We decided we wanted to give the same armies another run as the game had been fun and close result, so

BBDBA First Crusade 4 players 2 hours, Deus Vault

IV/6a Syrian, III/66 Fatimid Egyptian, III/74b Other Seljuq Turkish

IV/7 Early Crusader, IV/1a Komnenan Byzantine, IV/2 Cilician Armenian

An even closer game in the end with both sides having their right wings broken (III/74b Other Seljuq Turkish, IV/2 Cilician Armenian. Both centers (III/66 Fatimid Egyptian & IV/1a Komnenan Byzantine) were then disheartened in the same turn, breaking both armies

Phil Barker had foreseen this possibility "...and that has also lost more such elements in that bound than the enemy has lost the battle."

The Byzantine had lost one element and the Egyptians two in the last bound so Deus Vault

A close run thing indeed!

However, such games are often the most fun and most memorable. 

Daimyo historical mass battle rules - 5 players 3.5 hours - so a massive 18 player hours! An enjoyable game, and good to get a multiplayer game in. 

Peninsular War: Medina de Rio Seco (1808). BBB rules.
A proper see-saw nail-biter game of two halves, quick and clean and a triumph of scenario design by Dr Mark Smith.
Full photo-AAR on the BBBBlog:
https://bloodybigbattles.blogspot.com/2025/07/a-game-of-two-halves-medina-de-rio-seco.html

Normandy 1944 using BKCII.

Warhammer Old World High Elves (Melnibonean) Vs Chaos (Undivided)
Close win (after several turns of averaging 1 on d6).
2.5 hrs

The close BBDBA games were so much fun that we decided to play more BBDBA this weekend, this time the Punic Wars

BBDBA Punic Wars 4 players 2 hours, Carthago delenda est (because it wasn't this time)

II/32a Later Carthaginian, II/11 Gallic, II/9a Syracuse in Sicily

II/33 Polybian Roman, II/39b Celtiberian, II/8c Apulian

The Gallic warband slammed into the Roman blade and demoralised, then broke them. The Celtiberian in the centre made some progress against the Syracusans but their spear mainly held and occasional loses demoralised the Celtiberian.

A decisive Carthaginian victory, we'll see how tonight's game goes (and if some different forces are selected)

Black Powder Sudan playtest as reported earlier

On Thursday - game of Saga - Viking vs Jormsviking(me). I lost, reduced to 2 Hearth Gaurd and 4 Warriors. That said the opposition just had 10 leve and 6 Warriors left. Fun game with vagrent dice..

Played a couple more BBDBA games in the last two days, but we changed to the Punic War era.

Romans did not do too well in either game as we had to defend and so the Carthaginian Gallic allies deployed against the Roman blade and spear armed troops.

Warband can quick kill blades and spears in DBA and did so plentifully in both games, not helped by the Romans rolling 1,1,2 for PIP's for one fairly decisive turn 

Still I find BBDBA is (generally ) a lot of fun to play.

 

One and a half games!
ACW: Cedar Creek (BBB rules).
One and a half because we abandoned our first attempt halfway through when it was obvious that our Confederates' errors were going to be punished with crushing defeat. Swapping sides and resetting produced a much closer game and a very exciting finish.
Full AAR here:
https://bloodybigbattles.blogspot.com/2025/08/cedar-creek-yes-i-do-acw.html

Got a few games in already this month

AWI - Harlem Heights game with 10mm Pendraken figures. 4 players, around 12 player hours. 

Devilry Afoot - Age of Reason Witch hunting, solo skirmish, 2 games, 1 player, around 3 player hours.  

Peninsular War: Battle of the Nivelle (1813). BBB rules.

This will be one of the scenarios in the BBB Peninsular War campaign book currently in preparation.
It produced a distinctive and memorable game in which vigorous French counterattacks almost thwarted the Allied assault on the French system of fortifications.
Photo-AAR on the BBBBlog:
https://bloodybigbattles.blogspot.com/2025/08/90000-vs-50000-at-nivelle-1813.html

Top report Chris

Quote from: Duke Speedy of Leighton on 12 August 2025, 02:30:05 PMTop report Chris

Cheers, Will. Enjoyed your Sudanese batrep too!