Attack of the Horsies

The villainous Davidicus, not content with having been beaten in Carthaginian territory, dist once more seek to expand Roman influence into Northern Africa. And so he did needlessly pick a fight with those elusive horsemen of the desert, the noble Numidians.

And so he did set out, and was met upon a field that had a Steep Hill around which the Numidians did deploy, with some woods to the West [right - North being the top of the table from my/Numidian perspective] of that. Davidicus also did have the benefit of some shade in the form of some woods sticking out from the centre edge of the field of battle.

And so he did deploy his men (whilst lounging under the shade of an accommodating palm tree..."very pleasant" though he). Two formations of Triari [Sp] and six of Princeps and Hastati [Bd's] which he did form up in a looong line (with the Triari on his Eastern flank), with two groups of Velites [Ps] in support at either end of the line. With his infantry thus arrayed, he did finally come forth from his respite and did join his two companies of Equites [Cv], which Davidicus did keep to the rear, coward that he was! [ :-) ].

Nicolodian set up his brave warriors with one group of javelin men [Ps] in the woods to the West of the hill, a great and mighty Elephant in the gap between the woods and the hill, and four groups of Javelin men [Ps - perhaps bunches would be a better description of their association...] in column behind the centre and 6 (count 'em 6!) formations of horsemen [LH] in column behind the east edge of the hill.

Davidicus started off and immediately tripped over his laces (which isn't easy to do atop a horse [he got a 1 on the PIP dice]), so his infantry did start off without him. Nicolodian, seeing his opponents plight grabbed the opportunity that fate had provided him with both hands [ok, I rolled a 6!]. Forward did rush the horsemen, out from the shadow of the hill and into the glorious, well, battle, screaming across the field right out to the extreme west flank. The javelin men waiting in the lee of the hill did also start forth, with the elephant trundling along beside them down on the plain.

The Dastardly Devious Davidicus started to bring forward his Equites (but little else) so, thought Nicolodian, 'Alrighty! He's committed his cavalry to the West, let us go forth and harass those nasty stickmen [Sp] to the East with our valiant infantry...' So the javelin men dutifully crested the hill, and proceeded (in an orderly fashion) onto the plain, moving with purpose (and intent to do grievous bodily harm) towards the waiting Wroman heavy foot at the eastern end of their line. Alas and alack, but Davidicus did something sneaky and did pull back half of his cavalry [one of his Cv elements] and started urging them to the other end of his line. 'Bother' thought Nicolodian...

Forward did rush the elephant (well, as fast as an elephant can rush), whilst the Wromans started edging their nasty stickmen further east to make room for the Equites. Ah ha!, but a gap was started to appear between his Legionaries [Bd's] and the eastern end of his line...[important plot point...dramatic music...]...

Meanwhilst and at the same time, Nicolodian did start to send some of his horsemen across from the west to the east flank. The elephant also moved up and, along with the javelin men, prepared to do battle. However, by some rare cunning, the Wroman cavalry that Davidicus had sent east ended up in the midst of his Triari [Sp], facing not the gallant Numidian elephant as had been Nicolodian's plan, but rather the gallant but lightly equipped javelin men, who were not well suited to face mounted bad guys in the open [Ps being quick killed by Cv in Good Going 'n all]... And in did the mounted marauders roll, mercilessly cutting down the noble Numidian javelin men [one Ps], who only wanted to promote peace and harmony in the region by cutting the Wromans to little pieces. And, as if that were not enough, by ganging up [flanking] on the innocent elephant with a formation of Legionaries, the Wroman stickmen, well, stuck it to the hefalump, much to it's demise. How rude!

Nicolodian did try to swamp Davidicus' end Triari by ordering forth his gallant javelin men [front and flank of Dave's end Sp element], but alas, the facing javelinmen lost heart and did start running at great speed away from the smelly Wromans (must have been something they said) [(and probably saved their lives!)]. The flanking javelinmen, who were so surprised at the lack of fortitude of their fellow countrymen in the face of such unwarranted aggression, did valiantly stand their ground [well, ok, they were pinned], only to loose heart themselves when the Triari did turn their attention to these waiting Numidian infantry. Alas and alack, they too did flee before the Triari, only to be cut down most cruelly shortly afterwards by the Equites that had been skulking in the background. But by that time...

Nicolodian had started to feed more horsemen across to where the action was on the eastern front when Davidicus brought forward some Legionaries from the East end of his Legionary line (which had become separated from the Triari/Equites action on the flank), muscling in on some of the Numidian horsemen's personal space [ZOCing one of the LH] in an effort to slow down the Numidians reinforcement's.

That was the beginning of the end! Nicolodian took hold of the opportunity that had just presented itself. In rushed in the Numidian horse - two mobs into the front of his two cohorts of Legionaries, and one into the flank of the eastern most one. The Legionaries at the end of the line were faced with the uncomfortable prospect of certain death if they lost their metal [factors of 2 to 2 according to the Book Of Rules with the Bd's unable to recoil if they lost]...suffice to say that the eastern Cohort died a horrible death to a man. And there was great rejoicing. The neighboring cohort were also confronted with the valor of the Numidians [again 2 to 2 due to the sudden overlap caused by the demise of their neighbors], and Nicolodian was simply expecting his horsemen to be pushed back (seeing as these Wromans were particularly wrude) as the Legionaries were not flanked. Huzzah! The glorious horsemen killed his Legionaries outright! Alrighty!

Whilst Davidicus was distracted with the chasing down (and killing) of the Numidian Javelinmen on the plain to the East, Nicolodian started to roll up the remains of the Legionaries. This time he did make sure of success by sending two groups of horsemen into the front of his end cohort [one overlapping, one in front], whilst one mob raced round in behind the beleaguered legionaries. And yet more Wromans went to the dust.

And so it was - down to the wire. With the fight to the East having petered out (the Numidian infantry rushing back for the safety of the [steep] hill with the Wroman Equites having strayed too far to do anything about them), Davidicus finally committed himself to the fray and did try to turn Nicolodian's flank with his Legionaries. But also did he order up an isolated company of Velites [a solitary Ps] that had been left behind by the turn of events trying to travel on their merry way from the West to the East flank. Ah hah!

Ignoring his menacing to the West (and discreetly removing himself from the front of Davidicus' horse [out of the Roman general's ZOC], and out of harms way), Nicolodian did send his killer horsemen into to mob the isolated Velites. They didn't stand a chance!

And so it did end. With much rejoicing. Again.

[A very close game (3:4), but a very interesting one. Moral of the story...never open up a gap for a horde of LH to exploit!]

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