Bloody Cavalry!

The big day arrived and I led my Seleucids out this afternoon against Kevin's Carthaginians, boy did they look good, but could they fight.

As I said before I did not have my comfortable core of infantry but hoped my phalanx numbers in melee would make up for it, I took elite Cretan archers and experienced Skythian archers along with some Elephant Escorts for supports along with the elephant and a unit of Thorakitai. Looking across at the Carthaginian hordes I felt a little unsettled, there were a line of African spearmen, Italian spearmen, Numidian light cavalry, archers, javelinmen and two more units of heavier cavalry. Kevin felt confident enough to warn that my right flank looked weak, he was right but I didn't confirm it.

Carthaginians left, Seleucids right.

 

My plan was to win on the left, using the superior firepower of the Skythians to help this, hold in the centre and see what happens on the right, the Thorakitai were there to watch the right flank of the phalanx while I hoped the elephant would look after the left along with the cavalry. Things started out very well, on my right I used the javelins and Cretans aggressively and chased the Numidians away and destroyed the enemy javelins, on the left I shot a small unit of cavalry to death and moved on the second unit with my Macedonian heavy cavalry. I organised my left flank attack well, the cavalry countercharged the enemy and the elephant caused them to take morale checks ever turn, it was now that once again my cavalry could not beat inferior horsemen, when will they ever. I had to get the elephant into a position to flank charge and help my useless troopers, but Kevin won the initiative and charged the elephant, things were going awry, he also managed to charge two of my phalanxes. The elephant took casualties and went amok, running away from both armies in panic, never to be seen again. Over on the extreme right the Numidians came back and chased off my javelins who refused to come back, the Cretan archers pulled back only to be later picked on by the enemy archers and the light cavalry and disperse.

My left crumbles.

My phalanxes were having a real struggle against the large spear units and after a time the first one broke, my left flank now did not exist apart from the Skythians trying to dodge all the enemy units in my rear, it looked like it was all over. At this low point my right hand phalanx beat and dispersed its foes and smashed into the Italian spearmen and broke them as well, the Thorakitai also managed to chase away the enemy archers. In a titanic struggle in the centre of the battlefield my second phalanx first held then turned the tide on some African spearmen, but sadly the spearmen simply would not break, this stalwart effort on their part allowed my poor troops to get hit in the rear and disperse, this seemed particularly unfair after their brave efforts for most of the battle.

My right rescues my honour.

 As we neared the end of turn eight, a long battle for WAC, I had come back into the game from staring defeat in the face due to the efforts of my purple phalanx on the right, I could make the draw more convincing if I dispersed the last of the Carthaginian cavalry units which was teetering on the brink. I took a last shot with the Skythians who obviously decided not to bother as the game was over because they were one casualty short of my aim as the arrows fell.

The game was a tough battle for the Seleucids and once again Kevin played well admitting he now knew my tactics and was trying to put me on the back foot, his new tactics certainly seem to be having an effect. Of course I am going to moan, it is part of the enjoyment, why can my cavalry not win a fight, every time they end up being ground down until they are almost useless as the battle progresses or they simply get beat. And all this while I take care to put them into fights where their numbers or/and equipment should ensure a win. My use of the elite shooters worked at times and at others they let me down, so overall I think I will use these again, the Feigned Flight ability of the Skythians was a real boon in keeping them in the fight. The Carthaginian morale was splendid throughout this battle and saved them on several occasions, especially the cavalry from the elephant fear and that damn spear unit which must have been planted in front of my phalanx it simply would not run. This is going to be an interesting army to use, far different from the others and out of my comfort zone.

So another excellent game, Kevin is now looking at adding a Pyrrhic army to his collection, I shall look forward to that and he has threatened me with four elephants in the future with his Carthaginians. There are not as many photographs as usual because the game was so intense I forgot. And those sharp eyed among you will have noticed my Elephant Escorts were nowhere near the elephant!