGo ended up dead center.

The Abbasids started almost entirely dismounted (practicing for v3.0 I guess) so there were 3 major blocks of supported spearmen facing me, with a Ax (S) line in the center opposite the RGo. My basic plan was to get across the RGo asap, and attack the Ax(S) with weight of numbers and Bd (F) plus the odd elephant, as they were unsupported and anchored on Sp(I) at either end. However after good dice initially with the center command, my left flank failed to advance in line, allowing Terrys dismounted spearmen to push forwards - and with my 4 Bd (F) committed in the center and on the right, I had little answer to them, other than some Ax(S) & crossed fingers!

With little hope of a result other than defeat on my left, in the center I was forced to mount a somewhat ad-hoc attack on the thin Dailami line, with a Bd (F) fighting the Sp (I), an elephant into the first Dailami, then a mix of Ax (S) & (O) across the other 5 - with rear ranks ready to cover any holes that might appear. Going first with the elephant seemed the best bet - 4-2 up, and no (S). However it wasn't.... you can guess the rest.

Despite a heroic rearguard action by outgunned Ax (O) & (S) on my left, the army didn't quite make it to the final bell - 0-10

vs Graham Briggs & some Fanatic Burpers

Mick knew that against camels you should say that your RGo pieces are rocky. Unfortunately, he had clearly learnt this parrot fashion, and  he didn't know that Aux get quick killed by Cm(S)...until he threw them into the front line agaist he aforementioned Cm (S)!

Luckily, the gods clearly took pity on him, and with the luck of the 7 blind barstards, his auxilia survived.

He drew 5-5

vs Simon Hall with his standard Reigate-issue Abbasid army.

Dave played cautiously but sensibly, deploying in a corner behind rough terrain.

The enemy advanced, but his skirmishers delayed them enough to prevent a full scale assault on his lines before the end of the game

He got a 5-5 draw.

Classical Indian - Bw (X) as far as the eye can see....well, actually only as far as the eye can see, if that eye was fixed in it's socket and was unable to swivel more than a couple of degrees either side of a direct line joining my head with a point where Martin Wilkinson's base line met the Waterway I had positioned. 

The theoretical impaled eye would also have been able to see 2 hills, one on the base line, and one jutting out into the waterway. These two peaks, and the interposed valley, also contained the entire deployment of the Indians.

In what was not so much a wargame, more a stylized recreation of a typical Mike Tyson boxing match, one of my commands made a brief feint attack on the hill adjacent o the waterway (which was covered in Bw (X)...), whilst the other two commands swung round in an inexorable, balletic and altogether clearly telegraphed maneuver. 

After receiving 1 round of reasonable shooting, and one of poorer quality arrows the 11 Ax(S), 4 Bd (F) and 8 elephants were in combat with the Bw (X). After 3 more bounds I was off shopping. 10-0 ! 

vs Serbs

Mick appeared somehow to have managed to deploy his elephants on entirely the opposite side of the table to the Serbian Knights. 

His paltry cavalry force found themselves facing a concerted charge from the cream of Serbian chivalry, whilst his main strike command  was too far away for me to see, but was mixing it well with whoever they were fighting....

He eventually won 6-4

vs Hissing Noo again

Dave played cautiously but sensibly, deploying in a corner behind rough terrain.

The enemy advanced, but his skirmishers delayed them enough to prevent a full scale assault on his lines before the end of the game

He got a 5-5 draw.

When people say they have "played the game before", normally it would mean that they aren't complete duffers. However in this case, both me and Mark had quite literally played this game before - same armies, same competition but 2 years ago. 

What had happened then was that his Serbs had stood by uncommitted, whilst my elephants, blades and Auxilia Superior has a bee-line for his Janissaries, and chewed them up - at which point the game was over. 

We both remembered this fairly clearly (I presume that's what the nervous twitch was anyway..) , so rather than risk it, this time the Serbs were sent off on a flank march, hoping to have more luck against my flanks than they might expect frontally. 

On table, the Ottomans lined up as "Micro Command" (6.6 elements - 3 Cv and some padding on the baseline), "Janissary Command" (some bowmen thoughtfully equipped with additional supplies of toilet paper dispensed from their traditional and specially designed headgear), and "We'll be buggered if we are fighting this lot - send the LH out to skirmish until the Serbs arrive then hopefully we won't have to get involved" Cavalry Command. 

I in turn lined up as "Elephant & Auxilia Command" , "Elephant & Auxilia Command" and finally "Elephant & Auxilia Command". Nice! Just to make life better for Mark, I rolled 6, 5, 5 with my first 3 pip dice, and so the risk of the Serbian flak march receded dramatically, as my entire army was now across the half way line before he had moved anything at all.

Over on the left my precipitous advance allowed the 3 Cv in Micro Command to get past my flank - only to be then pinned down by a succession of sacrificial Ax (O), who were tasked with the job of a/ preventing the Cv from marching, and b/ not dying too quickly. 

In the center the historical basis for the Janissary revolt and coup-d'etat of the Ottoman state started to become apparent, as they found themselves facing my CinC's command alone and almost totally unsupported ( the approaching Khmer heard the Janissary trade union convener bellowing this through his megaphone "and another thing, being slaves, we don't even get PAID for this sort of work lads" ). 

Rather than risk a premature revolt, the Ottoman CinC sidled up to protect one flank, whilst the "Sod You Lot Cavalry Regiment" jammed their hands deep into their pockets, whistled tunelessly and casually booted a football around on a small patch of grass next to the baggage. After a brief bound of largely inconsequential shooting, the Khmer general noticed a slight jolt rock his howdah, turned to his aide-de-camp and asked him to make a note to get an elephant with slightly softer suspension next time, as "these Turkish country roads seem to be getting bump-ier by the year". They then continued their stately procession towards the distant baggage...

With their CinC also biting the dust, things were now looking "very hard" for the Ottomans indeed. On the left the Micro Command was starting to whittle away the auxilia, so a more radical solution was called for. My left flank decided to ignore them, and go for their Bw(I) and hordes instead! 

With a 3 foot wide gap opening up in the center of the Ottoman army, and the "I guess we can't avoid it anymore"  Regiment about to commit themselves to the fray, the stage was set for the Serbs to arrive - and they did... just in time to see 2 elephants and numerous auxilia crash into both the baggage and the Bw (I) in the Micro Command.

Steve the Serb general reined in his horse, turned to his mate Dwayne, and said

 "Bollox - why does this always happen to us? 

Oh well, sod this for a game of soldiers - fancy a pint....?"

10-0 to the boy Porter !

vs Another Ghaznavid

Mick appeared somehow to have managed to deploy his elephants on entirely the opposite side of the table to the main Ghaznavid cavalry forces. 

His paltry cavalry force found themselves facing a concerted charge from hordes of Ghaznavid cavalry, whilst his main strike command was mucking about apparently achieving very little.

Very soon one of his commands was on it's knees, with half an element to go, and the general double overlapped and unable to recoil. 

Over on the other flank the game continued, with his main strike command was mucking about and apparently achieving very little

When I looked again one of his commands was on it's knees, with half an element to go, and the general double overlapped and unable to recoil. 

Over on the other flank the game continued, with his main strike command was mucking about and apparently achieving very little

When I looked again one of his commands was on it's knees, with half an element to go, and the general treble overlapped and unable to recoil. 

With the last dice roll of the game, the general survived again - Luckily, the gods clearly took pity on him, and with the luck of the 7 blind barstards, his general survived.

He had drawn 5-5

vs Abbasid again, this time from Steve Royle

Dave played cautiously but sensibly, deploying in a corner behind rough terrain.

When an Abbasid micro-command exposed itself, he charged in with his own LH - and rolled 3 1's, and lost them all!

On the back foot now, Dave held off the enemy advance, but with one command weakened as the game drew to a close, his Bw (I) were being shot at by Bw (X) - they needed to survive to hold the command together! With the last dice roll of the game, luckily, the gods finally took pity on him, and with the luck of the 7 blind barstards, his Bw (I) survived.

He got a 5-5 draw.