Ancients Stuck at Home #n: 22-23 May, Virtual SoAC 02

(Surely one of the most flipped Ospreys of our period: Nick Sekunda on the army of Alexander) 

14 Months on, we have the prospect of lockdown being fully eased within a few months ... but for now, our 13 year journey following the Shows North team on the move is still stuck at home.

Last year's Virtual SoAC I was, of course, a response to this - the annual Conference I have supported from the start back on 1986 (and co organised in the 90s with Ian Russell Lowell) had to be cancelled, and that year's content (including my presentation on Khalid ibn al-Waleed) was delivered online.

You will be able to see the 'Sword of God' material in a forthcoming issue of Slingshot - but I should probably put a few slides up here to keep the information out there.

So, this year, we hope there will be 2 conferences ... in addition to our second online event over this last weekend, the 'face-to-face' conference, now at Madingley Hall, should be back in the Autumn.

And, assuming the feedback is positive, I imagine the plan is to go forward with 2 conferences a year: an online one in the Spring, and a residential one in the Autumn.

ONLINE CONFERENCE II (line up)

Saturday 22nd May, 4 til 6: 

Prof Michael Fredholm: The Early History of the Goths, from Berig to the Battle of Adrianople 378AD.

Dr Gareth C Sampson: Never Mind Mithridates - Lucullus, Pompey and the Armenian Empire.

Sunday 23rd May, 4 til 6:

Mark Fry: Sassanid Infantry - a re-evaluation 

Prof Nicholas Sekunda: The Army of Alexander - then and now (where “then" relates to the publication by Professor Sekunda in 1984 of the Osprey Men-at-arms book “The Army of Alexander the Great”)

The hot news from the conference is that Adrianople will be the BattleDay in 2022, so this all hangs together rather nicely.  Michael's talk on the Goths follows Simon MacDowall at SoAC 2019 and further enriches our understanding.

Gareth Sampson's talk took us East, to the last gasps of the Republic, and to Tigranes the Great, one of Rome's most resilient opponents.  It nicely set up Mark Fry's Sunday session on the successors to the Armenians and Parthians, the Sassanid Persians.

I was fascinated by this talk, as Mark attempted to understand, to reconstruct - and to some extent rehabilitate - the Sassanian heavy infantry ... regular, armoured archers ... heavy, mail-shirted swordsmen etc.

 

 

 

Some of the suggestions were quite convincing, and go some way to explain one of the points I had made in the Khalid talk last Autumn: the Arab sources are quite clear that Khalid's advantage against the Persians came from exploiting the mobility his cavalry gave him over a relatively ponderous and static enemy. 

This doesn't hang well with the traditional wargamerly perception of the Sassanids as a cavalry army.  However it falls out, large numbers of solid infantry were certainly employed against the Arabs - and Khalid's cavalry were able to defeat their wings and envelope the centre.  

So Mark's ideas certainly have some credibility with regard to the Arab wars. 

 

 

I was particularly fascinated by Nick Sekunda's thoughts on methodology.

 

Nick reflected on his training in history and archaeology and how he was taught to give equal value to the archaeological evidence as to the textual record - bemoaning how frequently the textual is given precedence, even if the result is nonsense.  As many of you know, with me, that's preaching to the converted (in my academic days, I switched from History to The History of Art for a similar reason ... to be able to give proper value to the material evidence - and so as to gain a stronger understanding of that specialised source material) ... 

And I think Sekunda's work, along with Duncan Head's, was part of a shift which took our impressions of the ancient world (then mostly understood through the texts of ancient writers) closer to the visual and archaeological record.  I think that still informs how we see the military cultures of the past today.

 

 

What was particularly interesting (arguably controversial) was Nick's assertion that evidence from monuments - in this case, particularly, say, the Alexander sarcophagus - was archaeological evidence ... pretty much the same way an excavated helmet was archaeological evidence.

I'm not sure this is the case (well I'm sure it isn't) - recovered sculptures, paintings, monuments etc. are very interesting, particularly where they are contemporary, or near contemporary, to the events/people they depict.  But they are still artist's impressions, they aren't the real thing.  In some ways they may be better (a Macedonian helmet on a sculpted figure is quite likely to be what the sculptor though most of the soldiers would wear - but an actual helmet that's been dug up might be any old random variant or 'one off' that just happens to have survived) ..

So artistic evidence isn't the same as archaeological evidence, however close to the events depicted (unless there are other reasons to explain that) ... 

Anyway, fascinating and a privelege to be taken through the steps used to reconstruct helmets, pikes, shield blazons and the like.  A classic work.

 

(slides from Nick's online talk)

The conference was 4 talks of an hour's duration including Q & A run over the 2 days, 4pm to 6pm.

It worked very smoothly and was easy going for the participants (say compared with the medieval warfare one I just ran for the Battlefields Trust, which was 5 sessions run on the same day - more rewarding, perhaps, in a number of ways, but you did have to commit to being with us all day*)

I'm looking forward to Shaw House for the BattleDay and to the next 'live' conference at Madingley Hall.

Great stuff.

 

*the again, we did get it done on the one day - so it's swings and roundabouts to some extent ... discuss *wink*

DBA Special ... III/2 Early Lombard

This is the army I used in a pair with Maurikian Byzantines at Bakewell (where it did very well), and as a standard entry at the DBA English Open in Portsmouth a week later.

It is 15mm of course.  The foot are quite a mix.  The mounted combine Lurkio (the most numerous) with Chariot and those splendid Ochmann sculpted Goths*

The army comes from the ducal period of Lombard expansion in Italy and Faroald was a constant thorn in Byzantium's side.  The element uses all Lurkio figures.

The army has a lot of knights ... a general plus 8 more, half of which can choose at deployment to dismount as warband (all or none) ... so is superflexible too ...

I have to confess to getting the slashes (all or none) wrong at Bakewell - but it was consistent for both players and didn't win anything (so hopefully no harm done and all fixed now)

 

(Wagons by Gladiator)

 

(the raider with captives is an Essex piece - the only one in the army)

And just in case you need a BUA ...

*originally, Metal Magic, then Gladiator, subsequently at Black Hat (but now, I'm given to understand available from Fighting 15s) ... Lovely figures and always worth a look.

2018 so far - some more DBA

 

No update on what's going on round here would be complete without the local DBA games that we use to keep our ancients collection in use and fill in the odd Monday night.

We have DBA armies in most scales but usually play either in 15mm or 1:72 ...  but I do like the slightly more 'proper battle' look of 10mm (on standard 40 wide bases) ...

Here's a typical evening from a week or so ago ...

Game 1 ... 

My Goths took on Treb's Byzantines ... both 15mm armies had been stood down for a while so it was good to get them fighting.  I think Belisaruius was a bit slow to come up from reserve.  It didn't go well.

Game 2 ...

 

Treb's  15mm Burmese and Khmer ... this was the start of our conversation.  I recently played with and lost with Burmese at the Northern Cup.  I got the Khmer this time.  The Burmese still lost.

Spectacular Irregular figures ...

 

Game 3: Roman Civil War

 

This is my 10mm Pharsalus set respun as a 'by the book' 12v12 DBA table.

Treb rolled a 1 as defender so the plough he assumed would be irrelevant wasn't.

 

(10mm DBA ... Marian Roman)

I thought I had this one as Caesar ... Pompey let the muddy ploughed slow his flanks so ended up with is centre over-exposed (or so I thought).  I felt ready to pounce.

But, notwithstanding some early successes, I struggled to make real capital out of the advantages (DBA can be like that) and eventually Treb got into a winning position ...

 

(Legionary slogging action)

It was a good game.  romans are hard to beat ... even with Romans.

See what I mean about the extra sense of mass 10mm can get you ... 

Also out and about recently ...

 

(Vikings)

 

(Pre Feudal Scots) 

 

(Medieval Germans) 

All 15mm armies.

We usually collect armies in battle related pairs.

23rd March, Alton

ALTON DBA MATCHED PAIRS

(a round of the 2013 Society of Ancients UK DBA League)

Nearly Easter, now, but we still seem locked in frozen weather, snow and alarmist public service warnings.

Rule 1: keep calm and carry on: nothing is ever quite a bad as the panic-mongers and sensationalists at the BBC would have you believe (the only reliable source of information in the UK, these days, seems to be your own eyes and ears).

So I braved the driving sleet and snow and ploughed round the M25 to Alton, as did most of the players who had signed up.  The turn out was good.   I'm glad I made the effort - the return trip was painless, and the event was great fun.

(star prize: a splendid Donnington Nabataean army II/22(a) painted by Colin O'Shea)

Martin had organised a wealth of prizes to reward the players, including a number of DBA armies and a selection of BUAs and camps.   I think everyone picked up a token of one sort or another.   

Star Prize was a very attractive Nabataean army kindly donated by Colin O'Shea and made up of tough looking Donnington Miniatures, new and ready to go to war for the winner (see pic.).

The format is 'matched pairs': each player brings along a pair of armies (preferably historical opponents or similar ...) ... and will use his/her pair every other game.   When using them, the opponent chooses which to go with ... otherwise aggression, terrain, deployment etc. goes as normal.

(my six games: 1, 3 and 5, mine; 2 - Roman vs Dacian; 4 - Blemmye vs Arabs; 6 - Sub Roman Atrebates vs Sub Roman Regia)

6 UK-style games against a 45 minute clock, 3 either side of lunch ... Randomly drawn opponents and prize-giving around 4:30.

This format offers just about everything I like ... quick games that are broadly historical ... a balance of variety (half the games are what you chose to offer, half are what other players prefer) ... a random draw ... and generally an absence of uber armies ...

In the end I opted to take along a couple of my Gothic style armies ... based on Stilicho's 405 Fiesole campaign where he used Gothic foederati against Radagaesus.   So Goth against Goth, really, but I employed the Ostrogoth and Gepid lists to give variety to the two armies.

Elsewhere, the was a very enjoyable mix and some well-presented armies.

(Phoenicians vs Babylonians)

(Macedonians vs Thessalians)

(Umayyad vs Later Visigothic)

(Roman vs Caledonian)

All of my 'away' games were close affairs, I thought (though the score lines varied).   Lots of terrain made fighting off the Dacians a challenge.  I just lost a very dicey game using Blemmye against Colin's Arabs.   And I managed to pinch the points in the Sub Roman war ... Richard pushed his warbandy Brits up a road, I managed to absorb the charges and surround them (and fortuitously called the combats in the right order in what proved to be the last turn)

(some of the Alton players: with apologies to those who got chopped off the edges)

Martin kindly asked me to represent the Society of Ancients for the presentations, so as an alternative to lots of handshakes, here's a line up of happy campers ...

A very successful day based on a simple but effective formula.   In addition, thanks to all of the sponsors and individuals who donated prizes.  Much appreciated all round.

GOTHS AND GEPIDS

These armies derive from an Armati Gothic army, hence the matching look.   I gave the wagon laager camp to the Ostrogoths and made a second one up for the Gepids incorporating the Roman watchtower (a splendid Baggagetrain 10mm item): a much better employment of it than its previous appearances as a BUA (like ... as if I know how best to use a BUA in this game ...) ...

Gepid (II/71): Ag:3; Steppe; Kn Gen; 3xKn; 4xWb; 4xPs.

Ostrogoth (II/76a) Ag:3; Arable; Kn Gen; 4xKn; 1xLH; 4xWb; 2xPs.

(The Gothic cavalry is mostly Lurkio with some Black Hat/Gladiator and Chariot)

The Ostrogoth, I think is clearly slightly more attractive (it is easier to see how to use the extra Kn and LH than 2 extra Ps, I think: anyway, my opponent took the Ostrogoths in all 3 games ...

So my game involved using the Ps to tie up the enemy foot, and to use the Warband to tempt the Gothic knights into a position where I could gain the edge: certainly I should be able to tie them up with 4 Ps at my disposal, and certainly, with an advantage in Knights, the enemy will try to get them at my Warband ...

But could I take advantage in those circumstances?   Well it worked for me in 2 of the 3 games.   In the 3rd the enemy indeed took the bait, and allowed me to engage with overlaps ... however, he won all the combats, taking down all the warband, a Knight and the General in one turn!   

Some plans do not withstand contact with reality!

However ... that's 2 successes out of 3.   Last time in this format I lost all 3 of my home games ... so my choice was obviously a touch wiser this time.

I'm also pleased that all 3 (indeed all 6 of my games) were completed inside the distance (which at 45mins doesn't allow for much dithering): Knight and Warband armies against each other are 'result armies'!

************

I also won 2 of 3 away games - so came an unlikely third ... winning another trophy and picking up a Chariot Miniatures Theban army which will need painting!  Thanks, Magister Militum: lovely stuff!

Alton DBA Pairs tournament: 1: Lindon Paxton; 2: Martin Myers; 3: Phil Steele. 

(UK DBA League page)

Riches indeed!  See what I mean?  What more could you ask of a one-day tournament?

BattleDay and Doubles Masters next ....

16th September, Norwich

EASTERN FRONT

A beautiful late (Indian) Summer's day saw me driving round in circles in Norwich before bungling into St. Andrews half an hour late.    I found the venue very easily last year, but discovered the penalties of complacency, this: getting straight there last year had been luck not judgement.

(the main hall at Eastern Front)

The wargaming community is nothing if not forgiving and flexible, of course, and we quickly got things back on track (and so the DBA Challenge started at 11.00, not 10.30).

(games and societies at Eastern Front 2012)

Eastern Front is a delightful show in a beautiful regional English city.  The venue is an East Anglian jewel, and you really must visit some time.

(one of the splendid ancient/medieval games at Eastern Front - click on the images to enlarge)

I have appended one of two views of an excellent collection of display and participation games to be found in the main hall - though, inevitably, I spent most of my day in the second hall, Blackfriars, where you would have found the Societies, the DBA and the Bring and Buy.

(what the Society of Ancients was doing at the show)

THE EAST OF ENGLAND DBA CHALLENGE

The DBA Challenge was open to Dark Age armies with a Dux Brittanniae award to the top army which actually fought in England in the 410 to 1066 period.   The duke's award would go to the second placed player if the Champion also qualified.  There was a top newcomer award likewise applied.

(the East of England DBA Challenge)

Sign in and play on the day, we got 7 players involved, which, though modest, I think marks a good starting point and provided us with good natured entertainment all day with comfortable breaks for shopping and lunch.

(Vikings deploying opposite the Anglo-Saxon defenders)

I took along 4 'loaner' armies to back up those who were bringing their own.   Courtesy of the seventh players joining in late on, all these armies got used during the day which was nice.

(my Anglo-Saxons .. New Era Donnington with Gladiator, Chariot, Essex and Lurkio mixed in)

However the main armies used were (III/51) Norman; (III/40) Norse Viking; (II/81) Sub Roman British; (III/24) Middle Anglo Saxon; (II/67) Ostrogothic and (II/71) Gepid.

(Nick's Sub Roman British ... Donnington originals, I believe)

To simplify play and present an authentic challenge we had a choice of fixed boards, with players dicing for sides then rolling aggression to determine the deployment/game start order.   It seemed to work quite well, and meant my felt allergy was not triggered by patches or garish fabric.

(the British are attacked by Norse Viking)

Many of the players were new to tournament play - even relatively new to DBA - so it was a good chance for people to get the rhythms of the game.  As usual when I 'umpire/run' event, I took along the Wadbag bible.   As usual, it wasn't necessary to open it, and the battles went smoothly.

(Generals in personal combat: Duke William takes on the Goths)

Despite a heavy loss to my Anglo-Saxons (Duke William unceremoniously 'mugged' by hard-charging Anglisch spearmen - a 'recoil the support either side and get the guy in the middle' revenge attack for Senlac!) ... the Normans proved the most powerful and versatile army and Richard deservedly won the Challenge.

(two more of the loaner armies I took: Sub-Roma British and Ostrogothic)

A clear Dux Brittanniae title went to Paul's Vikings, just pipping Nick, whose Sub Roman British were the best newcomers.

(those top newcomers consider moving down off their hill)

We reorganised the final round in order to involve a father and son combination in the games and give them a flavour of DBA's quick but engaging take on ancient and medieval warfare. 

(East of England Challenge: Normans clash with British)

Pleasingly, everyone else finished level with one win and one general killed.   Count back would have been 'the game between the players' but with the podium places/special titles awarded, we were happy to leave the remaining players on equal honours.

(Armies arrayed: the Gepids - Essex commanders, mostly Lurkio and Chariot cavalry behind Chariot infantry)

This was a lot of fun, and well worth the effort, I think.   Watch out for news of Norwich next year: if all things stay similar, I would be more than happy to run this again (and with a little more notice and publicity, maybe more of you will want to make the trip east and join in ..)..

(a new Dux Brittanniae 'Barker Marker' I made up for the event)

(I may have to keep this clear of prising fingers: it has an obvious 'sub-text'!)

Society of Ancients UK DBA League Pages

See the Shows North stand next at Derby where we will be running games of Call it Qids, a simple participation game based on Ramesses's exploits at the battle of Kadesh.