ADLG - Game Report 331

Arab Indians (135) vs Viking and Leidang (155)

It would be uphill after the first game to top the rankings at this tournament; joke! My next game was another game against Cameron and his Leidang option. In the margins we had been discussing our opponents for the next round. We agreed that it would be no problem with my horse against the Viking swords, of course we didn't factor in that Cameron might have chosen the Leidang option with spears; bad Cameron. I was invited to defend in the plains. I had deployed with the Cavalry on the left next to the elephants and the infantry on the right.

I held the Cavalry wing back hoping to determine where I might be best able to employ them. I was looking for an open flank or for a hole in the line or for the Elephant to make a hole. I initially decided to refuse the right, with The Leidang advancing on their left.

As the Leidang advanced their centre and right presented a formidable spear and shield wall. However, I noted the gap that opened between the enemies left and centre. I advanced the bowmen into the gap and directed the cavalry in that direction.

We tried to pin the enemy left with the spearmen on our right only for them to outfight us in contact. Although the left end of our spears supported by the bowmen has increased the width of the gap. The issue would be could the Cavalry pass through this gap and into the enemy rear quickly enough to affect the outcome. In the centre the enemy destroyed the elephant but in rampage it inflicted a wound on the enemy unit to its front; regrettably (for us) the included commander did not die with them.

The Arab spearmen are grimly holding on while the cavalry passes though the gap. With the demise of the elephant and its supports it is up to the bowmen to hold open the gap.

The Cavalry has finally entered the fray on the right, but has yet to make an impact on the left.

The impact of the cavalry joining the battle is telling, and the Leidang line starts to crumble away, but their overall numbers were not diminished significantly.

Outcome

A Leidang victory in which they lost 20 of their 24 cohesion points. We were now two losses from two battles.

Lessons Learnt

The deployment plan was sound, but I should have considered moving the Cavalry sooner into the centre.