30th October, Portsmouth

ENGLISH  DBA Open

The final round of this year's DBA tour was, once again, in sunny Portsmouth, and many of the contenders were present with some placings still to be decided.

I went along for the games and to help with the presentations (I was, of course, not in contention - it is a long season and I can get to very few of the rounds).

I took along the Nobades (or, at least, prototype Nobades)

... and here are pictures of the games I got ...

(English DBA Open ... vs Chinese)

(English DBA Open vs Lombards)

(English DBA Open vs Rajputs)

(English DBA Open vs Assyrians)

(English DBA Open vs Arabs)

We played off in groups of 6 (playing 5 games) to generate 2 semi finals and an optional plate competition (for which, one day, I will donate an actual plate as I make such regular appearances) ...

At one point I was indeed riding but my 2 wins out of 3 rapidly became 2 out of 5 (and didn't get any better in the plate) ... I did, however, kill a general (which is always a tick in a box for me) ...

The semis and finals were played with themed armies which allegedly tests the players better (though I am not so sure about that) - here's the list:

Players get to pick in order of qualifying, and select their option for the 2 remaining games.

They finished 1st: Colin O'Shea, 2nd: Lindon Paxton, 3rd: Peter Ellis, 4th:Richard Pulley

That left the overal standings: 1st and UK DBA League Champion: Martin Myers, League Runner Up: Colin O'Shea, 3rd: Bill MacGillivray, 4th: Richard Pulley, 5th: Arnaud Marmier, 6th Lindon Paxton followed by Pete Duckworth, Neil Mason, Martin Smith and Mark Johnson down to a total of 57 players altogether ... Tamara Fordham was 28th and won the Junior trophy.

There were 14 tournaments altogether ... Premier events, The Welsh Open, English Open and Northern Cup plus qualifying events at Great Bowden, Tarrington (both the Scramble and the Midland Open), Coventry, Alton, Bakewell, Manchester (Britcon) and the 4 seasonal events at Portsmouth, 

And then we lined up for the photos ...

PAWS UK DBA League Page

DBA Special: II/55b Nobades

DBA3: II/55b Nobades

This is the army I selected for the 2016 English Open ...  part of the 'work in progress' project for armies on Rome's desert frontier (Axumite Abyssinian, Nomad Pre-Islamic Arab etc.) ...

For the event I have recycled some Abyssinian foot from my old DBM army but having played 6 games on the day, I'm happy this is a good addition to my collection of bespoke armies and will tailor make the requisite troops.   Look out for a future post.

Here's the army as it played at Portsmouth ...

The general is a Cv element but I have put him on a camel to stand out.

The cavalry are an imaginative mix of various components to give that desert frontier feel.  

I have a large resource of African and Arab infantry and cavalry from that very large DBM army and should be able to populate all these armies with characteristic figures.

I favour taking the 2 camel mounted spearmen as the 'quick kill' against knights does give the army some deadly tricks.

For the camp and table ornaments I assumed the Nobades had struck deep into the heartlands of the older Egyptian civilisations ...  it's a nice setting.

The Obelisk is the top half of a Hirst Arts model (I just found the full model too tall to be useful on the table) ... 

The lovely water carriers are Chariot.  Otherwise it's a healthy mix of Museum, Essex, Falcon, Donnington, Gladiator, Chariot etc. I'm sure you can spot the various examples.

A report on the Open will follow shortly.