Well, last night I took on Dave T’s Early Russians with my Early Byzantines. While I’ve occasionally been tempted to try out a Belisarius option, I’ve liked the look of the figures I’ve painted (all Old Glory) that I like to field the lot of them. As a result I decided to have another try at using the Inert Hypatius option which I used at Cancon a few years ago. Since then I’ve rejigged the list a few times, and now I think I’ve got a list I can work with.
C1 (34ME)
Inert General as Reg Cv (S)
8 Reg Cv (S)
6 Reg LH (S)
8 Irr Ps (S)
(2 Reg Bge (O))
C2 (24ME)
Sub as Reg Cv (S)
6 Reg LH (S)
8 Reg Bd (I)
4 Reg Ps (O)
(2 Reg Bge (O))
C3 (18ME)
Sub as Reg Bd (I)
8 Reg Bd (I)
4 Reg Ps (O)
(2 Reg Bge (O))
C4 (16ME)
Sub as Reg Cv (S)
6 Reg LH (S)
4 Reg Ps (O)
(2 Reg Bge (O))
C5 (16ME)
8 Reg Bge (O)
Army: 108ME
This is, frankly, an enormous army, thanks to the 8 regular baggage. It means both that the individual commands can take massive losses and keep fighting, and that the army can even survive the loss of any pair of commands unless one of them is C1. Obviously, with an inert C-in-C it isn’t particularly maneuverable, but it does actually receive about as many PIPs as a standard 3 command army. Thus my tactics involve covering the flanks to stop enemies from trying to get around my army, and advancing in multiple ranks to take advantage of the (S) mounted.
I invaded in spring, and while the weather dice specified Hungry Horses I didn’t bother to impose the condition as I was more interested in seeing how my army performed in a fair fight (by contrast, in competition I would have imposed it with glee).
I pretty much got the terrain I wanted. On my right flank there was a marsh level with my deployment zone and a wood close to the halfway line. On my left flank, slightly on Dave’s side of the table, was another wood. Dave placed a BUA on his table edge near that last wood.
Dave deployed first (useful, given that with an inert C-in-C I had to give Dave the first move). In his centre was a block of Sp, (O) and (I) alternating, and with Ps (O) support. In their rear was a small mounted force. Each flank had a large block of Cv (O) in three ranks, with some LH (F) on the outside. The command on Dave’s right flank also had a few Ax (O) in the rear.
I deployed C1 on the left, with the Ps (S) ready to advance at the wood, with the LH next to them and the Cv further inboard; the LH (S) faced his LH (F) while the Cv (S) faced his Cv (O). Next was C3, then C2. The Bd of the two commands formed a block facing the Sp in the Russian centre. Then, C2’s LH and those of C4 faced the Cv (O) of the Russian left flank. C4’s Ps (O) deployed near the wood on my right.
My plan was fairly simple. My biggest advantages were on the left and in the centre. I therefore intended to advance fastest there, and hold back the LH on the right. The Ps would advance on both flanks, where they might be able to support the nearby LH with flanking attacks. My main concern was bad combat dice if Dave’s mounted troops made first contact. Yet I couldn’t hold back: I had to force the issue on the left and in the centre, in the hope of winning before my right wing collapsed.
Dave got excellent PIPs on his first turn, with his 4th PIP dice revealing a delayed command of Cuman allies. As a result Dave placed a block of about a dozen LH (F) with Cv general which moved onto the table near his BUA, ready to reinforce his right flank. This made me nervous: my guys might have the edge in quality, but his mounted now outnumbered me about 2:1. Pretty much my only saving grace was that the terrain prevented him from exploiting those numbers to wrap around my flank. Instead it was going to be a frontal slog. In the meantime he advanced his army steadily, keeping a straight front across the whole army.
I allocated my PIP dice in the following order: C1, C2, C4, C3. And with almost all regular troops I knew that even with the lowest PIP dice I’d be able to advance even C3’s Bd. I was pleased that both C1 and C2 got maximum PIPs, while C3 got a PIP in addition to the general’s PIP, allowing the Bd two marches. On both flanks my LH were in charge reach.
Dave’s Cumans rolled well in their first bound starting on the table, thus guaranteeing their loyalty. He advanced them in columns behind the Cv on his right. Otherwise, with only low PIPs on his right, he held his entire army in place.
My PIPs next bound were good for C1, and lowish elsewhere. I advanced C1’s LH into contact with the LH in front of them, and the Cv as far as they’d go – I’d have to risk Dave’s Cv (O) getting first contact on my Cv (S). In the centre I advanced the Bd, being much happier with the idea of letting the Russian Sp get first contact with my Bd. On my right I advanced the LH of C2 and C4 into contact with the Cv and LH of Dave’s left wing. However, because the move for C4’s LH was further than their general’s move, I had to use their only available PIP to move the LH, meaning the Ps had to stay behind. The combat results were mixed. C4 lost 2 LH in return for killing 1 LH, while C2 lost 1 LH in return for 1 Russian Cv. On my left the LH knocked over 2 LH, but there were plenty more LH ready to fill gaps.
Dave next bound saw him advance to combat everywhere, and the result was something like 20 combats across the line. On my left C1 emerged intact, even though Dave was able to wrap the LH at the end of the line. In the centre the Sp-Bd combat produced only a couple of recoils, although the Cv which contacted the end Bd element of C2 destroyed it. But on my right it was a mess. C2 lost another LH, while C4 lost three LH. Just like that C4 was disheartened and on the edge of breaking, and there was a massive hole in my line to repair.
I pulled back the general and last remaining LH of C4 so they were adjacent to the Ps, and likewise peeled back the end of C2's LH line. This left a big gap for Dave to exploit, so I had to hope for small PIPs. In the centre everyone was still in contact, and I by exploiting overlaps I was able to destroy a couple of Sp (I) and one Sp (O). Meanwhile, on the left the LH and Cv both inflicted a couple of casualties.
Dave counter-attacked where he could, but fortunately he had few PIPs to cause mischief on C2's and C4's LH. The Cv facing C2's Bd destroyed it and the Ps behind, and C2 lost another LH, but otherwise I emerged unscathed.
In my next bound I once again pushed into combat where I could on the left and in the centre, and with C2 charged the sub-general against the Cv which had just destroyed the column of Bd. Even C4 got into the act, with a lone Cv making another tempting target for a general with LH overlap. And this time the combat results were deadly. Again C1's Cv and LH destroyed multiple elements. The Bd of C2 and C3 destroyed several elements of Sp and some supporting Ps. And the generals of C2 and C4 both destroyed their opponents.
These losses were just enough to break Dave's centre and right wing command, and transmitted losses broke the other two commands. Just like that the army collapsed. For me, both C2 and C4 were disheartened. With my total losses amounting to 11.5 ME (only from C2 and C4 - the other two commands took no losses), the result was a 21-4 victory to me.
Thanks to Dave for another entertaining and enjoyable game. This was yet another game which could so easily have gone all wrong for me; I was fortunate to roll well (or at least well enough) in quite a few combats where I either had Cv (S) or Bd (I) overlapped. Low rolls could so easily have resulted in dangerously high losses, without necessarily having the PIPs to rescue the situation.
And golly, this Inert army is just a lot of fun to play...
