On the Silk Road, Sui vs Classic Indians

A Headless Body Production

Location:  Lancaster Convention Center
Event:       Historicon 2019
Theme:     Silk Road
Players:    Phil Gardocki playing King Porus of Purus.
                  Dan Hazelwood, playing Sui Chinese
Game System: L'Art de la Guerre, about 200 points per side. 

The Forces:
Classical Indian (list 79) King Porus and Prince Malayketu, Competent, Prince Porus, included and ordinary.
      3 Elephant, Elite
      7 1/2 Medium Swordsmen, 1/2 Bowmen

      4 Heavy Chariots, Elite
      1 Medium Cavalry, Mediocre
      6 Light Infantry, Bow
      1 Herd of Stampeding Cattle
Breakpoint of 22

Sui Chinese (List 165) Appearing is General Yu, the Brilliant, General Shichong, also Brilliant.  Running through the outer verge is General Tuwan, the Competent.
     8 Heavy Cavalry, Impact, 4 Elite
     6 Fu'Bing, (we are not going with the bad puns here),1/2 Heavy Spearmen, 1/2 Bowmen
     1 Light Infantry, Bow
     1 Heavy Rocket
     3 Levy
     2 Light Cavalry Bow
Breakpoint of 15-21

Title Side Note.
The original title of this missive was The Sui-et Smell of Victory, but I later thought most people would think that would be pronounced Suet, vice Sweet.  And it was a lousy pun anyway.

The Board
The Sui win the initiative and elect to attack in the forest.  Porus selected a woods, a wooded hill, and a gully.  The Sui select a road and an impassable.

On the left, the inscrutable Chinese have... Nothing. 

Where their center is General Yu commanding 3 Heavy Swordsmen, 2  Heavy Cavalry(elite), a  Levy, and a Heavy Rocket Launcher.

The mystery deepens.  No ambush markers, General Chichong and another 7 units.

 

The woods near the center started on the Sui side of the board, and got double walked to it's current position.  This probably was the single most significant event of the game, as it influenced all the followup decisions.  I could have placed further to the right giving me more space.

And again I misread the board badly.  My largest command is crammed on the left, facing nothing,while my right flank is totally out matched. 

Turn 1:
The unseen command is rolled for, and it is a 2.

General Yu sees that he is outnumbered about 3-1.  So he orders is cavalry to sweep right.

General Shichong is faced by two ambush markers, but has a good scouting on General Porus's forces.(since Dan is the referee, he knows exactly the size of my army) and advances as fast as he is able.

 

 I am not saying Dan is guilty of anything, but truth be told, he cannot, not know. 

Porus and son advance quickly.

While Malayketu turns the bulk of his forces around to meet Shichong's on-board flank march. 

An ambush is revealed.  This should stop the Sui from double moves.

Malayketuu's right most chariot is treated to a most dazzling display of pyrotechnics!

Turn 2:

The missing command rolls a 4, and is not in sight.

General Yu orders his cavalry back, But advances his infantry some.

General Shichong turns his infantry sideways, marching across the gully.  His cavalry continues the on board flanking maneuver.

King Porus advances and contracts.  If the flank march comes on, He can turn and respond some of his troops.  If not, he'll crawl up the flank and turn the other way.

The crowd goes "oh, ah!"

Malayketu decisively turns his main elements again.

Turn 3:
The missing command rolls a 3, and is not in sight.

Spreading out their bowmen, Chinese archery, with rocketry support, begin to score.

Shichong's cavalry are still coming around the woods.

A poor picture there.  King Porus continues to chase the fleeing Sui Cavalry. Prince Porus orders a halt and a successful rally

Fine tuning our positions here.

This has been an interesting maneuver game.  The Sui Bowmen are checked by the Indian bowmen/elephant command.  The right flank chariot continues to ignore all missiles.
The Rocketeers line up shots on Malayketu's elephant, spawning more appreciative oh's from the audience.

At the bottom, the Sui Cavalry (Heavy, Impact, Elite) is checked by archers in the woods.  So they don't dare go after the Indian Cavalry (Medium, Mediocre)

The Sui have 2 points towards their demoralization level of 15
The Indians have 1 point towards their demoralization level of 22

 
Turn 4:
The missing command rolls a 1, and is not in sight.
At this point I am frustrated.  I have a very obvious advantage in both quality and quantity, and I cannot make it count.  In fact, Dan has managed to obtain a quality and quantity advantage on my right flank.

The Sui Flank march has to arrive sooner or later.  Sui Fu'Bing (Bowmen/Spear) push forward to draw in the chariots.  The Fu'Bing left behind makes a successful rally.

I bought 6 LI so I wouldn't get swarmed like this, but then I am dedicating 4 of them to screening operations.  So swarmed I shall be!

King Porus continues to push, Prince Porus continues to be patient.

His one loose chariot charges.  Disordered and unsupported, but with armor and elite, he pulls a tie out of the encounter.

In the woods, there is a charge and evade, but nothing decisive, Which is what Malayketu is trying at achieve. 

And Malayketu's elephant is greeted to this site!

Oh, Ah, O!

The Sui have 2 points towards their demoralization level of 15
The Indians have 3 points towards their demoralization level of 22
I can't believe I am losing this fight.

Turn 5:
The missing command rolls a 3, and is not in sight.

Yu knows Prince Porus's chariots can't hold forever, but now his line is turned, he commits his cavalry.  Elite Impact vs Mediocre overcomes elephant terror for a 2 point hit.

Fortune favors the foolish, as the right flank chariot continues to live.

Out maneuvered, Indian Light Foot must stand and receive.

Sui Cavalry, manage to slip out of the kill zone.

Oh, Ah, O!

Charges down the line!.  Elephants on horse.  Elite Chariots on Mediocre Spear.  Supports all round. 

 Yu played a magnificent delaying game, but in the end, numbers matter.

On victory, Shichong's Fu'Bing managed to eliminate a chariot.  But too late.

 

The Sui Cavalry is once again in range of Indian archery, while their target Indian Cavalry is out of range.

Oh, and....

Oh, Ah, O!

The Sui have 8 points towards their demoralization level of 15
The Indians have 7 points towards their demoralization level of 22

Turn 6:
A 4 is rolled,  no dust on the horizon.

The grand melee continues, a Fu'Bing and Cavalry are crushed beneath Chariot wheels and Elephant feet.

But Shichong has just about cleared the forest.

Indian Infantry are now permanently distracted, the Sui Heavy Cavalry are free to go where they will.

Oh, Ah, O!

The Sui have 11 points towards their demoralization level of 15
The Indians have 9 points towards their demoralization level of 22

Did you ever see an elephant sandwich?  Two pachyderms turn for flank charges, obliterating the Fu'Bing line.

The rest of the world stands in awe!

The Sui have 12 points towards their demoralization level of 15
The Indians have 9 points towards their demoralization level of 22

Turn 7:
A 6!  General Tuwan's flank march will arrive next turn!

General Yu's last cavalry is holding it's ground

General Shichong's Fu'Bing is content to shoot.

While his Cavalry successfully sacks the Indian camp!

The Sui have 12 points towards their demoralization level of 15
The Indians have 15 points towards their demoralization level of 22

The last Indians in the woods are captured!

The Sui have 12 points towards their demoralization level of 15
The Indians have 16 points towards their demoralization level of 22

The ghosts of the dead welcome their newest arrivals

The Sui have 13 points towards their demoralization level of 15
The Indians have 16 points towards their demoralization level of 22

Prince Porus takes possession of the Sui Fireworks display.

The Sui have 15 points towards their demoralization level of 15
The Indians have 16 points towards their demoralization level of 22

On the right flank, King Porus and General Malayketu is trying to assemble an attack force.

Final shot.

It doesn't say much to defeat a foe when 1/3 of his forces never arrive, and I nearly lost at that.
What are the odds of flank march not arriving by turn 7?  Well, I am a numbers guy.

Not appearing by turn 2:  83%

Not appearing by turn 3:  55%

Not appearing by turn 4:  40%

Not appearing by turn 5:  25%

Not appearing by turn 6:  16%

Not appearing by turn 7:  10%

The break even point is between turn 3 and 4.  So 50% of the time, your flank march will arrive timely, and 50% not.  I have done it, but frankly it doesn't seem worth it.

A Discussian with the Kushan

A Headless Body Production

Location:  Lancaster Convention Center

Event:       Historicon 2019
Theme:     Silk Road, round 2
Players:    Phil Gardocki playing King Porus of Purus.
                  Derek Hannan, Kushan

Game System: L'Art de la Guerre, about 200 points per side. 

The Forces:
Classical Indian (list 79)King Porus and Prince Malayketu, Competent, Prince Porus, included and ordinary.
      3 Elephant, Elite
      7 1/2 Medium Swordsmen, 1/2 Bowmen

      4 Heavy Chariots, Elite
      1 Medium Cavalry, Mediocre
      6 Light Infantry, Bow
      1 Herd of Stampeding Cattle
Breakpoint of 22
After much reflection I decided to revamp the list a bit.  I traded an elephant, the light cavalry, and the guardsmen (medium infantry, 2 handed sword)  for a couple of light infantry, an additional 1/2 bow/sword and the herd of cattle.  The main reason was to increase the amount of light infantry in the list.  Many of the battles where I have lost, my opponents out lighted me.

Where is Kush anyway?  All I know about Kush is from Robert E. Howard's Conan series.  A tropical land in the deepest part of his Africa analog.

But you shouldn't rely on poorly remembered fantasy novels for your list analysis.  Wikipedia has Kush at the source of the Nile, but, that is not "Kushan" which is listed as Northern India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.  

8 Cataphracts, 4 elite
Lots of Medium and Light Cavalry with bows.
Breakpoint of 22(ish)
     
The Board
Following his defeat by the wily Siamese, King Porus returns to his roots, only to find his kingdom ravaged by the recently unified tribes around the Tarim Basin.
The Kushans win the initiative and elect to defend in the steppes.

The southern Chota Nagpur Plateau.  The terrain is marked with a hill, a gully and a brush.

The Kushan right has 8 Cataphracts.

Their line peters out on the hill

This is Derek's 11th game ever.

Prince Malayketu's "Hold the flank" command is looking at a bad day.  Sure the elephant is going to have a good day, but the rest of his command is worthless against Cataphracts.

Prince Porus's Chariots have an OK match-up, but King Porus is out of position to fight anything.

And with all that Kushan Light Cavalry, King Porus's command is not moving anywhere in a hurry.

Turn 1:

Prince Malayketu moves short.

While the king and son advances with a left oblique.

We are not leaving the cattle behind this time.

The Kushan Lights are looking to turn the flank, and with one hit on the Indian lights, that looks like a done deal.

Kushan Cataphracts split in twain, half sliding right, half sliding left.

While the rest form a pocket for the Indians to fall into.

Turn 2:

Malayketu focuses on closing the hole before the Cataphracts can get into play.

Prince Porus, always eager to get into the fray, charges the light horse, and rolls LONG.

King Porus's elephants can't quite keep pace, nor can they vector in their elephants to the attack.

The Kushans split their lights to get around that flank.

And commit their elite cataphracts to combat.  The result  1 loss each and two ties

With their superior mobility, the Kushans get around King Porus's flank.

The Kushans have 2 points towards their demoralization level of 22
The Indians have 3 points towards their demoralization level of 22

Turn 3:
Derek is hankering for a toe to toe fight.  So much the better!
But he is also vigorously pursuing the flanks, while major Indian forces grasping at smoke, giving him quality and overlap advantages down the line.

Prince Malayketu issues a quick staccato of orders.  His cavalry charges the enemy lights, which opted not to flee off the board, but fought to the death.  His elephantry wheels and ZOC's the Cataphracts, their right side supporting Bowmen charges an enemy light horse which flees.  Reversing the flank support against the Chariots, which overcome the superior armor of the Cataphracts to win their fight.

Prince Porus has enough command points to either A) turn around his lights for a support shot, or B) Rally his one disordered chariot.  He goes for the 33% chance and Vishnu smiles upon his words.

King Porus splits his main battle group in two.  On his left, he opts to ZOC and Shoot.  On his right, he opts to charge.

Kushan Cataphracts set up their charge.

The steppes are being drenched with the blood of man and horse

The Kushans have this "Death Star" totally surrounded.  Time to charge again.

The Kushans have 12 points towards their demoralization level of 22
The Indians have 6 points towards their demoralization level of 22

Turn 4:

Prince Malayketu knows he is at a disadvantage, but it will only be worse if he loses the initiative, He mounts the elephant and orders a charge.

One chariot is destroyed.  Now both cataphract and chariot lines having their flanks turned.  And for the first time, the herd of cattle are stampeded.

Another charge by elephants and foot, another evade by Kushan lights.

One Cataphract is down, but the Indian line proves to be <ahem> porous, and another Cataphract sneaks behind the lines.  There is only one question that needs answering.

Prince Porus is flanked, but survives the assault.  The Cattle trample their opponents into the verge.

Another Kushan horse unit is dispersed by Indian archery. 

The Kushans have 16 points towards their demoralization level of 22
The Indians have 10 points towards their demoralization level of 22

Turn 5:

In a very rare event, Indian Cavalry charge and win.  Even if it is a flank, this is mediocre vs heavy armor!

In a desperate move, the Kushan commander comes to the front lines, only to have 2,000 Holsteins hit him in the flank. 

Final shot.

Normally, it's fairly easy to pick an MVP for the game. Usually its an opponent's Levy unit that refused to die under any circumstances, but here were so many firsts.

The Indian Medium Cavalry (mediocre) usually spend the battle as a place holder.  They are just easily beaten by everything.  But here they destroyed one unit and put 2 hits on a Cataphract.

Then the Cattle.  I think I only had one successful hit with cattle, so far, on a pike unit.  Then the cows were then beaten on the following round.  But here, they killed one unit, then flank charged an enemy general, winning the game.

Or the left hand 1/2 bow/sword unit.  Charged a Cataphract, and didn't die, the Cataphract got support, and still it didn't die, and was charged in the rear, and didn't die.