Chola Empire vs Mongol Conquest
Chola Empire army is one of my favourite elephant armies because has a mix of troops that can cope with every opponent. I'm still struggling to organize a list, because the generals on elephant are a liability in the lower pip dice corps. After many experiments on paper, I decided to try an unusual version, with no subgenerals and two chola allied corps, to have the possibility to attack with all the commands fielded. This version is risky, but is also quite big. The core is the mix of elephants and RBdF in the center, with the wings protected bt all the RBwO allowed.
The Elephants are 9, three for each corps, and are used in small group with generals in the center to exploit the bonus given by any casualties the commander should do. The infantry groups are interspersed to support the nellys when facing archers and light troops, and to receive protection when enemy field heavy mounted. The RBwO on the flanks should be able to dela with outflankers.
The structure is quite rigid, and there is not an army reserve. The corps can use as tactical reserve the psiloi and the BdF in second line.
The Mongol I faced was an interesting four corps version heavy on CvS, with the ILhI to raise BP.
As defender, I had a very good terrain, with large woods on both flanks to protect my army from outflankings and flank marches, and two brush in the center to protect part of my foot from enemy mounted charge. The Mongol set up a couple of GH, one of which was in the center of his deployment zone.
The first turn Chola had excellent pips with both allied corps reliable. I advanced fast. A very good start, because the mongol corps were all engaged and could hardly march manouever
The Mongol decided to attack both my wings aiming at the RBwO, while he had a defensive stance in the center, wanting to use the gentle hill to gain a combat advantage.
Detail of the Mongol attack on the right wing. Superior mounted survuved the shooter barrage and charged in. Chola was plagued by low pips from thin moment on and could reatc slowly.
The situation in the center. The mongols on the hill fought long and hard keeping at bay the elephants. Chols was not able to kill any element, losing the corps in the long run.
The General on elephants pushed back the enemy but was not able to kill anyone, slowly losing troops protecting the flank. The Chola once the combat was joined, had all generals locked in combat.
In this critical turns, pips was often extremely low, leaving the army as a sitting duck. This situation showed one of the problem linked to using generals on elephant up front.
The situation all over the battleline. The right wing bowmen slowly are killed, and the elephants do little damage. The Chola army is disordered in many groups, and cannot manouver properly neither redress the lines with low pips and generals engaged. Mongols push hard with CvS big corps on the right, having the higher pip die
One by one Chola elephants are surrounded, hard flanked and killed
The gaps were exploited by the Mongols that enjoyed better C3. The Chola army collapsed. The Mongols, with all four corps near breaking points won a bloody battle 23-2
The battle showed one weak point of the Chola army. The troops control is counterbalanced by the need of many pips to send troops in combat. Once these are lacking because dice are low and generals in combat generate pip malus, the situation is grim.