Been playing a lot of ADLG recently, including a tournament, but life, a lack of photos, moving house blah blah, insert excuses here. So have written up nothing. Which is a little disappointing and wonder what learnings I have missed. I especially regret not recording an epic Feudal Scandinavian vs Feudal Scandinavian heavy foot battle. No four legged critters in that battle. Anyway, I digress. The photo is a clue to my army composition.
Firstly though, the BAD GUYS. Hindu indians with a Muslim Ally. Two elephant 'Death Star'. A medium foot command that has four mediocre bow. I am really not a fan of mediocre bow they can barely stand up to light foot. They are compulsory so I suppose the eight points was needed elsewhere. Finally command of allied heavy foot with two heavy cavalry impact... wait a second there is a bow there. Dammit, thought they were all heavy spear (looks closer at photos) yup they guy behind the line is a bow. So this list has a bit of everything really would probably have liked to have seen some lights in the second command though.
I love this list. 16 units of impetuous units screaming across the table. Final command of controllable impact cavalry just so I can do some dancing on the flanks. Is the list good? Jury still out, but is not a heavy foot list and I have been playing a lot of that recently! So is todays army of choice.
Hindus win and elect to attack in the plains... no brush or dunes in plains and I suspect this is where this army will spend most of its time. Plantation covered hill to the East, plantation to the West (next to a coast) and two fields. I encounter the first issue with an army that is 22 across fitting it on table. The cavalry command isn't impetuous so gets to cuddle in the corner.
In some respect elephants are and easy tactical choice for the Christian Nubians (CN's). There is nothing in their army that wants to fight an elephant, so stay away from them.
I don't know why I am so obsessed with camerly. Something about these warriors of the desert just tickles my fancy. Won my first ADLG tourny using camels. I just likes them.
Muslim Allies are like.... nahhhh. Rolling a one for the first pip of allied command means they are not keen. This is a one in six chance that seem to come up 50% of the time (statistics 101 there folks).
Indians decided to wait a turn and see if the can't get their 60point (thats almost a third) of their army back into the fight. CN's move forward... kinda.
Hindus creep forward. There are a lot of CN's about, the elephants should rip through them, but only two elephants and a LOT of ripping to do.
CNs light troops shooting up a storm. Kudos to the light horse mediocre who even managed a hit. The blue zone is the "IF you go here, the Muslims will get mad and fight" zone. Almost 54 points of CNs are watching 60 points of Hindus... so the CN's are winning? However the CNs are getting into a position at least. Is it a good position though?
So this is actually deliberate. I want the elephants to split up. I also want to threaten flanks and just be annoying. Am fully willing to sacrifice a camel to get an elephant out of position and out of the war.
The Hindu mediocre bow (blue circle) runs off behind their own lines. This makes sense in the context of they do not want to be fighting impetuous foot, but running them directly behind mediums that are about to get charged by cavalry seems.... brave.
CN'S Charge! Hindus reveal a surprise ambush. Doubly surprising cause that's a field and only light foot can hide there. The Hindus must have dug out a fair bit to hind four stands of medium foot.... oh well. Lines contact! Does not go well for the Hindus who loose two stands, one routing through the bow behind them. Told you it was brave.
Its the Hindus darkest moment, all seems lost... and just like the the Muslims enter the fray and come barreling forward! In the West the poor unloved, but brave bow routs, but gets to see a camel explode to a elephant. The CNs have taken a loss! Is it the beginning of a change in the wind?
Nope wind is blowing all CN's way. Contact made in the West and the Hindus loose four from four (there were down in all of them) Furious charge takes it toll and the Western flank will soon be claimed for settlement by CN's. Camel wants no part of the Elephant battle and charges into some medium foot... which routs. Most importantly a five point light camel has got a ZoC on a 16 point elephant. That elephant is now out of the game, well as long as the commander can keep spending a pit on it to get it back after the elephant charges is each turn, as the camel will lead it round the battlefield. Much like a circus performing with a new elephant pet. East is seeing some action as camels and heavy horse collide.. and medium horse for that matter. Probably should mention that the camp is being sacked... wont anyone think of the children? (camp slaves? camp whores?)
Hindus see some successes this round. A camel goes down in the West, light camel dies in the centre, medium cavalry dies in the East. Camel holds, just, vs an elephant in the centre. Only one Hindu routs in the Far West this turn.
The Hindus are so close to breaking that I order a beer to celebrate. Camels withdraw from elephant. But the routing Hindu bow breaks the army. Victory to CN's!
Having 60% of your force going unreliable is never going to be fun. I also think the illegal ambush cost the Hindus. If they had been deployed they could have had a line, as it was the CN's got overlaps as they hit each part of that core. Its also not a great match up for the Hindus, yes the CN's don't want to fight the elephants, but they are keen to give the rest of the army a thrashing . The four mediocre bow might as well have been paper mache dolls. Happy with the decision to sacrifice a camel to get an elephant out of the war. Was sure I was going to be able to flank the other one, then the Muslims came online. I toyed with the idea of turning the camels away, was just wary of getting 'pip' starved at a crucial moment and not being able to turn them back! You think its bad with an elephant to the face, no one wants an elephant to the arse.
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