A Headless Body Production
Venue: Lancaster County Convention Center.
Event: Historicon 2024
Theme: Africa, Round 1
Players: Phil Gardocki running Tuareg, list 210
Mike Kennedy, Ptolemaic
Game System: L'Art de la Guerre, 15mm, 200 points per side.
Font: Helvetica, for the Helv of it
The Forces:
The Tuareg are a borrowed army and are led by Ibid, the Competent, Ad Hominem, the Competent and Ad Nauseam, the Ordinary.
14 Warriors on camels, Impetuous, 7 are Elite
6 Warriors sans camels. Impetuous
4 Scouts, Light Camel, Impact
2 Scouts, sans camels, javelin
Breakpoint...26
The Ptolemaic are led by unremembered commanders of reptutably impteccable character.
2 Elepthants
4 Heavy Cavalry, some Impact
2 Light Cavalry
6 Ptike, two elite
5 Medium Sword, various characteristics
3 Light Infantry
Breakpoint...22
Historicon. The Mecca of the Ancients gaming world. Those arriving early were greeted with some amazing models. On Wednesday night...
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| An assault on the Parthenon |
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An Greeks are well prepared for their celebration
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| On the left flank, several Taxis of pikemen have withstood the barbarian charge and are now putting the pressure on them. |
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Courtesy of the Warrior(tm) group. Scott Holder and Richard ???? Sorry Rich, I'm drawing a blank here.
Deployment
At dawn's early light Mike and I deployed the terrain for the matchup. The Tuaregs will be attacking the Ptolemaics.
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A fairly open battlefield.
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On the Ptolemaic left, Ptike and elepthant anchor on the village. The Medium Infantry run the gamut from Impetuous, 2 handed weapon, to just plain sword.
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In the center, more Ptike. The silver shields are elite. And Heavy Cavalry, one is Impact, Elite, the other plain vanilla.
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And on the other end, another elepthant.
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pTurn 1:
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The Tuareg camel corps are each 7 troops, 6 in front, one in reserve. Half are Elite.
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It is thought that with Furious Charge, the center command of camel-less troops can fight the Ptike.
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The Ptolemaic fit well in the gab between village and field. The Tuaregs are a bit over stuffed.
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With excellent command points, the mixed forces of the Ptolemaic right advance without fear.
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The center march in perfect formation
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Without the fear of missiles, the left command moves his skirmishers into the terrain.
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pTurn 2: |
The view from above, before the dice have rolled.
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Ptolemaic lights were in charge reach, prompting a charge. The camels roll long on the pursuit, and slam into the Ptike and Elepthant. One of the Medium Swordsmen is run over, but overall, it was a bad time for the camels.
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I was hoping to get the foot warriors in first, but se-la-vie.
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Ad Hominium's corps also charges, with significantly better luck. (zero wins, zero losses)
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I seem to be off my game in photo shooting. I missed the bottom of the 2nd.
pTurn 3:
If you are asking "Why didn't he..."? It was because Mikes command dice seized up.
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With unmaneuverable units and short on command points, the Ptolemaic line cannot react to the threats to their flanks. A Taxis of Ptike is flanked and routed. The Tuareg Light Camels, armed as Impact, remain a threat as well. The left corps reserve warrior is called up to pin the Ptike in place.
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Another view from above. Warriors on foot have engaged the pike, but have not done well.
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The right side corps has broken past the Ptolemaic line. But most of the camel warriors are hung up.
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The mid game score is 14 of 26 for the Tuaregs.
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To just 9 of 22 for the Ptolemaics
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| Across the narrow sea, a much better dressed Tuareg force is engaged with the Fatimid Egyptians |
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Sorry, I cannot name the players or the armies here.
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| Dennis Shorthouse running Tuaregs against Mark Crotteau's Tulunid and Iqshidid Egyptian |
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The Elepthant's are pturned, and trample a troop of camels.
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The center command is under pressure, but holds.
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The Ptolemaic left is beginning to collapse, and so they commit their reserves.
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The Tuareg count is now at 22.
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To just 10.
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pTurn 4:
75 minutes in and on pturn 4. Looks like a long break coming up before round 2.
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The Ptolemaic right is trying to reform to attack the center. But the Tuareg scouts have a different idea. One Medium Sword is routed through their friends near the village.
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Their center doesn't really need much help.
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The Ptolemaic left corps flank is pturned. Only a Light Foot holds the field.
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But too little, too late. The Tuaregs have passed their breakpoint of 26.
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To a somewhat respectable score of 15.
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What went wrong?
A major part has to do with inexperience with impetuous units. I am a control freak. And when running these, I just let them follow their bliss and charge. A bit unfortunate they pursued long and into the Ptike and Eleptant command.
But I don't know what I could have done otherwise. The center was as lined up as it was going to be, and I don't know if another pturn would have mattered. Another pturn would have brought the Ptolemaic camp into charge reach, but it would be pturn 6 before it would have been looted.
