mbelew
Posts: 315
Joined: 6/21/2004
Status: offline
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Well, it happened again. We were play balancing Gaugamela for multiplayer. We played 3 games.
Game 1:
Joel as Alexander
Marshall as Persia
Joel's tactic was to crowd around the flag and form a wall of cavalry around the parameter.
The tactic worked like mad, the Persians fell like flies.
Major Victory for Alexander
Game 2:
Marshall as Alexander
Joel as Persia
My tactic was similar to Joel’s (why change something that works?). Joel's tactic was to divert my attention north while his main forces attack from the south. He was able to sneak a few units near the flag, but never enough to take it. The Persians were crushed easily.
Major Victory Alexander
At this point, I was very concerned the battle is extremely weighted in Alex's favor. Joel insisted there was a way to win. The reasoning: the point system makes it Alexander's responsibility to collect the points. The Persians actually start off winning, all they have to do is sit there and do nothing for 30 turns and claim a major victory.
We decided to put his theory to the test. I still sensed Joel had something else up his sleeve.
Game 3:
Marshall as Alexander
Joel as Persia
My tactic was the same, claim the flag at the top, then go for the second flag with the entire might of Alexander's army. You take the flag at turn 15. If he hadn't made any moves by turn 13, I was going to leave a small garrison behind to take it by 15. My army will be mobilized and ready for some more Persian slaughter at the second flag.
Joel had other plans. While most of his forces did stick to defending the second flag objective, he tried to sneak cavalry all the way around the board to attack my supply line from the rear. Lucky I had a scout that caught him in the act. I sent some cavalry units to deal with these sneaks. It took a long time to deal with them since they were so many. I did have the terrain advantage, and I took most of them out.
Just as I was finishing up, the alert popped up telling me I had successfully protected the supply line. However, I wanted to move my troops out by turn 13! The diversion had cost me 2 precious turns.
I moved out immediately. My troops were in a giant box formation. It's not easy to move an entire army this way. I thought moving east, then face south, then move south would be the best way. Going southeast would cause a lot of face changing during a turn, and I was afraid my formation would be compromised.
As I was moving east, I noticed Joel had stashed a bunch of cavalry to the north. They were bearing down on my rear. I didn't have the time to deal with them. It was already around turn 20. I sent just a few cavalry to hopefully stall them. My army continued on its course.
The battle of the flag was probably the best I have ever seen of the Persians. They were around 5 files by 3 ranks deep. The only way I could win this one was to take the flag. The morale meter was nowhere close to breaking point. My Victory Points were hovering at Minor Defeat.
Alexander worked his way through the Persians. All I had to do was kick them off the flag, and take it myself. It was a chess game. If I made the wrong decision anywhere, I wouldn't be able to take the flag. If I took the flag, I won. If not, I lose.
Turn 30
The very last turn, everyone in the office was crowded around Joel's and my computers. Everyone seemed to have their opinions as to which units would be pushed out of the flag area, where I should attack, and where I should move. Everything had to execute perfectly.
As Alexander's army attacked, Persians were being routed and pushed in exactly the right places. For every push, I was yelling out loud in triumph. I was going to make it! Except I didn't quite get there. One of my crucial flag takers was routed, and sent backwards outside of the flag area. It was the last nail in the coffin. All was lost. Game over.
Minor Victory Persia
This is definitely one of the greatest rounds I have had yet. Next time, I’ll take pictures.
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