Milano 2012 - Fourth game vs Seleucid
On the last round I had 62 points and was paired with Maurizio, using Seleucid. Paolo had 58 points, so I needed a win to secure the tournament.
I attacked and this was the battlefield
I put down a 2FE gentle hill. I made a mistake in my plan, deploying back the BwX corps, while it would be better put it in the front line. This costed me several pips in the first turn. My plan was to advance, soft the enemy by shooting, and turn the left flank.
On the far right my plan was to use the rocky hill to infiltrate some cavalry around enemy knights
Maurizio immediately run his line cavalry far on the left to avoid my bow fire. I followed him, running parallel to him a bit like in Alexander movie. This manouver costed me a lot, because I put my CiC out of command range from the cavalry on the hill.
From now, it started a terrible situation for me. I was outpipped almost all game long, so had to abort the manouver on the right, having there an average of 2 pips with the middle die, while the troops on the hill were immobile.
When the far left edge was reached, the combat started. I needed to kill the Seleucid corps as fast as possible to move back my CiC.
Seleucid used well the pips and was able to avoid my BwX fire.
Seleucid fought hard, resisting my attacks
On the right I was pip starved, and quite desperate to save the cavalry. I tried to pull back and enter the rocky flat.
I was in position on the right, and could press home my charges also if I rolled a total of 8 pips in two consecutive turns.
Maurizio did not waste his time, because the longer I was engaged on the far left, the more vulnerable I was on the hill. He attacked to push me back looking for exposed flanks. The Elephants and the RAxS on the rocky hill belonged to the cavalry command pursuing my troops on the far right, out of command as well. Here he decided to not use them to attack my exposed flank, preferring to spend pips to pursue my fleeing cavalry and LhF.
Finally I entered the rocky flat, in a position that threatened enemy flanks should the knights try to leave the right valley. I was safe
Things turned finally good, The Seleucid cavalry was broken and pips flowed again. The game was a 15-10 now, but I thought it over.
Suddenly it was Seleucid time to suffer a pip crisis. My CiC was again in command range and I counterattacked with downhill charges
The time was almost over, but Seleucid losses were increasing. The Phalanx was just 22ME big and some hard flank attacks could have dramatic effects on a corps weakened by the continous bow fire.
The Seleucid army broke, unable in the last turn to parry all the threats to disheartend phalanx due low pips. 25-0 to Han
I liked Maurizio's KnF manouver on the left, it was brilliant. Imho he wasted too many pips on the right were he kept attacking with fewer troops, fragmenting his LhF. Probably better focus on the center where he could use two corps against one that was out of command.
I was really afraid in this game, I had a lot of problems moving and was under pressure in two sectors out of three. The result was a surprise for me, I thought the game would be a winning draw in the end.