The Third Battle of Pinehurst Fields

1. Terrain
   • Steep Hills on EIR left, centre right and one extreme right of the field
   • Woods on top of one of the hills on EIR left, and at the left side of the centre [right] hill



2. Deployment
   • Marians Lead by Nick Grant (left to right, by commands)
     • - LH (Arab Allies)
       - LH/Cav/Bd/Ps/Ax
       - Bd/Ps
       - Art/Ps/Bd/Cv/LH
   • Early Imperials Lead by Brent Regan (left to right, by commands)
     • - Ax/Bd
       - Cv/LH/Bd/Ps/Ax
       - Bd/Ax



3. Game Progress
   1. • Marian's advance slowly (poor initial pip dice)
      • EIR's likewise advance slowly, finding the difficult going (steep hills) troublesome to negotiate
   
   
   
   2. • Arab's (Flank March) arrive one EIR's right flank about the third turn, and roll a one! - Unreliable! They just sit there on the table edge
      • Meantime, on the Marian right, the EIR's launch a surprise attack from behind a hill, with four cav in coloumn (part of central/CiC's command - double pips to control), trying to outflank Marian right and run for the baggage. They advance past the opposing Bd, as far as they can with march moves, stopping outside 200p from the Marian's single Cv and LH
   
   
   
   3. • On the other side of the field...Arab's roll a six next turn, and launch into it, advancing on EIR Bd's, while Marian left wing cav (on which, along with the Arab's, their whole battle plan rests) advance cautiously on EIR right. The EIR's line up nicely all by themselves, split up into four or so smaller groups (Bd's & Ax) in an effort to meet this unexpected threat
      • On other flank, two EIR cav (still in column) split and try to go round the Marian's right, leaving a Thracian LH on their flank, and a Macedonian Cv to their front. End result, two less EIR cav! For the rest of the game the remaining EIR cav repeatedly fight off enemy cav to their front and LH on their flank, with the Marians trying to manouver Ax between the EIR's and the baggage, lest they manage to break through
   
   
   
   4. • The Arab's contact blades front and flank (which is held by one of their generals). The general bounces his two opponents, and lives for one more turn, but one of his mates goes down - to a lowly LH!
      • Macedonians/Germans still advancing, not into contact till next bound
   
   
   
   5. At last, the Marian cav contact the enemy - unfortunate Ax, poorly suited to meeting enemy cav in the open. With the prospect of enemy LH coming into their flank, and Crassius himself (Marian CiC) to their front, they quickly crumble, while the Arabs deal to surviving Bd Gen. Two EIR commands fall in quick succession, yet their army still holds out
   
   
   
   6. Finally, the two opposing Bd lines in the centre meet, and the Marians take their first casualties - much to the surprise of their commander! The EIR's continue to push back their opposing Bd's, with the Marian (Bd) Gen barely surviving a few close calls. But the EIR's time is fast running out - in the end, the Marian cav win's the field, poring into their enemies flanks
   
   
   
   7. With their right flank collapsed, the centre loses heart, and starts streaming from the field. Crassius had crushed another rival and reaped the laurels of victory that was his due
   
   
   
4. Lessons to be learnt
   • EIR
   • Marian

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