ADLG - Game Report 58

Early Imperial Roman(85) vs Catalan Company (262)

On to the main event. A suggested in the previous ADLG report I had used a game to refine an order of battle that would be a good test for Paul’s Catalans as he prepared for the tournament in Rome. My main response to the previous game with Richard was to upgrade my Auxilia to medium elite impact armoured infantry – let’s see what the Almogavar’s can do against them.

Well the first issue was that if I hadn’t have got lucky with repositioning the terrain, rolling a six, the entire centre of the table would have been difficult or rough terrain. As it is I have placed my cavalry on the left to contain and annoy the knights, the legionnaires would hold in the centre and my main effort would be on the right with the powerful auxilia.

After making a similar mistake to the one I made in my previous game with my cavalry, I was soon down a cavalry unit. On the right my Auxilia archers are trying to hold the “gully”. In the centre I have broken some legionnaires off to support the flank of the auxilia.

At this stage I had managed to recover some of the cavalry after containing the Catalan right, the others retreated into the depth of the Catalan position. On my right the fight in the gully seems to be going the way of the Catalans. In the centre, however, despite the loss of a unit my position looks a lot more tenable.

There is every opportunity for me to destroy at least three Almogavars next turn, with the potential to roll out left and right from the centre.

Alas, it was not to be. In each of the critical combats in the centre I rolled ones or twos and even with their eliteness it didn’t help, because the Catalans were rolling fours or better!

Outcome

From Paul’s perspective it was a good fight marred by some of my atrocious combat rolls. I went down losing 20 to Paul’s 15.

Lessons Learnt

I missed an opportunity to protect my right flank and seize the gully with an ambush.

We had a very awkward rule resolution to resolve caused by sliding into contact and then failure to conform, but which was resolved amicably after much page turning.

I need to stop making the same mistake, of exposing cavalry rear or flank attacks.

Note to self: retire the white dice!