ADLG - Game Report 211

Umayyad Arab (131) vs Ghaznavid (193)

On to the second game against Simon’s Ghaznavid’s and their huge camp! Simon won the initiative and decided to attack me in the mountains. My deployment was as before but with the cavalry wings reversed. However, I had the benefit of being able to place my medium troops in ambush in my gully on the right.

Once again, I refused the centre with the intention, again, of envelopment around the flanks. Especially with the benefit of the forward deployed medium troops in Ambush. On the left I certainly had the benefits of numbers.

Enemy bow fire is starting to inflict pain on the left-wing cavalry; but we are around the enemy flank. While on the right the medium troops are already around the enemy flank. They important question is whether the Arab command and control would allow them to exploit this position.

Suffice to say to say not entirely. Moreover, the better Ghaznavid command dice allowed them to respond to the threat I presented better than I was able to exploit it. In the centre the infantry command is biding its time playing with the elephants.

The infantry command has fallen against the elephants not before one of them was destroyed by the infantry spears, but in doing so the elephant went rampaging over one of the Arab infantry unit’s destroying it! On the right the Arab’s have secured a minor victory and if time and losses permitted would have been decisive.

Outcome

A close fought victory for the Ghaznavid forces by destroying the Arab army and by suffering 17 out of 22 losses. Slightly better combat results may have resulted in a mutual destruction.

Lessons Learnt

The plan almost worked, but “almost” isn’t quite good enough!

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.

ADLG - Game Report 209

Umayyad Arab (131) vs Arab Conquest(131)

The final test outing of the list I had selected was against Paul’s Arab Conquest – a blue-on-blue encounter. The final design had two large cavalry wings with a solid centre of mediocre supported heavy spearmen. A battle we fought out at Entoyment in 28mm. Paul gave me the privilege of attacking him in the desert. I deployed with the infantry command in the centre flanked by the two cavalry commands. The one on the left had the benefit of some medium troops to navigate the rough going on that flank.

We advanced to contact along the line with the cavalry on the right negotiating the rough terrain in an attempt to turn the enemies left. While on my left the cavalry have moved around the brush to engage the weak enemy left flank’s cavalry and descend on their rear – or I hoped they would do so!

The contact in the brush has been less than successful and the medium troops have been outclassed by their conquest peers (this would be a recurring theme for me at Roll Call). The enemy cowmen providing flank support are proving an annoyance.

After a couple of turs of combat the Arab Conquest have broken the most of me infantry line and are now ring to mop up the remains. The attempt to move around the enemies left has been less successful than around the enemy’s right flank, where the camp was not far from being a viable target.

Outcome

A win for the Arab Conquest by 24 to only suffering 23 of 26.

Lessons Learnt

I should have been more dynamic and targeted the camp when it might have made a difference between losing and winning.

At this stage I was relatively confident with the army going into Roll Call; my own hubris was about to defeat me.

ADLG - Game Report 208

Umayyad Arab (131) vs Norman (179)

On return from holiday it was time to think about the next competition, Roll Call. I only had a few days, and in fact less than I thought, to get the army list in! I decided that it was a little premature to take the Mongolish hordes out for an outing so I decided that it would be best to stick with an army that I was likely to be more comfortable with. I decided to opt for Umayyad Arab. Kevin offered the first test of the proposed army design. This would be a tough context because of his Norman Knights, but fortunately I wouldn’t be facing them in the competition as Knights had been banned!

I deployed with both cavalry wings on the left and centre respectively and the infantry on the right. The latter on the right were six mediocre supported heavy spearmen; I was curious to how they useful they would be.

I advanced on the left with more hope than expectation, as I knew the Knights outgunned my Heavy Impact Cavalry. However, and equally I didn’t want to tangle with the Norman heavy armoured spears! At this stage I had decided not to commit the infantry, which in hindsight (which is always valuable) was a less than optimum decision.

I pushed some light horse archers forward to delay the Norman centre, while I manoeuvred the remaining heavy cavalry to the right.. The Arab infantry have started to make a move forward.

Contact! The Cavalry that moved to the right have been damaged and now outflanked without the benefit of infantry support. Meanwhile on the left the clash of Knights vs Cavalry is being fought out, and badly for me.

I decided to try and disengage the Cavalry on the left but they were eventually ridden down by the Knights. As predicted the cavalry on the right were also ridden over and now the Arab spears are trying to stop the Norman’s in their tracks.

The Norman Knights on the Arab left are busy mopping up the remaining Arab resistance. While In the centre, despite the threats to their left flank, the Arab mediocre supported heavy spearmen are in fact holding their own against the Knights.

Outcome

A Norman victory by 24 to 9, but as usual an excellent game (in spite of a number of breakages caused by the lack of suitable transit case! (all of which were healed with the aid of super-glue.

Lessons Learnt

Mediocre supported heavy spearmen are a viable option.

This Army design had no striking power with which one could try and use to force a result, I think it should be based on either Cavalry-heavy or Infantry-heavy.

I decided to go Cavalry-heavy for the competition.