Match 1
Period 2
Herd of Kiwi vs Zhu Que
oscarius (Spartan) beats w2512494748 (Roman): 57 to 32
Both sides deployed a fairly similar composition of pikes, legionaries, thureophoroi and triarii. The only minor difference being that the Spartan pikes were to a higher standard than the average and raw Greek ones while the Romans had a slightly stronger skirmishing arm via their velites.
Map was mixed rough and open ground with a wide hill in the centre.
My opponent deployed in a deep column formation presumably with the intent to secure the favourable hills in the middle of the map (but luckily closer to my line). This had me nervous as my deployment was wide (with my weakest troops, the thureophoroi on the hills and my pikes and Romans on the flat). It would take me time to re-position my army.
The Roman advance on the hill was fatally blunted with the over-enthusiastic advance of the scutari whose pursuit of my own skirmishers left them stranded to be encircled by my reserves. Ultimately my opponents assault was too piecemeal and slow, allowing me to get an early lead in destroying some of his over-aggressive units but landing his army too dangerously close to safely disengage.
Height advantage and luck allowed my units on the hill to survive long enough for my strong pikes to come into play (a crucial early fight was my CnC holding a pike unit against multiple veteran hastarii despite the massive casualties). I do think my opponents velites did not prove very useful for him (perhaps given the price he felt reluctant to risk them). If he had committed them to his early attack on the hill instead of pulling them back at the last minute he could have bought some crucial time to seize the hill. In the end more thureophoroi would have undoubtedly been more useful.
This was a good, aggressive game with both sides eager to meet.
Well-played and can't wait to do it all again next year! Thanks to everyone I played, the level of sportsmanship was fantastic as always (very heart-warming was receiving a PM from a beginning player I beat in the first round who took on my feedback and won his next four matches!). Over the moon to have made it this far in the tournament after my disastrous performance last year (going from 120th to beating the guy who came 2nd last year is quite the feeling). Props to my New Zealander team mates who were great conversation and support. And finally a big thank you to Eric, Angus and Mike (and anyone else I've forgotten) for setting this whole thing up. Tournaments like these keep Field of Glory alive and strong
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