Monday 15 August 2016

Battle Across the Delaware

Or more precisely, across from number 21 Delaware.

Good evening,

After our X Wing game, Dave and I brought out more historical miniatures - 20mm Marians and Pontics.

Marians (HaT Principes, Republican Roman cav, Gallic cav, Numidian cav and skirmishers, and Italian allies. Oh, and a Newline standard bearer.)

  • 1 x Cavalry General
  • 1 x Gallic Cav
  • 1 x Numidian Light Horse
  • 7 x Legionaries
  • 1 x Italian Auxilia
  • 1 x Numidian Psiloi

vs. Mithridates' Pontic army.





  • 1 x Cavalry General
  • 1 x Knights
  • 2 x Light Horse
  • 4 x Imitation Legionaries [Blades]
  • 3 x Auxilia
  • 1 x Psiloi
All HaT figures.

And so it began. This time I was the defender while Dave was the invader. Seeing as he had the advantage in light troops, I set out a couple of fields (that, thankfully, were not bad going), and a couple of gentle hills.
Plenty of good going for my blades to take advantage of.

He he he...

Dave soon secured the foremost hill...



...while our centres closed.



I left a couple of elements behind to protect one flank...


...and a solitary Light Horse to protect my other.


First contact!





Doh!

At least I managed to recoil his Knight.


And thanks to organising a reserve beforehand, I was able to plug the gap in my line.


You gotta love the larger movement distances of 25mm DBA 3.

On the other flank, thankfully Dave didn't have the PIPs to swamp my left.


More pushing and shoving with the heavies.



Forward...



...and back...


...redressing the line...



...and going back in again!


Eventually, what, with Blades now chasing hard after their opponents when they fall back...


...sometimes they get isolated...



...and reap the rewards for their impetuousness!

After a bit more pushing and shoving...




...tooing and froing...



...it turned out that mine was not the only element on the field of battle rueing the price of the chase.



There goes his Knight.

Huzzah!


And again I say...



...Huzzah!




Huzzah once more!

With the pressure easing off my centre, I roll my General out to the flank to threaten those threatening Light Horse.


While the boys in the middle get set for one more push...



...and the Romans and Pontics glare at each other warily on my right.


More recoiling and following up...





...more redressing of the line...


...and more preparation for one last push...you know, one more than that last last push.





Suddenly...



Huzzah!



And...Doh!

However, that was Dave's fourth element gone, whereas I had only lost three. A narrow victory to be sure, but a victory nonetheless.



And still those Auxilia sit on the hill!

Thanks for the game Dave, I really enjoyed it.

Nick

2 comments:

  1. Nice figures and report, I really like the use of the pictures it's like an animation of the battle.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Tony. One of the reasons I like Ancients - it's so colourful.

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