Another bash at the Impetus rules. I took the Persians (boo) and Ian the Spartans.
Now Ian is like Rommel. No what the rule set he finds the way to play them well - and so it proved. He's never played Impetus before and yet he got to grips with them really well and caused me no end of problems - and I was the more experienced player!
I won't go into the the nitty gritty but I tried to move my front slowly while the cavalry cleared my right wing. Ian meanwhile was getting skirmshers and peltasts on my left.
The Spartan hoplites chunked down the middle and I tried to avoid them but my cavalry were a bit isolated. What I learned here was a) don't let your elements get too far from each other and b) NEVER expose a flank.
My cavalry got a bit stuck and isolated on the right and in the centre I wanted to avoid Ian's hoplites as long as possible.
The key moment came when Ian managed to move a unit of hoplites with two wheels and two forward movements to impact my unengaged cavalry in the flank. This is just the kind of thing that can ruin your day. In essence this means that the horsemen were watching the slow moving infantry move towards them - get into line - then charge them - without being allowed to react.
Now the hoplites did go in disrupted, but the advantage was so great that it didn't matter. The rules do allow it and I know that the horse flank was open and my inexperience meant that (I suppose from my FOG experience) I didn't even see them as a threat. But being class A troops the Spartans can get 4 moves or more in with good dice throwing (that's 20cm) plus a charge bonus!
But its one of those aspects that just don't feel right for me (and ironically one of the criticisms Russ had of Warmaster Ancients is that units can zip around the battlefield without the opposition reacting). I'm not knocking the rules per se but this is one of a few aspects that I'm going to have to grit my teeth and get used to. And this is one.
The consequence was that my horse were in huge bother. To exacerbate, the other aspect of Impetus I don't particularly like kicked in. In most games the side that wins initiative at the start keeps it - so you have a 'you go, I go' situation. However, Impetus requires an initiative roll each turn. So it can lead to a 'you go. you go again' situation - so you can't address a situation that has occurred and the opposition (as the rules allow for multiple moves per unit) can have moved the width of the battlefield without you being able to do anything about it. So it proved now. Ian won initiative again and pressed the advantage all over the field. I felt like I'd missed a turn completely so dramatically had things changed since my last move.
I was extremely miffed with this - the combination of mobile hoplites, the inability to react, multiple unit moves and then seeing all the opposition moving all over again nearly did me in. I was in a very bad mood at this stage with the rules. The toys were out of the pram, the dummy was spat out and I was as Grumpy as the 4th of Snow White's dwarfs.
Things however did eventually turn my way - but only through a combination of poor dice throwing by Ian and strong dice from me (I know - highly unexpected).
The final issue was resolved almost by accident - my general's cavalry unit was charged by Ian's general's hoplite unit. The hoplites had the advantage, but I won the impact though good dice. The hoplites were pushed back - I pursued and caught them again. The hoplites were soon reduced to 1 strength and in the next phase the cavalry won again and killed the Spartan general. This was called for an instant victory (but in reality it just meant that they would be operating at a minus after that).
So somehow I won - but by default.
Some bits I do like - the destiny rolls (where you have 3 chances to re-roll your own dice or make the opponent re-roll his) were used in the desperate fight between the generals and allowed the combat to swing the Persian way. The bits I don't I need to get over and live with.
But well done to Ian. He won really!
Now Ian is like Rommel. No what the rule set he finds the way to play them well - and so it proved. He's never played Impetus before and yet he got to grips with them really well and caused me no end of problems - and I was the more experienced player!
I won't go into the the nitty gritty but I tried to move my front slowly while the cavalry cleared my right wing. Ian meanwhile was getting skirmshers and peltasts on my left.
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| Persians at the bottom. |
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| My archers get some good shooting in and damage some hoplites |
The Spartan hoplites chunked down the middle and I tried to avoid them but my cavalry were a bit isolated. What I learned here was a) don't let your elements get too far from each other and b) NEVER expose a flank.
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| Ian's flea problem isn't getting any better |
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| Russ checking the rules |
My cavalry got a bit stuck and isolated on the right and in the centre I wanted to avoid Ian's hoplites as long as possible.
The key moment came when Ian managed to move a unit of hoplites with two wheels and two forward movements to impact my unengaged cavalry in the flank. This is just the kind of thing that can ruin your day. In essence this means that the horsemen were watching the slow moving infantry move towards them - get into line - then charge them - without being allowed to react.
Now the hoplites did go in disrupted, but the advantage was so great that it didn't matter. The rules do allow it and I know that the horse flank was open and my inexperience meant that (I suppose from my FOG experience) I didn't even see them as a threat. But being class A troops the Spartans can get 4 moves or more in with good dice throwing (that's 20cm) plus a charge bonus!
But its one of those aspects that just don't feel right for me (and ironically one of the criticisms Russ had of Warmaster Ancients is that units can zip around the battlefield without the opposition reacting). I'm not knocking the rules per se but this is one of a few aspects that I'm going to have to grit my teeth and get used to. And this is one.
The consequence was that my horse were in huge bother. To exacerbate, the other aspect of Impetus I don't particularly like kicked in. In most games the side that wins initiative at the start keeps it - so you have a 'you go, I go' situation. However, Impetus requires an initiative roll each turn. So it can lead to a 'you go. you go again' situation - so you can't address a situation that has occurred and the opposition (as the rules allow for multiple moves per unit) can have moved the width of the battlefield without you being able to do anything about it. So it proved now. Ian won initiative again and pressed the advantage all over the field. I felt like I'd missed a turn completely so dramatically had things changed since my last move.
I was extremely miffed with this - the combination of mobile hoplites, the inability to react, multiple unit moves and then seeing all the opposition moving all over again nearly did me in. I was in a very bad mood at this stage with the rules. The toys were out of the pram, the dummy was spat out and I was as Grumpy as the 4th of Snow White's dwarfs.
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| The infamous hoplite 'charge' into unengaged cavalry. |
Things however did eventually turn my way - but only through a combination of poor dice throwing by Ian and strong dice from me (I know - highly unexpected).
The final issue was resolved almost by accident - my general's cavalry unit was charged by Ian's general's hoplite unit. The hoplites had the advantage, but I won the impact though good dice. The hoplites were pushed back - I pursued and caught them again. The hoplites were soon reduced to 1 strength and in the next phase the cavalry won again and killed the Spartan general. This was called for an instant victory (but in reality it just meant that they would be operating at a minus after that).
So somehow I won - but by default.
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| The Persian general just fails to catch the hoplite general for a 3rd time in the pursuit |
Some bits I do like - the destiny rolls (where you have 3 chances to re-roll your own dice or make the opponent re-roll his) were used in the desperate fight between the generals and allowed the combat to swing the Persian way. The bits I don't I need to get over and live with.
But well done to Ian. He won really!