OGAM Olympics- Husband and wife strife.

What we need is a figure of Jerry Springer as a referee!

I needed an excuse to buy some Splintered Light new goodies and Old Glory 15mm Mycenaean & more, before the price went up. There's also the impetus of the new Celtic supplement foe Ogam with added warband and chariot rules. We're just breaking in Rogue Stars so that's to come.

I hope you enjoyed our recent Olympic Games series. I'm hoping to do this again, and here's 2 new competitors, husband and wife, Hephaistos and Aphrodite. 

 That just leaves the biggies, Zeus, Hades and Poseidon and Apollo. Do I have a premier league?

I'd rolled up this mat and shoved it in the window, needed a bit or rolling, but no touch-up. Proper job.

Hephaistos. Not the oldest of gods, being “born” with metal smithying.

Hephaistos Q2 C4 Short move, Smithy. (I may add hammering blow in the future) 212

Legends

Tauroi Khalkeoi (bronze bull) Q3 C4 Armoured, Artificial, Big, Combat master. 118

Talos the bronze giant Q3 C4 Armoured, Artificial, Huge, Hammering blow. 120

Perseus Q3 C3 Invisibility helm Stealth, Ambusher (bad choice, never mind) 72

Mortals

Automata Q4 C2 Artificial 17x 8 = 136

Heroes Q4 C3 Armoured, Steadfast, Greedy 27 x 8 =216

Javelin, Q4 C1 Shooter short, 11 x 12 = 132

Total 1,006

Aphrodite. Probably vies with Pan for the oldest, small statues of her survive from the stone age. An interesting skills set, in a normal game you can choose troops with care, but in the mix that's not possible. Could she be another surprise package? This army is Cretan, possibly post invasion.

My approach to the Minotaur is rather different. But consider this: whatever he was, he was a member of the royal family and if takes the field it's not going to be in a bit of leather. Maenads wore bull head masks. Could the original be a castrated royal (which encourages huge size) probably a priest? Here he is, taking the field in his bull mask mounted on a chariot pulled by 2 sacred bulls. Chariot & oxen by Museum Miniatures (best on market IMO) head from 15mm.co's Sendoku range.

Aphrodite Q2 C3 Transfix, Love conquers, Breathtaking beauty 272

Legends

2 Harpies Q3 C2 Flying, 2x60= 120

Minotaur Q3 C3 Mounted, Armoured, Dashing, Labyrinth =118

Mortals

4 Chariots Mounted, Long, Javelin Shoot short. (I've used the Amazon cavalry stats) 33x4= 132

City state infantry Q4 C2, Shielded, Dash, Javelin Shoot short. 22x8 = 176

City state infantry Q4 C2 Shoot(M) Good shot 23x8 = 184

Total 1,002

The Game.

Tony took Hephaistos, but I got the initiative. He set up with a strong line, denying his right flank. Mine was a traditional line-up, but I kept Aphrodite back, fearing his legends and Automata.

My chariots and a harpy started winging up the right, Minotaur and another harpy on the left. Tony had a plan, put Talos, Hephaistos and the Automata in the centre, then take on all comers. But I disrupted that. Spectacularly. We'd used Labyrinth before, but never to such effect. Didn't help that I kept getting 3 activations. So the Minotaur does a fly-by on his javelins, then “sucks” them and the heroes in behind him then drags 'em all across the centre to the other wing. In hindsight I should have dragged them off table, and I should have picked up Talon on the way through!

There's these poor chaps being dragged across my front to run the gauntlet of my archers and javelins. Who take pity and fail. Talos makes a bid to whack the Minotaur, but fails. That was a mistake, 'cos once the train was out of the way my archers have a good shot (remember, these who missed a long column of running chaps?) and he's gone!

On my other flank my chariots fail 2 complete reactions and a 3-dice reaction. The auto's crunch into mine, pushing 'em back and back n back. In crashing on my archers, contacts but no combat, comes his bull (there's never been so much bull on a non grandma wendy game) I drag a harpy and Aphrodite into the fray and it goes tail up (phew, if it had caught my archers they would have dissolved).

Meanstwhile the Minotaur and passengers are behing Tony's line and he grasps that its time to get heavy, so the heroes get into contact, the javelin flank and Perseus comes crashing in. Perseus kills the Minotaur. Noooo! My chariots did manage to do some skirmishing and running up and down a bit, as chariots do.

On the other flank I send a harpy into one of Tony's javelin to stop them invoking. This goes out, taking a javelin with it (tied result).

Aphrodite took on the heroes in an unfair fight, grinding them down and back. Hephaistos and Perseus took on my right infantry and a very interesting cut & thrust battle between my remaining archers and all the rest of the javelin. 10 vs 4. Numbers were going to tell, but the archers used every reaction and activation to good effect. They would have died, but they earned their salt.

At the end, Tony had more troops in the centre and I had nothing to get rid of them.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable game, lots and lots of bull related quips before and after. For once the 2 gods did not clash. No real reason except modern sensibilities showing through?

Better archers were worth the cost.

Harpies need a little something extra, either C3 or long move.

My 2 super bronze legends didn't live up to their promise, but I'll keep 'em the same for now.

Minotaur was a whole steaming heap of fun!

"Big chap with sword, 2 volleys rapid!"