From the steppe to Milan
Milan tournament on november 2010 has a second period pool, allowing armies from 500 BC to 476 AD.
I like a lot the second period because there is a huge choice, with so many different armies. After much thinking, I decided to use Western Huns. I wanted a mobile army, able to take and keep the initiative, to exert pressure all over the enemy front, and quick to exploit any success.
The western Huns can be organized in several different ways. The premise ruled out Attila version with the full complement of germanic subjects. I wanted just mounted troops. It was harder decide if include the Sciri or not. In the end I decided to not, because what I would have gained in strike, I would have lost in manouvring. I hoped the the initiative, united to the feigned flight and S bonus versus mounted would have been enough to pierce every enemy formation. The tournament proved me wrong.
Another tough choice was if use Attila or not. Attila could have given me the flank attack edge, and some pip bonus. My doctrine was based on fighting all over the line, so I prefrred to deploy three corps with 24ME each. Attila would have weakened one of the corps.
The army was thought to use the +3 / -1 bonus in the deploymnt stage for being all mounted. I planned to deploy and move first if the terrain was good for me. I planned to use both in attack and in defence a big 2FE GH, to be used as a support to attack downhill. I would have tried to move first to gain the height advantage.
The huge hill would have been useful to deny some terrain to my opponent.
The impossibility to contest bad goings was a drawback, but I accepted that risk. At worst I could have aimed to score 13 points and I was confident I could look for a gap or flank to be attacked.
The army list in the end was quite simple:
C1- CiC ILhS, 18 ILhS - 24ME
C2- SG ILhS, 18 ILhS - 24ME
C3- SG ILhS, 18 ILhS - 24ME
C4- 6 IBgF - 6
Stratagems (15AP)- Feigned flight, Betrayal
The army doctrine was elementary; harass, outflank, threw enemy off balance, feign flight, exploit every hole end opportunity, be aggressive but not reckless, play fast.
I had no quick kill elements, so I needed to play well,