ADLG - Game Report 323

Seleucid (42) vs Alexandrian Macedonian (39)

For my second game it was refight against Robin's Alexandrian Macedonian army, a redesigned and revamped army which was now up to 26 units against my 24. I was invited to defend in the mountains. The brush on the left and the impassable terrain on the right rather naturally constrained the battlefield for an infantry battle. I deployed the CinC to the left with his medium and light troops to contest the brush, while the foot and elephants swung round to face of against the enemy wall of pikes.

The CinC rather gamely let his lighter troops forward while he remained in the rear with the cavalry and his pikes. Meanwhile the remainder of the army advanced.

Both lines are well aligned, and it looks like it will not be a simple merging of the two lines but a series of disconnected clashes as bits of the line contact each other; where is the drill master when you need them?

Who should worry about alignment, it all comes together when you need it to. That is apart from the Thracians in the brush who have failed to impede their Thracian opponents at all!

In the first clash of pikes on the left of our line the elephant won its combat and advanced into the enemy position. At the same time the Seleucid heavy cavalry engaged their opponents and has damaged them. A sole light cavalry unit is protecting their flank from the enemy Thracians now happily playing in the brush.

The Seleucid heavy cavalry has soundly beaten their opponents and can now move into the backfield, although one of their numbers was forced to fight the Thracians as they emerged from the brush. The remainder of the enemy Thracians are now trying to move into our own rear. As for the infantry battle, the Macedonian pikes have destroyed one of our own pikes but it doesn't yet look like they can gain much advantage from it. The rest of the pikes have engaged; a whole lot of shoving going on!

In this battle the Seleucid Thracians destroyed one enemy pike block thanks to their two-handed cutters. While the rest of the overlaps we had won were able to manoeuvre against the flanks of the Macedonian pikes and destroy them. The highlight of the battle, but not from Robin's perspective, were the Seleucid Light cavalry which destroyed two of the three enemy Thracians emerging from the brush without taking any losses

themselves.

Outcome

A Seleucid victory losing 20 of 24.

Lessons Learnt

A game of "ifs" for both of us; if my heavy cavalry hadn't won so quickly; if Robin's Thracians hadn't been held and then defeated by the light cavalry.

Can I make the CinC a strategist?

ADLG - Game Report 322

Bulgar (160) vs Tang Dynasty (175)

While reviewing the valid armies for Kegworth I happened on the Bulgar's which coincidentally very similar to the Ostrogoth list I had used at Oxford. It was different because the Bulgars were heavy spears and not swords. Nonetheless I thought, why not give it a go. I cobbled together a list and army and took it along to our next Thursday at Entoyment. Jon offered battle first against his Tang. I was invited to defend in the plains, and deployed classically, foot centre and cavalry on the wings.

The first thing to do was to avoid wasting my cavalry against his spears and let the left flank do as it will; left to the protection of two light horse archers. Concentration of force on the right wing was the way to go; fortunately, the command and control was sufficient for me to make progress. Importantly the right-wing cavalry moved forward to make space and in doing so potentially brought them in charge distance of the enemy cavalry; that is the enemy light cavalry evaded and we were to go long.

And they did evade and we did go long, and crashed into the line of enemy cavalry as we cam over the brow of the hill. Meanwhile the foot has wheeled to their left bringing their bows within effective range of the enemy foot.

The right wing cavalry has destroyed the enemy horse and the entire enemy left has now been exposed, including the camp.

The foot has engaged and we were fortunate to have the assistance of the bowmen on the flank of the enemy line. Without their assistance it is likely that our own line of foot's right flank might have been exposed. That is until the left wing of cavalry in column has moved to engage the enemy's foot's rear. The enemy camp is in sight and there is only one light cavalry unit to oppose us.

The left flank of our spears has been compromised as has the enemy's. The challenge who would fall first and who could get reinforcements to the centre first?

The opposing lines of foot were crumbling from their left, while in the distance the camp fell to draw a line under the Tang's resistance.

Outcome

A Bulgar victory losing 12 of 24 and sacking the enemy camp.

Lessons Learnt

I was fortunate to be able to redeploy early, however, in spite of this only one of the redeployed heavy cavalry units played an effective part of the battle.

An army that merits further trials.

ADLG - Game Report 321

Arab Indians (135) vs Shatuo Turks (177)

Kevin wanted his revenge for the last battle against the Arab Indians, and this time he had revisited his Shatuo Turks list; I have forgotten how many variants he has tried! I was invited to defend in the plains. I suspected another flank march or at least something malevolent in ambush behind the hill, so I decided to place the foot on the left, cavalry on the right and the elephant in the centre. Not, and no spoiler alert, perhaps the best options.

Unfortunately, the Elephant commander became hesitant, with which we decided to wait for the enemy to close to us.

And the enemy refused to close the distance and activate the hesitant elephant commander. For our part we decided to at least start bringing some of the spearmen forward to close the gap.

The enemy light cavalry on their right wing withdrew with the threat of our bow men which allowed the remaining spearmen to advance. Additionally, we deployed from the ambush in the gully the light cavalry attached to the elephant command once that commander decided it was now time to become involved in the battle.

By now the enemy cavalry on our right had overrun the Hindi medium and light cavalry and was now within reach of our camp. All that was left to guard it was one light cavalry unit. The question for us would be how many casualties could we inflict in the centre before the camp fell?

The battlefield had become quite chaotic, it would be a question of who would get the better command and control to exploit any advantage they could see. Everywhere flanks were being exposed, and units were being picked of piecemeal.

The determined aggression and resistance of many of the enemy light horse archers while in combat allowed them to make inroads into the Arabs and our losses escalated.

Outcome

A Shatuo Turks victory in which they lost 12 of their 25. Examining the Arab list after the game I realised that in this and all the previous games I had forgotten to deploy an Arab Bowmen unit! I seem to like fighting with one arm tied behind my back, although it is unlikely to have made a difference in this game!

Lessons Learnt

Remember to check the number of units before you have to deploy!

The right flank would have been a far better piece of ground for the infantry to defend.

ADLG - Game Report 320

Serbo-Croats (162) vs Abbasid Arab (134)

For the next Thursday outing at Entoyment I decided on something completely different. In looking at armies valid for Kegworth I spotted the Serbo-Croats and specifically the Croat option. The army I put together had an interesting mix of elite impetuous and non-impetuous heavy cavalry, medium infantry with two-handed cutting weapons and heavy spears. I was invited to attack in the plains. Given the inherent flexibility of the Arab armies to either be horse-heavy or foot-heavy I decided to deploy classically, with cavalry and medium foot on the wings with the foot in the centre. The right wing was left in column to allow it to manoeuvre depending on how the Arab's deployed.

Confronted with the massed bows on the enemy left, the Croat horse on the right were refused, but their medium foot was moved forward to the centre to engage the enemy spearmen. On the left we did advance.

The centre moved to provide space for the medium foot to move into, by moving to the right to face off against the bowmen. On the left the cavalry has engaged with honours going, at least initially, to the Croats.

The Croat cavalry have engaged and defeated the majority of the Arab horse. While the spears and medium foot have moved forward to engage the Arab foot.

The Arab left has moved forward to try to bring its bows into range of the Croat cavalry. While the centre and left of the Croat line are trying to complete their victory.

The Arab horse has been defeated, but its foot seems willing to try and continue the fight. This has meant that the Croat cavalry on the right was forced to engage the Arab bowmen.

Outcome

A Serbo-Croat victory suffering 20 of 24 cohesion hits.

Lessons Learnt

The Croat army list is interesting, but it lacks retaliatory bow fire. However, it is a valid candidate for Kegworth.