Battle of Nedao report
It's not usual in our club to play large team battles, so when we organize a refight of the battle of Nedao, all the players were quite excited and curious to see if this kind of game would be a success or not.
This was the battlefield, made with two standard 6'x4' table jointed. The terrain was some marsh near the Nedao river, and some boggy ground
The CiC made the plans, and this is how the two armies deployed looked like. The picture is taken from the rebellious barbarian side, with Alans, Sciri, Suevi, Gepid and Ostrogoths facing a huge Hunnic army.
Some Ostrogoths made with Alain Touller miniatures
More goths archers
Suevi, Sciri and Alans
Denzigich surrounded by light horses
Ernack forces on the hunnic right wing
The rebels before the start of the fight: from left Theodomir-Fabietto, Ardaric-Marco and Goar-Dennis
The Attila's litigious family, with Andrea-Yagbu, Enzac-Alessandro, Denzigick-Stefano and Ernack-Lorenzo.
Barbarians as defenders moved first, and showed immediately that they wanted to annihilate the nomads, leaving the boggy terrain and charging straight to the enemy.
The Huns were not shy, and advanced to engage the rebels. On the right wing a nomad shiwdown with the archenemies Alans was going to start
The Ostrogoths had a huge bowmen formation, while the Gepids preferred to shield their heavy cavalry mostly with a screen of foot skirmishers
The gepid archers were few and all in the center, supported by the king most trusted nobles
First charge between opposite horse archers. The hunnic horde is a terror inspiring sight.
After some weak arrow barrage, also the gepid archers were attacked. One of the gepid corps left the psiloi screen and decided to advance without protection. Huns would soon teach them to be less arrogant.
The Gepid that advanced foolishly were charged and started collecting casualties (the two elements back in the marsh)
The Gepid king had some trick to use, and after the archers resisted the hunnic attack, decided to countercharge the disordered enemy passing through his foot
Unfortunately the Gepid flank was collapsing. Suevian foot was indifferent to this and fought with elan.
The Alans were slowly losing ground and more elements, while Sciri heavy cavalry resisted several hunnic attacks
Gepids were under pressure
The Ostrogoths archers were charged again and again, but fought it back stubbornly. This is Gods vengeance when a player uses undercoated miniatures!
The Gepids line was pierced. Ostrogoth cavalry didn't support well their allies in this sector
The Sciri heavy cavalry was hammering the huns (elements in the picture bottom looking back are spent and lost), so Ernack decided to charge in and give the final blow to the battered Alans
The Gepid center suddenly collapses. Huns victory cries echoed in the sky
Also the ostrogothic foot was worn by the mounting casualties
But like a thunder a news came from the right flank: Goar leading a desperate charge killed Ernack, sealed all the breakthroughs with a great hunnic slaughter. The Sciri, inspired by the Alans, renewed their charges and routed the whole hunnic right wing. The unexpected set back terrorized some cavalry from Dengizich corps too, that left the field. The tide was changing thaks to the heroic Goar.
With both flanks exposed and no hope of rescue from the exhausted allies, Theodomir charged in the midst of enemy light horses.
Ostrogothic losses were huge, but the gothic fury first disheartened and then broke the enemy, and finally all the huns left the battlefield running for their life.
A great victory for the rebels, but at a great cost (about 40% of losses)
The winners. All of them survived the day, while Ernack and the Yagbu were slain.
A great battle and lot of fun, The next ones will be the linked battles of Mohi and Liegnitz