So having finished the third scenario in Lion Rampant in record time, George and I decided to move straight on to the fourth; A Gentle Stroll, for our next Chariots Rampant game. In this scenario the defender (the Sea Peoples) had embarked on a forced march across the board trying trying to catch up with their main force...
Whilst the Hittites attempted to stop them.
For once the Sea Peoples threw off their usual lethargy and obeyed Kubaba's instructions to advance...
Indeed Kubaba was so keen himself he began to outstrip the rank and file...
Who gamely tried to keep up with him.
The Hittite force was positioned to threaten their flank, aiming to cut off the Sea Peoples' forced march.
Trying to delay the enemy flankers (well I think that is what Kubaba called them), I decided to use a 'thunder and lightning' approach - a unit of archers providing an arrow storm (lightning) with the ox-carts lumbering in to the enemy infantry (thunder).
Unfortunately I hadn't taken into account the accuracy of the Hittite chariot archers who in two volleys destroyed one of the ox-carts...
The other routing on a badly failed Courage test! :-(
Having failed to hold back the Hittites, the Sea Peoples turned to face the enemy...
As Kubaba and friends headed towards safety...
Using one unit of archers to screen the flank march from the Hittites on the flank.
A unit of spearmen bravely stood in the Hittite way, prepared to sacrifice themselves for the glory of Kubaba!
A swift volley of chariot archer arrows peppered the Sea People unit killing one and seeing them become Battered having failed a Courage test. The Hittite spear charged in...
But despite their superiority the Hittites only managed to kill one more of the enemy, though the Sea Peoples unit had to fall back having lost the combat.
However their sacrifice was not in vain and their efforts in holding up the Hittites was allowing the bulk of the army to make a beeline for safety.
Seeing the enemy disappearing into the dust, Muwatalli ordered his light chariots in on the Sea Peoples archers protecting the main force's march...
A swift melee saw both sides inflict two casualties and as the combat was draw the Hittite chariots fell back. Both sides then took a Courage test and failed becoming Battered.
Meanwhile the rearguard was selling itself dearly, the archers peppering the Hittite spear and drawing blood.
Back in the centre the Hittite chariots came under archer fire...
And one Hittite chariot went down in a flurry of arrows...
The survivor failing another Courage test and becoming Battered again!
The rearguard were selling their lives dearly holding up the Hittite spear...
But eventually the casualties were too much for the archers and a failed Courage test saw them flee.
This unnerved the spearmen who failed a Courage test for seeing a neighbouring unit break and they became Battered.
Muwatalli charged forward firing arrows at the Sea Peoples spear...
And a final casualty saw them fail a Courage test and flee too.
With the rearguard was destroyed, could Muwatalli's chariots ride down the main Sea Peoples force?
Hittite chariots now appeared on the Sea Peoples left...
As the surviving archers attempted to hold back the Hittite infantry.
In an uneven melee the archers fell back Battered...
Whilst the first unit of the Sea Peoples reached safety.
Needing to get more than half their force off the table to win, the Sea Peoples had little wriggle room now with the units they had left as the Hittite chariots moved in for the kill.
The light infantry moved swiftly towards safety...
Whilst Kubaba feinted moves towards the Hittite chariots while gradually falling back.
The Sea Peoples spear and light infantry pushed on towards safety...
The speedier light infantry reaching it - whilst the spear decided not to obey its order to move and stood still!
Kubaba then reached safety. All that was needed was for the spearmen to join him and success was guaranteed.
The remaining Sea People archers now found themselves bypassed in the middle of the table, but not before having caught Muwatalli with a volley and taken his light chariot unit down to half strength.
The Hittite light chariots moved forward towards the retreating Sea People spear...
With Muwatalli going hell for leather to catch up.
The Hittite chariot archers fired a volley at the Spear and took one down. Fortunately the Sea Peoples passed their Courage test.
Muwatalli fired and two more of the Sea Peoples fell into the dust, but again the unit passed its Courage test. One move would take them to safety, would they obey the order to move this turn? They just needed 5+ on 2D6.
Argh! A cocked dice!!!
George was prepared to accept the roll but given its critical nature I felt obliged to roll the cocked die again. The gods of war(gaming) smiled down on me as the cocked die rolled a 6!
The spearmen rushed to safety and victory was the Sea Peoples!
That was a very, very tense game going right down to the death, Lion Rampant at its best. Both of us had had the frustration of units refusing orders at key points (my spearmen in the penultimate turn refusing to advance and reach safety, but staying out and getting peppered with arrows) but overall that probably balanced out (though George's failed activations all seemed to happen in the middle of the game!).
