ADLG - Game Report 292

Andalusian Arabs (133) vs Three Kingdoms Korean (121)

The final game of the tourney against Andy's Korean's, and a game in which I either forgot everything I have learnt so far, or one in which I had a mental block. Either way it was a timely reminder of what not to do. I lost the initiative and was invited to defend in the plains. On balance the terrain was adequate for our purposes. I deployed with the Infantry command on the left with some nice fields for the lights and mediums to deploy in. The Cavalry Command were on the centre right and once more the Light Cavalry Command was right flanking somewhere in the boonies.

The Koreans managed to get the march on me and advanced rapidly, they were prudent enough to detach a flank guard which reduced their strength in the main body, which in retrospect meant that even without the flank march we were no relatively even numbers where it was going to count. Except that I have, by bringing them forward, unfortunately pinned my own Cavalry Command and can no longer redeploy it.

At this stage recognising what I had done, it was essential that I release the Infantry command into the attack. Here in lies the benefit of the medium troops on the flanks as they were able to threaten the enemy right. However, it looked increasingly like the Cavalry command would be the sacrificial lamb if the Light Cavalry Command failed to arrive.

Quelle sacrifice. I meant to move the Cavalry Command first in order to secure an overlap against the enemy Cataphracts. However, stupidly I moved the Infantry first which prevented the overlap from forming. More significantly the cataphracts and polearms rather pummelled the heavy cavalry. On the left there is better news as the Andalusian infantry seem to be far better placed, that is until their right flank is exposed by the Cavalry. Oh and the Light Cavalry have failed to arrive, again.

Before I could disengage the heavy cavalry they were destroyed, and the infantry are looking less than healthy although they have achieved a breakthrough sufficient to attempt to flank the enemy. However, the telling issue is that without the arrival of the flank march, due next turn were destroyed.

Outcome

A Korean victory by destroying 19 of my cohesion points on the table the turn before the flank march was due to arrive. I took a meagre 9 of the enemy.

Lessons Learnt

Perhaps a flank march too many, they may have been more useful on the table to provide a screen to prevent the enemy's rapid advance.

I should have not moved the Cavalry command forward en masse. At most one single element forward deployed as a covering force would have been sufficient to allow us to potentially redeploy.

The Infantry could have moved more aggressively from the outset, and forced the Korean's to consider what they might do.

Overall I allowed the enemy to seize the initiative and maintain it, solely because I expected the flank march to arrive.