End of Samurai Test and Game AAR

Welcome to new subscribers/followers, Kullervo's Niche of Melancholia,
Sergeant Crunch's Miniature Madness, Roundwood's World
1914-45

All you who read and keep up with my silliness, put me over 3,000 pageviews in one month for the first time in my blog's history.  I hit 3,258 views last month.  Cool.  I'm glad I'm putting stuff up that people want to read or at least click through because they're curious.

Table Setup

To the topic of the post. My most recent samurai game using Kings of War. I set up a scenario I'd found in the most recent Wargames, Soldiers, and Strategy magazine.  The battle of the two tombs.

I fought the battle and well. The attacking Eastern Army was struggling. One, they started in too heavy of terrain and were severely slowed.  I should've moved them up for deployment. Two, they were leading the charge with Cavalry and were getting slaughtered at the ford crossing. At this point, no one could get over.

Eastern Army - The attackers

I should've made one of two choices when seeing this road block developing.  Pulled the cavalry back and inserted the pikes in their place for more punch. Or, shifted more of the units to use the completely open bridge to the South. Even when playing solo, it's easy to stick to a plan without looking and adjusting to the developing game.

Western Army - The defenders

Also, I should've also stationed more ranged units to fire over the river while the attack was going on.  I didn't need them to the South in the woods because they could've assisted in the attack across the river and then moved over to assist in the taking of the hills.

Now, the biggest causality in the game. I'm putting up the ancients/medieval/samurai army thoughts for now. I've played both Impetus and Kings of War (I like both rulesets for simplicity and free availablility.) and I just don't get that excited while playing them  or the period. I think it's the lines of blocks and positioning.  I'm not sure.  I have a couple board games, Samurai, and Saints in Armor that I would like to try. I feel these may inform my decision: is it the period(s), the rules, or something else.

First Blood - Cavalry crossing river.

I like reading the rules and reading about the period. But once a game is set up and ready to go, I want to try something else.

This is all good, because I'd begun pricing out what it would cost to have two 6mm armies built, painted and based for me.  Anywhere between $700-900.  Money saved for now.

More casualties and game end - hand of god is done with this.

I'll keep the rules, but I will be putting it all on the back burner for now.