A virtual DBA game

Steedo and I got together via the wonders of WhatsApp to try a virtual game. We played via texts effectively rather than video calling. I think this might give a better representation of giving orders and seeing how they are implemented by the people on the ground (in this case me).
All the dice rolling was done by me - important rolls were then send to Steedo!

The battle saw Steedo, with the Dooric Greeks (cause they were on the Door side of the table) consisting of 6 bases of hoplite spears, 2 cavalry, 2 light horse and 2 psiloi ("caveman" as Steedo put it)/ I commanded the Ikearian Greeks (on the Ikea cupboard side of the table), made up of 8 hoplites, 2 light horse and 2 psiloi.

Initial deployment (Steedo's forces on the left).

Opening advance by the Ikearians!

Steedo pushes forward too!

A mounted clash on the flank! I force a recoil on the cavalry, but lose one of my light horse!

A second fight forces my light horse back and Steedo is pushing his psiloi forward to back up the cavalry on the right flank. He is also moving his cavalry on the left flank around the woods there, causing me to break up my battle lines to meet the more mobile threats.

Steedo's right flank cavalry finishing off the last of my light horse, just before my psiloi make a ill judged attack from the woods on Steedo's cavalry over there! 3 nil to Steedo at this point!

A view from the front line so to speak.

A desperate move sees the my hoplites kill off some of Steedo's cavalry in an against the odd ploy!
Steedo sends in his psiloi to counter.

The hoplites line up for a tussle around the broken ground in the centre of the table (I shouldn't have put that there - d'Oh!). The psiloi are in!

The attack is fought off and some of Steedo's psiloi flee! Just in picture on the right.

Then the remaining psiloi go the flank of the hoplites in front of the broken ground .....this could get messy as they turn to face!

Initially repelled - but Steedo's cavalry are making mischief in the rear of my lines near the camp!

In they go again - this time Steedo flanks my hoplites with his across the broken ground! And he might also have killed another of my hoplites on the left of the broken ground.

So a convincing win for Steedo 4 or 5 to 2. I know I made some rules errors, but as I was running both sides this was not really a problem. What I was keen to do was make sure that moves were done quick and get outcome pictures to Steedo as soon as possible. DBA seemed to work for this type of game (it would have been good if Steedo knew the rules a bit better). I might have given some sense of command - "you men over there attack!" .... and forgetting or more likely not being able to see troops (the cavalry my psiloi attacked stayed by the woods - in fact I'm not sure they are in any of the pictures on here). Although all the pictures are from Steedo's side of the table so to speak.

This sort of gaming might work well for WW2 era games as you can't see what is happening in every place - pity I don't have any tanks ..... 

An enjoyable experience which we might have to try again ....

Morts