Game 6 - vs Mu-jung Hsien Pi
This time for lunch we stuck with the red wine, topped up with a beer (it was a bit hot) but sat al fresco and I had some excellent mushroom ravioli with a cream sauce. The rather fabulously painted Spanish Hsien-Pi awaited me in Round 6. Almost expecting DBE knights, I was tempted to take my 2nd list with artillery, but thought better of it - correctly, as the Hsien Pi had only Kn (X) as it turned out.
The presence of 4 sets of baggage implied the auxilia ally, which in the BHGS world means the crappy foot in the main list become compulsory also. This, and defending caused me some consternation as I didn't really want to dish out my CinC's command too soon, and the WWg and Ax in my cavalry heavy command could maybe get run down by some well placed spearmen. I ended up deploying the wagons and auxilia towards the back, with a LH screen.
I'd also had another nice lunch, combining beer and wine with pasta in a creamy mushroom sauce, which probably also helped my indecision and reduced my ability to clearly plan my strategy somewhat....
On my right about a million auxilia rolled about the same number of pips to storm through a lightly held wood, causing the 4 auxilia in my mini command to attempt to flee in fear, but in a moment of red mist the allies rushed to attack too soon, and a unfortunate pushback left 4 auxilia dead, dramatically reducing the ability of the command to press the advantage. However they were reinforced by a command of LH, who were attempting to avoid my CinC's inexorable advance towards the baggage whilst some of them snuk through the wood on the right.
In the middle the Teutons rushed towards the Kn (X) block, anchored on the right by my CinC's command and supported by a lone wagon from the command on my left that had motored up to join the fun in the absence of any meaningful activity being possible in the LH standoff that had developed as I struggled to get my Lh clear of the Rgo on my left.
The Teutons waded in with reasonable success, led yet again by the general as the 2 Hsien Pi commands wheeled slightly apart to face the threat of the wagon on their right. This kinking proved to be their undoing, eventually letting in the sneaky wagon to loose off a few shots that badly disrupted the Kn formation.
By now my mini command was doing far too much work, holding the wood with auxilia, holding the open ground with the help of the CinC's Lh against a horde of LH and also spending pips hunting LH filtering through the woods. The Teutons finally finished off one of the Hsien Pi commands they were facing, but yet again the general got himself into an unsustainable position as he followed up, and he was the 4th element to be lost as they folded for the 3rd time that weekend.
But by now my CinCs wagons were starting to shoot LH off the back edge of the table and had the baggage almost in range, and the sneaky wagon had pushed forward on my left and was shooting the Hsien Pi CinC from the rear. The Steppe Raiders were teetering on the brink, and after one last flurry of attacking against my left hand command they finally collapsed - 8-2 to me, and I end up 2nd overall, much to everyone's surprise, not least my own !
Thanks to everyone I played - all in all a great competition - 6 good opponents, 6 good games, fabulous food and excellent wine - BHGS take note - 2 hour lunch breaks are definitely the thing of the future !!
