Today we had a return to the late Roman Civil wars of the 4th Century AD. Once again I got the Western forces following my last victory, and had Lawrence and Philip as my fellow westerners, Phil (2) had Tony and Rhod with the Easterners. We were diddled to start the game as Phil won the Attacker roll, but got given the choice of table side, and to be the defender!
I forgot to get start up pictures but started after turn 1, so I hope you can get an idea of the initial placements...
My (Western) right wing advanced with skirmishing bowmen to engage the Eastern Formed Archers, before their greater number of skirmishers overwhelmed ours! - we did damage it for 1 Stamina (it has 4) as expected, the Eastern light skirmishers took the wood.
In the centre, Phillip kept his Legions back according to plan.
Our strong left wing cavalry were to rapidly crush the impudent Easterner right...sadly, Lawrence had to leave at this point so I was commanding both wings.
My Horse archers and foot archers shot up some Arab horsemen who fled.
Unfortunately the Western cavalry were bounced by a rapid attack by the heavy cavalry of the Easterners.
My Light troops damaged the second light horse unit of the enemy right wing.
My left wing cavalry managed to hold, and engaged both enemy Equite units.
In the centre, Philip had to leave too, so I had the whole Western army to command!!! Tony offered to take my left till he returned, kindly.
Things were going badly on my right, one of my skirmisher units was hit at long range (3x 5,6s out of 4 D6s!) and I was forced to retreat or be shot to pieces.
A second 3 hits out of 4 dice hit my second skirmisher unit!!!
In the centre left, our Equites were both beaten by amazing die rolls from the Easterners!
Our left wing lights finally destroyed the second light horse unit! - would our lights be able to turn the enemy right?
One of my two skirmisher units broke, and the Easterners - now back under Tony, as Lawrence was back- swarmed forwards to turn OUR flank!
In the centre, I saw no option but to beat the enemy centre...Phillip had had to leave so I was back in charge of the centre!
Our cavalry on the left wing was having a hard time beating those Eastern Equites. One of our Formed Archer units was overwhelmed in short order before their Legionary supports could intervene.
It looked like our left wing would have to depend on our light troops!
Our reserve Equites managed to break an Eastern one.
Those Legionary supports arrived in time to see the Archers flee! (Yeh, we forgot to remove an advance marker- sorry!)
Our second Archer unit got charged by the Eastern Legionarii!
On our left, Lawrence charged the flank of the second Eastern Equites unit...
They were beaten, and disintegrated as they were driven into our horse archers!
Our left, however, seemed not to have done as well as I had hoped.
The Eastern Legions attacked, aided, as usual in this game, with amazing dice rolls!
On our right the Eastern light troops began flanking the Western Legionarii.
My sole reserve, another Equite unit, positioned itself to charge in support of a losing Legionary unit.
My last skirmisher unit finally fell to the last Arab cavalry unit, who they had delayed for 3 turns!
Ah well!
In a dazzling display of 1's and 2's my horse archers withdrew into my own engaged legionarii, who then withdrew into the horse archers, breaking both units!!!!
On our right, one Legionary unit did break some Armenians!...
...but then broke themselves as the supporting unit was at full strength.
On our right, my outflanked Legionary unit broke under the flank pressure.
My right was gone!
The Legions had mostly broken...
...only our left, such as was left of it, was victorious!
Yay, go you Cataphractarii!!!
We lost with -5 Reputation, the Easterners +5. You can fight the enemy, but you cannot beat bad dice!!!
