Pass Clearance (3 January 2021)

Pass Clearance. Belisarians 1,750 points - Sassanids 1,250 points. We decided to play twelve turns and the game ended in a slim Sassanid victory.  Looking back on it, I think I was too timid with my Kataphraktoi early on in the game.  I did not want my expensive cavalry shot up by a bunch of Sassanid light troops, and thought I could win an archery duel with my Skutatioi, Huns, and Psiloi before bringing the elite Kataphraktoi and Goth HC to bear on the Sassanid Clibanarii and medium infantry.  As it turned out I lost every archery duel I fought.  To be fair, on this day I rolled HORRIBLY for saving throws while Scott rolled really well.  But still, I should have pressed with all my elite cavalry earlier than I did.  It was a really good game and a fun way to spend an afternoon with pretty figures on a nice table.

 

The terrain for this iteration of the scenario was different than the first time we played it. The basic situation is still the same, but there were more trees this time.

 

Scott brought a ton of light troops to fight today.

  

He wisely put his only formed infantry in the village and ordered them into Shield Wall.  They were going to be tough to dig out of that position.

  

I had some light troops, but the bulk of the army was Kataphraktoi and Skutatoi.

  

Annoying light troops were everywhere it seemed.

 

I worked to deploy to face Scott's light troops.

 

On my left there were a bunch of Iranian LC that I just could not shoot up.  Whenever I would cause a casualty, it seemed Scott made his save!  

 

After several turns where I took the brunt of archery & could not make my saves, I decided to just push forward with what I had and just try to catch Scott’s light cavalry and/or light infantry. My blue Kataphraktoi did catch his bow armed LI as they tried to run away.

  

 ...but his slingers in the woods shot up my Skutatoi, I missed a bunch of saves (as was usual for this game).....

 

...& my Skutatoi fled. This touched off a wave of panic where my Psiloi fled, & so did my Goths. So much for “wild, brave Germanic cavalry.....”

  

Without much choice the blue Kataphraktoi pressed on alone and finally got to the light cavalry.

  

On my left, no matter how hard I tried, I just could not get the better of Scott's Iranian LC.  He made lots of saves and I did not.

  

My blue Kataphraktoi supported by my Trapezitoi drove Scott's LC away, and actually made some of their saves against his archers.  I routed his Daylami light infantry who just would not rally with their LD of 5.

 

I drove hard on my right and needed to bring up my general with his Bucellarii and the Goth HC who finally rallied.

 

By turn 8 the Daylami infantry started Scott's turn within 4" of an Iranian LC unit and so it had to test for panic.  It failed and routed.  Things began to look up for Byzantine cause.

I brought up reinforcements as fast as I could.

After driving all of the Sassanid LC on my right off the table (i.e. down the pass) I set up to deal with his Royal Clibanarii and his general.  

 

On my left things settled down to an archery duel between my Hunnic LC, and two Skutatoi units.

My blue Kataprhaktoi ran over Scott's Daylami LI and destroyed them while the Goth HC (right distance) slammed in to the Royal Clibanarii.

On turn 11 I used the Drilled ability of the Kataprhakroi, spun on my axis and prepared to deliver the coup de grace to the Clibanarii on turn 12 (the last turn of the game).

On turn 12 I hit the rear of the Clibanarii with my blue Kataphraktoi.  I did several casualties, but Scott killed a bunch of Goth HC to his front and routed them.  I won the combat by 4, but Scott rolled a 3 for his morale test and stood his ground.  While I had defeated all his light troops and killed some of his Royal Clibanarii, I had not broken them and I had not touched his infantry in the village.  It was a close affair, but the Byzantines failed in their objective of clearing the pass of all enemy by sundown and the Belisarians were forced to retire.  A good fight and in doubt until the very last turn.