Post by diades on Oct 11, 2020 13:53:29 GMT
My mate, who works for one of the local magistrates, says he overheard comments suggesting continued expansionist wars will destroy our unifying Sui Dynasty. Anyway, here I am again, conscripted into a unit of Pu-she archers invading the kingdom of Lam Ap. We have all been promised plenty of plunder and booty. We are assured that the Cham soldiers simply aren’t as trained or brave as us and victory assured, but I know we are all nervous about their mightily elephants.
Our general, Liu Fang, has chosen an open battlefield. The coast borders our left, with a road running parallel. There is a small wood between us and the road and a hamlet nestling against the coast in the distance behind the enemy and beyond the road. Our line from the left, anchored against the wood has a unit of Pu-she (4Bw), two units of Pu-ping archers (8Bw), two units of Pu-ping spear (Sp), two more units of Pu-she. My unit of Pu-she is tucked behind our comrades on the right hand end. The enemy will be greeted by a hailstorm of our arrows! The general’s unit (4Kn) and another unit of cataphracts(4Kn) are on our left shoulder. In reserve by the woods are more cataphracts (3Kn) and Mo-ho Manchuria horse archers (LH).
Opposite me, however, are Cham elephants securing the enemy left flank. Next to them King Sambhuvarman on more elephants, double ranked hill tribesmen (3Wb) next. In their centre, four units, double ranked, of long-shield spearman (4Ax), stone throwers (Art), more long-shield spears, small-shield spears (3Ax) and cavalry, astride the road.
Our general rearranges the Pu-ping to place the spears opposite the stone throwers, I reckon they are better equipped to withstand the bombardment, and sends our horse archers over to the right flank. Meanwhile, the enemy advances. His rear rank of long-shield spear step to their left and the cavalry and short-shield spears advance on their right, wide of the woods.
Our left wing starts to advance with our Pu-she turning out to rain ruin upon the enemy short-shields. The enemy extends his left with the extra long-shields, so we emerge from behind our comrades to counter.
It seems the enemy foot may be made of sterner stuff than we thought. The short-shields advance through the missiles, partially using the wood for cover, and attack our Pu-she and destroy them, with the cavalry supporting them to threaten the advance of our left wing. Our spears turn to face the cavalry and double ranked bow turn inside them to further shoot the short-shields. Our reserve cataphracts also advance from behind the woods to add strength, whilst the enemy advances long-shields from by the stone-throwers to give our turned flank much to worry about, Liu Fang moves over to keep all in view and be able to intervene.
Eventually our spears drive the enemy cavalry back and the short-shields back off from sustained archery, even the advancing long-shields are pushed back by our other spears. Maybe things are now in control. Or maybe not...
Our Pu-ping double ranked bows shooting at the short-shields in the woods are no longer shielded from the stone-throwers to their right, who destroy them. Worse still, our cataphracts, backing off across the face of our centre from the threat zone from the enemy cavalry so they can move freely next, prompt the enemy general and supporting elephants to advance and threaten them, being now heavily shielded from our arrows by our own mounted.
Our cataphracts back further off to give us clear shooting and our Manchurians and reserve cataphracts strengthen our line opposite the elephants. Our shooting is ineffective. The enemy general seizes the chance to charge the cataphracts who have been backing off in front of our line and destroys them, pursuing to come headlong for us...we are out of here!
A 4-0 drubbing. I guess having inflicted the same on my opponent last week, I had it coming... History says that the Sui developed elephant traps and as a result won a great victory and sacked the Lam Ap capital, but retired home victorious with a crippling massive loss of resources from the campaign. I needed me some of those heffalump traps!
Our general, Liu Fang, has chosen an open battlefield. The coast borders our left, with a road running parallel. There is a small wood between us and the road and a hamlet nestling against the coast in the distance behind the enemy and beyond the road. Our line from the left, anchored against the wood has a unit of Pu-she (4Bw), two units of Pu-ping archers (8Bw), two units of Pu-ping spear (Sp), two more units of Pu-she. My unit of Pu-she is tucked behind our comrades on the right hand end. The enemy will be greeted by a hailstorm of our arrows! The general’s unit (4Kn) and another unit of cataphracts(4Kn) are on our left shoulder. In reserve by the woods are more cataphracts (3Kn) and Mo-ho Manchuria horse archers (LH).
Opposite me, however, are Cham elephants securing the enemy left flank. Next to them King Sambhuvarman on more elephants, double ranked hill tribesmen (3Wb) next. In their centre, four units, double ranked, of long-shield spearman (4Ax), stone throwers (Art), more long-shield spears, small-shield spears (3Ax) and cavalry, astride the road.
Our general rearranges the Pu-ping to place the spears opposite the stone throwers, I reckon they are better equipped to withstand the bombardment, and sends our horse archers over to the right flank. Meanwhile, the enemy advances. His rear rank of long-shield spear step to their left and the cavalry and short-shield spears advance on their right, wide of the woods.
Our left wing starts to advance with our Pu-she turning out to rain ruin upon the enemy short-shields. The enemy extends his left with the extra long-shields, so we emerge from behind our comrades to counter.
It seems the enemy foot may be made of sterner stuff than we thought. The short-shields advance through the missiles, partially using the wood for cover, and attack our Pu-she and destroy them, with the cavalry supporting them to threaten the advance of our left wing. Our spears turn to face the cavalry and double ranked bow turn inside them to further shoot the short-shields. Our reserve cataphracts also advance from behind the woods to add strength, whilst the enemy advances long-shields from by the stone-throwers to give our turned flank much to worry about, Liu Fang moves over to keep all in view and be able to intervene.
Eventually our spears drive the enemy cavalry back and the short-shields back off from sustained archery, even the advancing long-shields are pushed back by our other spears. Maybe things are now in control. Or maybe not...
Our Pu-ping double ranked bows shooting at the short-shields in the woods are no longer shielded from the stone-throwers to their right, who destroy them. Worse still, our cataphracts, backing off across the face of our centre from the threat zone from the enemy cavalry so they can move freely next, prompt the enemy general and supporting elephants to advance and threaten them, being now heavily shielded from our arrows by our own mounted.
Our cataphracts back further off to give us clear shooting and our Manchurians and reserve cataphracts strengthen our line opposite the elephants. Our shooting is ineffective. The enemy general seizes the chance to charge the cataphracts who have been backing off in front of our line and destroys them, pursuing to come headlong for us...we are out of here!
A 4-0 drubbing. I guess having inflicted the same on my opponent last week, I had it coming... History says that the Sui developed elephant traps and as a result won a great victory and sacked the Lam Ap capital, but retired home victorious with a crippling massive loss of resources from the campaign. I needed me some of those heffalump traps!