ADLG - Game Report 210

Umayyad Arab (131) vs Komnenan Byzantine (184)

Five days later I was at Roll Call for the first battle, against Richard’s Byzantines. In this case I was attacking in the plains. I went for the standard battle formation with an infantry centre with two cavalry wings. The one on the right was supported by the medium troops to negotiate the gully.

We advanced refusing the centre seeking to break through and around the enemy wings. For their part the Byzantine’s have moved out of their ambush in the gully to confront my medium troops. However, the bow fire from the Byzantine mixed troops is already having an impact on the Arab cavalry.

Well, this attack could have gone better the best Arab cavalry including their included general have been destroyed in contact with the Byzantine cavalry! Was this the writing on the wall for the weekend for the Umayyad Arab’s?

With the demise of the best cavalry it was the turn of the worst infantry to try and tip the balance in the favour of the Arabs. On the right the cavalry is behaving as arrow magnets to occupy the time and energy of the Byzantines.

Surprisingly the infantry commands are holding their own against the enemy both in the centre and on the left.

Outcome

In spite of some progress in the centre and on the left flank the battle was never in doubt, with a Byzantine win by 24 to only losing 7.

Lessons Learnt

Perhaps I chose the wrong time in the battle to commit an included commander to battle? His loss turned the battle in favour of the enemy.