Returning to the ravaging of the Hittite Empire with Chariots Rampant, George and I decided to play the second scenario in the Lion Rampant rulebook, Defending the Indefensible, with an important well forming the objective. With the evening sun streaming through the windows at BIG, some long shadows were cast on the table which to my mind could have been the rays of the rising sun as the Sea Peoples emerged out of the early dawn to fall upon the sleepy Hittites!
The well was defended by three units of Spearmen. Would their reinforcements arrive in time to stop them being overwhelmed and the Sea Peoples peeing in the well?
Well given the refusal of the Sea Peoples to follow orders to advance from their new leader Kubaba it looked like the Hittites would have a leisurely morning lounging amongst the palm fronds... :-( (I had already forgotten that I'd rolled the Commanding skill for Kubaba so could have re-rolled the first failed Move order that had immediately halted the entire army!)
Uh-oh! Hittite reinforcements are spotted coming out of the desert!
Forward lads! Kubaba tried to encourage the sleepy Sea Peoples to advance but clearly it was too early in the day for this kind of strenuous activity...
The Hittite leader Muwatalli then appeared out of the early morning rays...
Followed by more Light Chariot reinforcements.
The Sea Peoples army staggered forward in a non-linear mess, one unit of Light Infantry refusing its third activation order - where are the rules for executing a unit leader?!
The Sea Peoples right flank was a little more ordered than the left...
Where at least a unit of Archers were pushing forward through the palm trees.
With the Sea Peoples still some distance from the well, the first Hittite Light Chariot rode past the well to the encouraging cheers of the Hittite Spearmen.
Indeed any advantage the Sea Peoples might have had in numbers at the start of the game had now been lost as the Hittite Light Chariots had arrived to reinforce the Spearmen.
Having upgraded his Light Chariots so he could use them as light chariots(!) with Chariot Archers and Expert Drivers, George now had them Skirmish (half-move and Shoot with a -1 score modifier). A volley of arrows was directed at a unit of Sea Peoples Spearmen and one fell dead!
Muwatalli's Light Chariot unit targeted the advancing Ox-Carts, wounding one. As can be seen the Sea Peoples army deployment was still a bit of a mess with the Archers on the left flank now enjoying the shade of the palm trees for a couple of moves whilst the lazy Light Infantry had got a spurt on and moved right up the board!
Indeed getting either unit of Archers to advance was a problem for Kubaba and meant that the Hittite Light Chariots were untouchable staying out of Attack range of the Sea People foot.
It was starting to look like the Hittite Spearmen would have a relaxing day of guard duty...
As Muwatalli fired at the advancing Ox-Carts again...
Inflicting another wound and the Ox-Carts then failing their Courage test and becoming Battered!
Suddenly numbers started to tell as the Sea Peoples began to advance in a co-ordinated manner and the Light Infantry forced the Hittite Light Chariots to fall back or risk being Attacked.
But not before one unit fired another volley of arrows...
Inflicting two wounds on Kubaba's Light Chariot unit!
Having reached a position of safety out of range of the Sea Peoples foot, the Hittite chariots resorted to firing their bows at their advancing enemy...
Two Sea Peoples Archers fell dead...
And then another two! Fortunately they passed their Courage test...
The Hittite Light Chariot unit on the Sea Peoples right targeted the Light Infantry unit that had forced them to fall back...
The Hittite arrows claiming two Sea Peoples. The Light Infantry failed their Courage test and became Battered.
The Gods of War(gaming) are fickle and their favour turned to the Sea Peoples as the Archer unit avenged its comrades with some excellent bow shots against the enemy...
Inflicting two wounds on the Hittite Light Chariot unit facing them and seeing it fail its Courage Test and become Battered!
Seeing an opportunity to get stuck into the Hittite infantry guarding the well, Kubaba decided to Attack the nearest unit of Spearmen, a risk proposition given the Light Chariot unit was carrying two wounds.
Spearmen are a tough proposition defending and inflicted two wounds on the Light Chariots (resulting in one model being removed). Kubaba was repulsed so he had to fall back but his Attack had inflicted a casualty on the Hittites and they failed their Courage test and now Battered were also obliged to fall back. A gap had appeared in the Hittite defence, could the Sea Peoples exploit it?
The Hittite Light Chariot archers targeted Kubaba and another wound saw him falter failing his Couarge test and become Battered. Fortunately he did not quite fall back into the Archers behind him otherwise he would have been destroyed and the entire army would have needed to take a Couarge test!
Now it was time for some serious hand-to-hand fighting as the Sea Peoples infantry advanced on the Hittites...
The Light Infantry were the first unit to Attack with the Hittite Spearmen...
Whilst the odds favoured the defenders the Gods of War(gaming) rewarded them with a drawn combat (two dead per side) and both units failed their Courage test falling back Battered. The way was open for the Sea People Spear to win the day...
First though Kubaba had to Rally as he was Battered. Although he received +1 for being the Leader, his 5 wounds meant his adjusted score was -1 which mean he should Rout!
I decided to spend my only Fate token here allowing me to re-roll the test. 5 less the 5 wounds but +1 for Leader status meant a score of 1, Kubaba remained Battered but did not Rout! (we did of course forget that the unit should have taken another wound for still failing the Courage test scoring below 4and would have been destroyed - not that it made much difference).
Muwatalli launched an Attack on a unit of Battered Archers...
Killing three...
And seeing the survivors Rout on a failed Courage test!
Next turn Kubaba failed his Courage test and Routed!
This necessitated every unit in the Sea Peoples army taking a Courage test and that saw a Battered unit of Light Infantry badly fail and join their leader running towards the Mediterranean!
However victory could still be seized by the Sea Peoples as a unit of Spearmen launched an Attack on the Hittites defending the well. If they could force the Hittites back and remain in position they could quickly pee in the well and win the day!
In a bloody melee they killed four Hittites forcing them back, half the job done! However having taken three casualties themselves the Sea People unit had to take a Courage test, 7+ on 2D6 - they failed and fell back as well Battered. Curses!
The second Sea Peoples spear unit went in as well...
But were forced back with two dead. They passed their Courage test.
At this point the battle was still fairly balanced, one big push just might see the Sea Peoples get to the well, especially as one unit of Battered Hittite Spearmen failed its Rally test badly and Routed...
The Hittites tried the push first launching an Attack on the Battered Sea Peoples Spearmen.
The Gods of War(gaming) were back in the Sea Peoples camp as George's dice rolling was abysmal (he needed to roll 5+ to hit and three of them to inflict a casualty). As the Sea People unit was Battered it only hit on 6's (not the normal 4+) but they managed to kill one of their attackers!
The Hittite Spearmen fell back having lost the combat but passed their Courage test.
The remaining Sea Peoples Light Infantry tried to Rally but failed, falling back again and losing another man.
Whilst Muwatalli's Chariot Archers focussed their efforts on the Ox-Carts inflicting a third wound on the Sea Peoples unit.
The surviving Ox-Cart then failed its Courage test abysmally and Routed, lumbering back to safety...
This took the Sea Peoples army under half its original points value so necessitated another unit by unit Courage test. However the Gods of War(gaming) smiled on the Sea Peoples and each unit passed its test!
However, whilst they passed the army Courage test, the Light Infantry failed their subsequent Rally test and fell back again losing another man...
The Hittite Spearmen at the well decided to Attack the Sea Peoples to their front...
Both units lost a man each, failed their Courage tests and became Battered!
The other Sea Peoples Spear unit launched an Attack on the well's defenders but were repulsed losing another man. They then completely messed up their Courage test scoring below zero so Routed!
The Hittites then brought back their Light Chariots, keeping out of range of the Sea Peoples infantry, and began peppering them with arrows...
Another Spearmen fell dead but the unit refused to break.
More Light Chariots joined in...
And another Spearmen fell dead. Whilst they passed the subsequent Courage test it was now obvious that the well was out of reach so the Sea Peoples conceded the field of battle to the Hittite Empire and left its well unsullied!
Another fun game of Chariots Rampant that could have gone either way - if only my army had been a bit more enthusiastic at the start and some of my dice rolling better! The upgrades George made to his Light Chariot units was certainly effective and allowed him to use them appropriately. When I get around to painting my New Kingdom Egyptians it is certainly an upgrade I'll need to factor in.
