ADLG - Game Report 173

Germans – Batavian Revolt (91) vs Kushan (107)

Round 4 and we will see if the Germans have learnt anything from the previous day’s battles, knowing me that is unlikely! I was facing another cavalry-heavy army, and once again Cataphracts. I was given the benefit of attacking, and fortunately the terrain provided more room for deployment.

The goal clearly being to hold on the left and centre and wheel left with the right wing. I was a little concerned by the threat of the Kushan Elephants on the left; we all know how Horse do not fare well against Elephants.

I decided the first thing to do would be to try and scatter the enemy Cavalry on my left/. In doing so I rather forced the Elephants to commit on that flank. In the centre the Cataphracst came forward, and then started to withdraw.

While the Elephants pursued a German Cavalry unit behind the Cavalry line, the remainder of their peers fought themselves to a draw against the Kushans. The Cataphracts withdrew some more. But the poor command of the German’s and Kushan’s failed to cause any significant upsets.

The rogue Elephant, behind the Cavalry, has been cornered and is losing its fight. Elsewhere the other Elephant has the upper hand against the Warband. Of greater concern is the number of hits that the enemy bowmen are inflicting on my Legionaries. The Cataphracts have at last turned to face.

One Elephant down, one to go. The Roman Legionaries decided it was better to die by the sword than the arrow, and charged losing one unit in the process. The Cataphracts also advanced and had some success. On the right flank I was learning the peril of not being entirely out of the wood when fighting an enemy in the open.

The Kushan mixed swordsmen/bows have destroyed the Legionaries; what-a-mistake-to-make. However, on the plus side the Elephants are no longer a threat. Although to be fair to the Kushans, their Cataphracts are putting up a serious fight against the Heavy Warbands.

Outcome

After, again, many turns we were both feeling exhausted and called it a draw, with the Kushans losing 18 of 24 and the Germans losing 21 of 28.

Lessons Learnt

The failure to engage with the Legionaries when they had the chance to close the distance was a mistake.

On the edge of the woods or out of the woods not somewhere in the middle.