Tibetan Traders Triumphant!!

Or a Saga of Serious Sassanid Stomping

Last battle (two weeks ago), the “Annoying Tibetan Shopkeeper”, Zhwayne Yahwot the Deli Llama, expert purveyor of the finest Silk Rd cuisine, set out to remove the confused ‘fusion’ (combining Hun & Hindu - for Deity’s sake!!) & 3rd rate curry cooker ensconced in the Kush thereby blocking the Deli’s wonderful gastronomic delights reaching their eager customers.

Despite the brilliant plan and splendidly prepared buffet, the desired outcome was thwarted by Hepthalite tactical ineptitude (flank marching around the wrong compass point [table edge] (1)) and the confusing reek of mis-mixed curry preventing our own wide ranging foragers from locating the conflict location (flank march never arrived).  The Tibetans were beaten, not by the Hepthas, but due to the food poisoned Dice Gods who had been force feed ‘fusion’ food offerings (2).

Zhwayne Yahwot died valiantly on the field (3), defending to his death, the right of all to purchase fine, wholesome, filling and high margin foods.  A death so noble it was still the stuff of legends centuries later, being reported to Europeans well into the 19th century (<see here>).  So now the Deli has a new Llama, a cousin of the fallen, one Zhwayne Anka (= the nine ‘fingered’) with a reputation for slicing and dicing (4).

(1) - I guessed wrongly which side he was flank marching on, so my plan to push him back on failed. 

(2) - No flank march should roll 8 times never scoring higher than a "3".  Nor should the combats at the final clash been so disportionally                        unfavourable (opinion only).

(3) - Against the odds the CinC was destroyed in combat.

(4) - Yes, for those keeping count, there was another DIY mishap between games resulting in multiple stitches to my left index finger.  Luckily not the           important hand - careful!! - the one used for rolling dice!

The Opening - Open battlefield mostly unused.

So as the leader of the all fine food suppliers throughout the sub-continent, it fell to Zhwayne Anka to corner, defeat and punish the objectionable (& uniquely named) Bobroes II, destroyer of Goat Jalfrezi restaurants far and wide.  Realising who had set out to reprimand him, Bobroes II fled rapidly back to Persia where, after awaiting the thaw rivers to abate (5), we invaded in the Summer.  The messengers 
exchanged insults regarding the forth coming "Sassie Stomping" and/or the ridicule that such a thing was possible (6).

The battle took place on a plain except for a central gentle hill, a marsh due for draining and the beginnings of agricultural endeavours.  The Sumpa sub-general was given a new compass, detailed map and pegs for their noses so that as flank marchers they would arrive on time.

Opening Manoeuvres 

The Sassanids covered much of the hill with rCvS (superior cavalry), spread more of the same to the sides and rearward of the hill plus added a few iLhF (fast light horse bowmen) and a fair few iHdO (ineffectual peasant hordes).  I didn’t expect elephants to be used (making a small army even smaller) and there weren’t any.

The Tibetans deployed left of centre but with a flank march coming on from the right, the plan being to entice the mobile Sassies to advance rapidly across the table exposing their rear to the later arriving light horse command.  The Tibetan army had a huge (especially for a super small army like Tibetans) 30ME command using the high PiP values with two supporting commands of 12 ME each.  This made a highly mobile army with a good resilience point.  We planned to push around the field to our left, passing to the left of the hill and further encourage the Sassies to turn their rear even more towards the flank marchers.

The plan basically worked.  The Sassies advanced on my right but stayed on the hill in the centre, where I choose to shield them and work a small command around the hill.  The rKnX (cataphracts) vs rCvS fight often comes down to the first strike and with the CvS having a longer reach (charge range) than the KnX I wasn’t going to fight going up the hill.  Besides it suited me to await the flank march.

Here come some more Tibetans

The Dice Gods, recognising the forthcoming gastronomic feast the Deli Llama would supply, kept me well supplied with PiPs (command control points).

Then the flank march announced its arrival for next bound, Bob sending some CvS back to protect his baggage his next bound, where upon my flankers only got 2 PiPs and, to much derision, only a single group came on table but near the centreline so as to threaten the advanced Sassies.

.....and the Sassanids respond.  The main Tibetans are a bit
too far away according to the plan.

Bob chose to come off the hill and start the fighting as I was clearly waiting for the flank marchers to close up and cause him problems.  He charged in but with some divine help on the dice I only lost one cataphract.  In the counter charge, that gap had to be filled with iLhF, far from perfect against rCvS but the rest of the fights generated overlaps for the light horse who recoiled their opponents (these light horse when on to survive the battle).  Over three bounds I lost two cataphracts but the Sassanid cavalry evaporated, leaving Bob with a headache and the hill mine to control (mostly).

During this time the second group of flank marchers got on table, smaller than the first group and enjoying as much derision about their effect.  However, they immediately started waving flags, shouting wildly and sending word back "there’s two damn big elephants hiding

That's a bit of a surprise!!  Right wing goes into encircling mode.

behind the hill!!!" (ambush discovered) and "grab them quickly, for the steak BBQ tonight".

The flank march got into the rear of the Sassies on our right, our main body trying hard but without quite enough reach to pin them to the front and the whole wing degenerated into a swirling mass of horsemen exchanging fights, rear attacks and hard flanks.  I had parts of the highest 2 PiP commands in the fight, Bob just one command (lowest PiP control if I remember correctly) and later a 3rd command of mine joined in as well.  Casualties mounted on both sides, I could absorb more although the flank marching command eventually disheartened.

What a total shambles two manoeuvrable armies can make!

On the the left wing we stalled for time, avoided elephants and repositioned long enough for our psiloi to arrive and stall (and eventually kill) one of the elephants while the other elephant headed up the hill to aid the last two surviving cavalry elements from being molested by my cataphracts.   Despite its help the Sassanid centre, broke then shattered while our left stopped stalling, charged in and with the aid of the Dice Gods caused casualties without loses.


On the right we had closed up on the swirling mass with our now surplus centre cataphracts, got numerous rear attacks and then, importantly a now disheartened flank marcher light horse survived an attack by the Sassie general who was then swamped front, side and rear and in a close dice roll, destroyed.  With the other casualties it took the Sassanid army and gave the Deli Llama a 22-3 victory.

The plan played out generally as envisaged but needed that some critical dice rolls go my way, which they did and I did have strong PiPs most of the night.  I made a few mistakes which I luckily survived, including by breaking Bob’s army when I did as I’d forgotten to move my CinC in the last bound and left him in reach of the last elephant who could have charged down hill - not something I was likely to survive.  The elephant had diced his way out of a double flank lock (convert to front & rear attack) with additional overlap.

A great game that showed what happens when two small but manoeuvrable armies meet.

We have now established multiple yak’s milk distribution centres throughout Persia and plan to do the same in Northern India after the next battle (delayed due to international player visitors next week then the Thai New Year holiday) where we will pay another visit to the Goat Jalfrezi House to see if the service has improved any and if the reputedly appallingly ugly-person, Anna-Toni Guptha, has stopped dishonestly substituting the goat with yak meat.

(5) - Games were delayed a week when Bob’s game room air-condition malfunctioned and spewed out a torrent of water (quantities vary depending on the witness).
(6) - Bob & I had yet to meet in the campaign and even though we weren’t on the Top Table we quickly got back to our sledging ways, and reputations and bragging rights were very much on the line.  Well, probably no more than usual.