ADLG - Game Report 138

Seleucid(42) vs Aramean(74)

I had time for one quick game, and I now hat Tony is a quick player! So onto battle with a relatively historical opponent, the Aramean’s with a Parthian ally, for my Seleucids fresh after their good performance at Beachhead. Once more the terrain easily directed the deployment of my army with the mediums on the left, infantry heavy centre and Cataphracts on the right even though they were outnumbered.

There was nothing subtle about this deployment or battle plan! Having said that I was ready to commit the legionaries to the field against the enemy bowmen.

The advancing line started to take significant, but acceptable and predictable, bow fire on our way forward on the left.

Contact! And once more the Cataphracts have come up second best against similar opponents. We have had more success in the centre and already the pikes are moving to work around the cavalry line.

And there the Cataphracts were and now gone! In the field a very stubborn bowman held off the legionaries for two rounds of combat despite being flanked and wounded.

We have broken the Aramean centre and right, but their Parthian allies on their left are now moving forward to inflict the coup de grace.

Outcome

A win for the Arameans by inflicting 21 hits and only suffering 19 of 24.

Lessons Learnt

Once again a stubborn stand by a unit delayed by ability to react and follow up the enemy.

The loss of the line of Cataphracts was the game winner.

ADLG - Game Report 137

German Batavian Revolt(91) vs Gauls(89)

The old, and now not so old, of the Entoyment ADLG circuit met their for a mid week game or two. We invited Easton along for a game and he proved to be a lively and engaging opponent with his Gauls, who I had the privilege of fighting first with my Batavian Revolt Army. I attacked through the centre with my elite warbands, while the former legionaries guarded the right flank.

The centre starts to move through the woods in the centre.

The enemy ambush has not yet been sprung, and we have decided to keep a wide berth from it and the obstacles in front to of it. On the left the Roman and German cavalry is lining up against the enemy warbands.

On the left side of the gully my light cavalry has come up second best against the gallic chariots. However, he cavalry are doing adequately against the warbands.

The fighting is fast and furious with units disappearing on both sides of the line. The cavalry seem to have broken through and it has yet to be seen whether they will be able to exploit this gap. In the centre the fight for the wood is going the way of the Batavians at the moment.

Out of the woods on the left come a horde of naked warriors, supported by their cavalry. In eh centre the Gauls have recovered sufficiently despite their casualties to overcome a number of the elite warbands. On my left the cavalry currently have the advantage.

Even more naked warriors emerge from the wood! Meanwhile the Roman and Geman cavalry are now being battered by the Gallic chariots.

The Gauls are winning on the left, and are about to win on the right, but we have won the battle of the centre.

Despite the best efforts of the Batavians on the right they cannot do much to stop the advance of the Gauls.

Outcome

An extremely competitive and close battle with the Gauls coming out with a win by inflicting 27 of 27 hits on me while I inflicted 26 of 27 on the Gauls!

Lessons Learnt

I was right to refuse the fight against the Ambush.

However, for the Gauls holding back the ambush proved very beneficial for them.

ADLG - Game Report 136

Seleucid(42) vs Middle Imperial Roman(86)

Final battle of the tournament was against Stan’s Romans. Once again for the fifth time I wone the initiative and decided to attack. Once again the terrain dictated where the troops went! In this case I sent the light cavalry out to the right to delay the advance of the enemy cavalry, while leaving the cataphracts and chariots behind.

The enemy bolt shooters have zeroed in on my legionaries. However, the centre continues its inexorable advance.

Given the failure of the enemy right to advance the Cataphracts have been redeployed to protect the right flank. The bolt shooters will not let go of my unit and continue to punish the legionary unit. I decided that three pikes were sufficient for the fight in the centre and one has been detached to support the legionaries.

Contact! The punishing bolt shooter fire has destroyed a unit of legionaries, but we have managed to make contact all along the line. On the right the Thracians have been sent to the right of the pikes, while the Peltasts move to their left to protect their flank.

The left hand pike block in support of the legionaries has won its fight. While in the centre my pikes supported by the Thracians have now managed to seize the advantage. A line of Cataphracts is barring the right flank!

On the left the legionaries won their fight and continue to conform to their left looking for new opponents. In the centre the pikes are driving all before them.

In the centre the pikes struggle to regroup and reorientate to new threats. The Peltasts have beaten their opponents and are now free to exploit into the field.

The enemy have been defeated in the centre and the right of their line is soon likely to fail.

Outcome

A win for the Seleucids, by inflicting 24 hits on the Romans and only receiving 5’

A good result for the tournament which saw me finish above mid table for my highest final position in any tournament. It could have been higher if my dice had not deserted me against the Army of Mithridates.

Lessons Learnt

Although the Cataphracts didn’t come into the battle they did tie down the Roman cavalry quite nicely.

ADLG - Game Report 135

Seleucid(42) vs Campanian(51)

Day 2 and first up was a fight against Gordon’s Campanians – a very interesting army! In the terrain selection I have never seem so much terrain end up on one flank of the battlefield. I won the initiative and decided to attack. Clearly it was going to be a similar plan to the previous battle with the medium troops committed on the left of the line.

I decided that if I was going to win and defeat sufficient of the enemy I needed to get into the centre. I refused my left and right to allow me to make progress. However, this time my scythed chariots fell victim to that well know light troops ploy, and hence failed to influence the battle.

I decided to engage the light cavalry in the flank with cataphracts, but the Campanians were loathe to come out to fight so I had to get in there myself. I also broke my own line a little to allow a pike block to provide some flank protection.

Well the flank protection gambit provided by the pikes has not been successful! On the right the eliteness of the enemy troops is having a significant impact on the outcome of the fights in the rough. While in the centre I think the best one can say at this stage is that the honours are broadly even, but they have the weight of number and overlaps.

My right flanks has been broken, but the pikes providing flank protection, supported by the Thracians allows them to continue to fight. In the centre we have broken through with the pikes, but the left of my line is looking increasingly vulnerable.

Outcome

A win for the Campanians by inflicting 21 hits on me and only receiving 11 of 26 in return.

Lessons Learnt

The weight of enemy numbers was difficult to deal with.

It may have been better to fight a defensive battle.