Dacians vs Sarmatians MeG Pacto Game

 

Forces deployed

Opposite end

Forces advance

Dacian Allied Sarmatian lancers
threaten Sarmatian horse archers

Dacians and Sarmatians close

Last Wednesday afternoon Garry and Robert came over and we played a Dacians versus Sarmatians MeG Pacto game out in the shed. We diced for sides, Robert and I commanded the Sarmatians and Garry commanded the Dacians. The forces advanced and the Sarmatian lancers charged the Dacian infantry. The combat didn't quite go according to plan for the Sarmatians and those on the left flank fell back for another charge. On the Dacian left flank the Allied Sarmatian lancers charged and this combat proved decisive. The Sarmatians broke with the Dacians winning 15-10 victory points.

Sarmatian lancers charge the Dacian infantry

Sarmatian lancers fall back for another charge

Dacian Allied Sarmatian lancers charge

Sarmatians break, Dacians win 15-10 victory points

Huns versus Foederate Romans Pacto MeG Game

 

Romans are out scouted and deploy first

Opposite end

Romans and Hun cavalry advance

Horse archers shoot on the Roman left flank

Last Thursday afternoon Robert, Garry and Craig came over to my place and we played a MeG Pacto game out in the shed, with the Huns taking on the Foederate Romans. We diced for sides. I commanded the Romans, while Garry commanded the Huns. Robert generously offered to advise and talk us through the latest changes made to the Pacto version of the rules. This was really handy as we both haven’t played a game since last year. Craig watched the game, providing moral support, as well as some fresh duck and chicken eggs straight from his farm. Andrew also dropped in and said hello and had a quick chat.

The Roman cavalry advanced and then charged on both the flanks, while the infantry advanced in the centre. The Hun cavalry fell back shooting, their Frank and Burgundian infantry movements were limited by a mediocre commander and poor command discs. The Roman left flank was quickly whittled away by the Huns’ shooting, combat and a flank charge. The Roman right flank had slightly more success but overall the Romans were toast and while they hadn’t reach break point it was only a matter of time before further flank charges achieved this.

Roman cavalry charge

Cavalry combat with Hun horse
archers threatening the flank

Roman left flank is whittled down

Romans are toast

Dacians versus Early Imperial Romans Mortem et Gloriam Game

 

Armies deployed - Dacians left, Romans right

Opposite end

Dacian nobles and warriors with falx

Dacian warriors and archers

Sarmatian lancers

Dacian nobles and warriors

On Friday afternoon Garry came over to my place and we played a MeG Pacto game out in the shed, with his Dacians fighting my Early Imperial Romans. We used our standard 28mm 80mm base widths with no reduction in distances but reduced the Kill a Base test range (a type pf morale test) to two base widths rather than three. We haven't played MeG, or with these armies, for a while and it proved to be a very close and hard fought game.

The Romans were the attackers and the armies closed and were shooting before long. The Dacian nobles and warriors with falx launched their devastating charge. The centres were destroyed with heavy casualties, including commanders, on both sides. The game went right down to the final turn with Romans having lost six units and breaking on seven, while the Dacians had lost nine units breaking on ten. In the end the Numidian light cavalry were able to break a Dacian archer unit with missile fire handing the Romans a very tense 15-10 victory.

Dacian nobles, warriors and skirmishers

Decebalus

Armies advance

Armies close and shoot

Dacians charge

Centre of both armies is destroyed

Dacians break - a hard fought 15-10 Roman victory

Spartans vs Athenians Mortem et Gloriam Game

 

Forces deployed from the Athenian side

Forces deployed from the Spartan side

End of turn one

On Sunday I met Robert down at the Vikings Club in Lanyon for a 28mm MeG Pacto game of Spartans vs Athenians. I haven't played a game down here for over two years, since the start of the pandemic but it was good to see Ian and all the usual suspects there. Robert was the attacker with his Spartans and we ended up with a mountainous secure flank on the Athenians' right and a wood on the opposite side. We used a 6' x 4' mat with standard 60mm base widths for distances. 

The Athenians were out scouted by 80% so had to deploy most of their army first. Both sides advanced quickly and we were in combat by the second turn. Casualties mounted and before long the Athenian centre was buckling under pressure from the Exceptional Spartan Hippeis. The Spartans burst through here and it was all over for the Athenians, with the Spartans easily winning 15-6. It was fun to get the hoplites out and play a game after such a long absence from the club.

Spartans and Athenians close in combat

Casualties mount, Athenian centre is buckling

Spartans burst through in the centre

Spartans win easily 15-6

Third Con MeG Pacto Classical Competition

 

Game One - Palmyrans and Galatians deployed

View from the Palmyran side

Galatian centre and right flank

Palmyran cataphracts, legionaries and auxilia

Paphlagonian infantry advance into the marsh

Zenobia inspires her cataphracts

Galatian centre fights in the marsh

Game Two - Etruscans and Galatians deployed 

Combat on both flanks

Etruscan hoplites advance in the centre

Casualties mount, Galatians plug some gaps

Last weekend Third Con was held at the Canberra Raiders club in Kippax with a range of competitions, including Bolt Action, Saga, Blucher, and the one I'd entered, a 28mm Mortem et Gloriam (MeG) Pacto (4000 points) Classical comp. This was my first MeG comp, I was using Galatians and it proved to be a lot of fun. There were six of us playing, so there were five two hour games over two days, three games on the Saturday and two on Sunday with a break for lunch after the first game.

Game One was against Robert Hooper with his Palmyrans, despite three practice games I made some pretty basic mistakes with my deployment and during the game itself. I was out scouted in every game, in one by 90%! The Galatians advanced but failed to have much of an impact against the Palmyran cataphracts, legionaries and auxilia. They had limited success in the centre but on the right flank failed to drive the Palmyran horse archers from the table, not that it would have made much of a difference. Neither army was broken in the time limit and it was a 10-4 result to Robert.

Game Two was against Leigh with Etruscans, although there weren't too many actual Etruscan figures in his army! After the Pre Battle System for scouting and terrain there was a mountainous secure flank and a couple of low hills where Leigh deployed his heavy infantry. The Galatians attacked on both flanks and advanced in the centre. The Etruscan infantry advanced down off the hill to support the flanks. It  was pretty much level pegging in this game, neither army was broken in the time limit and it was a 10-10 result.

Game Three was against Christian with his Macedonians under Alexander. This was a very compact army with only two commanders, one legendary, the other talented but was brittle, only breaking on the loss of four units (my Galatians break point was nine). The table had a secure coastal flank and a difficult hill. Both armies advanced and the Galatians struggled against the Macedonian pike. Alexander's Companions destroyed the Galatian cavalry and chariots but then were broken in turn by the Galatian warriors. Alexander escaped to fight another day but this was break point for the Macedonians with a 15-10 result for the Galatians.

Game Four on Sunday morning was against Tony with his Late Achaemenid Persians. The table had another secure coastal flank. The Persians made a double move advance. The Galatian cavalry charged the Persian cavalry and managed to survive a few turns before the Galatian warriors charged in to the hoplites. This game was very slow going and when the time limit was up it was a 10-6 result for the Galatians.

Game Five was against Robert Mun with his Spartans under Leonidas. This was a real cracker of a game that went right down to the wire. The Spartans advanced with a double move and soon the Galatian warriors charged in to combat. At this point the Galatians had an incredible run of lucky dice, regularly rolling wounds on black and white dice while the Spartans were failing to hit at all, with their much better green and yellow dice. The carnage continued and saw both centres almost destroyed. In the end the Galatians just managed to break the Spartans 15-10 but it could so easily have gone the other way!

Many thanks to Ken for organising the Third Con event; to Dean and Robert for organising the MeG Pacto comp; and to all the MeG players for the fun games! Overall Robert Mun was the well deserved winner and I was the runner up.

Game Three - Macedonians and Galatians
deployed with a secure coastal flank

Armies advance

Crunch time

Alexander's Companions break
the Galatian cavalry and chariots

Game Four - Late Persians and Galatians deployed
with another secure coastal flank

Late Persians make a double move
Galatian cavalry charge

Galatian warriors charge in to the hoplites

Combat continues

Game Five - Spartans and Galatians deployed

Leonidas' Spartiates in the centre

Spartan right flank

Spartans make a double move

Galatian warriors charge in

The carnage continues

Both centres are almost destroyed