31st March, Bletchley

2012 Society of Ancients BattleDay - Plataea 479 BC


This year's BattleDay featured the epic clash between the Persian army of occupation under Mardonius and the Greek alliance forces laed by the Spartan Pausanias.

The day started with a comprehensive introductory guide to the battle and the sources by Philip Sabin and a quick note by myself on the nature of the sacrifices which immediately preceeded the battle.

These will be available to Slingshot readers in due course together with views on the how the battle was fought under the variety of rules enthusiasts contributed to the event.

Here's a quick tour ...(Lost Battles)

(Warmaster Ancients)

(Command & Colours)

(modified AMW)

(Armati II)

(War & Conquest)

(Warlord II)

(DBMM)

(Peltast & Pila)

(DBA)

(Command & Colours)

Lunchtime then accomodated a forum with Duncan Head on matters arising, weapons and equipment etc. ... and more on sources and interpretation.

A second session of wargaming was followed by organiser Richard Lockwood's customary awards and debriefs ...

(President Boss and host Richard Lockwood distribute largesse)

Best game: Command & Colours;
Best Terrain: Warmaster;
Most Hoplites: DBMM;
Plus awards for the notable deeds of commanders and players.

('Most Hoplites' featuring in the DBMM game)

(Award winning Warmaster terrain)

(an unexpected contingent: Eric's Hoplites for the Lost Battles game were half the height he expected them to be!)

(30mm flats: the commanders from my AMW interpretation)

(another interpretation: Rob's diviner from the War & Conquest game)

More on all these games and talks in Slingshot (non-members will find a welcome on the Society of Ancients website) ... and chat on the forums (guests welcome) ...

Keep an eye out for an announcement of next year's battle.

A wonderful and illuminating day out. What wargames events should be.

Well done, Richard.

Bletchley 17th April

Society of Ancients BattleDayWhat a busy weekend ...
17th April was both Triples in Sheffield, and the Society Zama BattleDay in Bletchley. On Saturday, we sponsor the DBA Northern Cup at Triples and, having missed last year for family reasons, I had promised to present the trophies.We took along a Zama scenario to extend the BattleDay's appeal ... and indeed, on the Sunday, I got some photos by phone from the Glasgow BattleDay. Oh, yes ... and we've had some events in Northamptonshire as well, clustered around the event ... So more to come on all those, I hope. Shows North regular Will Whyler went to the main event in Bletchley for us and contributed these notes and photos:

' ... This was the largest ever such event with 12 separate games and well over 80 attendees most of whom were players.

Arriving at 9am I got one of the last parking places and entered Sycamore Hall to a whirl of old friends – a delightful start.

(all photos by Will)

After some setting up and obtaining coffee and biscuits it was in to Phil Sabin’s excellent talk. Phil used a dozen modern writers to analyse Zama. He divided his talk into three sections. The Ancient sources (of which there are three) and the army strengths given therein, the army strengths and therefore the frontages needed using the modern writers and the tactics.

(Phil Sabin's Lost Battles presentation)

(DBMM)

There was a first for this event when Phil used a lap top and screen for the presentation. Finally we were treated to five minutes of a video of a film ordered by Mussolini. Apparently Scipio was a hero of his. There were wonderful shots of large numbers of elephants charging and dying. Ah they don’t make them like they used to.

Then it was back to the games and battle commenced. Unfortunately I got so caught up in the Armati game that I cannot report on the others.

(Command and Colours)

(Adam Hayes and friends did this Piquet version)

(click on the images for a larger view)

(Trevor Halsall's Warlord)

(Impetus)

(Warhammer Ancient Battles)

(Muswell Hill's enormous Command and Colours project)

(from one of the largest to one of the smallest)

(Masinissa's wing closes on its outnumbered opponents in the Armati game)

Then at midday we returned to the bar area for a question and answer session from Adrian Goldsworthy and Duncan Head ...'

Will sent me some basic notes from the Q and A, but I will keep these to one side at the moment pending publication in a forthcoming issue of Slingshot ...
' ... Then it was back to the games!

Will ... '

As a postscript, both the Warlord and the Muswell Hill C&C games made it to Salute, so there are more pictures to follow.

Bletchley, earlier this year, in April

A Look Back at the 2009 Battle Day - Callinicum ... I was going to paste these photos into the 'Good Start' collection of pictures from earlier in the year - but they demanded to get a posting of their own. Many thanks to all the teams who took so much trouble with this year's challenge. Eastern Romans against Sassanid Persians on the front line at Callinicum.
A sunny Spring day, Sycamore Hall, Bletchley ... and a wonderfully presented series of games from all the best known authors ...
And an excellent and informative introduction by Roy Boss - which I think helped us all better understand what this battle is all about ...
(Mark Gilby and Graham Fordham set up Romans in the FoG game.)
(Command and Colours attractively presented as a figure game)
(Martin Simpson gave RFCM's Conquerors and Kings a rare outing. The little star shapes mark out the board's grid pattern)
(newcomers and old favourites)(and topping the terrain awards again, Mark Craddock's innovative flowing foam Armati table)

(decisive moments on the Armati table)

And finally everyone got together at the end

Zama next year, folks!