Han Chinese Vs Arab Indian

Two games of ADLG over the weekend. One with fortifications and one with obstacles. Things I have not seen before. To the rule book Boy Wonder! Lets start with Fortifications. Okay

• Stops impact and furious charge

• adds +1 for the defender (not for light infantry) if foot.

• provides cover

• allows light infantry to fight in the open

• Enemy ZoCs don't go over a fortification.

  In short, fortifications rock!

The Han. Corps II and III commanders are swapped. See high tech arrow on sheet. My favourite part of this is the note "Baggage behind fortifications".... I mean... where else would you put it?

Terrain grabbing Corps with impetuous medium foot and all 1/2 crossbow/sword. Hard to go past impetuous foot for terrain clearing. I just find it hard to keep them in the terrain once done. Their habit of charging out of the safety of long grass makes them a little bit hard to keep alive. The Brilliant commander should see to that though.

Polearm is another favourite of mine. Good against... well everything really. Two handed weapon with a bonus +1 vs mounted in the first round, whats not to love.

Finally the arty command, two lights to give the arty the +1, and War Prisoners to slow down the enemny so the arty hs more time to shoot

Mediocre madness! Heavy spear supported. The worlds best tarpit. Swarms of impact heavy cavalry, okay so mediocre, but there are ten of them. Two bow to reach out and touch and an elite elephant for some thors hammer hitting power. I like this list, apart from the fact it has no real way to control terrain...

Look at those Han!

..You are fecking kiddine me. Han chooses to defend in the forest and terrain ends up like this. Coast on one side, forest on the other. I consider flank marching, then some fortifications block the two UD gap in the North. Balls. I have the option to dismount some of my cavalry. I make the tactical decision not to. Made easy by the fact I didn't bring dismounts....

However, the Chinese have weighted their Eastern flank heavily, and the impetuous medium foot really don't want to fight the impact cavalry (mediocre or not).

Hmmm, I think the Crossbow on the far West is actually deployed our of command. Isn't within 6UD of the competent general. Who could have easily deployed one UD to the West... no bigge.

So I generally don't take a pic of the first round or two, nothing happens. Peeps just move forward.... except if you are a group of impetuous medium foot staring down the lances of heavy cavalry. The Han Chinese generals had a quick chat. Lets put the heavy foot with the horse tearing bill hooks here, the impetuous foot should go over here and get into the mediocre, and needs a stab to the face, Arab heavy spear.

This has created a little bit of a traffic jam, further complicated by some Arab light horse ZoCing the end of the heavy foot line.

Zoomed out. WAY over in the West Arab light horse has pushed through the forest. 2UD a turn, but once we are through, there is nothing stopping us! The Arab line stops at just past 4UD arty kill zone. From memory the Han had some low pips here. Bow and javelin fire is exchanged. Han get slightly more 'presents' in the exchange.

ONe Han light is hiding in the forest. Will this solitary little dude be enough to stop the the two light Arab horse? I think not!

Fan fact, expendable levy can't charge. Who knew. The Han Chinese need to get out of the traffic jam so charge the light horse... Am not sure about this as it has exposed the flank to some Arab heavy cavalry.

Mediocre heavy spear into levy. Expendable levy are not mediocre. Obviously all the whipping keeps them going.

In the West the Arab cavalry is a little confused what to do. It doesn't want to advance, there is no room in the East... maybe check out the forest? Maybe there are mushrooms?

The centre sees some fighting, expendable levy take some hits, but put out a hit.. embarrassing for the heavy spear. The elite elephant smashes through the medium sword/crossbow. The rout wacks both units behind. Oh its Xmas for stampy!

In the East the Arab heavy cavalry charges into the flank! With friend and general! +1 flank, +1 cav into HF flank, +1 impact, +1 General, +1 support... let me add that up +5 up! Woo Hoo!

Those paying attention will note that the heavy foot seems to not be dead.... heavily wounded, but not dead.

Still the opening round has almost all gone the Arab way.

Han Strike Back! Or not really. But they are getting ready to. In the centre levy are dropping, but while they can't charge, they can ZoC. One of them gets way closer to Stampy they it probably liked to. If Stampy charges the levy next turn, while the levy is fecked, but them stampy gets flanked HARD. The lives of the levy are a sacrifice the Han are willing to make. In the East the Han heavy foot dies. Phew. My general was in that fight.

Why wont you rout! WHY?! Holding up my line.

So, in the West the Han light foot is now behind the fortifications.... curse you! In response the Arab general saids a unit of mediocre cavalry into the forest. 17 points being held up by 4 points of light foot. What am I doing here?

In the centre the heavy spear have entered the arty death zone, while Arab impetuous foot are closing. So am treating them a little bit like expendable levy. They are going to charge the gun line protecting the Arab heavy cavalry from fire as it rounds from the South West and South East. If that bloody levy in the centre would just die and get our of the way... it does not.

Stampy is freed up, Arab heavy foot flank charges levy, however, if stampy charges the damaged medium foot Han troops he is likely to win and HAS to advance. This means he gets flanked next turn.... I elect not to charge.

The last of the levy die. They have been a true pain and worth every one of their eight points. The Han bring up thier chariots and impetuous foot.

...just in time for the Han impetuous foot to take and Arab Impact lance to the FACE! Boom! You are dead! Stampy gets involved to, BOOM another medium foot sent to (quick google) celestial realm!

The Arab heavy spear charge the fortification line... nobody dies.. so win?

In the West, the Arab general does something odd. He moves his cavalry into the shooty death zone. The Han crossbow has turned to the West, and the Arab cavalry can get a corner round the fortification and ZoC him! Ha!

same turn, but shows Cavalry charging and retreating in the East, and am too lazy to do more editing....

Stampy has to advance... exposing his flank unless the light foot goes with. Sorry little guy. I need your four point ass to save the big guys 16 point trunk. Be brave...

Right here is the real reason I write these up, not for the 12 or so of you who read this, but for me.

WHAT AM I DOING HERE?! I have lights spinning around for no reason. A medium cav in a thick forest that moves 1UD a turn, and heavy cavalry looking across a fortification with a "What now boss?" expression.

There is nothing to be achieved here except regret and sadness... reminds me of dating.

Get me closer I want to hit them with my SWORD! Sometimes you run our of space.

The crossbow, ZoCedjust turns back.... just... just like that. and shoots the heavy cav in the face.

I still don't understand what I am trying to achieve here.

Lets not talk about the West. In the Center an elite heavy chariot gets involved. The Arabs are actually up +1 (support), but take two hits. Ouch! I would complain about my luck, but the little javelin that could put two hits on the medium foot in the brush (go you for saving yourself and Stampy little guy!)

Arab turn. In the West we withdraw! Ha! Go me for finally coming to my senses. The Han arty wins the fortification fight, the Han chariot wins the cavalry off, the Han heavy foot win the foot... off. These are the first casualties the Arabs have taken... In return Stampy kills a thing, the light foot kills a thing, and two Arab cavalry kills a thing. Two mediums and a heavy.

Its all going the ways of the Arabs, whose army is also bigger than the Hans, but the one thing we can't fight happens. Time, or more specifically, time for lunch. And what comes with lunch....

Looking back am not sure what I should have don't about the West. Advancing the heavy cavalry was dumb, but not sure about the rest of it. Mainly cause if not dancing around in the forest what would it have been doing? The answer. BRING DISMOUNTS! Could have dismounted the light cavalry, medium cavalry and one of the heavies and made an intelligent play for the woods. (sigh)

Otherwise, the Han traffic jam got me the game. Several units were lost, and by the time the impetuous foot redeployed my impact cavalry was waiting for them. Fortifications are interesting. Will have to look at them a little bit more.