An Army for Derby

Bob Stradling
Posts: 393
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 10:46 am

An Army for Derby

Postby Bob Stradling » Tue Aug 22, 2017 9:34 pm

Having just fought at the Pompey Pillage I am now focusing on the Worlds at Derby in early October.

The key question is which army to take?

Not only which list, but which sub list. I have a hoplite army, that has worked reasonably well in WAB, but Swordpoint is not WAB!

My force is based on Spartans, small and elite (less models to paint). However, they are expensive (33pts with the light armour upgrade per base) and so would be a very small force and in Swordpoint your flanks are everything.

So how could I adapt this. Looking at the lists in the Early Hoplite list I have decided to go with a force from Magna Graecia. Most probably one of the colonies on the Southern Italian coast, founded by Sparta or at least allied to her.

Looking at the build I wanted I realised I was short of some models. The victrix mercenary hoplite box is a tempting addition and then I remembered that I had an unpainted Roman Republican army. This included a number of chaps without armour but lots of feathers in their hats who could be Southern Italian allies and some of the cavalry models could be added to my existing Greek horse to represent Oscan allies.

There were even a few with metal breast plates and a few spare hoplon shields. These could help bolster the numbers of the existing phalanxes. Perhaps the Victrix box will have to wait... The feathers in the helmet could represent some of the colonists going native!

So approximately 40 models needing to be painted by the 7 October. The race is on.

So tonight has been prepping a unit of Southern Italian warriors. The feathers kept on snapping off the helmets which was annoying, but when they are gone they are gone. Have to be careful. Not sure what make they are, some are Crusader, but not sure about the others. I noticed that some of the metal looked they had started to corrode, which I have never seen before. Quite a lot of work to clean them up and these were the better ones I had selected from the pile, well if you do pick up a bargain on ebay what do you expect.

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Wayne Richards
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Joined: Fri Dec 02, 2016 4:44 pm

Re: An Army for Derby

Postby Wayne Richards » Wed Aug 23, 2017 8:54 am

Interesting choice Bob, looking forward to seeing them on the table. Cheers W.

MartinG
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Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2016 8:48 am

Re: An Army for Derby

Postby MartinG » Wed Aug 23, 2017 11:01 am

Sounds like an interesting choice. Be careful-you could get sucked into other armies from the peninsula at that time very easily!
"No one ever achieved anything without making a few mistakes along the way"

Bob Stradling
Posts: 393
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 10:46 am

Re: An Army for Derby

Postby Bob Stradling » Thu Aug 24, 2017 8:13 am

Tonight, it was prepping five cavalry models and a number of Italian spearmen who have brass breastplates. These spearman will be provided with some spare Hoplons to bolster the ranks of the Phalanx's sent from the founding city in Greece. The breastplates were chosen rather than the square plates or three round circles of armour to suggest the heavy armour that these Phalanx's are going to be equipped with.

I have also decided that the locals will have adopted a blue colour scheme rather than the red of the founding city.

So tonight or tomorrow it will be time to undercoat the models.

Hopefully I can keep on track with the painting and get to have a practice game or two in as well. Where I can test out the theory of army composition that has been going through my head.

MartinG
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Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2016 8:48 am

Re: An Army for Derby

Postby MartinG » Thu Aug 24, 2017 9:08 am

Happy to help you test these Bob!
"No one ever achieved anything without making a few mistakes along the way"

Bob Stradling
Posts: 393
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 10:46 am

Re: An Army for Derby

Postby Bob Stradling » Fri Aug 25, 2017 1:12 pm

Well they are now all undercoated, so can start putting some paint on them. They may even be bolstered by some of those Victrix mercenaries if the local toyshop has some in stock and my wife remembers to pop in whilst she is going by.

With the heavy armour option and 3+ save I am exploring the idea of only have five bases per unit rather than six! The bases saved will allow me to field and extra unit, so extending my front line and allowing me to potentially flank my opponent.

Sadly the accountant in me has been working out the average number of hits that would be required to remove a base by shooting by ordinary shooters from the front in one turn. So that would be 36 shots! So I might be alright. There again 4 puny javelin men can just get lucky sometimes....

Martin I will text you to arrange a game.

Bob Stradling
Posts: 393
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 10:46 am

Re: An Army for Derby

Postby Bob Stradling » Wed Aug 30, 2017 10:49 am

Some painting has taken place, first coat on some of the models...

However, I do have a practice game this afternoon against some Selucids so it will be interesting to see how that goes.

Bob Stradling
Posts: 393
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 10:46 am

Re: An Army for Derby

Postby Bob Stradling » Wed Aug 30, 2017 10:37 pm

Well that went well for the first few turns.

The large shield and heavy armour combo was excellent. Didn't lose any bases to shooting, but did give up a couple of momentum points to shooting as two unsaved hits is 10% and relatively easy to achieve.

I destroyed one flank, but that gave the Selucids time to mass on the other flank. A scythed chariot was able to charge two units and one ran away leaving a large hole in my line. The scythed chariot and phalanx thaen hit one of my phalanx which was now isolated. The scythed chariot did one unsaved hit, the phalanx with 8 attacks hitting on 5+ did how many hits? 6 and to add insult to injury of course I failed three saves on (3+) to lose a base. The unit was no longer a phalanx and got pushed back.

Meantime the ellie that had charged hit with everything and whilst a base was not lost no hits were scored back. The ellie got a push back and my line was really starting to fracture. If we had been playing break point the Selucids would have been very close from about turn 3 or 4, but eventually triumphed.

The jury is still out on the 5 base unit, I will try against a different opponent next week.

Now back to the painting.

Eds
Posts: 32
Joined: Mon Dec 05, 2016 7:53 pm

Re: An Army for Derby

Postby Eds » Thu Aug 31, 2017 12:11 pm

How did you find the Ellie Bob?

I have one for my Carthaginians and am thinking of using it at Derby.

On five base units, I will be using my Veteran Spearmen in five base units. At 30 points a base I just can't afford a sixth base...
Eds

MartinG
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Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2016 8:48 am

Re: An Army for Derby

Postby MartinG » Tue Sep 05, 2017 10:51 am

Bob, I've texted you re Thursday but no response, in case you haven't seen it we need to re-arrange, sorry
"No one ever achieved anything without making a few mistakes along the way"


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