DBA3 Test Games No 3

Actually it is about test game no 40.. but it is No 3 versus another player with this draft of DBA3 (19 December).

As far as I can tell, the only substantive change other than clarifications is that Ax, Ps, El and Kn now move 3 Base Widths (BW) instead of 2.5.  I think this is a good change, restoring the differential between Lights and Heavies.

The Game itself was one-sided and rather too quick. I grabbed random armies, Italian Communal and New Kingdom Egyptian, but the Communal Italians had 2 bases of Pavisiers (based as double-based bow). Under the DBA3 rules, each base lost counts as two losses to the total of 4.

Early shooting (and poor dice rolling it must be said..)  cost Thomo the game technically when my singe based bow without the protection of big shields outshot and destroyed his two pavisiers, therefore reaching the 4 elements/bases lost, but we agreed to count the 8Bw as one loss, and continued the game. I lost a Psiloi (light infantry) to his, and then an element of Blade (Egyptian sickle swordsmen) hit front by his Blade and flank by the victorious Psiloi - But the rest of the table looked bad for my opponent.

Threatened to flank by my chariots, the Italian tried that last desparate charge into Bow and Blade with his Knights, and rolled low across the board to lose his Knight General plus another Knight. All over, and Thomo very unlucky, his artillery did no damage even at 4-2 vs my Bow, and the last charge could have gone either way.

I don't like the 2 losses effect for the 8Bw (double-based bow) - it makes them a target of choice for opponents, and they get no advantage shooting. Due to my Blades they couldn't go into close combat where they would have had a plus vs other foot, and just had to stand a shooting exchange that would cost him the game. This doesn't seem right.