Early northern barbarian vs Later Sargonid

The northern barbarians can be organized in several different ways, depending by the period and the geographic area choosen. I picked the version AxS based.

This option is interesting thanks to the very low aggressivity, that let the player usually set up the terrain features, and the presence of scrub hills and brush in the terrain list, that let maximize rough going, very friendly to the barbarian infantry and a big problem to book 1 chariotry.

The attacker, an Assyrian Sargonid, decided to set a couple of big marshes trying to cut the table in two battlefield and concentrate on one part of it.

I went for two big brush hill and two small scrubs. Next time I will maximize the terrain with a small Bua, to channel even more my opponent.

By the way, I had no terrain to hinder enemy mounted on the right, so I decided to attack on the left and refuse my right wing, deploying there troops with a defensive posture, but fast enough to sally and attack should the enemy not cover that flank.

The Assyrian wanted to test the combat capability of his army, so decided for a face up deployment instead to hide in a corner to sweep the open right wing.

This s the way the battle developed. In the center the IBdO in three lines faced the enemy RKnS and neither side charged, afraid of exposing the flank.This for me was a good advantage from a C3 pov too. The assyrian CiC leading the chariotry had the average pip dice, and this let the exposed CvS wing with the lower pip.

I attacked hard on the left, where the most fragile assyrian corps was deployed. My plan was to break the enemy corps and then attack enemy center from two sides.

On the right I advanced because I had a wider frontage, and wanted to attack by an outflank.

Detail of the attack on the left wing. My massed Ax engaged fewer enemy Ax and PsO.

The attack on the right developed, with AxS leading and CvI ready to charge with overlaps enemy CvS if the opportunity presented.

The assyrian left wing is under pressure. It had the high pip dice and this prevented an early collapse. Barbarians problem was have the pip needed to attack more than the enemy resistance

The assyrian right is plagued by low pips and barbarians approach it. The Sargonid decide to swap the pips between the unengaged center and the cavalry wing.

The Ax fight is the usual mess with compulsory follow up.

Barbarians charge with a sally from the swamp too. The Assyrian is immobile the tuen before the attack due the pip swap, but with the middle pip dice thing could become messy for me.

I need to break through quickly.

Assyrian Ax take a lot of losses. The command is disheartened

The Assyrian line held, and barbarians started to take losses

The Sargonid left broke, and the both central corps advanced for the final act of the battle

The barbarian right was slowly giving ground. Time was essential now to save it. The KnS charged but were repulsed.

The coordinated attacks by the assyrian right wing bring the casualty count to 12 ME out of 36 for the barbarians corps

The second chariot charge wiped out the first line of the enemy heavy infantry, but with flanks exposed and bad combat dice the charioters fell. They lost the following bound three RKnS including the CiC. The assyrian broke: 20-5 for the barbarians

I'm not used to play so large armies, and found the lack of impetous troops a bless and a big problem too. Pips are essential to keep the army attacking. The Ax / Bd combination gives the possibility to attack everywhere, but some terrain should be used to avoid a pick and kill approach by nimbler enemies.

The army is interesting, but is not a killer one, I think to force a victory can sometimes be a problem.