OAAH Beta Test 2 - Medieval Japanese

Welcome, we bid you welcome!  To our second beta-test of Ganesha's Of Armies And Hordes.

I'm not going big, I'm going large. And Japanese – that made you gasp, didn't it!

I'm happy with the 120mm/ 1/4 of my 9" tiles areas for 15mm.

Just to recap- Q= quality, roll on/above to activate on 1-3 dice.  A=attack  (D6+Attack (or shoot ) +- to beat-) D=defence .

The baddies. Had to change what I did last week, but I think I've got some wotsits in the thingy. I've also worked out how to get the official spreadsheet to work! Although there's a few that decide not to-.

Bakemono goblins Q4 A3 D4 Devastating charge @ 13 x 16 = 278

Bakemono goblins Q4 A2 D4 Shoot 2 @ 14 x 16 = 294

Samurai Bakemono Q4 A3 D6 @ 19 x 8 = 144

Skeleton Q4 A2 D5 Undead, Slow @ ?

Skeleton archers Q4 A1 D5 Shoot 1 @?

Tengu Q3 A3 D5 Fly, Devastating charge @ 23 x 4 = 92

Centepedes & spider Q4 A3 D7 Resilient, Poison @ 29 x 4 = 116

Spiders Q4 A2 D5, Poison @14 x 6 =84

Kirin Q3 A4 D7 Shoot 3, Fast, Flying @44

Naga Q4 A5 D7 Giant level 2 Swamp walk @ 47 x2= 94

Nekomata* Q3 A5 D6 Fast, Sub general, Beast lord, Necromancer, extra 2 lives * ?

Baron Greenbacku Q3 A2 D6, General extra 2 lives

Total about 1,550

The goodies, almost normal--

Samurai cavalry Q3 A2 D6, Mounted, Fast, Shoot 3 @ 33 x 12 = 396

Samurai foot Q4 A3 D6 @ 19 x 16 = 304

Samurai archers Q4 A1 D6 Shoot 3 @ 12 x 24 = 192

Follower archers Q4 A1 D4 Shoot 2 @ 12 x 10 = 120

Follower Q4 A3 D4 @ 11 x 16 = 171

Monks Q4 A3 D5 Devastating charge @ 16 x 16 = 256

Peasant hordes Q5 A1 D2 ? X 32

Shugenja Q3 A2 D6 extra 2 lives, slow

undead

Alter terrain

Rain arrows

Dragon Q3 A4 D7, extra 2 lives, Fly, Monster L3 @ 93

General Q3 A2 D6 General, Fast, Shoot 3, extra 2 lives @ 65

Total about 1,550

The Game. I'm aware that many of the readers are new, not familiar with Ganesha games, used to YougoIgo.

First off, if you're used to kings of war, dragon rampant – this game is fast, the one below took 3 hours, and this is our second game so some discussion. What you don't do is go make a drink, update facebook or whatever during your opponents turn. You may do more than your opponent and wrestle away the initiative at the next dice roll.

Quick summary. I took the goblins. The objective was not defined, but I'd set up my left as a ruined border post protecting an important river crossing and crossroads. I'd added marshy ground on my flank.

I got the initiative and tried to move up, soon regretting giving skellies slow-. Tony used my reactions then his actions to box me in. He won the race (despite having further to go) to the central hill and I had to take it. On his right his archers mashed my small spiders and wiped out my archers, then withdrew into the ruins and thumped my Naga.

Note tactical use of jaffa cakes on the flank

My right finally got into contact and came off worse.

My Kirin and Tengu gained the heights, (they were my anti-dragon defence) the former got 3 activations and leaped upon Tony's general, taking 1 life in the shooting phase then they killed each other in combat!

The Samurai archers are the survivors of the battle for the hill.  Note the reversed pointer, indicating that they are still disordered.  As the Kirin got 3 activations, none of Tony's forces were able to interfere.

Tony went back, lost the monks and one group of peasants off-table. He then rallied, coming back strong with his horse archers and I melted.

Now let's look at how some of the units faired:

Dragon. Tony set 'im up on the steep hill, sensible as flying. But, despite being a “3” went “FU” to every activation. Every one. Go figure.

Shugenja. Didn't move until after the general's fall, got into position but that's all-.

Size 16 units and similar units: You run into the rule of averages, the odds are both are going to melt away. Don't make for interesting play. Expect to lose your unit. See what I try next week.

Horse Archers. These were the stars. Tony was impressed at the was the rules allow them to act as their 12c counterparts: “Shooting and Running Away If the acting unit still has actions available or has the Skirmishers trait, after shooting it may use one action to move out of the area. This hit and run tactic is not allowed if any unit in the area is faster than the shooting unit.”

Vs Tengu Down swoops my Tengu into the gap in front of the hill, 2 success 1 fail. Tony uses the fail (reaction before my action) to move in a cavalry unit (always best to hit a devastating charge unit) who shoot- and they're all dead. Done. Bang. Ouch.

(Vs) Centipedes. These were my star. They charged up a steep hill into the teeth of Tony's samurai archers. But their resilience (a saving throw) saves them- they kill 4, sends them flying. They then descend to the plane and attack the horse archers from behind, killing one and sending them packing. A second cavalry unit comes up and kills 3, sending the survivor into the ruins to lurk-.

Nekomata* A form of Bakemono goblin cat that can summon fire. Said to raise & control skeletons, Yes, it's the wrong figure, no, I don't care-.  I didn't use this one right, but it did manage to resurrect one dead Samurai who lasted- not long.