Holding Action (18 December 2020)

Sassanids, 2,000 points vs Belesarians 1,500 points. Tough for the Belisarians to hold the line. Made it to turn 7. Good victory for Scott!!!!

 

The field. Byzantines on the right, Sassanids entering on the road to the bottom left.

 

The village of Mundopolis!!!!

 

A lone camel wanders through the village looking for its master.....

  

The tomb of St. Mund. Patron saint of inn keepers & goatherds!!!!!

  

The Byzantines deployed. I was trying to strike a balance between infantry and cavalry.  I brought more infantry than normal because I needed to hold ground.  I thought I had a fair balance, turned out I did not.  

  

The Sassanid advanced guard comes on the board.

  

The Huns move to counter them.

  

The Huns launched a volley of arrows at the Sassanids but their armored Clibanarii took few casualties.

  

Sadly, the Clibanarii returned a volley of arrows. Many of these found their mark & the Huns fled!!!!

 

The Bucellarii moved forward and delivered a volley into one of the Clibanarii units that routed!!!

  

One of the light cavalry joined the Clibanarii off table.

  

Turn two. The Belisarians are down two light cavalry blocks but have blunted the Sassanid advance!

  

Turn 3 brought the bulk of Scott’s army on the table.

  

My Levy infantry was close enough to charge one of the Clibanarii units!!!!

 

On my right the Skutatoi & red Kataphraktoi shot up a unit of Iranian LC.

  

I had mass, but because these were Levy Skutatoi a WS of 2. 

 

In Scott's turn he threw the light cavalry into the flank of my Levies and broke them.  

 

Things are not looking good for the Byzantines.....

 

I figured maybe I could break one of his Clibanarii units with my Bucellarii with the General and the Army Standard in it.

The Iranian LC moved forward only to be overwhelmed by Byzantine arrows & destroyed.

 

I won but could not break the Clibanarii.

 

So, using my one of my Superior Byzantine Cavalry special rules, I bounced back out of combat.

 

Scott surrounded my Bucellarii and shot them full of arrows !!!!

  

I did not take a lot of casualties, but I did take enough to have to check for panic and I failed my morale test (I had to roll a 9 or less on 2D6) and fled!!!!!

 

 The Bucellarii rallied, but I was down to three units!!!!

 

I brought the second block of Skutatoi around to face the Clibanarii.

 

 

 

Unfortunately, I was enveloped by the superior numbers of Sassanids.....

  

& busted!!!! With the infantry being destroyed my Bucellarii failed a panic test and left the board!  With the only things left being the red Kataphraktoi and a bunch of Psiloi hiding in the trees, I conceded the village of Mundopolis and Mund's Tomb to the Sassanid invader!!!

Squidrosis Anushirvan (he of the Immortal Soul) ran to Mund’s Tomb in Mundopolis!!!!  

 

 ....and it!!!!!