Yes thats right, that part of the book that no one looks at... okay rarely looks at, way up the back. Most of my ADLG army pages are well thumbed, not this section. The pages have no red wine stains, no beer droplets and no tears of disappointment . Its a new frontier!
So 23 units. 14 of which are impetuous and ELITE! This is a get in and stick them kinda list. The four camels are an interesting take. I can kinda see them for flanking, but would probably drop the bow and spend four points somewhere else. Mediocre mounted bow are not good. Otherwise the list is a solid walk/ride up and punch your opponent in the face kinda list.
Tactical this list is about the Spanish hitting hard and the Texcala yelling helpful slogans from the side. The atlatl is an interesting add in. Makes this list very shooty, so the theory is they pepper their opponent and hopefully get some hits on before they come in. While I dont hate this list, I can't remember the last time (if ever) I have put my pretty minatures on the table. So out of the draw they came!
The Arab heavy sword with their camel support in column get ready to advance.
Thats four fields on table, some are just more recently ploughed. Armies are close to the same size (23 to 25) with the same number of lights. The camels have been deployed in column to rapidly advance down the Eastern flank. Medium sword are unhappy with the medium knight in front of them (he is next to the pike) and are hanging back to see what happens.
Arabs half advance. The Arab medium cavalry are in an interesting position. They wouldn't mind fighting the medium foot, but don't really want to take two rounds of shooting from massed atlatl. Combined with the two crossbows its enough for them to wait and let the Texcala to come to then
The Texcala about face in the East and walk towards the battlefield edge. Way to many camels, impact light horse and heavy foot to deal with. Texcala get first hit with some bow and atlatl fire.
So pretty... I mean the ones that have clothes on... not that those that don't are not pretty as well. All bodies are beautiful.
Now the Arabs take a turn pulling back, though theres is in the West. Looks like the battle will be fought on the diagonal
Crappy camels good for provding support and hunting flanks.
More turning the battlefield through 45 degrees
Ho hum
Something is happening! Shots fired!
Arabs turn and things are getting interesting. The Arab medium cavalry has to come in. It can't sit there getting shot and it can't turn around and run (impetuous units loose an extra UD to move) as it wont get far enough to not be Zoc'd by the Tex next turn. Am just calling the Tex from now on as trying how to remember to spell it correctly is doing my head in. The question is how to come in. There is an additional consideration. If something is not done about the Knight he might rip through the advancing medium foot. Decisions, decisions. Th Arabs decide to tie up the knight (not a bad fight even factors, knight has armour, both elite) and attempt to punch through the mediums, general joins the fight so the cavalry is +2 (impact and general), elite and has furious charge. I think this is a tad risky if you don't win on the dice your general is going to be hard flanked. Both combats are a draw.
Tex just has a numbers advantage and a knight. Its going to be an uphill battle for the cavalry.
In the West Tex hard flanks and looses... would complain but that last combat was a draw and Tex got to duck the furious charge. Further North some Tex mediums are chasing down some Arab lights. Arab cavalry is slowly being worn down by the Tex knight, now with some support of its own. Tex atlatl fire is not doing a lot in the South East, made further embarrassing that a light managed to score a hit. Oh well, as long as the Arabs don't roll long on their charge Tex will get two more rounds of fire.
......sigh.... in the South East Tex charges, rolls long and ploughs in. The Arab mediums join the fight further North and we have eight combats in a line. Dice are pretty average both sides as all bar one combat is even, Arabs being elite giving them a slight edge. Except in one fight when the Arabs furious charge straight through. Tex has some mediocre sword as a second line. The knight finishes off the cavalry, and some atala fire routs a light in the North West
Big turn for our friend Tex. The cavalry command is wiped out! Okay, not true. they have a light foot and a light horse remaining, the General is routed with them. Tex is holding in the long diagonal fight. Arabs really need to start doing some damage here as Tex has only lost the one unit.
Two units of cavalry hard flanked and with nowhere to run. Arguably the three cavalry should have withdrawn a full turn ago. While they would have been hunted down it would have taken time and they could have gotten their impact/furious charge back for another death of glory run.
Oh..... Arab turn and as if they were reading the previous paragraph the heavies make some magic. Two Tex units routed and this flank is moments away from being renamed "Hard Turned". Only good news this turn was Tex unit taken down one of the heavies, but the Arabs have some reserves left. NOte the camel (blue circle) has filled in the supporting position allowing the Arab elite medium to charge guilt free into the Tex mediocre medium. Dice are more than kind and Tex gods bless him with a 6-1, which becomes a 5-2 still enough for two hits on the Arab!
This flank has fallen. Its now just a question of how fast. While this is not good, the Arabs have taken far more casualties and need to do something about their own flank on the other end of this line.
Dinner break.... pfft, real men don't break for dinner. Battle does not wait on your stomach! We fight on... while eating.
"Hard Turn" flank suffers another rebranding "no more flank", "flank go bye bye". Actually why name something that doesn't exists. The big question here is, what the hell was I doing with the guy circled in blue. I had the pips to move him, I didn't hard flank, I just sort of waddle forward. I am not sure why? Its possible I didn't want to be counter hard flanked by the camels in the turn after, but what am I planning to do with him? He has enemies on all four sides, he is not getting out of this alive, he might as well go down fighting! Dumb ass move.
At the other end of the line a javelinman throws a pointy stick at Texs elite armoured knight... and hits him....okay, that is annoying. However, the pike have hard flanked the Arabs so their flank is now collapsing. In the far North East a Tex medium foot chases a Arab light horse off the table. Given it was already damaged this doesn't help the army break score, but does mean the light cannot be rallied. So is a permanent point and the Arabs are getting close to leaving the table.
The Tex medium foot who waddled aimlessly forward with no plan is flanked and cut down. Good. He deserved it. The Arabs and moments away from breaking and the death of the medium foot in the centre causes the General to issue a retreat.
Victory to Tex! and the Spanish
Still not sure what to make of this list. I was hoping from more from the atala, though I made a crucial mistake in moving the light foot up to take some shots. If it hadn't have been their the Arab heavies would have had to spend another turn getting into position and I would have got 12 more shots off! While only a 1 in 3 for the Arabs to roll long it was in no way worth the risk. Its not the first time I have made this mistake and most remember to check these things. Othe wise happy with how I played.
For the Arabs, I think they should have pulled their cavalry back further. The heavy foot into my mediums was the place he wanted to fight. If both combats has started at the same time you would have seen a very different game. As I would have still be stuffing around with the medium cavalry when the Arab heavies broke through in the South.
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