So what are Spanish Lusitanian, an army I never saw on table. I decided to go for that army because no one ever used it ( that I know of ) .
Command is "instrinctive" I had a talented CIC, 3 competent sub one being an internal ally .
3 nobles warriors TUG, tribal loose, sup, protected, exp javelin, melee expert, 6 bases, one max per command.
7 TUGs warriors, tribal loose,protected, exp javelin,melee expert, 8 bases each
1 TUG cavalry, formed loos, average, protected, short spear, unexp javelin 6 bases
2 caetrati SK SUGs , average protected, short spear, exp javelin 6 bases
1 caetrati SK SUGs , poor protected, short spear, unexp javelin 6 bases ( ally )
Light horse, SK SUG, average unprotected exp javelin ( 6 bases )
Best Light horse, average unprotected skilled javelin ( 6 bases ) to be modified latter when the new army builder will be available .
No shock army at all which in a tournament might be problematic !
Most miniatures are Forged In Battle
The Nikes had a simpler command structure with a competent CIC ( pro of course ), a tantented and a competent SB
3 mixed skutatoi bases, half LS bow, the other half bow, shield cover, shieldwall 8 bases
2 Tagmata TUGS, CL, melee expert , Shoot and charge ...6 bases
1 norman SUP unit, CL, DC, melee expert ..6 bases
1 themata average CL, protected, shoot and charge 6 bases
An 8 base armenian mercenaries TUG , LS but formed flexible ..
And the terrain was to be very open ..loose infantry will struggle at impact !
So the Nikes massed the SUP mounted in the center ( The Lusitanians had chosen manly to deploy in a plain ) . A battering ram ! The spanish ally is in the middle right of the spanish deployement . The hills in the back are difficult ...and no shruberry in the center ..
Normans and tagmata painted by Huub .
His fearsome armenian mercenaries ( flexible )
Spanish cavalry ( not so well painted it is mine ) They hold my right flank and will be the key of an unexpected manoeuvre .
Some spanish infantry ( testing different style of pictures )
always spanish infantry
The best light cavalry ( FIB ) and the light cavalry ( Essex )
The byzantine battering ram
the rest of the front
Spanish right flank and center. Most of my warriors are deployed 2 to the front, 4 rank deep for resilience .
Loose tribal in the difficult hils ..I might outflank him
My ally is willing
Opening moves
a moment of peace before the charge
Même pas peur ( not afraid )
Some spanish SUP 2 rank deep ( Xyston )
Well in the center ..I did delay a bit !
So only one charge, he is on red and white ( CL 2, sup 1 and my inf in loose order 1 ) I survive and manage a wound with my black dice :-) . But on melee he will be on green vs my white .I must absorb him .
Here is the key to a byzantine lost battle : wanting to protect his tagmata TUG he advanced his skutatoi TUG a bit too far . So I sent my cavalry forward to block his themata unit and advanced a warrior tug with one pivot ( I had that nice yellow token ) and so I am in the flank of the skutatoi TUG that faces one of my SUP TUG !My skilled shooters are in the flank of the themata .
As you can see the struggle warriors tagmata on the left hand is ..slow ! just what I need .
But on my left flank things go slowly ! Huub uses the fallback tactic !
My right flank goes in ! His themata kills one of my INF bases but he is no melee expert, I am and my cavalry received the charge and also lost a base ! I hate skulls when it is not me that rolls them ! But I am in the flank of his skutatoi - or was it protected by the themata's charge - to be discussed on the forum as when I did charge ..the flank was open ! We counted it as a flank charge .
I tried to charge his skutatoi and lost a base going in and just stopped far away from my target
So now what : I thinck he made here a mistake splitting forces and so his battering ram . But my foot do suffer except for the very first contact ..where the battle goes on ( upper right of the picture see the blue sup tagmata ..well still fencing with my foot. Huub has to learn to breakoff and come back full speed for much better dice .
Where it will happen
So what happened : The themata broke ,the general got killes, the skutatoi, already near breaking lost more bases due to dubble test ( Routing TUG and dead CIC ) . The SK charge finished them and during movement, the sup, who could not pursue, turned in the flank of the tagmata now unable to break off .
As you can see , the other tagmata TUg is killing one of my TUGS and my charge vs his skutatoi was, till now a big failure, 5 bases left on 8 ! I had also finaly engaed the armenians who did put a good fight .
And look at the bottom of the picture ..The dreaded norman knights did charge 2 different units ..I shot white dice and managed 3 wounds ..another at impact with a black dice and oups ..the normans are a bit disminished ! Balaklava once again ! I was lucky but he commited the cardinal mistake ..;charging too many targets at once ! and his left flank is crumbling .
The normans broke, the right hand tagmata is now near breaking ( one more wound and the leftover of my cavalry is in the rear in charge range ) . Huub surrendered at that time
On his right flank , the armenians were crumbling ( a few skulls ) as the skutatoi that were winning vs my warband as they had bad luck and me ..skulls .
So Huub was very disapointed but he must remember to pull back with lancers as to have better dice during the charge and pay attention as who moves first . So not move too quickly if the flank can be threatened . easy to say, easy to forget .
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Next week REG !