Vikings vs Arab Conquest

Is the Leidang part of the Viking list superior.... yes. Does it get berserkers no! Rule of cool trumps here so Vikings it is!

Admittedly I put not one, but two highly illegal lists down on the table before we got to this one. So first 20 minutes of our ADLG session was a lot of "Andrew, I don't think you can do that......"

The Baddies being referred to as AC from here on. Lets start at the bottom. Medium Cavalry impetuous. Horribly vulnerable to anything that throws a stick, and without the maneuverability to get our of trouble their non-impetuous brethren possess. Elite helps, but am not a fan of this troop type. Corps II. Hard to go past a couple of medium impetuous when it comes to clearing terrain.

Corps 1. Right. 6 Heavy sword impetuous, pretty common in period, elite means they don't really fear anything in period able to stand up to anything short of a cataphract. I draw your attention to the five, yes FIVE, impact light cavalry. Impact light cavalry is interesting. The furious charge vs infantry makes them scary... but they are still light cav, so only every one die roll away from the great glue factory in the sky. Get 'em into a flank of something medium foot like with a support or two.. and the magic happens.

Yeah, yeah. Nothing clever here. Rock hard vikings supported with some mediums to keep the fields and plantations all Viking owen. No cavalry and limited bow makes this list something of a get the right terrain and being the plod.

The bad guys...

With a four point advantage in initiative the AC elects to attack! Vikings look for a coast line, nothing but dry fields for days. Sad. There really isn't a lot of terrain... any, out of the Viking deployment zone. They anchor on the marsh (just in shot) in the East and wait.

AC come forward, apart from the light horse that goes RACING across the line to take up a position in the East. They can't take on the heavy foot of the Vikings, the mediums are a different story.

The Viking line turns and walks to the East. Did some math. The AC cavalry will get round my flank before I can close the Western door if I just slide once or twice. So we turn and hoof it. I also don't really have a plan in the East. If I come out past the Marsh, the AC light horse will have a field day. So I elect to win the battle elsewhere.

No charge or ZOC for you! Just checking to make sure I cant get ZoC'd. There was also some measuring about where I will end up when I turn back.

So mediums are +1 vs light horse, the light horse are 0, +1 impact. Furious charge on a win. So the fight is as about as even as it gets. Except, the light horse dictate when and how the fight happens. IF I come out of the field that is. There is the issue of the honking great uncontested land between fields that leads to my camp.

The AC come every closer. There is a distinct lack of shooting on both sides.

Vikings turn back! Ready to face their foe! The Viking lights in the East stopping the impetuous mediums from being triggered by the AC lights.

I had great plans for the bow in the fields. Was going to reposition to make any light cavalry taking the camp pay in blood. Was going to move back a light javelin to also help protect/participate in payback of said camp. Then my so called brilliant commander rolled a one. Which was enough to turn some impetuous berserkers to face the bad guys. (sigh)

The AC mounted charge! Not wanting to wait for their foot slugging heavy sword mates, the medium cavalry charge home.

This is... interesting. The first round is lets see. Medium cavalry is 0 vs heavy foot, +1 for impact and elite. The Vikings are +1 and supported (no furious charge, +1 to the Vikings if the loose). The AC have also hit two of the elite Vikings,and the included General who is up +1 (Cause general). There are also some heavy weapons to worry about.

The cavalry can withdraw, so can see how it is doing after two rounds of combat. The fight on the West end gets melee support on the General jumps in. So +2 up.

(maths) So on the end the AC has like a 61% Chance of winning, the Vikings only 8%, but I would take a draw as a win here. AC loose three out of four combats.

Am unsure on this move. 100% the AC got unlucky on there +2 combat. The rest of the combats were dicey, and the whole strategy relies on the cavalry with attached general blowing through quickly before taking losses elsewhere. Risky

Okay, over in the East. Viking medium foot turns and charges out of the field. I had plans here, all involved the Viking foot not rolling short and effectively not actually moving. The two lights skedaddle away. Looking back on this, am not sure I made the right move. Just turning would have ZoC'd both light horse, now I have let them 'run free' to wreck havoc. Impetuous mediums class in the centre. The AC General gets involved. This was a little risky as well. Elite and +1 up isn't bad, but both sides have furious charge, so a little badness in the dice and your General is gone. However, the AC wins the combat.

In West the AC withdraws all there units from combat with draw. Given competent general, two groups, and impetuous troops... he must have rolled some good pips. In the centre the mediums trade rout's. ONe for the Vikings, one for the AC. In the East three lights swarm the medium Viking who has his toes outside the field. It does not end well for him and I wish him all the best in Valhalla.

The Viking light also had a toe out. So ran from the AC lights. Leaving the medium foot to fight on its own. The fight was terrible for the light (if it held), wasn't great for the medium foot who routed through his mate. This battle for the field is not going well.

The Vikings reform a long line in the West. In the centre an AC medium gets hard flanked by Berserkers and is killed. The Vikings now have a numbers advantage and are feeling pretty good about this. In the East a Viking light ZoC's the AC light horse, meaning no evade move.... And the Viking bow rear charges. Only one hit, but the Viking camp is more safe, and this is not a great war for the AC light horse.

In the ACs turn the AC light bow charges out of the marsh and into the Viking Light. I don't know how I didn't see this happening. Even had a light unit not really doing anything, could have come back and blocked.

So want to walk something through and see if we did it right. Light horse confirms to the Viking bow. That's an easy one.

Light horse withdraws from combat, goes back as far as it can.

Hmmm, can it do this given it confirmed to the bow in the same phase?

Light horse to the North (touching corner to corner with Viking bow) then confirms to Viking bow. Which way does the AC light horse get displaced? If it goes North it is trapped in an awkward position, if it displaces South it gets a clear run on the Viking camp.

We couldn't work it out so just rolled for it, but interested to hear people's thoughts.

In the West the AC keeps retreating. In the centre combat is a draw, and the mess in the East sees a Viking light routed (marked with tiny mound of skulls.. zoom in!)

Vikings keep advancing in the West, the Centre is now three on one, I throw the General in for the shizzel. In the East.. well a Viking medium turns and charges out of the field, rolls short and... well doesn't achieve a lot really.

The scribe is getting closer to the wall... (to do some writing) for the poor AC. A last ditch light horse charge in the East does not come off. The AC do manage to take out a light infantry.

In the final round the AC take three routs. None are surprising or unexpected. And while not broken, the AC surrender the field. I don't disagree. The remaining three lights in the East will get away, but the Viking line in the West is simply too long and too tough.

Not sure what I am taking away from this game.

Everything important went my way, can remember the AC player exclaiming "I finally won a combat where I am two up!" It was a little like that.

I need to take a moment to look at the board state. Am missing small things, like the light sliding and flank charging my light. Minor, but thats two break points i am giving up for no reason.

Currently playing more ADLG than i can write up, and am on a winning streak. Playing two more games this coming Sunday. With luck one of those guys will beat me and I can present a loss game!