So, back in the saddle, and almost back in the driving seat after a high-scoring first game, we find ourselves facing hordes and hordes of LH in a Massagatae army. Having had a poor-ish result against a similar army in the IWF's in 2001 I kinda knew what to expect - and it wasn't good.
Our problem was clear, we didn't really have enough troops to cover the table safely, and as defenders there was always the possibility that some LH could sneak down the sides of the table before we could react. The terrain didn't fall that well either, with most of the rough patches we placed falling on the back of the other side of the table, and there was by and large a billiard table effect.
So, we decided that we needed to flank march with the Greek allied command, just to give us a half-chance of getting close to their LH before the game ended. On the same (our left) flank we deployed and all the spears, then occupied some of the RGo with the auxilia command, effectively refusing one flank. With the spears in the biggest commands we were able to be fairly cute at deployment, and leave a significant chunk of the Massagatae and Indians a long way from the game. In one of the most decisive moments of the game, the initial Massagatae pip dice were poor, and so then we chugged into action charging forwards with the spears, as the LH retreated at 2" per turn - a pattern to be repeated!.....and our flank march failed to arrive
Soon we were making great headway against the LH on our right (well, we did have 30 spears and 9 Kn and 6 Ax and 5 LH....), but the pressure of fighting off at least 2 commands of far better troops, on an ever increasing frontage (as we attempted to defend the flanks of the spear line) was starting to get too much on our left. We pushed into the Indian bowmen, but suffered heavy casualties, whilst the rest of the auxilia were starting to , ahem, struggle......and our flank march failed to arrive
Some of the spears filtered off to their right to help out the auxilia, and the fairly-spare Knights with them also helped out - the Indians in particular were having trouble, trying to fit what proved to be far too many troops into far too small a gap as hey sought to put pressure on the pivot point of our army. However we were being drawn further and further out of the RGo as the need to defend flanks increased .
Finally the Indian bowmen cracked, and they, and their Ax (X) were in retreat - followed fairly promptly by our Auxilia command, who caved in under the assault of both of the Massagataes strongest commands...and our flank march failed to arrive
But by now the spears were making great strides (well, 2" strides anyway...) and the life expectancy of the LH (F) was starting to be measured in inches rather than bounds - if it wasn't for the RGo hills on the table edge slowing them down many would have been flung off table already .....and our flank march failed to arrive!
What would happen - would the cavalry on our right make it into our baggage, or would we fling an entire command off table?
The game speeded up considerably as we pushed forwards - bound after bound after bound went past .....and our flank march still failed to arrive....
Eventually the LH started to fall off the edge of the world - it was down to their bowmen to mount a last desperate defence on the hills - with elements to spare they were attacked by spearmen, but the decisive action was taking place in an altogether more favorable matchup - Sp (O) vs Baggage !!!
The baggage were less than impressed with their new-found role as saviours of the Skythian horde, and decided to allow themselves to be captured in a sad and pathetic display of whingeing.
meanwhile our baggage were successfully fighting off the hordes of Skythian cavalry - their position jut behind a RGo hill allowed them to give a right kicking to LH and Cv alike.
....and our flank march still failed to arrive....
As the game drew to a close, we made it into bound 17 (phew!!) and with a move which finally flung enough Skythian LH off table, and saw our Sp (O) perform a ...
... we won the game - 9-1 ...and our flank march still failed to arrive....
