Just under three months now until the Despertaferres L’Art de la Guerre competition In Cardiff. The great thing about competitions is of course that it concentrates the mind wonderfully. I could take my Fanatic Berbers, or morph them into Feudal Spanish, but that’ s not what us wargamers do! Let’s start a new challenge.

Stage One- Try a new tactic with an army that you can’t control!

L’Art de la Guerre (LAG) doesn’t penalise warband armies as much as its predecessor D.B.M.. Barbarian heavy swordsmen are a suitably macho choice for yours truly, so Mr. Rob James assembled his Ancient Germans. Rob deployed his immaculate Imperial Romans and I remembered that old classic ‘the flank march’. My elite Germans could hold the Latin pansies while my cavalry stormed onto the field from my left flank. I had to conceal my delight as he faced his third ‘corps’ to face the wrong way but he would have the last laugh.

Turn eight and still no German horsemen have appeared! Rob’s legionary swordsmen nullified my German charges and then the deadly L.A.G roll-ups started. A feature of the game is that if you create a gap in the opponents line then you can follow up and next turn assault the flank of units either side, causing disruption and a positive modifier! Ouch!

Stage Two- Claim that you hadn’t really been considering a barbarian army, let’s go small and elite……Late Romans.

Powerful infantry, superb armour and devastating heavy horse! I had hit upon the perfect blend of power and mobility. But Rob and chosen firepower and mobility.

My cataphracts did reach his central block of subject warband but the archery left my legionaries dazed, bewildered and covered in arrows!

Stage three- I know, despite being wiped from the table, let’s buy Late Romans!

It was meant to happen. After two practice games, I had decided. The army of Constantine would be the inspiration, complete with Angels, crucifixes and as many elite troops as possible. More cavalry and two batteries of light artillery would keep nasty nomads away next time! What could possibly go wrong???