Paul’s army included a Jewish Ally. I did not record his generals but I think it was FC, TC and Ally TC with 4 x 4 Elite Legions, 1 x 4 Avg Legion, 2 x 8 Spanish MF IF, Sw, 2 x 8 Jewish HF OS, 2 x 4 Sup Cav and 1 x 4 LH Javs. So 12 BGS breaking on 12.
Initiative was +3 to +2 but Paul won and chose Mountains with a Coast. We had quite a congested table with 3 Steep Hills and a number of pieces of Rough. I believe I moved first.
This is my deployment. On my right are my Thorakitai, Lancer cavalry and a Pike BG with the 4 base Legion and 6 MF as rear support. The LF are out in front to try and tempt Paul’s Legions into an uncontrolled charge. Unlikely but always worth a try. In the rough are my Thracians, the 8 base MF OS, my remaining pike and my 6 base Legion in a plantation. My protected cav are in rear support. My other LF are sent ahead to try and trigger more uncontrolled charges. I have also placed a few pointless ambush markers.
Paul’s deployment from his left: Spanish on a Steep Hill, 2 x 4 Elite Legions, with cavalry at the rear. The LH are pushed well forward. This was Paul’s last BG down so I was unable to counter it. There is then an 8 Allied HF, the 4 Avg Legion and another Spanish BG in the rough. Continuing his line is an Elite Legion, the other 8 Allied HF, the 4th Elite Legion and the 2nd cavalry BG on the flank.
Having reviewed this picture I should probably have been a bit more aggressive. As it was I figured that my Thorakitai should be more than a match for the Spanish and if I could turn Paul’s left flank it would all turn out okay.
Paul’s LH charged my LF with an extravagant wheel forcing them to evade in front of the Spanish. Not a bad place to be. The rest of Paul’s line advanced apart from one of the Allied HF BGs which did not like the look of my pike opposite so turned 90 degrees.
My lancers obeyed orders and did not charge Paul’s LH. They also contracted to allow my Pike to wheel into the action. The Thorakitai also contracted to reduce the number of dice at impact when they were charged by the Spanish.
Both Spanish BGs charged. One into the Thorakitai and one at my LF. Unfortunately the Spanish threw down in their variable move so didn’t get isolated. Losing to impact foot is effectively a minus 3 on a Cohesion Test and I had my IC with the Thorakitai and also rear support so it’s an even die roll. On this occasion my Thorakitai stayed steady but lost a base.
Even in 1 rank the Thorakitai are up on the Spanish in melee so 7 dice at 4’s vs 8 dice at 5’s should work in my favour. Paul committed his General to combat to swing the odds back in his favour.
In my turn I held my cavalry again and moved them into overlap to support the Thorakitai. This now gave me 9 dice at 4’s vs 8 dice at 5’s. Unfortunately the Spanish would prove resilient and my hopes of defeating them quickly started to evaporate.
Unfortunately things got pretty hectic after that and I failed to take many more photos. The Thorakitai killed Paul’s General but the Spanish were unfazed. Paul’s Elites charged into my lancers and pike with the average Legion also charging the pike. Impact foot charging Shock Mounted are at a minus and one of the Elites disrupted and lost a base. The other was fine and unfortunately my lancers lost a base despite winning the impact. With 9 dice on evens against my pike Paul conjured 7 hits. My pike obligingly threw a 1 on their death roll and lost 2 bases and also disrupted.
With 4 dice vs 2 against the disrupted Elites on evens my lancers were still looking good but they either drew or lost. In time they would break due to base losses. The pikes also threw poorly and would break fairly quickly.
In the centre the 2nd Spanish BG charged the Thracians who managed to hold the charge. On my left the other 2 Elites ganged up on my other pike block with similar results to the first.
The Thorakitai eventually broke their Spanish opponents and turned onto the flank of the Elites. The Elites had pursued into my supporting MF who were hanging on gamely.
As we re-join the action you must be wondering where everyone has gone. The lancers and both pike blocks have been routed. My 4 base Legion has also been destroyed. The 8 base MF and 6 base Legion are both disrupted.
In a glimmer of hope the Thracians have broken the 2nd Spanish BG and have pursued into a promising position.
At games end both armies were close to breaking. The Thracians were the heroes of the hour. They broke Paul’s average Legion which routed through the Jewish HF. When the Thracians pursued into them they also broke. On my right Paul would also lose an Elite Legion.
As time was called I was 1 point off breaking, Paul was 2 points away. With a slightly bigger army and less losses the game went in Paul’s favour 20-17.
Overall this still felt like a good result. It was the worst possible match up against a very good player but I hadn’t lost the army due in part to some amazing CT rolls. Had the Spanish gone down sooner this could have been a different result but you can’t win them all!!
