The Gods war upon the field of Troy. First planning

February is not that long off.  So here's a teaser.  A minor tickle of your tastebuds.  I'm hoping to tempt some of you to strut your godhead on the field before Troy--.  To recap, a 4 sided game.  Here are the sides arrayed for war.  I've tried to give the opportunity for "by the book" encounters.

Pericles is dead.  Achilles is refusing battle in his camp.  Then the Trojans break through to the ships.  Poseidon, the Shaker of Earth, led the Achaeans, bearing in his strong hand a dread sword, long of edge, like unto the lightning, wherewith it is not permitted that any should mingle in dreadful war, but terror holds men aloof therefrom (called a legal nicety) But the Trojans over against them was glorious Hector setting in array. 

At Aias did glorious Hector first cast his spear,  Telamonian Aias smote him with a stone; for many there were, props of the swift ships, that rolled amid their feet as they fought.

But when the Argives saw Hector withdrawing, they leapt yet the more upon the Trojans, and bethought them of battle. 

But when the Trojans in their flight had passed over the palisade and the trench, and many had been vanquished beneath the hands of the Danaans, then beside their chariots they stayed, and were halted, pale with fear, terror-stricken; and Zeus awoke on the peaks of Ida beside Hera of the golden throne. Then he sprang up, and stood, and saw Trojans alike and Achaeans, these in rout, and the Argives driving them on from the rear, and amid them the lord Poseidon. And Hector he saw lying on the plain, while about him sat his comrades, and he was gasping with painful breath, distraught in mind, and vomiting blood; for not the weakest of the Achaeans was it that had smitten him.  Zeus orders  “Hera, that art hard to deal with, it is the craft of thine evil wiles that hath stayed goodly Hector from the fight, and hath driven the host in rout. 

“We are all born to our fates, and nobody has avoided theirs.”

Agamemnon had a dream, unknowing that he was being deceived by Zeus. Taking the form of his esteemed associate Nestor, he was told that the next day would bring victory. Victory after nine years of stalemate, just as the prophecy of Calchas had predicted. For their part, the Trojans knew of Achilles’ withdrawal from the Greek ranks, so Hector led them out onto the plains of Ilium to rout the Greeks.

Odysseus and Nestor’s son Antilochus led the Greek right,

Ajax the Lesser and Idomeneus of Crete the left, and

Diomedes and Ajax the Mighty in the centre. Stung by Achilles’ criticism that he did not fight, Agamemnon strolled in front of the army, resplendent in his shining armour.

The cowardly Paris began to head back to the Scaean Gate at the sight of him, to jeers and boos from his fellow Trojans. When Hector asked his brother where he was going, he instead said he had a new idea – to challenge Menelaus to single combat to settle the matter. The Greeks accepted, and the first spear thrown by Menelaus punched through the prince’s shield. Barging into him while still dazed, Menelaus grabbed the helmet straps of Paris and began to throttle the man that had stolen his wife close to two decades previously. Paris would have died, save for Aphrodite causing his helmet straps to snap and then spiriting him back to his bedchambers in the city, where she forced Helen to make love to him.

Keen to stoke the rising Greek anger, Athena took to walls of Troy disguised as Laodocus, the warrior son of Antenor, and urged Pandarus to loose an arrow at Menelaus. His aim was true, but Athena deflected it into his leg. Overcome with outrage, the Greeks attacked as Menelaus was treated by Machaon, son of the great healer Asclepius.

Dominating the battlefield was the Greek Diomedes, who hacked his way through swathes of Trojans, and though he was wounded by an arrow from Pandarus, his friend Sthenelus pulled it out and he carried on unhindered. Ares himself descended to fight Diomedes, but Athena stopped him, and told Diomedes that he could fight any god except for Aphrodite. Diomedes killed two sons of Priam, butchered Pandarus, and then smashed Aeneas’ hip with boulder. He prepared to kill Aeneas, but Aphrodite moved to protect him, causing Diomedes to hack at her. Silver-gold ichor poured out of her wounded arm as she fled, and Ares waded back into battle to avenge his wounded lover. Athena asked Zeus for her and Hera to be allowed to join, as the battle was fast descending into a titanic clash of the Olympians amongst the mortals. Zeus reluctantly agreed, and Athena charged the Trojans and challenged Diomedes to take on Ares. He hurled his spear, which punched through the gut of the war god. Ares retreated howling to Olympus, and Zeus banned all future intervention from the god.

I'm working to upgrade Legends in general and chariots in particular. Battle Valor have an interesting take on chariots. I've done these 2 as command chariots for the Trojan allies the Lukka. These were a mixture of Minoan Cretans kicked out by the Mycenaean invasion who joined with locals. Sort of a souped up cart as used by the Sea Peoples. No, I haven't finished painting them! I started them for this game.

 

Trojan Left

Apollo Q2 C4 Shooter Long Legendary shooter one ranged attack per action.
Prophesy  Roll 3 dice BEFORE game, can swap for C or Q dice any unit.

Bard Once per game 2 actions gives target 3 activations 

Burst of light 1 action not reaction.  All 2xlong.  Shadowform back to normal.  All mortal shooters no shooting end NEXT turn.

Healing  2 actions 1 per turn,  single mortal to life.

Plague  attack 1 unit once per game.  Mark unit, -1 Activations & Combats.

 

Legends   All in chariots.

Lycians Sarpedon leader, Q3 C3 Mounted Armoured 84

Lycan (general) Glaucus. Q3 C3 Mounted Armoured 84

Polydamas (Trojan general)  Q3 C3 Mounted Armoured 84

Agenor. Q3 C3 Mounted Armoured 84

 

Mortals.

Lycian archers 8 Q4 C2  Greedy Shoot M Lycan @ 17= 136

Lycan jav Q4 C1 Greedy.  Shoot S @8  14 = 112

8 Spear Q4 C2, Greedy 96

 

Trojans under Agenor  8 Spear Q4 C2, Greedy  96

 

God 380

Legends 376

Mortals 440

1,196

 

  

Athena gets close to Aphrodite.  If looks could kill---

Trojan Right.

Ares Q2 C5 376

Group fighter, cannot be outnumbered.

Combat master, every activation can be used for a separate attack. 

Hammering blow.  Roll 1, enemy free hack. 6 +2.

Shapeshift Boar Q2 C4 Long move,

Forester, no reduction for moving through woods.

Dashing, attacks in the same activation, without requiring a second activation.

Poison. For every casualty caused, roll a D6,  If 5,6 another casualty.

 

 

Legends 

“Reduced” Aphrodite. Q3 C3 Transfix.  Love conquers all.  100

 

Xanthus. Q3 C4  Amphibious.  Combat master. Dashing. Gargantuan.  Invulnerable. 162

 

Pandarus (archer) Q3 C3 Shooter M.  Good shot  76

 

Aeneas(chariot?)  Q3 C3 Mounted Armoured 84

 

Mortals Trojans

Javelin Q4 C2 Shoot S Greedy.  Dashing @19  4 = 76

2x 8 Spear Q4 C2, Greedy 192

8 Archers Q4 C1 Greedy.  Sh M @ 17 = 136

God 376

Legends 414 

Mortals 404

1,194

  Achaean Left

Hera Q2 C2 Shadow form, Breathtaking beauty, Tremble before my might. 180

 

Legends

Ajax the Lesser Q3 C3 Mounted Armoured Shooter S good shot. 96

 

Idomeneus of Crete  Mounted Armoured Shooter S good shot.96

 

Ajax the Mighty, Q3 C4  Armoured 90

 

Menelaus Q2 C2 Mounted Armoured Dashing 82

 

Mortals

6 Jav  Q4 C2 Shooter short @ 18  = 108

8 Cretan city spearmen.  Q4 C2 Shooter short. 15x8 = 120

4 Cretan city archers  Q4 C2 Shooter Long.  Good shot. @ 22 = 88

8 Telemon steady spear  Q4 C2, Greedy @ = 96

8 Myrmidons  (brown armour) Q4 C3 Dashing. Shooter S.  @ 30 = 240

 

God 180

Legends 364

Mortals 652

1,196

 

 

  

Achaean Right.

Athena  Q2 C4  248

Prophecy Roll 3 dice BEFORE game, can swap for C or Q dice any unit.

Protection  

Shapeshift Owl Q2 C3 Long, Flying.

 

Legends 

Odysseus  Q2 C3 Stealth, Free disengage.  Armoured. 98

 

Nestor’s son Antilochus Q3 C3  Mounted Armoured 84

 

Diomedes Q3 C3 Mounted Armoured 84

 

Achilles  Q3 C3 Dashing.  Invulnerability.  118

 

Mortals

 

Ithican  8 Spear Q4 C2, Greedy @ 12 = 96

Pylians  2x8 Spear Q4 C2, @ 15 = 240

Argos 8 Spear Q4 C2, Greedy @ 12 = 96

 

12 archers/slingers Q4 C1 Greedy Shoot Medium  12@10 = 120

God 248

Legends 384

Mortals 552

1,184

Game 1. Athena vs Ares.

I'm placing Achilles (and later the Myrmidons) at the rear edge, with their camp, to represent their tardiness. 

Initial deployment.

Aphrodite moves forward, she is quite good at causing disruptions.

Xanthus attacks a unit of archers, they tie.  Both lose 1, the legend fails its Q roll and is knocked down.  The archers roll a 6 and only lose 2.  

Antilochus dashes in and kills the river. Should have been Achilles. Never mind.

One of the Trojan spear reach Antilochus.

Trojans surge forward following Ares who attacks Diomedes and get pushed back!

Pandarus and Aphrodite cover Ares flanks.

Pylians get bundled.

Achilles is coming down the back straight.

Ares lays about him like a cereal killer.

Here she comes-  

The Trojan spear are going back

Aeneas slams into Achilles.

Ares amuses himself with skirmishers.

Solid line there-

Oh no!  Achilles rolls a 1!  He's dead!

It's time--

Now you see him - 

Now for some girl-on-girl action!

Steady advance on the flank.

Clash!  Athena pushed back.

The Argos spear go for the archers but are repulsed by Pandarus. But - the archers aren't shooting Athena.

Aw crap- tied result means a lot awed!

Ares shoved back.

Antilochus - is run over by Aeneas

Trojan right surges forward.

Now Athena has had enough and smacks Ares down.

Time to push the non- awed units into contact.

Aeneas does a suicidal charge to distract Athena so the others can invoke.

Odysseus's Ithicans go in.

It worked!  A sneak attack by Ares puts Athena down!

Charge! Distract him for a bit--

Ouch!  I've got nothing ready to trounce those last few Trojans.

Ithicans--

Now we're playing yoyo's!

Ares reduces my last 4 - so I can no longer invoke!  That was - tough.

Game 2 Hera vs Apollo

Deployment.  Hera starts in Shadow form.

As before the Myrmidons are deployed back.

Apollo does a good job of imitating a machine gun.  Taking out Ajax the Lesser and Idomeneus of Crete.

Lycian leader Sarpedon leader charges the mere javelins but bounce off, Polydamas does better.

Ajax, Myrmidons and more on both sides advance.

Menelaus attacks Polydamas, but even with the javelin he goes down!

Chariots clash into the ranks!  Ajax takes on Glaucus.

Alas!  The mighty Ajax is surrounded by Lycian spear and dies.

Hera moves up, incensed by the loss of Ajax.

 

She handbags the general, sending him back.

Rats!  I needed the Myrmidons to advance into the Lycan javelin.

And so it goes!

Again she stomps the general.

Now they turn up, better late than never.

Agenor goes down to Cretan javelins.

Quick overview

Apollo presses in.

Sarpedon suffers from the Cretans.

Look at that!  Lines!

Lycans replace the javelin.  Never underestimate the basic javelin.

Hera moves into the Trojan rear and does Tremble before my might. Even Apollo is awed!

Charge!

Crash, but not as decisive as I'd like.

Face off - but just pushing and shoving.

The Myrmidons are not faring well.

Javelins move in to support their brethren, who are now not awed.

Archers do a good job or resisting.

Finally Hera goes down.

Her demise has little effect. 

Raised by the Myrmidons Hera lays on!

Worth taking a shot - that worked well.

Hera boosts the remaining Telemons, but it doesn't go well. A tied result! Round 2 the Lycan javelins are pushed back.

Now it's the turn of the brave Telemons to protect their God, charging in to the Trojans.

Here comes Apollo--

Opening the distance results in a rare miss!

Apollo catches her and again strikes her down.

Again, small loss and minor moves result.

Hard fighting at the feet of the gods.

Apollo supports his troops by taking on the Myrmidons.

Now Apollo again shoots Hera down!

But not for long--

Ooooh crap, giving 2 reactions to Apollo is - not good.

Once again the Myrmidons take on Apollo, the plan was to add Hera to the mix. Polydamas smashes into the few remaining Telemons but gets bounced off.

Alas, there we had to leave it!  Probably the hardest fought battle ever-.

Hope you've enjoyed reading this and fancy having a go!