TTS AAR: Timurids vs Sassanid Persian - The Re-Match
/As we still had plenty of time after the last battle, we decided to have a straight re-match.
This time our Timurids decided on a more sensible deployment: infantry in the middle, cavalry on the wings.
Neither side had any interest in shilly-shallying around, so headed for the opposition as fast their feet/hooves could carry them.
The first clash was on the left wing, where a brigade of Timurid cavalry crashed into a brigade of Sassanid cataphract horse.
Things did not go well for the Timurids: losing the whole brigade apart from the veteran heavy cavalry…and even they were forced to retreat back to the Timurid camp, horse-tails between their legs!
With the left flank thoroughly lost, it was time to look to the centre and right for success.
As the two battle lines came together, fierce melees broke out on the left-centre (kharash driven slaves versus Persian Savaran) and right-centre (a Timurid cavalry brigade commanded by Steve against some more Savaran supported by lights) but, in the centre-centre, Timur-the-Lame himself, at the head of some veteran cavalry, punched through the enemy troops in front of him.
Never one to miss an opportunity for death and destruction, Timur then executed a smart left turn and headed into the flanks of the Persian horse who had begun to beat back the kharash.
This was initially very successful, knocking a couple of light units from the field, but the Persian Savaran hit in the flank survived the impact and then, using one of theose rules that make you go “are you George Bernard?”, fell back two squares and then moved forward again to threaten Timur’s flank and the seven victory medals he represents!
Meanwhile, on the right, the Timurid cavalry had been doing stirling work removing Persian cavalry from the field:
By this time, the Persians were down to one victory medal, but the Timurids were damaged as well (all those units lots on the left flank) and, if the Persians got another turn and took out Timur, we were in danger of losing the game despite the fact that everything seemed to be going our way.
Worse, the Persian force that had defeated me on the left had swung round and were now heading rapidly back towards the centre. We really had to win now…but where to get that elusive last victory medal from?
Perhaps you remember the Timurid veteran cavalry that had fled to their camp?
Well they were still lurking in the camp…and some Sassanid light horse had strayed within range of their bows. I drew my first activation card and: Ace!
Okay, no matter, there’s a general present, so I can re-draw: this time a “2”.
A hail of arrows headed towards the enemy light and, unbelievably, scored a hit which the lights failed to save. Victory was ours again, but it had been a much closer game, finishing 13-7.
