Dave Madigans version of events
Game 4 vs Tim, Later Carthaginians, I attack, no weather.
Recognizing that Tim is a good player (editor - ho ho
ho - I've fooled another one !) I
decided to take list 2 as a risky option rather than the "safer" list
1. I felt that a conservative approach would give Tim a better chance than me so
I decided to risk big to win big. As Tim has already posted a report of this
game on his web site I wish to add my agreement with his assessment that winning
the Ag roll and getting good 1st pips gave me a winning advantage which I
grabbed with both hands.
Anyway, on with my report.
My Lord Pharaoh Ramettuphem 11 had spent the last winter rebuilding his
shattered army, fortunately he had been able to pay the soldiers sent by his
Gascan and Libyan allies as there was much plunder seized from Hando Robicar 's
camp. He was shocked into a rage when spies reported back to him that the
Carthaginians were building another army to invade Egypt under the command of
their new leader "Boy" Timmo Portabul.
Pharaoh Ramettuphem 11 summoned the soldiers of his vassals the Gascans and
Libyans again with the promise of more plunder and set off with his host to the
Tunisian lowlands. My Lord was in a rage and was bent on annihilation of the
upstart Portabul.
Pharaoh came upon the Carthaginians in a wide plane bordered to the right by the
river Th'erteen. There was little other terrain bar a couple of small woods, one
next to the river and another on the far side of the plain which looked like it
could be a useful flank guard for the Egyptian army.
Amun division again took the place of honour to the right, light troops facing the small wood and the bowmen and blades ready to advance. However Pharaoh had decided that Amun's role in this battle was to delay and not to get too involved in fighting while Ptah and Re did the damage. There was a large gap to the left of Amun, which Suteh covered from deep deployment, then a gap and Ptah division's Sherden formed an elongated front to the deep block of Libyans and Gascans.(17) (editor - have we started yet??)
Screening Ptah to their front was a thin line of Re's bowmen, (editor
- I think this is called a "target" in Carthaginian) with
the remainder covering the gap to the Wd. Re's Bd formed a deep column on the
side closest to the Wd and Re's chariots too covered this vulnerable point.
Light infantry were poised to rush into the Wd to scout out enemy attacks
through here.
Timmo Portabul arrayed his army in the following fashion. Next to the Wd beside
the river Th'erteen was a block of 10 Wb(F), 5 Ax(O), 4 Ps(S), 3 Ps(O), 2 El(I)
and 1 Lh(O) 21.5EE. Next to that was an identical cmd, then Portabul himself led
the 3rd cmd of 3 Cv(O) including himself, 6 Lh(O), 8 Sp(O), 1 Ax(S) and 1 Ax(O)
19EE. Finally the Numidian ally of 6 Lh(O) and 7 Ax(I) 13EE were on the open flank but partially blocked by the Wd.
Pharaoh Ramettuphem 11 waved his baton in the air and with a shout the Egyptian army surged forward. Amun division sent some light troops forward to allow the bowmen to redeploy away from the fierce Gallic warband. Unfortunately this brought them in front of the elephants. Suteh's chariots under Prince HaatWishiteon raced across the field and arrayed themselves in front of that group of warband. If Amun and Suteh could avoid defeat, the plan was for Ptah to attack the enemy Sp and Wb to their front. On the left, Re moved fast to cover the ground between them and the enemy and light troops moved deeper into the Wd. Ptah moved up in a disciplined column behind the screen of Re's archers.
Prince Amenanpassthammo also moved his swordsmen up ready to face the Sp
of Portabul if they moved over that direction.
Amun's archers now had to face the charge of the elephants. Several were
trampled into the ground, but one elephant was shot down and the other beat a
hasty retreat. This part of the battlefield became hushed as the main collision
took place.
Prince Imphotentt could no longer hold back the Libyans and Gascans (18) who
burst through Re bowmen to their front and charged towards the enemy Wb and the
Sp who had done their version of the Central London soft shoe shuffle, and had
partially got out of the way. Ptah's Wb charge brought up short of the enemy
battleline and Prince Imphotentt expected a devastating enemy counter-attack.
Portabul did charge back, the Sp and Wb ineffectively, his elephants killing a
Sherden or two, but mostly the Wb were left intact! Ptah charged home and soon
there was a confused melee of Wb fighting Wb and Sp and Bd fighting El.
Prince Imphotentt's Libyans were inspired, striking down Sp and Wb in great
number, while the Sherden also managed to kill one of the elephants. (editor
- game of skill, huh ?)
Portabul saw that things were getting desperate so sent Cv and Lh to strike
Wb. The Wb just shrugged off attack after attack and kept killing. Soon the
Carthaginian Wb cmd broke and ran allowing Ptah to sweep towards Portabul
himself. However Ptah were nearly spent (19) (editor -
(20)) but caught and killed some more of Portabul's Sp before they
themselves broke.
As Timmo Portabul's cmd fled, the rest of the Carthaginian army also routed
whilst the Numidian ally slunk away. (editor - I
thought it was my second warband command that died actually, not me with the
spears ?)
Pharaoh Ramettuphem 11 praised Ra for this act of deliverance and returned to
Thebes in triumph!! The "Boy" Timmo Porterbul had been vanquished and
the Carthaginian menace removed!! 27-5.
notes:
(17) 4 wide and 5 deep. They were going to hit something very, very hard..
(18) My pip dice were 1,1,1,2 and something else was more urgent than
holding Wb!
(19) On 7 EE down at this stage.
(editor - 7.49999999 more like, and dying two at a
time if they were lucky!! )
