Sun is shining, beautiful day outside, probably one of the last before Melbournes cruel Autumn hits in full. What better way to spend it than indoors playing with toys. I live as an adult as I did as a child. However, we did start on some ice cold beers instead of the rum and cokes, so there was that.
Sacred camp. 2 points to increase your break point, but the camp is that more sackable. Am still not sold on it, but am not against it, or at least not yet. Otherwise a fairly standard Classical Indian list. About the only thing I don't like about this list is the half medium sword/bow that make up the deathstar. They REALLY need to put a hit on whatever they are about to fight with their bows or it could get ugly quickly. I know their job is to hold on while the elephants do their stampy stuff, but is still an uncovered exhaust port in the death star.
36 units! 36! WOO HOO! Medium cavalry to dance and possibly to go on a flank march. Medium foot to take terran, heavy foot that can stand up to most things and levy to DROWN THEM IN BODIES!
Obviously the Romans had captured many a Numidian. They all revolted together.
Slave Revolt won the initiative and elected to attack in the forest. Trying to reduce the amount of elephant friendly terrain available to the Indians. They still managed to get a brush in a great position. You might be asking why are all the levy in the second rank? There is not a lot in the Indian force they want to fight, both the chariots and the elephants are elite and two up on the charge (with furious charge). In fact the only way the levy beat the chariots is with a 6-1, that seems like bad odds. So the theory is that the Indians wear themselves out punching through the heavy sword and the levy come in after when the Indians are tired and hopefully disordered and flanked.
With a break point of 36 we can afford a few losses.
The Indians decided that they only want to fight in a third of the table. Worth noting the bow that were deployed behind the elephants have turned and are moving to fill the gap in the Indians Western flank.
Slaves advance.
Shots fired! First hits to the indians!
Looking at this I think on balance that the advantage here is for the slaves not for the Death star. The elephants are elite and +1 up on the charge (with furious charge). The slaves are exactly the same vs the Indian foot which fights as mediocre. There are more fights that favour the slaves, and more slaves. That being said, if the Indians could disorder some of the slaves, especially any slaves about to fight an elephant it could swing it.
Medium foot slaves charge! A single light holds.... poor little guy. This was a calculated sacrifice by the Indians. Wants to break up the slave line and be able to give support to the fights on either end of his line. Also gets another round of shooting with the central medium foot/bow. Bad luck that the lights roll short and another one is caught. Why has the cavalry joined the fight given that lights die in the open. Its for next phase, the slave will pursue into the Indian foot and I wanted it to have some support. On the other end of the line I spent the pips to have the undamaged slave charge the Indian foot. Then at the end of the phase the damaged slave went all impetuous and moved himself into a supporting position. How clever am I?! Using impetuous to my advantage! Go me. I mean another general would have noticed that the damaged medium foot is actually now sticking out of the terrain a smidge, but that is a next turn sort of issue.
To absolutely no ones surprise the lights lose this fight. Think the fight in the centre was +4 up with any positive result killing the light. I will be honest, I may have had a bit of a cry if the flipping thing had managed to hold!
Elephants CHARGE! As does a heavy chariot clipping the medium foot slave hanging out on the end. He drags his mates along for the fight. +4 up (Chariot +1, impact +1, support +1, and the damaged slave is at -1). I pray for a six and don't get it. How cruel is life? Other combats go swimmingly. Both elephants fail to cause damage, this is unlucky, but not hugely so. The elephants are only +1 up (Elite). The big news is the fight in the centre where the mediocre Indians rout on contact. The elephants are in touble!
The West flank is looking a little dicey for the slaves, while the fight in the brush is going well. So the medium cavalry withdraws. It will come back once the fight for the brush is over and there are more troops available. In the brush an elephant falls! Happy days, the big stampy baftard routs straight over the slave that turned him into a collectors set of ivory piano keys... less happy days. In the East the Slaves move up to ZoC and get into a flanking position.
Indians glance up and look at the wall, is that some writing on it? Could be. They charge the light horse in the West, roll long so force the Slave cavalry to evade. Without the medium foot this fight is almost completely even and that is something you generally do not want in ADLG. The dice gods are fickle. In this case the Indian force is in trouble and it needs to take some risks to get back in the fight! The fight for the brush and the West of the brush. The slave cavalry is brought down by bow with some help by hard flanking Indian foot. You can see the pile of skulls if you zoom in. Am not reloading a picture just to be a red death splash! Should be working as it is. Indian General joins the elephant. If he can keep it alive then the hard flanking Indians coming from the West will cause havoc. I am unsure of this move, the elephant is one hit from routing...
The Indian Chariot command hits and it is awful (or from the Indians point of view Christmas) There are four fights, the Indians win three and draw the last. One heavy foot is so upset by this that he routs on contact. The levy guarding the camp move up to protect the chariot flank, but are a little short. The Indians where short of pips last turn and couldn't move these guys last turn.
Brilliant sunshine covers most of the battlefield, except for a corner of darkness that hides the cavalry. If you could see them you would be cheered to know that a Slave light cavalry through a javelin right into the Indian cavalry and made them upset.
The fight for the brush is almost over with very few Indians left. With an almighty, if sad, trumpet the last Indian elephant falls, routing through the Slave unit that killed him. Was at this point the Indian General poured himself an ice cold rum and coke and lamented that the ONLY damage his 16 point units had done was in death.... speaking of death, the Indian General went with old stampy to a better less stabby place.
The heavy chariot fails to hurt the levy... wait what? With no charge bonus (levy conformed) the heavy chariot is only +1 (elite and armour) so is not likely to lose, but it could take some turns for it to chew through the levy. For those keeping score an elite impetuous chariot has to kill/rout a heavy swordsman and a levy to pay for itself. Speaking of routing a heavy swords man, a heavy chariot does just that a swarm of levy get ready to fill the hole. On the end a heavy chariot is hard flanked and brought down.
Its that moment. The Indian army is close to break and needs some magic. In the cold dark corner the Indian cavalry mirror match up and charge the slave medium cavalry. General fights general and the Slaves win following it up with a 1.. and that is pretty much it. Indian general routs on contact. Only fun for the Indians this turn is a flank charge into the bush to punish a slave that had left its flank unguarded.
Indians break! The Slaves continue to be Revolting!
Started with 12 levy, ended with 12 levy, only got one into combat. Not sure of my "drown them in bodies strategy". Really, this was a great match up for the slaves. Elephants are nasty, but not super nasty versus foot and with their supporting units being a little pants in combat it wasn't a terrible fight. Don't get me wrong, both elephants failing to do any damage on contact was a bonus, but was still confident. The heavy chariots are scarier with their armour, but with only four of them the heavy foot command had numbers, and a back line of stuff to keep the chariots busy. The cavalry fight in the West was just a dice off that I happened to win.
Am concerned that having all the levy in one command is limiting how may I can use to tar pit. I think there needs to be some with the medium foot. The levy can keep pace in the early stages of the game, and would have been useful to tie some of the Indians down West of the brush (not win, just slow down). My take away from this will be to play with how the levy are allocated out. I think there may be a feasible list in all this and it will be hitting the table again soon.
For the Indians I have three comments. The death star with the medium foot/bow is no good. The foot are too great a weakness. Maybe have one so you can project some firepower, but otherwise they are not good enough to support a unit that wants to get stuck in. The decision to spend pips elsewhere and not move the levy to protect the chariots flank was borderline suicidal. From memory it was a low pip turn, but this move was too important not to do. Finally, the inclusion of the general in the fight with the almost dead elephant. Too high risk for not enough reward. Though the command had taken heavy losses it still had four units upright that needed guidance!
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