CinC Reg Kn(F), 6 x Reg Pk(S), 6 x Irr Ax(S), 3 x Reg Kn(F), 1 x Reg Cv(O), 3 x Reg LH(O), 3 x Reg Ps(O) 22 = 7.5
Sub Reg Cv(O), 6 x Reg Pk(O), 6 x Pk(S), 3 x Reg Kn(F), 1 x Reg Cv(O), 3 x Irr LH(O), 2 x Irr Ps(S), 1 x Reg Ps(O) 18.5 = 6.5
Sub Reg Cv(O), 6 x Reg Pk(O), 3 x Irr LH(O), 2 x Irr Ps(S), 6 x Irr Ax(S), 1 x Reg Cv(O), 1 x Reg Ps(O) 21.5 = 7.5
And so to my first game in the club competition. Far from being a gentle re-introduction, I'm faced with a very tough draw against Neil's Patrician Romans. A good player with an excellent army - just what I didn't want.
I decided to go with a combined arms approach in each command such that all had some pike. My logic was that the pikes could operate in columns amongst cavalry groups and then expand as necessary should Neil try to overwhelm my cavalry with his superior numbers and quality. I was conscious that Neil might have a block of warband so I wanted to be able to counter these with Auxilia or knights wherever they deployed. It was very difficult working out where I had an advantage over the Patricians. The combined arms approach was all that I could come up with.
As usual, I invaded and placed a river. Neil went for some steep hills and managed to get one on his side of the centreline in the middle of the table. This split the battlefield in two and I decided to concentrate on attacking Neil's rightmost commands with my two leftmost while holding out with my other command against Neil's left. I planned to delay the advance of his left by rushing some superior psiloi on to the central hill before Neil could get across it. I reckoned that they would be able to hold out for a long time uphill and would give Neil some problems in coming around that side of the hill.
Initial die rolls were OK and I was able to move the psiloi group on to the lower half of the hill. My right flank knights stared to move across into the centre along with their auxilia. I'm not entirely sure why I did this. Possibly to reinforce the psiloi on the hill but if that was my thinking then it wasn't very smart! Neil started to advance with his left flank cavalry. I wasn't entirely sure how I could stop him swinging round my open right flank and my three ordinary light horse were looking significantly outclassed by the load of superiors heading their way.
Next move my rustiness in competition games took its effect. My dice were lowish and I spent some time working out what to do. Finally I made my moves but disastrously forgot to move my psiloi on to the crest of the hill! Occupation of the hill was an important part of my plan and losing it so easily would cause me real difficulties. Neil quickly moved over the crest and started to push back the psiloi. Facing auxilia uphill, they wouldn't last long.
On Neil's right he had advanced some light horse and fast knights. As he hadn't yet formed a line, I decided to take a chance and piled in with my light horse while I could get a couple of overlaps. This didn't work and neither side lost any elements. On my right, Neil had a body of fast knights swinging around the hill and heading for my auxilia. This really didn't look good.
I'd like to be able to say that I managed to turn this around through astute tactics and subtle manuver. Sadly, the truth is that Neil turned it around himself by throwing appalling combat dice. Assisted by a couple of Thessalian cavalry, my auxilia managed to beat off the knight attack, destroying 4 knights in the process! My light horse on the right similarly held out against superior opponents purely through dice luck.
On my left, things got fairly confused as my companions got involved against Neil's knights and the combat swung back and forth. Once again dice went my way, creating a gap and suddenly Neil's left command was in trouble as I exploited these. The gaps exposed a column of auxilia to a possible charge by my CinC. Normally I avoid fighting with generals as a rule but this opportunity was too good to miss as it would take out the command. With factors of 4 against 1, I had to do it even though I had a horrible feeling that Neil's dice luck would have to change sometime. Fortunately for me, it didn't and the auxilia went down,
With time running out, there was no opportunity for Neil to counterattack and he therefore conceded. He had been very unlucky and didn't deserve to lose. I hadn't played well and had made a number of bad mistakes but had been saved by my dice.