Well we have another game using the King David ruleset under our belts! Dave commanded Prince Snafu this time and John Prince Khungfu, I umpired!
After the Battle on the Plain of the Dead between the rival Princes Snafu sent his chariots in pursuit of Khungfu’s defeated army whilst Khungfu withdrew into seclusion to have his injuries treated! Both knew another action was in the offing to decide the Pharaohship.
The bulk of Prince Snafu’s army moved north and made camp in the shadows of a ruined, half buried Pyramid to await the arrival of their errant charioteers. Little did Prince Snafu know as his troops built their camp but Prince Khungfu had rallied his chariot reserves and descended onto the plain outside of Abdju and insight of the ruined Pyramid to again face off against him! The true Heir’s men rallied to their banners as Khungfu’s army deployed the battle was afoot!
Prince Khungfu, his heavily bandaged right shoulder, thigh and leg hidden by his robes orders his Army to charge his brothers defensive position!
The OOBs
Prince Snafu
(19 Points)
3 x Chariots
6 x Heavy Infantry Units
4 x Archer Units 2 with Falcon Warrior Hero Trait
1 x Sacrificial Lamb
8 x Favours
8 x Disfavours
Prince Khungfu (Good Quality Command)
(20 Points)
7 x Chariots
2 x Heavy Infantry Units
2 x Skirmisher Units
1 x Sacrificial Lamb
8 x Favours
5 x Disfavours
Victory Conditions for Both Sides
The Game
This was going to be interesting with two such different armies one of mass and one of manoeuvre!
Prince Khungfu launched his wings forward and instead of trying to envelope his slow foe used one Chariot Unit on each flank to pin Snafu's numerically inferior chariots while trying to crush the foot with a withering frontal assault!
The Usurper was successful tying up his enemies mobile units but suffered horrendous reverses as his elite charioteers proved totally unable to drive in Snafu's lowly archers and then trample the infantry! Attack after attack bounced, the Gods were fighting on the side of the bowmen it seemed!
Despairing at these reversals Prince Khungfu advanced to rally his chariots but it was as if he was cursed by the Gods on this day as his chariot crashed! Horrified his Body Guard closed ranks and successfully got him into the hands of his physicians yet again!
Finding themselves leaderless for a second time Khungfu's Army stalled! The last organised Chariot Units ignoring the setback flung themselves into the fray and charged the Heir's Armies centre and finally scored a belated success! Snafu's vaunted Falcon Warriors retired with losses and a Unit of Heavy Infantry was trampled. It was too little too late as everywhere else on the battlefield the Usurper's soldiers were retiring with Prince Snafu's men hot on their heels.
A second victory to Prince Snafu!
Pictures
The Princes armies line up, Snafu's...
Dave rolled some magic dice at this point and helped by some favours of the Gods he embarrassed the mighty Charioteers!
With his left wing attack repulsed Khungfu unleashed the chariots of his right wing! The embarrassment continued, the first charge at the exposed archers was fought off...
...as was the second when aided by the Gods!
John had to reroll his '6' a got a '1'
Snafu's close ties to the Dice Gods continued to help his foot units hold off the fierce charioteers!
Khungfu's Chariot Units were demoralised at their inability to penetrate even the lighter troops of Snafu's army!
Then history repeated itself (and this was NOT a set up) Khungfu 'came a cropper' for a second time! His chariot crashed and again his retinue had to escort him from the field of battle!
Overcome at their bad luck two of Khungfu's Army started to crumble but the last organised Chariot Units hurled themselves one last time at Snafu's Army and scored success, damaged the central units of archers fled and a Heavy Infantry Unit unable to retire was trampled!
Not daunted Khungfu launched a second wave of attacks while Snafu found it hard to deploy his densely packed Heavy infantry!
Again the archers repelled the charioteers this time assisted by the Priests offering up a Sacrificial Lamb to the Gods, Mighty Horus responded!
This was Khungfu's plan from the beginning seeing how packed Snafu's troops were he figured a few success could result in units being destroyed due to the deployment.
Unfortunately it was too little too late, Snafu's troops elated at seeing Prince Khungfu fall took on their foes and smite them!
Battlefield at the end of play!
Discretion was the better part of valour at this point and the remains of Khungfu's army retired!
Coffee and Afterwards Stuff!
Well a good evening was had yet again with some Biblical gaming, why haven't we played with chariots before we asked ourselves they are almost as much fun as ECW Cavalry! The rules tweaking has reached a sweet spot and we spent more time thinking about the situation than the rules! Tweaking aside these rules again have all we need for a good evening of gaming; the initiative system is superb, overall the rules are relatively simple so easy to get (harder to master) and the era flavouring rules add to the excitement. Both sides could have manoeuvred better on the night but the telling event was Khungfu crashing his chariot for a second game in a row ("What a knob!" we hear the rank and file roar!), once leaderless his army's reduced commands made it an uphill struggle plus the loss of just this one unit pushed it halfway to its breaking point! General consensus was next game Khungfu should be on foot if not replaced by his elder twin brother Prince Phubar!
Oh and for this TSOG session we had our fellow gamer and blogger John drop in for the evening! You can follow him on his blog; Wargaming with Barks Blogspot
