Tang Chinese vs Central Asian Turkish
Chinese Tang in this battle meet an historical enemy, Central Asian Turks. The chinese list is based on two wings of mounted troops, one heavy with cataphracts and a light with turkish auxiliaries, supported by infantry in the center.
I was the defender, and set up two 1FE difficult hill and 2 1/2 FE rocky hill to protect my flanks by the more numerous enemy light horses, and disrupt if possible the enemy plan.
The hills landed all in the enemy sector. The Turk, afraid to be contained and attritioned frontally by chinese better troops, decided to flank march
Tang plan was simple: attack frontally and destroy the enemy before the flank march corps could tip the balance. The light cavalry corps was left behind to protect the flank, while infantry and heavy cavalry advanced.
Turks tried to outflank the Tang left and a small chinese reserve of RCvO was sent to close the gap between the hills. A Tang RLhF attacked the flank of the enemy cavalry line to put pressure on enemy pips
The lines closed, while the turk CvO picked was attacked in the center
The Turk charged first, but thanks to cataphracts the combat was over in a couple of bounds. The death of the Turkish sub general was followed by the rout of the turkish left corps.
Turks tried a desperate counterattack with the CiC corps, still waiting for the flank march to appear on the battlefield
Finally the missing corps entered on 6th turn, advancing fast to attack the chinese right wing and the baggage behind it. The turks rolled a 1 pip when nearing the enemy line, and having to chose to hold the light horse and delay one turn their attack, or suffering the chinese first charge, they advanced. Tang RCvS attack was deadly, but there were plenty of horse archers
The battle on the right was bloody. Tang corps was disheartened, while the turks lost many elements too.
The sack of the baggge proved to be decisive, breaking the turkish army. 22-3 for the Tang Chinese.
This game was a gamble for the Turk. Flank march against a mobile army is risky. Should the flank march have entered by turn 2 or 3, the result could have been very different.