In October a few hardy souls gathered to fight an Ancient's battle using the Impetus rules. One bunch of loin-clothed chariot riders fought another bunch of loin-clothed chariot riders. Here is a report from Vince, commander of one of the bunches of loin-clothed chariot riders. In the first picture you can see the "Hand of Vince"!
The Hittite king surveyed his forces with concern. He had just received word that the vassal Chasadder and his army would not be turning up today. Surely some treachery. A quick message to Rameses Andy Lama Lama Ding Dong resulted in a compromise being reached regarding a redistribution of forces. This left the Hittites fielding a unit of sycophants and half naked girls , but needs must. The long awaited battle was back on.
The Hittites deployed with a division of heavy chariots, light infantry and skirmishers on the left and lights chariots, light infantry, skirmishers and girls in the centre and right. The Egyptians put their chariots on their right, deployed the Sherden warband in the first line and the regular infantry and archers in the second.
Immediately the Hittite chariots on the left surged forward to engage
their opposite numbers. Well, all bar one squadron that went disordered and stayed that way until the last moments of the battle. In the swirling melee the forces became intermixed.
Meanwhile one unit of Sherden were engaged by the girls et al and
soundly beaten. The sight of their comrades being pursued by dancing
girls, fan bearers, serving boys etc must have inspired the other unit of Sherden as they went through every Hittite unit they met like the proverbial hot knife.
On the other flank the Hittite infantry saw off the skirmishers in the broken ground, but were routed by the regular archers.
Despite a valiant and protracted battle, Ramese's chariots squadron was routed and the Pharaoh proceeded to direct his forces from a secure hiding place well in the rear.
Having exhausted and finished off every unit they had met, the girls finally succumbed to an assault by the Royal guard led by Steve. Well
there is only so much even a professional "entertainer" can take. The
Hittite leader wisely found a safe bolt hole in a wadi and stayed there.
With the Hittite chariots victorious but scattered and most of the rest of his army having remembered they had "left the gas on", Muwattalish decided the nearest fortified town looked a good option and retired from the field.
All in all a good bash which we all enjoyed. The rules played well and gave a free flowing and realistic fight.
Anyone who thinks chariots are easy to handle should give them a try !
Nathan, who thinks he's Napoleon but isn't that tall.
Jason, yours truly, who can lose with any army.
