"Not one of our tactically nuanced games" is a bit of an understatement from my side of the table. The night before I had a slightly late celebration for my 50th.
In Bangkok these things can easily take all night (the wife couldn't locate us at 3:40am - but she is now talking to me again) so I wasn't using the sharpest of minds, having also put in a day at work in between. Bob, on the other hand, had missed the rendezvous and as I was without my main phone couldn't make contact to re-arrange the meet so he was home by about 9pm to finish the basing, rest and mentally prepare for the big clash. My group and I, not realising Bob's cunning plan, focused on the delights of Bangkok after dark and anticipated the same effect when the Kushan Upstart's baggage was looted the next night. (Not quite, Bob's baggage consists entirely of beef on the hoof, known as 'the kitset hamburgers').
Luckily the OoB was prepared before the night out.
So there we are, Bob looking bright and cheerful, on one side of the table and me on the other side feeling decidedly seedy. Down goes the terrain and I don't have much to put the foot troops into. (Kushans need foot in the OoB for terrain work but these don't stand up well in the open especially against Cataphracts). So they were aimed at the rocky hill to at least make a fight for something and avoid the mounted in the open.
Chionites were placed front and centre to force them into battle if they proved unreliable. The main El group including CnC were place as far left as possible so they would be coming from an unexpected quarter and use the Ax (hopefully) in the rocky hill to cover the open side flank.
Despite deploying second the order of commands were set before and I had no choice but to be to the left of the field. I hadn't expected much of Bob's force on or past the rocky hill but he deployed heavily in that area including the mass of Cataphracts. My foot weren't going forward towards that and would need protection as well if they were engaged.
Bob's described the battle well, I was frustrated having to mainly react to him rather than take the initiative, throwing short PiPs when I really needed them and the key combats never seeming to go my way. Bob's massed elephant group was the key and proved unstoppable. He had bought two elephant mounted generals so outnumbered me anyway (I may need to get a couple more elephant figures) but my elephants were spread too widely to either get in the way or do damage as quickly.
Despite the loss we survive the field and will return again next week.
A (slightly ruffled but) real King of the Kushans
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