(Play)testing, (Play)testing, 1, 2...

A few weeks ago the session sign-up opened for MillenniumCon and I quickly registered for a few sessions of Mortem et Gloriam.  My friend Brian also signed up but he had not played the rules since last year's convention. In preparation for the upcoming convention gaming sessions we were able to get in a two games over the past few weekends.

It's been five months since I last played a game of Mortem et Gloriam so I needed to brush up on the rules while getting Brian familiar with them himself.

Attack of the huffalumps!

The First Game - Late Achaemenid Persians vs. Seleucid

Most people probably just want to see the pretty pictures so I'll keep it short.

Who: I brought out my in-munch-need-of-repair LAP army vs. Brian's Seleucid force.
What: Roughly 11,000 points per side but I did have to proxy a few LAP units with my Ancient Spanish figures.
Synopsis: Elephants smashed cavalry, cavalry fought cavalry and the Persian infantry became kebab's on the Seleucid pikes!
Outcome: This was mainly a learning game to see how the different troops fared against each other and to be sure we understood the phases.  Neither side was near break-point at the end but the Persians no longer had a right flank. However, my wallet did reach break-point by the end of the week as I had already purchased more figures to augment/replace my LAP forces.

Persian Set up

Seleucid set up.  See the sharp, pointed sticks.

Dispositions after turn 1. LAP on the left and Seleucids on the right.

Slowly they come - step by step.

Seleucid Hillmen - appropriately on a hill

LAP mounted bow-armed cavalry line up for a flank attack that never happens. All the while getting knocked from their horses by slingers in the woods.

Persian left flank. I don't like the looks of those elephants.

Seleucids finally get a "shove" result.  It also helps if you read the section in the rules on "shoves" and "shatter".

Persian short spears severely outdistanced by the Seleucid pike.

The point where the Elephants break. We played this wrong and my cavalry should have broken before this.

End game. Persians are about to break and we call the game.

The Second Game - Spanish Iberians vs. Early Russians

Who: My Spanish Iberians vs. Brian's Early Russians
What: Again, 11,000 points per side. My mostly infantry, impact weapon infantry faced off against a cavalry heavy Early Russian force.
Synopsis: Spanish cavalry held out longer than expected and a rare SUG change against a severely weakened Spanish cavalry TUG decided the game.
Outcome: I wanted to see how my Iberian infantry would handle a mainly cavalry army. It was surprisingly close until one Spanish unit broke which caused multiple KaB tests and the right flank simply vanished. 

Not the best shot but you can see the battle lines of the Russians on the right and the Iberians on the left.

Iberian skirmishers prepare to be a speed bump vs. the Russian cavalry.

Cavalry, engage! Infantry, stand there and do nothing!

The point where we remember how to do micro-moves.  Note the number of flank attacks.

Even the infantry are getting in on the micro-move action.

Overview of the fight.

The two infantry forces slug it out. 

Infantry held out fairly well against the Russian cavalry. 

Skirmish infantry hit the Iberian cavalry on the flank and break them!

Evidence of bad KaB rolling.  This eight stand Iberian infantry unit is down to four after some unfortunate luck.