ADLG - Game Report 113

Post-Roman Brits (146) vs Tribal Mongols (178)

So with the previous lessons learnt and deep discussions on army selection and design I decided to bring my 28mm dark ages army to the table again as Post-Roman British, but spears this time and not swords. At least spears would be a better choice and allow me to stick it to the Mongols rather than with swords – or at least this is what I hoped! I also reinforced, by printing and painting, some elite heavy cavalry for the revised army.

I won the initiative and decided to defend in the Forest, but in doing so the enemy went out in the night and chopped all those trees down and removed my second forest! I deployed the cavalry heavy command on the left, with the weaker cavalry command on the right, Infantry holding a strong centre.

By the end of the first turn my light bowmen had seized and were holding the forest on my right, while my light cavalry, off screen to the right, seized the hill. I left the other cavalry in a reverse slope position at this stage.

The left of my shield wall, protected by lights.

The line is holding and casualties are light, however, my lights in the forest are taking a beating, I should have retired them out of the line of fire.

I decided to commit my cavalry on my left and started to have some success. Although my infantry line is continuing to take hits from the mounted bow fire. On my right I have precipitately brought the right flank cavalry out and they were quickly overwhelmed, allowing the Mongol light cavalry to try and make an end run for my camp – spoiler alert – they didn’t make it as I was able to close them off.

The Romano-British Cavalry are indeed having a successful battle against the Mongols. They are succeeding in driving them from the field.

While in the centre the infantry line remains broadly intact anchored on the Forest. But unfortunately two rounds of mounted bow fire managed to change that entirely by shooting down heavy spearmen, and allowing the Mongols to penetrate the line.

Outcome

A win for the Mongols by 26 cohesion hits to the 13 they suffered (out of 20). The loss of the lights and heavies to bow fire along with the cohesion hits we suffered were unfortunate and what broke us in the end.

Lessons Learnt

I would put this down as a viable army list to use for the dark ages figures I have built.

Deciding to rally, and then failing to do so, the lights in the forest rather than withdrawing them was definitely the wrong decision.

I may have held back my own cavalry for about a game turn or two more than I should have.