Helsinki IWF 6 –Republican Roman vs Seljuk Turk (photos)

[neilhammond]

I is the last game of the competition and I was fighting the other Seljuk Turk, commanded by Nik Gaukroger (I played Terry’s Seljuk in game 4). Nik was guaranteed 1st place, but I needed a good result to hand onto the current 3rd slot that I was tenuously perched on. Nik’s army was:

IC – Alp Arslan himself
3 x TC
Foot Archers, 8 LF, Poor, Undrilled, Unprotected, Bow
Foot Javelinmen, 6 LF, Poor, Undrilled, Unprotected, Javelins, Light Spear
Foot Javelinmen, 6 LF, Poor, Undrilled, Unprotected, Javelins, Light Spear
Turcomans, 4 LH, Average, Undrilled, Unprotected, Bow, Swordsmen
Turcomans, 4 LH, Average, Undrilled, Unprotected, Bow, Swordsmen
Turcomans, 4 LH, Average, Undrilled, Unprotected, Bow, Swordsmen
Turcomans, 4 LH, Average, Undrilled, Unprotected, Bow, Swordsmen
Turcomans, 4 LH, Average, Undrilled, Unprotected, Bow, Swordsmen
Bedouin Cavalry, 6 LH, Average, Undrilled, Unprotected, Lancers, Swordsmen
Turcomans, 4 Cv, Average, Undrilled, Protected, Bow, Swordsmen
Turcomans, 4 Cv, Average, Undrilled, Protected, Bow, Swordsmen
Ghilman, 4 Cv, Superior, Drilled, Armoured, Bow, Swordsmen
Ghilman, 4 Cv, Superior, Drilled, Armoured, Bow, Swordsmen
Ghilman, 4 Cv, Superior, Drilled, Armoured, Bow, Swordsmen

Initiative of 4 and 14 BGs.

As a reminder, my LRR army was:

3 x TCs
3 x 6 HF “Average” Legionaries – armoured IF + sword
3 x 4 HF “Veteran” Legionaries – superior IF + SSw
1 x 4 Spanish LH – unprotected, average, undrilled, javelins, lt spear
1 x 4 Gallic Cv – undrilled, armoured, superior, lt spear + Sw
1 x 6 Bow LF unprotected, average, undrilled, bow
1 x 6 Sling LF unprotected, average, undrilled, sling
1 x Jewish ally TC
1 x 6 Jewish slingers LF unprotected, average, undrilled, sling
2 x 8 Jewish phalanx of the foot MF protected, ave, drilled, off. spear.
Fortified camp

13 units with an initiative of 0.

As Nik, rather unsurprisingly, held the initiative and chose steppe, I decided that my best option was to attack out of a corner. I would use the Jewish MF to hold & attack on one wing, and the fortified camp to anchor the other wing. Deployment was as follows:























We had both stabilised our lines and it now looked unlikely that we’d do any further damage to each other so we ended the game a few minutes before the final whistle blew. A 10-10 draw.

Post Game Analysis

We both had opportunities to create damage to each other, but it didn’t come off for either of us, so the game ended a draw. However, a draw wasn’t a pre-gone conclusion and it was a tense & exciting, but friendly, game for both of us. The Romans are difficult for the Turc to take out because, being armoured, they are more resistant than most foot to bow shot. The Turc, on the other hand, were more mobile and difficult to run down.

When the scores were total up three players just below me had all decisively won their games and so overtook me. As a result I slipped down to 6th place. So near to a place, yet so far!

Never mind. It was a great comp and all my games were fun.

[nikgaukroger]

Nik was guaranteed 1st place,

Not quite, but almost; I was 20 points clear of Dave Ruddock going into round 6 so a massive loss for me and a massive win for him would have swapped our positions

It would have been much sweatier if I'd had to try and get a good win from our game given your armoured chaps. I would probably have had to flank march on your right and concentrate my ghilman to face the Jews and try and batter them down fairly quickly and turn on the Romans afterwards - quite possible but likely to have been a close run thing if it came off.

[flameberge]

I find it interesting that you use your camp in your games to anchor your line. My instincts tell me to keep my camp in the back where it can't be attacked but your use of the camp as part of your battle plan a lot like its a battlegroup which I think is pretty inventive. Though I admit I don't really know if this is common or not because of my limited experience but I can't say I've noticed anyone else do this in their AARs

[SirGarnet]

If a Fortified Camp is required and the strategy is to limit the length of the overall battlefront by an army wheel (turning the battle 90 degrees), anchoring the wheel on the Camp makes good sense since there will be at least one BG in the line close by it that can chase off intruding skirmishers if needed. Note also that the Camp need not be on the baseline - it can be farther in.

[hazelbark]

Yes, i noticed the fortified flank wheel too.

It seems to me to be placing more faith in the camp than I would normally consider. but a risk perhaps worht running to get a big wheel turn onto a foe.

[nikgaukroger]

I think that given my army is nearly all mounted and the foot I had so weak that Neil's approach of using the camp as a pivot was a good one. In reality I was only ever going to get mounted to it and they need to roll a 6 to loot it and then pass a CMT to stop looting which can tie them down for a long time unless they get lucky.