ADLG - Game Report 283

Song Chinese (225) vs Tlaxcalans (290)

With Beachhead's ADLG competition successfully completed I thought the least I could do would be to invite Paul for a 15mm ADLG game, given that he had sat out the entire event because he was organising it! We duly convened chez moi for an afternoon where I would take on his Tlaxcalans with my Song Army from Beachhead. I was invited to attack in the plains, and once more favoured the deployment option I had deployed at Beachhead, with cavalry centre and infantry left and right.

I was not confident with taking on the enemy right with the Song cavalry and decided that they would be best employed in a wide left flanking move. It would have been far better however if I had remembered to leave enough room between the marsh and the infantry line in the field to allow the cavalry to move twice. Meanwhile the infantry on the right have moved to their left to coordinate with the centre.

A major firefight begins between the enemy in the plantation and the Song crossbows facing them. To their right the rest of the infantry form up ready to receive. Meanwhile the cavalry continues their parade to their left.

Contact! The Tlaxcalans have decided to end the firefight and fight it out. With thanks to the supports the supporting units contribute to the casualties inflicted. The Spanish line holds its own against the Song, not least with its armour saving it! On the right the conflict is imminent. The cavalry for their part has gained open ground and can manoeuvre better.

The infantry combat on the left has been slightly better for the Tlaxcalans, whose right unit managed to not only survive and avoid wounding the bowmen behind, but instead cause a wound on the Song. To add insult to injury the bowmen inflict casualties on the heavy cavalry facing them. In the centre one of the enemy pikes has been destroyed, but the other has swing around to attack a unit in the flank. On the right there is also a modicum of success for the Song.

The Tlaxcalans in the plantation came out to fight, and in the end won! Not only that the remaining bowmen have inflicted further losses on the cavalry. In the centre the Spanish and Song are engaged in combat to the death with each other on each other's flank. On the right the Song continue to fight to break through and flank the Tlaxcalans.

With casualties mounting on both sides, and with no rallying on either side, the only goal for the Song was to destroy sufficient of the enemy to secure a mutual destruction – it was that close. The goal would be to firstly try and rally some units – no such luck. In the rear could the Song cavalry General prevail and could we scrape some more hits on the enemy. However, it was not to be.

Outcome

A Tlaxcalan victory losing 24 of 26, another very close game for both of us.

Lessons Learnt

A little premature deciding to take the Cavalry left when they might have been better employed on the right.