Post by diades on Apr 18, 2020 16:26:38 GMT
The army lists include such variations as allowing Mu-jung cavalry or knights to be replaced by hordes to represent women mounted on oxen carrying fake banners and throwing dust, but none for the Early Neo-Assyrian camels disguised as elephants as described for this encounter between Queen Semiramis (I/25b) and vedic King Sthabarpati (I/23b). Our Skype reconstruction did not invent any as the figures are still on the painting bench; we are open to ideas for when they are ready...
A full size board and I was defending as Sthabarpati. To make best use of board and time, we placed two woods, an edifice, an enclosure and a gully. The Indian deployment zone was split by a long wood running lengthwise. Two units of heroic (light) chariots deployed to its right, with an edifice on their far right. Two units of bow deployed in the wood. To the left of the wood, followers (7Hd), two more heroic chariots and a unit of bow lined up. A distance behind them, the King in his heavy chariot accompanied by an elephant and two more bows, with an enclosure to their left.
Queen Semiramis' deployment from her left had a unit of light chariots, two units of huradu (3Bd) and two sabe (3Ax), a small gap, heavy chariot, levies (7Hd) and Psiloi, who were mostly in a large gully. Behind the right hand end of the line, the heavy chariot general, with two more sabe, whilst way out right beyond the gully, a lone light chariot.
The battle eventually became three zones, labelled from the Indian perspective.
On the Indian right, which backed off both chariots and bows, the Assyrian huradu and chariot pushed forward, whilst the two lighter sabe units entered the woods to pursue the bow. One was threatened by a turning horde. Early honours went the Assyrians' way and the Indians lost a chariot unit, forcing Sthabarpati and another light chariot to scurry round the wood to counter...more to follow.
On the Indian left, bow faced off against sabe at what became an awkward angle. Questions in another thread to follow!
Meanwhile, the Assyrian heavy chariotry tried to squeeze between the bow/sabe scrap and the back of the Indian horde. The Indians attempted a counter with the elephant, but were thwarted by a Psiloi emerging through the Assyrian chariots.
Eventually on the left, an Indian bow was destroyed. 2-0 to Semiramis. The Indians fought back, with the King destroying an Assyrian chariot on the right and the Psiloi being trampled by the elephants once bows were able to emerge from the woods to trap them in place.
The Assyrians went for broke, in the face of imminent defeat given that Sthabarpati was poised to ensure his victory on the right and the elephant was ready to charge the Assyrian heavy chariots in the centre...Success! The Indian bow and heroic chariots were both destroyed giving the Queen a 4-2 victory. It left a Heavy chariot in contact to fight elephants if there had been a next bound and heavy chariot general closing the gate on the right flank, so a good job too!
Now on to post those conundrums...
