Like a Wolf Upon the Fold - An Assyrian Campaign

[Karvon]

The 1st in a semi-historical series of campaigns with a Neo-Assyrian Army.

1. A Ride North.

As directed by the king, the Turtanu had led an imperial army north to subjugate the Urartians living in the lands to the north. The enemy came out to block our advance on a slightly wooded plain. A long gentle ridge partially covered by rough ran from the far left edge towards the center of the field with a small knoll a beyond it in the center. A large body of trees covered most of the far right corner. Scattered woods covered our left center with a large rough patch beyond it.

Expecting large number of horse on the more open plains on our right, we deployed our forces on our extreme left facing the ridge. We had two divisions of light chariots each supported by a heavy chariot, and a small division of heavy chariots following up in reserve. A small division of our infantry anchored our right in the woods and rough. Our cavalry formed up on our far left to cover the flanks of the chariots. Our advance was screened by our light troops.

The Urartians formed up in the center with a large block of the infantry. A large division of cavalry covered their left on the plains. A smaller division of horse formed up on their right with a couple of supporting light chariots. A small number of lights screened their front.

Our lights aggressively moved up on the hill, supported by our cavalry and chariots. Our infantry moved up to cover the right flank of the advance in echelon to delay potential flanking.

The Urartians shifted a few lights and mounted to contest our assault on the hill, but were quickly driven off or destroyed by our superior numbers and combined arms. Our chariots and lights massed fire on exposed enemy infantry on the right end of their line, rather quickly wearing several down.

The Urartian left wing mounted moved forward and wheeled in an attempt to drive back and flank our skirmishers. We moved up our heavy chariot reserve and infantry and drove these back.

Our victorious left wing chariots and cavalry wheeled to flank the enemy center as our central lights and chariots continued to unleash a hail of arrows on the enemy foot on their right. We sent a charge against a couple of fragmented foot, which saw them break and disrupt several neighbors. We sent in the heavy chariots to exploit the chaos and closed in on the flanks and rear with our enveloping mounted. The enemy center collapsed and their army fled the field.

FInal Score: Assyrians 43 Urartians 17

[Karvon]

The 2nd in a semi-historical series of campaigns with a Neo-Assyrian Army.

2. The Battle Round the Hill

After our initial victory, we pushed on deeper into Urartian lands, and came across their army regrouped on a slightly hilly and wooded plain. Medium-sized hills anchored our left and right sectors, with scattered woods further masking our right corner. A pair of hills and scattered woods blocked off the far left, shielding the enemy right. A fairly large hill, with a bit of rough, rose in the center right sector. A small wood lay at the left foot of it on our approach.

We divided our force into 3 divisions of light chariots supported by a heavy chariot, a cavalry division, a small heavy chariot division and a small foot division. We placed 1 light chariot division in the center, supported by the heavy chariot division, with the infantry division on the flank in the woods. 2 light chariot divisions and the horse division we placed on the right facing the hill. Our light foot formed a screen across the front with a few extra added to help flank the hill on our right.

The Urartians had a large infantry command in the center, with cavalry and chariots formed up to support each flank. A few lights screened their front.

They had an advantage in infantry, whereas we outnumbered them in mounted and had the advantage with heavy chariots. We also had an advantage in lights.

Our plan was to assault the large hill on our left, using our lights and chariots to mass fire and then use our heavy chariots to clean up. Our horse would flank the hill and our small infantry command would follow up in support and help screen our left using the woods as a defensive position.

We moved forward rapidly, but the Urartian foot started closer, so were able to take up position a top the hill first. Our cavalry and chariots drove off his opposing mounted and flanked the hill. Our troops lay down a heavy barrage against his mediums, fairly quickly wearing them down with our fire. We shifted our own infantry right to help flank and assault his troops defending in the rough on the hill. We left some lights in the woods to delay the Urartians pressing on our left.

Urartian mounted swept around the woods on our left and some of their infantry flushed our lights out of the woods. Our heavy chariots drove back some of the mounted, but some of his cavalry caught our lights and chased the routers some distance into our near right corner. We detached some of our light chariots and these skirmished a bit to delay the enemy horse for a while.

In the meantime, our assault on the enemy left proved successful, with our combination of chariots and foot collapsing the enemy wing. The Urartians had enough, and fled the field.

Final Score: Assyrians 62 Urartians 39

[Karvon]

The 3rd in a semi-historical series of campaigns with a Neo-Assyrian Army.

3. The Elamite hills.

In response to Elamite raids, our army marched into their lands on a punitive expedition. The Elamites awaited us in the hill country, and we found them in a strong position on a large hill behind a deep stream. A large forest masked off their right and a smaller one covered part of their left. A series of fields lay beyond the forest on the left at the foot of the hills, providing additional screening of that flank. It was not a very promising picture.

We deployed a small cavalry command and mixed chariot command on our right, screened by our light foot. A second mixed chariot command formed up in the center, supported by a small heavy chariot reserve. Our infantry formed up on our left. We planned to cross the stream on our right and then attempt to tackle the expected Elamite position on the hill.

The Elamites deployed a pretty massive force of bowmen screened by a few spearmen on the central hill. A few of their own light chariots supported these and light foot screened the position.

We crossed the stream uncontested as the Elamites refused their left, drawing back the screening troops as we advanced. Our lights cleared the woods with support from our mounted, but suffered heavy losses from bow fire from the hill. Our mounted rode around the woods, but were delayed by the fields beyond, and again took losses from the bow fire, though we did manage to close and inflict some losses.

We detached a couple of our infantry to threaten the right end of the enemy line which was held just by bow and lights. Unfortunately, we suffered fairly heavy losses before we could close, and then combat turned into a slow grind.

Our main infantry, supported by heavy chariots and a few lights, attempted to assault the hill. We managed to clear away some of the screening spear with bow fire and our chariots, but under a constant rain of arrows, ran out of steam before we could close in force.

The more numerous Elamites swarmed and flanked our worn down troops, and the day was lost.

FInal Score: Assyrians 45 Elamites 65

[Karvon]

The 4th in a semi-historical series of campaigns with a Neo-Assyrian Army.in a semi-historical series of campaigns with a Neo-Assyrian Army.


4. Marching West

After some subsequent indecisive skirmishing along our eastern border with Elam (our next opponent disappeared), our army was dispatched to the west to enlarge our holdings towards Syria. A Syrian army met us on a dry plain between a number of farming complexes, with an oasis and plateau off to our far right. A number of rough patches were scatter across the left center section. We liked our odds better of sweeping around and through that, rather than trying to potentially storm the plateau.

We deployed our horse, supported by most of our chariots, on our left. Our infantry formed up in the center with a couple of heavy chariots held in reserve to support their right flank. Our light foot we concentrated on our left, screening our mounted opposite several rough patches.

The Syrians deployed a few spears anchored by foot guards in the center, with a large number of massed bow in a second supporting rank to the rear. A few horse and chariots covered each flank, with a few light screening their foot.

Our plan was to push hard along our left, using our lights and mounted to clear away opposing mounted and turning the enemy flank. Our infantry would follow up, echeloning to help clear the rough ground and face off vs the enemy foot.

Our plan pretty much worked as we hoped; our lights, with support from our mounted, drove off the opposing lights and enveloped the enemy right, shooting up and disrupting several mounted and foot in the process. Our supporting mounted swept around the rough, riding down or chasing off lights and mounted who got in the way for the most part. A couple of Syrians, a cavalry and a heavy chariot, did break through in this fight as they charged and caught lights and then chased after them awhile.

The infantry fight in the center developed a bit slowly. Initially, the massed bow did do some damage to our advancing foot, making it easier for his fewer guards and spears to hold us off. However me managed to get a few units around the right flank and into the bows and repeated charges by our light horse finally disrupted a few more, softening them up for our enveloping horse. These massed bow did put a bit of a fight, holding out a lot longer than usual. This allowed his Guards to grind down some our foot as well.

In the end, the massed bow pretty much died to the man, and when they went, the Syrians had enough and fled the field.

Final score: Assyrians 62 - Syrians 41

[Karvon]

The 5th in a semi-historical series of campaigns with a Neo-Assyrian Army.in a semi-historical series of campaigns with a Neo-Assyrian Army.

5. Along the Banks of the Great River.

The imperial army continued its march west along the Great River and met another Syrian king unwilling to bend the knee to Assyrian might. The forces on a plateau scattered with rough ground and small groves, with the Great River securing our right flank. A medium-sized hill rose above on our far left in about the center. We had a long ridge on our side, looking across a narrow valley to the plateau with small farming complexes at both ends of the valley.

We decided to focus on the medium hill, deploying our infantry on our far left with our mounted divided to cover each wing and our light foot screening.

The Syrians deployed a large block of massed bow in the center with some spearmen and foot guards screening them. They initially had most of their mounted covering their left and a smaller number on their right. A few lights screened their front.

We pressed forward quickly on our left, holding back our mounted to screen our flank, and the Syrians began to redeploy some of their mounted to their right, while pressing forward with their own mounted in an attempt to flank our right. With our massed bow fire, we shot up and sent off the Syrian right wing mounted and drove back their supporting lights.

As our foot seized the hill and attempted to turn the enemy right, the Syrians surged forward in the center led by their formidable foot guards. We threw some of our heavy chariots forward to slow these down and our light chariots charged through gaps in the engaged line and saw off some of their massed bow, pursuing off beyond the horizon. Our left showered his opposing foot with a steady barrage, and slowly ground down the opposing units.

Our right slowly crumbled under the steady barrage of enemy fire, but tied up a good portion of his foot and supporting mounted in the process. Our center, likewise, began to give way as the foot guards finally closed.

And then, our returning chariots on our left smashed into the already disordered enemy and their right wing evaporated, as our chariots rolled over one unit after another. This proved too much for the Syrians and they lost heart and fled the field.

Final Score: Assyrians 60 - Syrians 51.

[Karvon]

The 6th in a semi-historical series of campaigns with a Neo-Assyrian Army.in a semi-historical series of campaigns with a Neo-Assyrian Army.

6. In the Mountains of Lebanon.

With Syria brought into the imperial fold, our next campaign season targeted the Phoenician city states along the Great Sea. Some of the local kings banded together, and their army met ours in a mountain pass.

Beyond the mountains, narrowing the field considerably, were the hills between and around them, sprinkled with rough ground and a few trees, and a stream ran across the center of the field, further reducing the effectiveness of our chariots.

We decided to force the pass on our right, where there was a bit more open ground for our chariots to be brought into play. We massed our lights on that flank to screen our advance, supported by our light chariots and a deep column of our foot. Our heavy chariots we held in reserve on the flanks initially.

The Phoenicians massed all their chariots on their left with their infantry formed up in the center, screened by their lights.

Clearly, the action was going to be decided in a very brutal faceoff on our right.

Our light rushed forward as did our light chariots with our foot following up behind towards the right. The Phoenicians mirrored us with their light chariots clearing the pass and confronting our lights, but the open ground was very limited here, so after a few exchanges of fire our lights were driven back in places and a few got run down by the chariots before they could clear our supporting foot and chariots.

Our foot came up and drove back, and then ran down or ran off, most of the Phoenician chariots. Some of our chariots managed to get into some of his archers or lights and saw those off, only to get surrounded and ground down by his supporting foot.

While our medium foot were sweeping away his chariots and forming up to assault his archers on our right, our heavy chariots covering our left came under increasing pressure from his massed light foot supported by some of his mediums. We shifted most of our surviving lights and a couple of mediums to counter this and eventually drove off or destroyed most his lights and our chariots ran down a couple of his mediums.

Battle was joined on our right with our massed mediums attacking his archers and some of his other mediums in the pass on the hills. This was a rather drawn out melee and both sides suffered heavy losses, but eventually, with the help of our heavy chariots, we destroyed most of the enemy and the survivors broke and fled. It was a close fight though.

Final Score: Assyrians 60 - Phoenicians 58.

[Karvon]

The 7th in a semi-historical series of campaigns with a Neo-Assyrian Army.in a semi-historical series of campaigns with a Neo-Assyrian Army.

7. Between the Sea and the Mountains

After replenishing our depleted ranks with a fresh draft of recruits from home. Our army pressed on against the Phoenicians. Unfortunately, the enemy found an even stronger position than the previous battle, which we barely won. On the left, the sea blocked off the field. On the right, mountains closed down the flank and a lake further narrowed the width. A stream ran across the center, reducing the effectiveness of our chariots, and a long ridge looked down on it. A large swatch of rough ground covered the right end of that ridge, another obstacle to our chariots. The enemy, naturally, deployed in mass along the ridge to await our attack. Mindful of the emperor's orders to subdue the Phoenicians, the generals launched an attack, against their better judgment.

The results were predictable and fate did us no favors in the process.

Our lights moved up to absorb initial enemy bowfire and hopefully do some minimal damage. Our shooting proved ineffective and we got shredded pretty quickly. To add insult to injury, quite a few of our lights proved lead-footed and got run down by pursuing enemy, even at longer range. This allowed a couple of enemy chariots to squeeze through gaps in our lines in their pursuit.

We launched a few of our light chariots to drive off the enemy lights. These mostly escaped thanks to the stream and the rough ground on the slopes beyond. One did get caught, but hung on long enough for the enemy to flank and destroy our chariot. Our other chariots got shot up by enemy lights in the rough ground before we could withdraw them.

We had a lot of spear and bowmen on our side of the stream and we unleashed a barrage of arrows at the enemy infantry on the opposing slopes. Despite massing our shooting, we failed to do any appeciable damage, as the enemy rallied, or passed morale checks turn after turn until our arrows ran out.

Finally, we launched an infantry assault along the front. With the advantage of higher ground, progress was slower than we hoped, even against their massed bow.

The decisive factor was the return of the couple of Phoenician chariots from their pursuit. These fell on the flanks and rear of the engaged infantry and turned the tide completely in their favor.

Final score: Assyrians 54 Phoenician 61

[Karvon]

The 8th in a semi-historical series of campaigns with a Neo-Assyrian Army.in a semi-historical series of campaigns with a Neo-Assyrian Army.

8. On the plains amidst the trees.

After licking our wounds from our last encounter and restocking our ranks with fresh drafts from home, our Assyrian army once more marched into Phoenicia to subdue its troublesome merchants.

The armies met on a broad plain, broken up by several woods and a number of rough patches. Large woods secured both flanks of the Phoenician front, and a couple of medium-sized rough patches along our far right further restricted the use of our mounted there. Another large rough patch fell in about the center of the field, dividing that from the left sector. A small woods and bordering rough patch along our left edge narrowed that sector a little, and a few small rough patches scattered in that sector further broke things up. A medium woods fronted our left sector.

We deployed our infantry in that medium woods with a division of our cavalry hidden behind it. Our two chariot divisions we deployed along the back edge initially on our left. Our lights we deployed well forward on our left, opposite the woods on the enemy right. Our plan was to probe with our lights, and then follow up with our foot supported by our mounted.

The Phoenicians deployed a lot of infantry in a single long line stretching between the woods on each of their flanks. They hid most of their chariots in and behind the woods on their right. We sent our lights forward to scout the woods, and began moving our chariot divisions up on our left. We kept our infantry hidden in the woods.

The Phoenician line rolled forward all along the center, and their chariots swept out of the woods, supported by a few lights, to drive off our scouts. We slowly drew our lights back, skirmishing at range with the advancing chariots, disrupting a few. Our own mounted moved forward to about the center on the left, a bit past our woods to support the retiring lights.

A sharp skirmish erupted on the left between our mounted and lights vs. the enemy light chariots and lights. Thanks to our heavy chariots, we were able to dominate and break up the enemy formation. We advance our infantry out of the woods in support, and the Phoenicians began shifting their infantry line right to support their beleaguered chariots on their right.

With our close support from our infantry, we saw off most of the enemy chariots and lights on our left. We enveloped the first arriving elements of the Phoenician infantry in rather short order, and their army collapsed.

FInal Score: Assyrians 43 - Phoenicians 17.

[Karvon]

The 9th in a semi-historical series of campaigns with a Neo-Assyrian Army.in a semi-historical series of campaigns with a Neo-Assyrian Army.

9. In a Forested Pass.

Following the subjugation of the Phoenician city states, the emperor directed the army march inland and bring to heel the Hebrew kingdoms based in the hills of Canaan. The Hebrews took up position in a pass to block our advance. The mountains ran from the far right corner towards the center with a broad pass considerably narrowed by a large forest filling a large part of the far right and center sectors. A smaller pass wound around the mountains on our far left.

We deployed a mixed mounted command on our left, hidden behind the mountains. Our infantry faced the central pass with another mixed mounted command on our right facing the forest. Our light foot screened our front across the center.

The Hebrews filled the center with a mass of their infantry screened by lights. Light chariots covered each flank, supported by some camels. They pressed forward out of the woods with more infantry to support their advancing lights and mounted on our right. They sent their own chariots and camels to block our mounted attempting to move through the pass on the far left. The infantry screened by light advanced in the center to counter our own foot.

Our on our fight, a running skirmish between the opposing mounted supported by lights developed. Slightly outnumbered, we were driven back, and our light foot took a bit of a beating as we ground down his chariots and camels.

On our left, our slower heavy chariots slowly drove back, but couldn't catch his light chariots, and got hung up by his supporting camels and some supporting foot he detached in support.

We attempted to quick march our own foot through the pass to support our stalled mounted, but got blocked and contained by his infantry. Our shooting as they closed was generally ineffective, and their superior numbers quickly led to flanking situations. Our troops showed very little spirit and the enemy fought valiantly, even when suffering heavy losses in the ensuing extended melee.

We finally enveloped and saw off the enemy mounted on our far left, but our center collapsed before we could ride to their aid, and our survivors fled the field.

FInal Score: Hebrews 62 Assyrians 43.