End of game

• A player is out when both of his heroes are gone, or his champion is gone and at least half of his units (round up) have routed
• A side is defeated when three players/commands are out. Immediately, game over!
• A camp counts the same as one command for victory purposes, thus defeating two commands and capturing a camp seals victory for a side.
• Failing any of the above, victory is computed on a points basis when time is called, using the standard AW formula. Each camp counts as 100 points

It is my understanding that the eight slots for DoA filled up fairly quickly with pre-registrants. However, come game time only 5 of those players were on hand. It is fortunate that others were at hand ready to play, including MW maven Kevin Boylan, so we had 8 to go. Kevin’s participation greatly aided the play of the game (thanks again, Kevin!), as he vigorously helped mentor the new players on either side of the table.

I was nervous hosting my first convention game, but having run a large playtest earlier in the month with only new players gaming, I was prepped for the challenge. The group of participants was a very good mix of young and (at least as) old as me, aggressive and cautious players. Although we have all run into our share of obnoxious gamers, most people in the hobby are fun to game with; this group was great.

I was thrilled with the results of the game. It would have been great had either side achieved the victory conditions laid out for the scenario. As it was, the game was called on account of time, with Pentesileia dead and the Amazons defeated, the Greeks surging forward to the Scamander River line; and Achilles and Memnon squaring off for a duel. Ideally, Achilles would have slain Memnon and led the Greeks across the Scamander into the shadows of the Skaean gate, to be slain by Paris/Apollo.

The Trojan players were cowed by the power of Achilles, and one was heard to say something to the effect that "in Death of Achilles, everybody dies except Achilles". However, at the time the game was called, Achilles had received a wound, and was beginning to look vulnerable. Barring unusually good luck, the Trojan players can only kill Achilles if they continuously confront and challenge him. Achilles should be forced to duel a Trojan champion every turn. Another error on the part of the Trojan command was to hold Memnon and his Ethiopians off the table too long, thus failing to support the Amazons and leaving Pentesileia alone to face Achilles.

The players really enjoyed the game. I had so much fun hosting it that I will repeat the experience at Fall-In and/or Cold Wars 2003. DoA kicks-off a larger project, Trojan Warfare (TW), forthcoming from Saga Publishing next year. TW is a source and scenario booklet for AW.

For a look at photographs of the game taken at Historicon by my lovely better half Roberta, please set your browser to the GoreAMwar list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GoreAMwar/

Click on the Photo link, and open the Death of Achilles folder. If you are not already a member of GoreAMwar, please join!

Death of Achilles Historicon 2002

Introduction
The Outline of the Game
Trojan and Greek Commands and Map
Realities of Hosting and Conclusion