An army full of bald guys is something I can relate to!
The Polearm rule has been updated and I am a fan! Now it acts as a heavy weapon all the time while keeping the +1 in the first round vs mounted if it receives the charge. Whats the best way to test out a new rule, take an army FULL of polearm! Three commands of supported Polearm with an elite heavy chariot each for a little bit of smacky.
I LIKE this list. Its got to be a mounted forces worst nightmare.
Correct list this time. I have two points to spend and will either be making one of the medium cavalry elite or into heavy cavalry, am fighting the temptation to make the micro command unreliable so can have another calvary upgraded.
I am liking the list combining some manoeuvrability, staying power, bow and a hammer (chariots). I just wish my hammer was a little bigger, but have been assured by many an ex-girlfriend that it is not how big, but how you swing it. The mixed units have surprised me so far so lets see if that continues.
Hmmm, I can't put my finger on it.... but something about these Chinese warriors just seems off? Throughout the game it will look like the Warring states have a swarm of light foot just standing in a second rank... that is the Warring States 'support' markers
The good guys! Mixed units ready to go.
The Assyrian's are attacking into the fields. About 80% of my battles are in plains and those plains are filled with fields.
The field placement suits the Warring States more. They can use the one in the East to protect their flank from roving Assyrian medium cavalry by putting a couple of light units in there supported by a bow.
Assyrians move out. The Assyrians heavy chariots are not keen on fighting the States heavy foot. Its an even fight (impact for the chariots, +1 first round for the pole) the heavy foot are supported so +1 on defeat and no furious charge for the chariots! The chariots are elite, the heavy foot have more cohesion..... naw this is a bad idea.
In a move that surprised no one. The States move to take control of both pieces of terrain. Far more interestingly, a medium foot is now propping up the heavy foot line. West end near the field. Look REALLY close.
The Assyrians don't think the medium foot can make it to the field before the Assyrians make a mess of them. So with enough pips and some double moving two commands shift West and this is wear the party will happen. Unfortunately a Assyrian mixed bow on the end of the line was within 4UD of the bad guys. He has been left to guard the flank..... (you count double move if at any point you are 4UD from enemy)
So this is a bit of a risk, or a sacrifice. Am using my light horse as an ablative shield so my medium cavalry can play with the bow undamaged. There is a chance the light horse will be shot to death to allow this to happen, but sacrifices for the greater good!
States move up, Assyrian light routs from massed bowfire in the East, if memory serves there wasn't enough pips last turn to double move infantry, move the cavalry and save the light.
Charge! and a fake combat marker... please disregard the second clashing swords pic. The chariots don't contact. They do ZoC the bad guys.
All the action is in the West as the Assyrians crash into States. The plan here is to win quickly in the Far West, were am up (mostly) turn flanks and eat ice cream. I don't technically have a plan for the chariot.... but thats a next turn problem.
Dice can be weird. First combat is even, we win by 3 and furious charge does the rest woo hoo! Second we are up +3 (Cav vs LMI in first round +2, General +1 vs discorded bow net 0) and just need to win the dice roll for that sweet, sweet furious charge to kick and we are off to the races.... draw. I am... a smidgeon... DISAPPOINTED. But its okay, cause we get another shot. Javeman is +2 up (+1 javelin v discorded bow +1) a 1 - 6 result makes me sad. I mean not as sad as the Javman who is almost ready to meet his maker, but a close second.
There has not been the resulting massive hole in bad guys line.
Even with the help of General Stabby Mc Stabfergusun of the Stabs we could not cause this bow to waver.
The States get their skates on and start a coming in the East. The Assyrians mixed unit all on his lonesome is looking at the swarm of units bearing down and wondering "what did i do?"
The West, well the West is a mixed bag. The Assyrian cavalry holds up to the elite chariot (phew) the States bow dies to the cavalry (not marked) then things go downhill. The javemen holds on, but has gone from +2 up to evens and is one of routing. The next two combats see the Assyrians get pounded, but the last fight sees the States routed (not marked...again... who does these pics? )...wait a second. Okay now marked with pretty stars... (sigh)
Assyrians turn. In the West, well in the West we get 1-6'd again.
Time out : I got 1-6'd three times in this game. THREE! I feel that this is unfair. I am a good... I am an okay person. What did I do to deserve this?!
States Chariot beats off three mounted units with ease (okay with a 1 in 36 result). Medium foot commands exchange troops in the field. This has been bloody and the corpses are piled high. States medium foot gets hard flanked and chariot charged, routs. There is a States heavy chariot general ready to fill in the line, but this means the situation in the field has turned in the favour of the Assyrians.
Grumble.... stoopid dice....grumble....
More pretty stars. This may go down as my worst marked report ever. I don't think i was drinking while marking them up... Anyhow.
In the West the States Chariot continues its fight vs three Assyrians . The battle for the field is not over, but the Assyrians finally have a numbers advantage. An elite chariot general with support, charges the Assyrian chariot in the centre (West centre) and draws. {I bitch and moan about dice, but this was a bloody good result for me.... thank you dice} In the centre the States charge and get butt hurt! Four combats. Modifiers are, from the States point of view, -1, 0, 0 +1 and vs a mediocre unit. Assyrians win three out of four... including the mediocre unit pulling a win. Remember when I was having a moan about the dice being unfair, funny what the brain remembers. I can recall walking away from this game thinking the dice hated me. Maybe this wasn't quite the case.
In the fair East a mixed unit of Assyrian troops is starting to resemble a hedgehog from all the arrows embedded in shields, armour and dead colleagues. Todays fun fact, we don't have hedgehogs Down Under, we do have Echidnas. Which are a deadly poisonous version of the hedgehog that are known to attack humans).
Looking at this now, am not sure why the States didn't launch an assault with the General included heavy chariot smacking into the Assyrian mixed unit at the end of the line? Chariot is +1, +1 impact, +1 General... possible another +1 for support depending on pips available, and is elite VS +0 (disordered) mediocre and has two hits. {does math} In fact there is only a 1 in 36 chance of the Assyrian heavy foot surviving, not winning it can't win it can survive. There is no survival chance if the support bonus can be added.
Assyrians turn. Hmmm, not a lot of decisions to make. Fighting continues along the lines with no real surprises.
Not true! The States win a combat in the centre and announce that they get a plus one for polearm... in what I believe is the first use of the new rule this game.... yup throughout the fight in the field in the West the States should have been adding a+1 every time they won, and had not.... we suck. My memory isn't good enough to recall how much effect that would have had on the game, but given how fragile 3 cohesion is and extra hit somewhere along the line could have been game changing.
The highlighted blue is an interesting stand off. The chariot doesn't want to charge the polearm with friend. The polearm doesn't want to charge the furious charging elite chariot. Given how the game is going I would have probably charged. Not due to it being a good tactical decision, but the war is turning towards the Assyrians and it is time to take some risks in an attempt to get back in the game.
In a break from the norm, going to go East to West. Elite Heavy Chariot General with mate charges the disordered Assyrian mixed unit. There is no combination of dice where the good guys survive....sad. The mixed unit routs through the light horse that was just in routing zone. Bad placement there. In the centre the dice keep favouring the Assyrians and they have managed a break through! East of the field the States Elite Heavy Chariot General is hard flanked and beaten to death! Good times. In the final moments the battle for the field is won by the Assyrians. Even the States General couldn't keep them in the war here, and he paid with his life. In the far West the cavalry chariot battle continues.... part of me wonders if some agreement wasn't reached here. Like how about we all 'pretend' to fight and kick back and watch from way over here.
With the loss of two Generals on top of the bloodbath that was the Field of Dreams the States have had enough and make like a kipper and get smoked!
Apart from my inability to mark up my pictures correctly I am not unhappy with this game. I pushed hard in the West and seized the chance to make a hey stack out of a medium foot that was left to hold the line.
I am not sold on the javelinmen and three out of four of the mixed units perished. Admittedly one of them was hung out to dry, and his performance should reflect my bad generalship.
Terrain is probably where I am weakest at the moment. In my attempt to always have somewhere for my medium foot to frolic am cutting off areas of the battlefield my small cavalry wings could otherwise exploit. I need to think on this.
Have a happy Easter all!
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