Although I originally couldn't make the 2025 running of Chariots of Fire a change in circumstances meant I could and so I jumped at the opportunity. I have always found that MeG games in the "chariot period" are almost always very enjoyable.
It was also a chance to get the new 3d printed version of my Hittite army on the table. To see how they went on in the first 2 games, read on ...
The list I used was:
This is a very simple army really. Its aim is to shoot as much as possible and only get involved in any sort of close combat when the enemy is very much worn down by the shooting. It has the maximum number of Hittite Skilled shooting chariots the army list allows and a mass of skirmishing infantry to support them. Open terrain is its friend and room for the chariots to skirmish.
The other lists used at the competition can be found HERE.
The first round draw paired me against a Late Spring and Autumn Chinese army run by Lawrence Greaves. The PBS phase saw us fighting in Mountains, however, the table was mostly clear of terrain with a couple of steep hills on my left and a patch of rough going in the centre of the table. This left a goodly amount of open terrain for my chariots which suited me. I'm sure Lawrence would have liked more terrain though.
I outscouted the Chinese by 30% so had the advantage of being able to deploy troops after Lawrence which is quite useful for the Hittites (as it is for any shooty mounted army IMO). The Chinese deployed with infantry on their right behind one of the hills, 2 chariot units with an infantry unit between them as their centre, and more infantry including a couple of skirmisher units as their left behind the rough going. This left a large amount of open space to the left of the Chinese line.
I, therefore, deployed with 3 Hittite chariot units on my right to exploit the open space, most of my infantry to their left including the Hittite Spearmen, then the Golden Chariot Fighters and the remaining Hittite chariots and finally my left was the Anatolian chariots. It looked like this.
Initial moves saw the Chinese advance along the line but holding a couple of units back a bit on their left. I pushed forwards as much as possible on my right and also pretty much along the line doing a bit of manoeuvring to bring some shooters into play where I could. The Golden Chariot Fighters were pushed a bit ahead of other troops to tempt the Chinese chariots opposite them to charge so drawing them out and allowing extra shooting on them. On my right there was one Chinese infantry unit that looked a bit unsupported and I hoped to be able to mass some shooting on them in future moves.
The following move things pretty much went to plan. The Chinese chariots were successfully tempted and suffered from the shooting they received. They failed to make contact and so I set up to do the same again next move. On the right the isolated infantry unit attracted a Hittite chariot unit and some skirmishers to shoot at it in subsequent moves and the other chariots moved onwards towards other infantry.
Next move the Chinese chariots again charged - no real option really given where they found themselves - and although they did contact the Golden Chariot Fighters they were in a bad way when they did and broke quickly. The Legendary general leading them did pretty much nothing. On my left I was falling back but my shooting wasn't as good as hoped. On my right the Chinese infantry unit suffered badly, however, losing 2 bases immediately to shooting. I was also able to get another Hittite chariot unit into position to flank charge a second Chinese infantry unit - I think Lawrence just didn't have the cards to prevent this.
The chariots on the right promptly ran through the Chinese infantry and then were able to turn round and get into a position to flank charge the other infantry unit on that flank which itself was now suffering from Hittite chariot shooting. The infantry unit that had gone into the rough going ceased to exist under a hail of shooting as well. On my left, however, my chariots were backed up against the table edge by the advancing Chinese, although these were being whittled down - but I now had to stand and fight. However, to help the Golden Chariot Fighters were in a position to charge the rear of an infantry unit that was already down a couple of bases - although they would be themselves charged in the flank by another Chinese infantry unit (but only 1 base and they are Exceptions so I wasn't too bothered).
Everything then went as planned. The various chariot attacks in the Chinese infantry broke those units and the badly damaged Chinese chariots fell to the chariots on my table edge - the accumulated losses from shooting left them just too vulnerable.
The game ended a very satisfactory 15-1 to the Hittites.
The afternoon game saw me facing the Achaian army from the Trojan War, Achilles included. Tough ask and Matt McVeigh is a good player.
Matt wanted to get a fairly cluttered table to cut down my manoeuvre options so he could get at my more mobile army, however, the PBS sequence went my way. We did end up with a deep water flank and a couple of woods, one of which was roughly centre table - I'd have preferred that this one was elsewhere, but otherwise I was quite comfortable with the terrain. I also outscouted the Achaians by 80% so got a very good view of where they were before I had to deploy.
The Achaians deployed between the cost and a fortified camp so as to use the terrain to keep the fighting area narrow. Their right was basically covered by a single unit of chariots with some poor infantry at their rear which could intervene at a pinch. The main battleline was comprised of Pylian infantry, Achaian chariots and Pylian chariots (on their left) which was pretty tough. Oddly, IMO, Achilles Myrmidon, who are really powerful, were deployed on the Achaian left to go through the wood next to the coast. I felt this took a very useful unit somewhat out of the game at the start. The coast was lined with a beached fleet which although not troops in the game looked very good 😎
I went for a couple of Hittite chariots units on my left to go around the central wood in an "on table flank march" with some skirmisher infantry. My centre was the other Hittite chariots, more skirmishers and the Golden Chariot Fighters and the Anatolian troops on my right. The aim was to wheel somewhat to the right to bring my shooting into play, give me more room to fall back and keep the Myrmidon out of the game for as long as possible. The troops on the left were to take out the Achaian right and get in behind them - the camp being fortified wasn't on the agenda. It looked like this:
The first couple of moves saw both sides advance as they planned. My left flank chariots and skirmishers rushed round the wood and the Achaian chariots turned to face them off as did, somewhat further back, a unit of poor infantry. Matt pushed up into the gap between the woods and I advanced as planned and got into shooting range. One of the Achaian chariot units ended up a bit advanced of the line and facing the Golden Chariot Fighters; as it was a 4 base unit rather than a 6 I quite liked this, it felt like an opportunity. The Myrmidons were being tardy as Achilles kept drawing poor cards all game - some achievement given that he has 5 a turn, he did Matt no favours.
To begin with my shooting was not that effective part from when a unit of Pylian infantry charged a Hittite chariot unit who threw 2 Skulls and took off 2 bases in one shot. This was actually quite important as it meant that Matt had to be more cautious than he had planned. Elsewhere it was a base of falling back before the advance of Achaian and Pylian chariotry with my Anatolians.
The next few moves saw us cracking on at a good pace. On my left the Achaian chariots were brutally shot down quite quickly and the poor infantry rather nervously looked at the chariots eyeing them up as the next victim.
In the centre my shooting started to steady whittle away bases forcing the withdrawal of the small unit of Achaian chariots. On my right there was some more dramatic action, however. The Pylian chariots and the 6 base unit of Achaian chariots contacted my Anatolian chariots and a unit of Hittite chariots. However, Matt's dice decided to desert him at this point. Whilst the Pylian chariots broke one of the Anatolian units the Achaian chariots fluffed their lines and were destroyed by shooting and combat - a second 4 base unit had to charge into the breach and these were soon reduced to 2 bases. To round off Matt's bad luck the Pylian chariots who had pursued to my base edge now didn't get the card they needed to turn and so I ganged up a couple of skirmisher units to shoot at them and started to cause damage. The Myrmidon remained well out of things.
At this point having finished his own game Simon Hall delivered his verdict on the position of the Achaian army ...
Matt's cards didn't recover and I must say he took it all with good grace. The Pylian chariots remained stuck in place for another couple of moves. In the meantime I ganged up on the poor infantry to the rear of the Achaian army. In the centre the small Achaian chariot unit that was close to breaking held on a bit and then the inevitable happened. Matt had hoped that my victorious chariots would then pursue to their doom on the front of his second Pylian long spear infantry; alas for this plan I had held back cards to control their pursuit and so stopped short. However, the Myrmidons had finally arrived in a position to charge these chariots.
The end phase was now in sight, however, Achilles was going to have a say in this before the end. The Myrmidons charged my victorious chariots who were obviously overconfident as they skirmished short and were promptly obliterated by an obviously frustrated Achilles.
However, this wasn't going to save the Achaian army. The Pylian chariots did finally turn to face the skirmishers who were tormenting them and ride them down. However, the Hittite chariots that were in the rear of the Achaian army rolled in and finished things off.
So the game ended as 15-9 to me which was most satisfying giving me a maximum possible 30 points for the day. However, it must be said that Matt did suffer a whole series of moves with woeful cards otherwise it could have been a lot more sweaty for my army. In the end I can't help thinking that the placement of the Myrmidons on the flank rather than in the centre was a key factor in this game.
The day 2 games will follow later.
Impressive victories!
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