Another clash before Troy

This week Roger B and I took Ilium: A Game of Heroes out for another spin at Clare Gaming. I gave Roger the choice of sides and he decided 'filthy sea wolves' sounded like the force for him, so I was playing the noble Trojans once more. He started with Idomeneus, king of Crete (top centre), and Menestheus, king of Athens (top right), while I had two Trojan allies, Sarpedon, king of Lykia (bottom centre), and Asteropaios, Lord of Paionia (bottom left).

I wanted to leave a pathway oven for Aeneas to arrive in his chariot leading the Trojan reinforcements, so weighted my starting contingents on the left of the field. Roger swarmed his Achaeans towards the Trojans, leaving many potential targets to be over-run.

In due course, Aeneas arrived, mounted in his chariot at the head of the Trojan reinforcements. With surprisingly good dice rolls (given all the other rolling of the evening, it was quite remarkable), every Achaean in the path of the chariot leapt out of the way to safety!

Idomeneus and Asteropaios engaged in a duel, while Sarpedon and his Lykians made mincemeat of Menestheus' Athenian promachoi. Menestheus is described in the Iliad as "skilled at ordering men", and that epithet is carried through in the game as his special ability. Each time one of his followers is slain, there is a small chance (30%) that they are immediately replaced by a new promachos entering the board from the rear. While Roger rolled more 2s in this game than I have ever seen in my life - especially when rolling to wound my Trojans, he still managed to replace six out of seven Athenian losses with reinforcements! Yet more remarkable rolling. It was like he could only roll 2s and 9s!

Aeneas's chariot was mobbed by Menestheus' new arrivals and his charioteer killed, just as Machaon entered the plain to support Idomeneus on the other flank. Over on that side of the board, Ares had assumed human form (replacing one of Asteropaios' promachoi) and was threatening to send the Cretan forces to go meet his uncle, Hades.

Aeneas abandoned his now stationary chariot and challenged Menestheus to a duel. This freed up Sarpedon to continue slaying Athenian promachoi. However, just as he prepared to push his advantage, the heavens opened in a great storm and the two forces separated to fight another day.

Frustratingly, with a late start and a lot of chat, we didn't quite reach a conclusion this week. The Trojans had the Achaeans on the ropes, and they would have succeeded too if it wasn't for that meddling Menestheus and his skill at ordering men! As it was, the three Trojan heroes had all sustained wounds, while only two of the Achaeans heroes were wounded (Machaon remaining unscathed), so battle was perhaps sliding in favour of the Achaeans. I guess we'll find out next time!