Anglo-Danish VS Libyan Egyptian AAR

 

       As is usual with our games Anton and I launched into the game and forgot to take pictures of the deployments and first turn.  But here is what things looked like at the end of Turn 2.  

       From the above photo you can see the initial deployment.  I won the Scouting competition with 56 scouting points to Anton's zero so Anton had to deploy his army first.  He chose to deploy his Scots Exiles to contest the woods and then focused all remaining troops into the gap between the woods and steep hill.  He did hold his one smaller warband back as a reserve.  

       Meanwhile I deployed both of my "Guard" units in the city counting on them being able to get out of the difficult terrain before Anton closed the distance.  I deployed my Massive low quality infantry unit to fill the gap between the city and woods.  Meanwhile I deployed my Light infantry archers behind the right side guard unit (the cobbled together "C" grade troops) and the Libyans behind the Higher quality Guard unit, both of the light Infantry are behind the guard units and all are in the city.  

      Meanwhile, the Light cavalry with JLS were placed in front of the low quality mob of infantry and the chariots with the general behind the Infantry mob.  The Sea people Mercenaries were placed to sweep through the woods and the Light Cavalry with bows were set to sweep around the woods and harry Anton's Right flank.  

       By the end of Turn 2 My guard units have dragged there tails out of the city.  Meanwhile my Libyan infantry have charged one of Anton's archer units and my light cavalry with JLS and shield have charged the other.  Anton's archers buggered off.  As this happened my Nubian archers have taken the steep hill and begun shooting and whatever of Anglo-Danes were in range.  In the woods the two units have gotten in sight of each other and are ready to charge the next turn and my light cavalry with bows have rounded the woods and are ready to begin enfilading Anton's army.  

       Turn Three saw the two main battle lines clash with all of our real combat units engaging.  This picture is from the opposite end of the table.  Nearest, my archers complete taking the steep hill and shooting into Anton's far left flank unit.  His buggered off archers are reforming on the right.  Meanwhile Anton's first warband and my "C" class guard unit have charged each other, I chose to attach the CinC to this unit out of concern for the potential of the warband charges and dice results.  Further away, Anton's second warband and my better guard unit have charged each other.  Anton's last large warband has charged my max sized low quality Egyptian unit. The two LMI units have charged each other in the woods.  Behind the woods my horse archers and Anton's other archer unit are exchanging unpleasantries by air.  Center Right Anton's last warband (the slightly smaller one) is realigning to face his right flank.  Unseen behind the woods my light cavalry unit with JLS is rounding the woods.  Behind My Mob of scum my chariots are waiting to save the day if needed and the Libyan infantry is reforming in the city having run off to avoid a warband charge.  

       In Dicing to see if his units would charge All three of Anton's warbands in the open went Impetuous and hit much harder and his front rank of Heavy Infantry with Axes already hit pretty hard.  The results were unfortunate for my army as both my mob of scum and my better guard unit were routed on impact.  In the woods, my Sea People Mercenaries routed the Scots Exiles.  On the closer end of the battlefield, in a rather amazing result of chart crunching, my "C" class guard unit plus general, with its third rank of archers adding arrows to the melee and the Nubians on the hill also pouring arrows down from the hill managed a total of 52 casualties to the warband.  Meanwhile Anton's warband rolled horribly and managed to put out 52 casualties as well.  Thus, since we both did the same number of casualties and both did at least 1 casualty per figure we had a draw.  Net result, my center buckled,  Anton's right flank collapsed and the other flank was wavering for both of us.  

        On turn Five, Anton rushed his general to join the wavering unit on his left flank having dispatched his reserve unit to crush my Sea People Mercenaries.  My light cavalry with JLS charged his broken Scots Exiles in the back to complete routing them off the field.  My victorious Sea People began reforming to face the threat of the approaching Anglo-Danes.  In the center my brave but foolish chariots charged into the impetuous mob that broke my mob of scum.  Sensing the need for decisive action my general ordered the Nubian archers to charge the side of Anton's nearest mob in the photo.  Unbelievably they did it (my hottest roll of the day).  

       Here in Turn six we see the results of Turn five.  Starting at the top, my cavalry have routed the Scots Exiles again.  The two warbands approach each other near the woods.  My Chariots managed to out casualty the mob, but did not do one casualty per figure remaining in the unit.  Meanwhile the impetuous mob managed to kill two of my brave chariots.  My mob of scum continued milling toward the table edge.  The second mob of impetuous Anglo-Danish charged the back of my better "Guard" unit who ran further into the city.  As a result of this charge the Anglo-Danes managed to crash into the city where the Libyans were formed up just off the edge.  Finally, the charge of my Nubian Archers tipped the balance and I managed to push back Anton's left wing mob.  Once pushed back, even though the general was attached, the "D" class element of the unit caused the entire unit to break.  When it ran off, both my "C" class guard unit and my archers managed to stay in contact and continue the carnage.  

       Turn Seven saw the flanks continue going my way and some hope return for my army in the center.  On the far end of the table my cavalry kept the Scots Exiles headed for the table edge and my horse archers managed to get the better of Anton's second archer unit.  With their CinC routing the archers buggered off and ran for home off the table.  Anton's reserves and my Sea People clashed.  Anton's berserk mob of impetuous troops now turned on my poor slow moving mob of scum and began closing in to slaughter them again.  Meanwhile in the city the Impetuous Anglo Danes shattered my light infantry unit, BUT my better quality guard unit managed to rally.  The impetuous mob closed, but did not reach due to the close terrain of the city.  Finally, I managed to rally my "C" class guard unit off the retreating warband sweeping their general along with them.  But I failed to calm down the Nubians who converted their pursuit of the warband into a charge into Anton's last remaining archer unit.  

       Turn 8 dawned with the game in the balance.  At the extreme end of the table my light cavalry are reforming to try and help the Sea People who were pushed back in the first round of the melee by the woods.  In the meantime I ordered the horse archers to charge the flank of Anton's reserve mob, but my troops declined.  Anton's general and mob continued their migration toward the table edge having failed their rally test.  On the other side of the woods, seeing the Chariots all destroyed and the impetuous mob beginning to bear down on them my mob of scum bolted off the field (d6 +2 rout move, minus 4 inches for third turn in rout resulted in zero movement) as the unit collapsed into disarray.  The better guard unit and impetuous (but highly disordered) mob in the city came to blows a second time as my "C" class guard unit formed up outside the city to assist their guard bretheren.  My archers having been both shot down and beaten in hand to hand by Anton's small unit last turn ran back to the hill this turn.  

       Turn Nine, saw my Sea People mercenaries pushed back for a second time in turn eight and the light cavalry with JLS charge the Anglo Danes in the side, but only on a VERY narrow frontage,  Meanwhile Anton's "ever victorious mob" realign itself to face my "C" class guard unit.  While in the city the Other impetuous mob had pushed back my guard unit and that fight continued.  Even though my Nubian archers would rally up, the reserve mob of Anglo Danes broke my Sea People Unit in turn nine and thus the battle ended in an Anglo Danish Victory.  

       A good game, as usual, that went down to the wire to reach a decision.  Anton's mixed mobs worked out better than I expected (I try and avoid "D" class for anything offensive), winning three out of four tries.  My "C" class guard was not terrible, but led to my better guard unit being too small to function against the mobs.  The mob of scum needs work in this army, but I have an idea or next time.  

       That is all for now.  Anton will be back in a few days to resume his usual perambulations.  Until then, The Housemartin is OUT!