So it would be an infantry battle with some very unusual results
So the invaders are outscouted so that's a good thing for me who plays the Almoravid defender of the holy faith in the dice,
So the Anglo-Saxon deployment some big batailions a first rank SUP, SS,Shieldwall, Shove and melee expert and some AV, SS, shieldwall and shove that can hurt . Some great fyrd and SK protect the flank,
The end of the big battalion's line and the viking ally with a support of anglo-saxon select and great fyrd
So I deployed some berber spearmen, shieldwall SS and hoped for the best as they faced the best of the anglo-saxons,
My SUP LS and the blackguard ready to attack ( the advantage of having outscouted my opponent ) and a force of SS, DC camelry and SK javelin cavalry
For a better view . Huub wanted more terrain but PBS was better for me and we did not have that much terrain
The anglo-saxon advances "en masse" and targets my AV berber infantry
I launch my attack on the other flank. The plan was to launch the black guard on an AV viking unit and hope to kill it quickly. I wanted my SK cavalry to pepper another AV unit and the camelry would help if need be
From the Anglo-Saxon point of view
From the Anglo-Saxon point of view. I am facing his huscarls with my SUP LS, the black guard is in position. My skirmishers are nearly where I want to and the camels have raced till the near end of the table,
The Anglo-Saxon juggernaut is coming . the tribal arabs will fearlessly ..fall back a little bit
The Huscarls are going in . That's the mistake that will speed up the game in favour of the Almoravid army as it speeds up contact, melee, losses . But I was unsure of the result as my troops need to be 2 rank deep to fight as equals vs the 2HCC hurscarls
Can you hear the drums...36 bases going in vs 24 bases and some SK ..
Ok guys let us retreat once more ..
The fight is on but my skirmishing cavalry did not do very well.
The fight between the Huscarls and my LS would take some time as results were not very bloody .
My tribal poor , unprotected, combat shy bowmen were very happy to just do nothing and let the Anglo-Saxon hyrd pass by
SUP having fun and killing a base
Now we start talking business . The viking could not stop the forced charge so would loose the advantage of "integral shooter" and he faces the black guard and it's mediocre CIC
OK now we are close but I will still retreat a bit to avoid forced charges so as to have full benefice of my integral shooter and have him pay for the charge
Back to the other hot place. The superiors are still fighting each unit has lost 2 bases and the exceptional black guard managed to inflict a wound while receiving a wound ..
But one turn later the black guard would inflict devastating wounds while receiving a single wound . The viking flank is starting to have some problems
At the same time there had been some extraordinary shooting by the Cantabrian skirmishing cavalry so the vikings were crumbling
There was a gap
The Hyrd led charge was not that bloody . but ensuing melee would start to put the arabs in danger . Only my leftmost TUG would resist all other would be down to 5 or 5,5 bases coming from 8 and facing lots of green and yellow dices . next melee turn I would loos 2 of the 3 tugs, the last one dying right after but having won the decisive turn as I would go for the camp with the black guard and destroy the last remaining TUG I needed
The Huscarls made 2 fatal mistakes: They made a test for the routing TUG and got a wound and the decided to open the fight to other units so giving me more possibilities to inflict wounds which I did so they broke . Had Huub waited and concentrated on minimising his frontage, he could have held one more turn and that's the difference ..ONE TURN
So the camelry was on the verge of destruction but my skirmishers would have time to pepper poor infantry ion yellow dice and finally that TUG would also break ( I love yellow dice "en masse" )
So the game was close as it ended 15-10. If Huub had started falling back to win time he could have won the game. Also the 2 bouts of amazing dice did a lot to help me to go for a quick end .
It was fun but many infantry battles may take time.
Now preparing next test armies for ACROPOLIS
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