Birmingham Ladywood2 2008 Battle Reports

[Geoff Pearson]

Birmingham Ladywood2 2008 Battle Report first game Toby vs Geoff

Back at Ladywood after almost a year of the published rules, to meet old friends and new.
My first games was against Toby and his Kushan's.
I was using Classical Indian to the new but unpublished book 2 list the army was:-

CinC Kn(S)c, 8 Kn(S)c, +2ME from Army Baggage (22ME)
SG El(S), 5 EL(S), 2 Hd(O), 1 Cv(I) +2ME from Army Baggage(18ME)
AG EL(S), 5 El(S), 4 Hd(O), 1 Cv(I) +2ME from Army Baggage(19ME)
4 Army Baggage defended by TF

Toby's Kushan:
Command 1: Irr Kn(X) C-in-C, 6 Irr Kn(X), 9 Irr LH(S), 2 Irr Ax(O)
Command 2: Irr Kn(X) general, 12 Irr LH(S), 2 Irr Ax(O)
Command 3: Irr El(O) general, 4 Irr El(O), 5 Irr Ax(O), 4 Irr Bw(O), 3 Irr LH(O)
Command 4: 6 Irr Bge(I)
Scouting & Ambush
(add to post after Tobys post below)

	The Armies after deployment Having AG 0 I was defending so deployed first. I flank marched my Allies on Toby's left flank. Not my best deployment I deployed my chariots far to forwards so when Toby deployed he matched my chariots with his elephants.
	Toby eager to exploit my deployment mistakes move his elephants in for the kill.
	After the 2nd move I could only move 2 chariots to counter Toby?s LH flanking move, I move my right flank command of elephants to attack Toby?s left  in a hope to brake it before my chariots are smashed.
	I have some internal success with my elephants  but still no flank march.  Toby closed the ring round my left flank.
	The elephants hit and destroyeds  3 Kn(S) chariots, but still no flank march.
	My right flank pushes forwards but it will be to far unless the flank march arrives.
	My right flank loses an elephant others are become surrounded still no flank march.
	My chariots survive another round but still no flank march.
	3 more chariots lost this brakes the C-in-C?s command another elephant dies which brakes the sub-generals command its sill over, the flank march never arrives.

[Geoff Pearson]

Birmingham Ladywood2 2008 Battle Report 2nd game Harry vs Geoff

My 2nd games was against Harry and his Marian Romans
I used Classical Indian again to the new but unpublished book 2 list the army was still:-

CinC Kn(S)c, 8 Kn(S)c, +2ME from Army Baggage (22ME)
SG El(S), 5 EL(S), 2 Hd(O), 1 Cv(I) +2ME from Army Baggage(18ME)
AG EL(S), 5 El(S), 4 Hd(O), 1 Cv(I) +2ME from Army Baggage(19ME)
4 Army Baggage defended by TF

	The Armies after deployment Having AG 0 I was defending so deployed first again no flank marched this time. A straight forward deployment and a simple battle plane ? just charge?
	I took the first move and bounded up to the massed legion lines
	The Romans moved closer and formed 3 separate lines .
	The Indian line hits 7 blades die!
	The Romans 2nd line now charges the chariots and recoils it back in to line.
	The peltasts attack and hold off the elephants on the Indian left.
	The brave Romans charge the Indian right command but fail and with more deaths in the centre the games was over. The games lasted about 3 bounds. so we agreed to fight another game.

[LAP1964]

What army was Toby using.
LES.

[toby]

Kushan:

Command 1:
Irr Kn(X) C-in-C, 6 Irr Kn(X), 9 Irr LH(S), 2 Irr Ax(O)

Command 2:
Irr Kn(X) general, 12 Irr LH(S), 2 Irr Ax(O)

Command 3:
Irr El(O) general, 4 Irr El(O), 5 Irr Ax(O), 4 Irr Bw(O), 3 Irr LH(O)

Command 4:
6 Irr Bge(I)

Scouting & Ambush

I used Ambush in the second game although Chris Jolley never came anywhere near the wood they were hiding in. Never used the scouting but it might have been useful against some opponents.

[toby]

My second battle (Geoff has now added some photos ), was against Chris Jolley's Early Macedonian Successor. The battlefield had a fair bit of terrain on, with a large bit of scrubby flat in the centre.
I defended and deployed first. My light horse command was on the far left, with its two Ax(O) in ambush in a wood that was almost on my base edge. My elephant command was on the right, facing a craggy hill with two columns of Bw(O) and Ax(O), then the elephants facing the gap between this craggy hill and a gentle hill. The knights and other light horse were on the far right facing the gentle hill.

	Chris deployed a line of hoplites under the C-in-C on the gentle hill, then some pike in the gap facing my elephants. Beyond the craggy hill was a larger pike block and his elephants and some auxilia. Another craggy hill beyond that was garrisoned by Psiloi. A command was very obviously missing. The whole game can be summed up by saying that I rolled pretty good PIPs and Chris consistently rolled some of the worst PIPs I have ever seen. By this picture the LH are round the back and engaging the Thracian cavalry. The other LH are starting to worry at the end of the Spear block.
	He basically just stood there while I double enveloped him with light horse. My large command on the left went into column and motored through the gap in the hills round into his rear, since the hills were only garrisoned by Psiloi that couldn't stop me marching. The light horse on the right went round the flank of the hoplites and started nibbling at the ends. The knights when into the hinge between the pike and the hoplites, but didn't really achieve much. Here my Auxilia are pushing through the craggy hill to go and help the LH against the Thracians.
	The light horse that were round the back spent about 3 or 4 turns dealing with 3 wedged Thracian Irr Kn(I) that just refused to die until they were completely surrounded. The turn we dispatched the last of these, a light horse also hit the C-in-C in the rear and killed him, taking that command. Two more bounds and the flank march, which still hadn't turned up, counted as lost, breaking the army, for, I think the loss of 5 LH(S). In the far distance you can see the LH on the hill attacking the rear of the enemy C-in-C.

If Chris had been able to manoeuver, I suspect that the result would have been very different. All credit to Chris to inspiring the Kushan army in the first place.

[LAP1964]

Thanks for that Toby.Do you remember Chris's army list,because there are no Thracian mounted troops in the MES DBM list,maybe they were Agema and Companions Reg Kn(F),or was it the Asiatic Early Successor list.
LES.

[Barritus]

Out of interest, how many rounds, how many players, and what sort of armies were present?

Cheers

[DaveMather]

Peter

There were 20 players present plus my 9 year old who played in both games

It is not a competition as such - but 2 games were played by virtually all players

Myself and one other dropped out in the afternoon as I quite fancied watching some games - glad I did as Chris and Tim served up a feast for the spectator

The games were as follows (all on 6' x 4')

Morning

28mm 240 AP Alex Mac David & Cameron Mather soundly thrashed EIR Gordon Harrow  although a combo of Camerons good dice and Gordons bad dice were the key factor

the rest of the games were all 15mm 400AP

Classical Indian (Geoffs petting zoo) lost heavily to Tobys Kushan
Tony Dennis's early Carthaginian beat the Marian Roman's led by Harry Sargeant
Dave Thompson's Western Sudanese lost to Tim Childs Sub Roman Brits
Graham Edwards Sassanids eventually won over Steve Bowns Ostrogoths
Steve Rathgays LAP lost to Brian Pierpoints Hepthalite Huns
Dave Pallins Alex Mac beat Ray Briggs Western Han - hopefully a couple of letters to Mrs Parmenion are pending
Chris Hanleys Arab Conquest played Chris Jolleys Early Asiatic Successor result tba (although an Arab Cv(O) general was sent to allahs garden by a Sp(O) Oh the shame !!)
Pete Haines Sassanids (with inf, Kn(X) and LH(S) beat Stuart Whighams Seljuk Turks
and Mike Pickerings Early Byzantines ran rings round Bill Skinner's "monotrooped" Tuaregs

In the afternoon all 15mm 400AP

Tobys Kushan beat Chris J's PIP starved Early Asiatic Successor
Chris Hanleys Arabs defeated or possibly winning draw with Tim Childs Sub Romans
Gordon and Cameron - Middle Frankish fought out a draw with Ray Briggs Western Han
Pete Haines Sassanids enveloped Mike Pickerings Early Byzantines
Geoffs Indian petting zoo went straight through Harry's Marian Romans
Stuarts Seljuk Turks out manouvered Tonys early Carthaginians
Daves Alex Mac defeated David Thompsons Western Sudanese
Bill's Tuaregs were scythed down by Steve's Rathgays LAP
Steve Bown's Ostrogoths lost to Brians Hephthalite Huns

Graham Edwards and myself observed

A very good day for all and a big well done to Gordon for organising

Regards


David Mather



 

[toby]

Thanks for that Toby.Do you remember Chris's army list,because there are no Thracian mounted troops in the MES DBM list,maybe they were Agema and Companions Reg Kn(F),or was it the Asiatic Early Successor list.
LES.

Apologies - it was Asiatic Early Successor - Demetrios Poliorcetes.

[Geoff Pearson]

Birmingham Ladywood2 2008 Battle Report 3rd game Harry vs Geoff again

After our 2nd quick game Harry wanted another go with his Marian Romans.
I used Classical Indian again to the new but unpublished book 2 list the army was still:-

CinC Kn(S)c, 8 Kn(S)c, +2ME from Army Baggage (22ME)
SG El(S), 5 EL(S), 2 Hd(O), 1 Cv(I) +2ME from Army Baggage(18ME)
AG EL(S), 5 El(S), 4 Hd(O), 1 Cv(I) +2ME from Army Baggage(19ME)
4 Army Baggage defended by TF

	The Armies after deployment Having AG 0 I was defending  again so deployed first again. A straight forward deployment,  but this time the Romans deployed behind a TF in there centre facing my Kn(S) chariots so the battle plane this time is to attack the flanks with my elephant and move the chariots to go round the Roman left flank and attack the FT flank.
	I took the first move and was in luck in having good pips so could turn my Chariots 90 degrees and head off to go round the TF?s .
	The Romans move there mounted wing to try to out flank the Indians
	Low PIPs hold back the chariots but the elephants advance to split the Roman cavalry from there foot.
	The Indian left wing move to attack the unprotected Ronan blades
	On reaching the blades the elephants meet little resistance as the blades are (I).
	The Ax(S) peltasts behind the Bd(I) hold on longer.
	The Roman Light horse manage to move round the Indian flank while the chariots have to hold while their elephants move to attack the blades.
	The elephants advance clear of the chariots so they can now move so split with 5 going for the Roman cavalry the rest o support the attack of the elephants.
	The Indian elephant left wing lose an elephant to the peltasts the Roman right command is disheartened.
	The Roman centre moves to cover its flanks.
	The Indian right foot and cavalry stand helpless as Roman Lh move nearer but no PIPs come from their general.
	The Roman right routs off but the blades kill another elephant on that flank. On the left centre a Kn(S) chariot with help of an elephant on the flank destroy 2 blades, while 4 elephants move round to attack the Roman TF in its rear.
	The other Kn(S) chariots move in to attack the Roman cavalry but after a short fight there all destroyed. The Roman Lh attack the Indian horde killing one but it so little to late to make any difference.
	A final view of the battle field as the army brakes after both flanks have broken. I better longer game than the first but its still very hard for armies like the Marian Roman  to stand up to this combination of the Classical Indian army with out troops to take on Kn(S).

[Sgt Steiner]

Hi

Interesting reports (always nice to have pics).

Classical Indian do seem a rather mean bunch........................

Cheers

[toby]

Hi

Interesting reports (always nice to have pics).

Classical Indian do seem a rather mean bunch........................

Cheers

Nah, bunch of pussy cats.

[LAP1964]

Nice report and pics.Just 1 question from Tobys 3rd game are T.F.s allowed to be swaped between commands(except baggage) , or must they be included in the army list ,with which command they are in.
LES

[toby]

Wasn't my game, I think it was Geoff vs Harry.

TF's aren't elements so I suspect they don't need to be allocated to a command.

[Tim Child]

Hi

Interesting reports (always nice to have pics).

Classical Indian do seem a rather mean bunch........................

Cheers

Nah, bunch of pussy cats.

They'd be rubbish against a wall of Irr Sp(I) with appropriate support.   

Tim Child