OGAM Olympic Games Rounds 1&2 Hard Centaurs and Dominant Virgin

Game 1. Pan vs Dionysus. Well you see, we thought this was going to be the long one-.

“Always give a drunken centaur a Cunning Plan!”

A quick word on figures. The satyrs, centaurs & cyclops are all from the excellent Splintered Light ranges. I bought army packs and still had a few left! I interchanged smaller cyclops & satyrs for ease.

Pan Q2 C4 Forester, Transfix, Tremble before my might

Legends Herakles Q3 C4 Group fighter, Hammering blow, Cyclops Q3 C3 Huge, Shooter medium Chiron Q3 C3 Long move, Dashing @ 35

8xOO Cyclops Q4 C2 sober @ 15, 8xOO Cyclops missile Q4 C2 Shooter medium Drunk @ 20,

4xOO Centaurs Q4 C3 sober, long move, dashing @ 35 1004

Dionysus Q3 C4 Transfix, Drunk, Confound 232

Legends Minotaur Q3 C3 Dashing Labyrinth @88, 2x centaur heroes, 1 drunk, Q4 C4 one sober Q3 C3 dashing, drunkard,

8xOO Satyr, Q4 C2 sober @ 15, 8xOO Satyr archers, Q5 C3 Shooter medium Drunk @ 20,

4xOO Centaurs, Q4 C3 Drunkard, Long move, Dashing @ 35

4xOO Centaur archers Q4 C2 long move, Shooter long, Drunkard @ 20, 996

My expert prediction at the start. Dionysus again, a weaker Legend force but a host of mortals that will cover a lot of ground, looking to swamp any opponent.

Pan has the stronger but slower Legends force and a similar mortals contingent.

This game is going to cover a lot of ground and the initial setup will be critical.

The Game.

I had Pan and set up in a V, my left flank protected/pinned by my archers. Tony set Dionysus in a long line, denying his left flank, with one god as far from the other as possible.

I got the drop and moved forward, Tony's moving forward on reaction. On my right Pan, Chiron and my centaurs was faced by the drunk centaur legend and the satyr archers. I moved Chiron up away from the archers and towards Tony's centaurs. Pan tried to transfix the legend and failed. I managed to kill a satyr.

Mentioned in dispatches, the Cyclops. Got close enough to lob a rock at Dionysus and was ready to bash a few centaurs.

Now I don't know how you play, but we take note of the unit and play it accordingly. Tony's drunk centaur rolls first and got 3 passes (amazing-) He could slam into my centaurs (the sensible, sober choice) or go nuts and attack Pan. Which he did, with a +2 strike as he's dashing-. We're expecting him to “hulk smash” bounce off. He rolls a 6. Pan rolls a 1. One dead god. Game over. AND Dionysus goes to the top of the leader board as he lost exactly 1 mortal worth 15points

An empty "slot" shows a death,  red marker = drunk.

 So onto Game 2!

Ares vs Artemis.

Ares. Group fighter, Combat master, Hammering blow, 376

Legends Achilles Q3 C3 Dashing, Invulnerability @ 108, Hippolyte Q3 C3 Armored @ 80,

Chariot Hero Q3 C3 Armored, Mounted @ 96 *

8xMymidion (CO) Q4, C3, Armored, Dashing @ 33, 8xOO javelin, Q4 C1 shooter short @ 11 1,004

Artemis Forester, Shooter (Long), Shoot into melee, Legendary shooter, Good shot, Animal mastery

Legends Hydra, Q3 C4, Combat master, Armored, huge 116 Nemean lion Q3 C3 invulnerability, Chariot Hero, Q3 C3 Armored, Mounted @ 96

8xOO Stampeding cattle Q4 C1 Dashing, Animal, Long move, 8xCO/OO archers, Q4 C2 shooter medium @ 20, 5xOO javelin Q4 C1 shooter short @ 11 1,003.

My Prediction: Ares as you would expect has a very strong Legends force backed by a small, brute power mortals.

Artemis has a Legend force to equal Ares. All eyes will be on the impact the cattle can make. But the initial betting is on a strong head-to-head battle of these two hotheads.

The Game

I had Ares, formed up in a strong forward wedge. What else would Ares do?

First main bash, in what was looking like a legends mash-up, Achilles vs the Hydra. I'd expected this to be a push 'n shove match, but I quickly got the upper hand and ol' rubber necks was gone.

Artemis's Hero did an “end run” to get close to Ares, while mine plowed into Artemis's archers. 

I got shot, Artemis's bounced off and thought better of it-. Seeing Achilles vs the Nemean lion he decided this was the easier match and started for it. But Achilles got pushed back & the lion failed to follow up, allowing Achilles to follow Ares. The Myrmidons plowed into the archers who put up a very good defense. Artemis tried twice to shoot a Myrmidon, but missed!

Now the cattle are starting to move, threatening to swamp Ares force. Hippolyte, at a loose end has a bash at them, but bounces off. Ares and Achilles head for Artemis before they can be swamped. Rash Ares does not wait. A snap shot from Artemis misses (!) Clash! Mighty Ares is down.

Artemis lost 1 legend (Hydra) and 3 archers, which puts her no.2 on the leader board. You tell 'er, I'm not!

OGAM The First Olympic Games The lots are drawn.

I want to thank all of you for your support for my bid to get wargaming recognised as an Olympic discipline in the spirit of the original. Don't forget those games were a strong contributing factor in the Trojan War, which at the time bordered on being the first world war.

I'm using a strict format and only 1,000 points. Easy to replicate in 25mm. If you and your club can field several nations, then go for that! I toyed with allowing substitution for destroyed units and allowing each side one terrain item but decided against as this lot used virtually every figure I've got and I'm looking for speed.  Where mortals are different than the book I've taken values from my earlier post on Trojan War troop types as opposed to the later Greek types used in the official lists.  Please feel free to alter.  One way to "cheat absolutely" is to run it as a Roman or Medieval spectacle, substituting contemporary or mythic types.  Look, just have fun, OK?

I've taken the “2^nd rank” gods. Strictly 3 Legends per side. I've a big circle, anything going over is “owt!”. The inner circle holds the 5 rings objective. All units start betwixt the 2, to win one side must hold the rings. Losing one's god is also an out-.

Oooops, 'oops- do your research first. Now I find the rings logo originated in the early 20thc with no reference to the historical or mythical past. Still, I needed some new urban movement trays. My first batch has been going strong for a couple of years rough handling. These have a much thinner no-more-nails skin so will be interesting to see how they last. Although they are harder to pick up as the edge isn't so proud.

The sides:

Ares. Group fighter, Combat master, Hammering blow, 376

Legends Achilles Q3 C3 Dashing, Invulnerability @ 108, Hippolyte Q3 C3 Armored @ 80,

Chariot Hero Q3 C3 Armored, Mounted @ 96 *

8xMymidion (CO) Q4, C3, Armored, Dashing @ 33, 8xOO javelin, Q4 C1 shooter short @ 11 1,004

Artemis Forester, Shooter (Long), Shoot into melee, Legendary shooter, Good shot, Animal mastery

Legends Hydra, Q3 C4, Combat master, Armored, huge 116 Nemean lion Q3 C3 invulnerability, Chariot Hero, Q3 C3 Armored, Mounted @ 96 8xOO Stampeding cattle Q4 C1 Dashing, Animal, Long move, 8xCO/OO archers, Q4 C2 shooter medium @ 20, 5xOO javelin Q4 C1 shooter short @ 11 1,003.

Athena Q2 C4 Prophesy, Protection, 248

Legends Odysseus Q2 C2 Stealth, Free disengage, 2 Chariot heroes, Q3 C3 Armored, Mounted @ 96

4x8 Early tower shield spear (CO) Q4 C2, Greedy @ 12.

8xOO Javelin Q4 C1 shooter short @ 11 1,006

Dionysus Q2 C3 Transfix, Drunkard, Confound 232

Legends Minotaur Q3 C3 Dashing Labyrinth @88, 2x centaur heroes Q3 C3 dashing, drunkard,

8xOO Satyr, Q4 C2 Drunkard @ 15, 8xOO Satyr archers, Q4 C2 Shooter medium Drunkard @ 20,

4xOO Centaurs, Q4 C3 Drunkard, Long move, Dashing @ 35

4xOO Centaur archers Q4 C2 long move, Shooter long, Drunkard @ 20, 996

Hermes Q2 C3 Super speed, Free disengage, stealth, v difficult target.

Legends Medusa Q3 C3 Poison, Turn to stone, Stheno Q3 C3 Armored turn to stone,

Euryale Q3 C3 Flying, Long move, Turn to stone.

12xCO Early tower shield javelin Q4 C2 Greedy, Shooter (short) @15

8xCO seapeoples warband Q4, C3, Armored, Dashing @ 33 1,008

Pan Q2 C4 Forester, Transfix, Tremble before my might

Legends Herakles Q3 C4 Group fighter, Hammering blow, Cyclops Q3 C3 Huge, Shooter medium Chiron Q3 C3 Long move, Dashing @ 35

8xOO Satyrs or cyclops Q4 C2 Drunkard @ 15, 8xOO Satyr or cyclops missile Q4 C2 Shooter medium Drunkard @ 20, 4xOO Centaurs Q4 C3 Drunkard, long move, dashing @ 35 1004

The Draw:

Hermes v Athena 1,008 v 1,006

Dionysus v Pan 996 v 1004

Ares v Artemis 1,004 v 1,003

The survivors will be ranked by points remaining and 2^nd & 3^rd will battle to fight 1^st for winner

• A chariot hero is both mounted and armored.

Commentary.

Hermes has gone with a very strong Legends line-up backed by plenty of punch in the mortals.

Athena is weaker in the Legends but has the more numerable mortals.

Dionysus again, a weaker Legend force but a host of mortals that will cover a lot of ground, looking to swamp any opponent.

Pan has the stronger but slower Legends force and a similar mortals contingent.

This game is going to cover a lot of ground and the initial setup will be critical.

Ares as you would expect has a very strong Legends force backed by a small, brute power mortals.

Artemis has a Legend force to equal Ares. All eyes will be on the impact the cattle can make. But the initial betting is on a strong head-to-head battle of these two hotheads.

Flying Lead Mini Campaign Pirate Raid - raid from the sea

The Prologue. I've given this some thought since starting. Although I set it in the West country (UK) and pirates, the basic format would work for Achaean Greeks and Seapeople raiders, Roman militia on the Saxon shore to troops getting back to a port at the fall of France.

Ok, I admit this is a crap map, but it does the deed. I diced for between-movement distances with a D4 on the kings road and 2D4 the rest. We used the parent Flying Lead as we didn't need the more involved Flashing Steel.

Quick chat on scenery. Note my old wattle & daub, thatched buildings looking right here. As they're meant to be Vietnamese just shows how universal such builders were. The cloth is my Mars one, painted, that didn't work too well. There was a recent article on a clever chap who bought a cloth and chalk to make a convention groundsheet from scratch. Chalk, so simple, although not the easiest thing to find in the highstreet. I got a pack of large (only ones I could find) pavement chalks for £1. I think you'll see more use.

There are 3 sides, the raiders, militia and angry locals. I worked through the pirate raiders. These are Q5 (held back by cattle & captives) for each hour I rolled 3D6, each 5&6 was a success allowing the party to move forward. This group I decided would keep to the rough middle ground. A simple notation keeps track say J1-3 and rote J-K 1-3. So I now had the complete track plotted. I knew where they had rested or had problems and (should) stop overnight at H.

The locals. People come, go, move and act as they will. So the exact number who actually complete the race will be decided upon the event. Lets invent the local nobs, the De Vience family, who came over with William for the days sport and decided to stay for a bit. Naturally they have an aire Squire Eustace De Vience, one to the army, Major Husting De Vience and one to the church, the Reverent Ignatious De Vience . Among the captives will be a niece or, more likely a ward Miss Angelica Short Cummings.

Militia. A good all-round term. Such coastal towns usually kept a quick reaction force on hand, there will still Barbary pirates, smugglers and revolting natives requiring a firm hand. These will be ready to go a (D3) short while after the alarm has been raised. As for the nature-

A crack squad of hunters, Q3, mounted infantry.

Mounted Dragoons Q4, note only the Kings Road is suitable for cavalry, who make double time along it.

County Militia infantry, part timers doing their service.

A combination. D3 bases of militia infantry, D6 of Dragoons for use as scouts, 2D6 revenue/hunters.

The Game. We decided on the latter. I diced for the officer (cautious, competent, rash) and got rash. So the dragoons set of on the Kings road at a cracking pace. They set up an ambush at Cabot village.

The locals set a slow pace arriving 6 turns after the pirates.

Tony set up a dismounted ambush in the heart of the village and a mounted just outside.

I came on slow – in fact NEVER have we had a game with so many turnarounds. Most movement was reaction based-. We nearly forgot about the locals, and when they started tpo arrive they just-stopped.

My initial probe met the ambush and the lead was knocked down (where he stayed, probably got away at the end-)

I spread out into cover and the loot and prisoners (on reactions) started the long way around. My idea was to come at them from all sides, making movement impossible.

Tony mounted and did a short, sharp charge, killing one (a 6:1 gruesome death) knocking down one and pushing back another. I got in a few lucky shots (I'd deliberately pruned the number of guns) I killed the sergeant and unhorsed the officer. That reduced him to individual movements, which gave me the opportunity for more reactions. I got another trooper.

This was the turning point.  The officer was down and isolated.  I sent in a couple of pirates in, but he cut 'em down in one go.  He could then resume command.  If he'd lost, I'd have won as Tony would have no commanders left. The 2 pennies represent the figure is unloaded.

Then the locals turned up in a very slow trickle. That stopped my outflanking move and a trooper (probably trying to link up) cut down another pirate from behind. Outnumbered & surrounded this lot surrendered.

Now the officer was back on is 'orse he managed to rally the troops and pushed hard. I got my captain away and nearly the captives. Tony pushed through the straggle in the centre and captured the captives and loot.

I would have got about ½ the rest away but didn't have enough for offensive action.

Worked well. The campaign approach gave each side a reason to be there and why. The choice of dragoon officer was probably the most telling. A cautious leader would probably have found then then followed. A more “ by the book” would have scouted and probably set up an ambush at the farm at G or H.

I retreat after first contact

I start to envelope-

Captives & loot move away from trouble

Sergeant is down!

First charge

Dragoons regroup and press on

First of locals turn up, standoff.