Nationals 2001 - The Lithuanian Odyssey Part 2
second game - an early morning start, and just what you don't want first thing in the morning - Dave "Pants" Everett and another load of Leidang!
The game looked fairly similar - but this time without the central hill to help my few blades - and no German ally for Dave, just 3 monstrous commands! At least I knew what to expect, and what to do. But, this time the lack of terrain, and the composition of Daves army seemed to give me more chance - he had deliberately set out his stall for a fight, with Bd (I) in play, and 6 bowmen in the middle of his line. I lined up 3 wagons against them, and teed up all of the Bd (O) to run down the Bd (I), and the Teutons on the other die ready to tough it out against the double ranked supported blade center.
What could possibly go wrong? Well, daves bowmen could possibly shoot down my Wagons in a head to head they-need - a 6-1 fight!
It could never happen?
It Did !
So - what a plan .......
Better thro the Teutons in then, see how they do ? The command can lose 3, and quickly lost 2 - but one (the man in the middle of the photo - just carried on, carving his way through everything Dave could throw at him! Blades, Psiloi, even the Hordes got in on the action - and ultimately the CinC and his retinue of Kn (F) - it was only under this final overwhelming onslaught that our man went down!
But the Bd (O) were making huge dents into the right wing of Dave's army - aided by LH from the mini command, revenge for the death of the wagon would be mine!
The increasingly desperate efforts to deal with the Knight From Hell (and a supporting blade, and some LH...) had also left a huge hole in Dave's line.
But to exploit it, I would need to commit the remaining Teutons - and my CinC (the bloke with the flag).... scary !!
Well - maybe not.
They crumbled in front of the knights - and broke the CinC's command
After that it became a desperate struggle to see if I could finish the job - over on the right I had a chance to make the difference, with the dismounted Cv/Bw(O) and supporting wagons about to blow holes out of the Viking bowmen....
Of course, it was doomed to end in tragedy...
I lose loads of bowmen, Dave loses none...
There is a last bound LH / blade / bow frenzy, and I nearly get the full score, but then it ends
The game ends - 8-2 to me