Battle for the Stele of Messalim

Scenario

The play out using the previously posted Scenario and the solo version of my own rules. The key of these is written orders. Something I came to find challenging. 😊 This is also the first engagement of my new Bronze Age Campaign. I’ve decided to take the part of Umma because they were at a slight strategic disadvantage to Lagash.

Layout of the battle field with the five objectives being the Stele in the centre (of course!) the two ploughed fields each side of the canal, the central bridge over the canal and the Hamlet to the east.

Terrain

The Onager drawn Chariots cannot enter canals, rough ground or houses. Skirmishers move through all three with an advantage over Spear.

Initiative

Lagash has the initiative. But Umma must deploy and write its orders before the Lagash army is random selected and randomly deployed. Lagash also has the three random tactics it can use.

In this case the Chariot went into reserve.

 The Game

Umma

I rolled up a very strong Army for Umma indeed. 2x Light Bow and 4 x Spear.

Orders

Not knowing the strength of the enemy move on their left I ordered the Bow on my right flank to skirmish towards the Hamlet, to increase its survivability.

The Red and Blue Spear to hold the Bridge and the Stele. White spear to advance over the canal to the opposing Ploughed field if unopposed. Green spear to reserve.

The left flank Light Bow to cross the canal on the far west and skirmish against enemy.

 

Lagash

Lagash rolled up 1 Chariot, 2 x Javelin Skirmish groups and x3 Spear.

To me, this was an embarrassingly inferior army to mine especially for this scenario. But.

One unit of skirmishers headed to towards the hamlet.

The three spears headed to the objectives before them with the middle one proceeded by a skirmish screen. The Chariots were in reserve.

The Lagash skirmishers score first capture for the game entering the Hamlet on their left flank.

The Umma Light Bow move up to range, even managed a hit despite the protection.

On Umma's left flank the light Bow have raced ahead and have begun to cross the canal.

The stele and the second ploughed field have both now been captured and the Heroic Lagash 2nd Skirmishers begin causing the Blue Spears on the opposite side of the canal some worrying casualties.

The left flank javelin decided that hiding in the hamlet won’t work and race out to close the gap. Both sides suffer casualties but eventually it is too much for the javelins and the survivors run away.

The Left flank Umma Archers score some hits on the advancing enemy Spear.

They have been too slow though and this allows the White spear time to cross the canal.

They charge the White spear but being outnumbered even luck is not what’s needed and they are thrown back Shaken.

It's at this point I thought I had the battle won. My first attempt to change the right flank bows orders to capture the hamlet had failed but I’ll move closer to make them.

I had two to one on my left flank and the shaken enemy spear was taking more casualties from my bow. Next turn they failed their quality test and routed.

Now was the moment everything changed. The heroic 2^nd Lagash Skirmishers raced to the edge of the ploughed field and shot the White Spears. They then did it again and the White spears failed their Q test retreating over the canal. Unfortunately, the overconfident Umma general, (Me), was over the other side of the battlefield encouraging the Bow to capture the Hamlet. With no General to encourage them the White Spear then failed their next Q test so badly they routed from the field.

The chariots now turned up out of reserve and with the heroic 2^nd Lagash Skirmishers now ganged up on the Umma left flank Bow. The Bows orders leave them stuck on the wrong side of the canal unless someone charges them and they evade. They are also quickly routed.

The heroic 2^nd Lagash skirmishers now cross the canal, capture the western ploughed field and shoot up the Blue Spears. Look there 6 hits out of 6 dice= 3 kills. Perfect throwing.

The Right Flank Bow enter the Hamlet. Repeated attempts to order them to leave the village and out flank the enemy at the bridge met with failure until it was too late.

Shooting by the heroic 2^nd Lagash skirmishers is so accurate it causes the Bue Spears to become shaken and retreat.

General finally gets his act together, joins the Blues spears and rallies them. Meanwhile Lagash sends their Spears over the canal which disputes the Stele.

The turn around from “I’m about to double envelope them and win” to loosing in few turns has been amazing.

Cue the Green Spears to come out of reserve and charge the enemy Spear Regiment.

Green wins, pushing the enemy back into the canal and opening up the Stele for recapture.

The newly rallied Blue Spears charge towards the Heroic 2^nd Lagash Skirmishers to cover the Greens.

The heroic 2^nd Lagash Skirmishers throw javelins at the much reduced Blue regiment with such accuracy that Blue just gives up and run away.

The last turn Green charges into the western ploughed field. Bringing an end to the game.

The result is 2 Objectives to 1 with two in contest. Narrow Umma Win.  

This game was an extremely exciting one to play. I made many Generalship mistakes. I think orders really add something to it.  But the real Heros of the game have to be the Heroic 2nd Lagash Skirmishers. They routed or assisted in the routing 3 enemy regiments without a single loss.