So what is PACTO ! Pacto is a smaller version of MEG, with less units, a smaller gaming area ( 90 cm on 60 cm even less than ADLG ) , as much fun and very surprising when comming from Maximus, the big brother of Pacto . Also in Pacto the units are smaller 1 to 3 bases ) and there is no slowing effect ..;which changes a lot if you have to choose between skirmishing and fleeing ..
Desert color with red lines mat is Maximus size ( 180 X 120 ) and green leaves of summer is Pacto size table ( 90 X 60 )
.I was rhe defender ...but got to choose terrain and went for mountain ( you can see the blue token which indicates where I wanted to be )
We played the 5 days before battle ( each player plays color tokens to win the strategic battle ..I lost in terrain density from very dens to normal )
So we had a protected flank with some difficult hills on the left side of the picture, some rough ground ( desert color patch ) a wood ( lower side of the picture, base line of the Byzantine army ) a common field in green and a village on the upper side ( Landobard base line )
Byzantine peloyment with from left to right some flankers with bow, some armenian mercenaries, themata cavalry, the varanguian guard, 2 TUGs of skutatoï, cataphracts ( very heavy stuff ) , tagmata elite cavalry and reckless normans .
The Langobards , a full mounted army ) with in the center a bulgar ally ( a shooty ally ) . No wonder he had 4 scouting cards . By the way we had that strangeoccurence of me being outscouted 20 %, so with 9 tugs deplyed 2, the 3, 3 and 1 . He had also to deploy 2 but being 10 strongh had to deploy 4 and 4 ..so I got last deployment .
We wanted to test so forward
Hum a lone devastating average langobard unit facing my superior devastating charges, charging lancers normans !
Charge ( and you can see my shooty skutatoi advanced close to the unprotected skirmish ennemy ...but as usual no effect
I confirm charge
Well he survives but alreadt lost 50% of his unit ( the general is in the melee giving a bonus, hence his position to the rear with the point touching the baseline )
My right flank is going to meet the ennemy . Not the best move but we wanted to test .
we are moving and next turn he could charge me in the flank ...ouch
He forgot the charge but I did not ...who and yes his average unit did die but his other unit survived
He charges my armenians ...I am overconfident with my long spears
So he lost a unit and the KAB were deadly for him . The position of the dead unit is the position after rout, so both tested units were well within 3 pacto MU .
So he survived the charge vs my armenian long spears, my themata did nothing when shoot and charge and lost impact as well . It will have dire consequences for my right flank . To make is short, during melee, he will kill a base, so rout of the themata ! he will kill the general and the test for that is immediate so he roled for my armenians...befor they could fight and he rolled a skull so they lost their second rank . He also rolled a skull for the flanker that had skirmished very confidently before and did not feel so confident anymore and when fighting my armenians, his sup cavalry killed them ..so my right flank is gone ..
The left flank feels better but he is going to outglank me with his one base TUG you can see on the left side ..he is in my back
My right flank ...yes only langobard cavalry . Hurray there is no camp to protect, no camp in Pacto . And my flankers will flee his charges and ..die on the edge of the world ...my own baseline .
Another beautifull picture of a battlefied ....the varangians guard is looking at the langobard cavalry passing by
Where is my army ? So what happened ! His left flank was nearly immobile just at the right time ...white and black tokens ..so he could not manoeuver I I managed to evade complete destruction ( Byzantine money sent to the right account to keep his talented commander very busy for a turn ) . The varangian guard is now to the flank a a unit that can neither flee or charge ! I managed to bring me tagmata unit back to charge one of his units ( I will be the phasing player ) that is why some bulgars have turned to face me . I advanced one skutatoi TUG so he could not charge me in the flank where I turned the other skutatoi unit to face his dev chargers that are coming ....
We are heavily engaged
He will loose one un2 units in the fight and the KABs will fibihsh the army !
KAB are really to be feared in Pacto . I lost my entire right flank to it and he lost his army . Had he had better colors when needed I would have lost the game .
I was lucky
Overall opinion : Pacto is fun and for quick games !