After the first 2 games at Rueil 2025 I was somewhat mid-table. However, a couple of good results on the second day could propel me up the table.
To see how I went on in the 2 games on the second day, read on ...
A reminder of the list I took:
The first game on Sunday saw me facing off against Bruno Masson and his Eastern Han army. Oddly I had faced an Eastern Han last time I used Xianbei Kingdoms where I came out on top - read about it HERE - would I do the same this time? One difference would be that Bruno's army was entirely mounted unlike the infantry heavy version I beat previously.
I think I defended in this game and due to an draw on the scouting I had to start deploying first. Not sure how much difference it made to be honest. The table ended up with a secure flank of woods on my right and a couple of other woods one in the Han centre on the table edge and the other on my left - neither of these would really affect the game.
I deployed towards the centre of the table and towards the left looking to pivot to my right as it was fairly clear that Bruno would deploy on my right. I used my Fortified camp to secure the right flank of my line. I mixed my cavalry and horse archers with the right hand third of the army held a bit back. The Han deployed very compactly on my right with a Xianbei ally on their right and the Han troops on their left. The game would clearly involve both armies pivoting and fighting along the depth of the table rather than the width.
It looked like this:
The first few moves saw both armies wheel round as anticipated. The Han had some 4 base units which needed to be carefully used given my shooting but also included 3 powerful shooting/combat units in the shape of 2 Superior Han cavalry and a Superior, Skilled shooting Xianbei unit (which I didn't realise the list allowed - shows even when you think you've really studied the lists with 600+ there are still surprised out there 😁). I had pushed one Heavy cavalry unit on my left a bit ahead of their supports as a bit of a tempt to open thing up (a bit like in my first game at the competition) - although it could be hit in the flank the unit doing so was just 4 bases and would receive 5 Green dice shooting in their charge so should be badly damaged.
Best laid plans can go wrong and this one did. Zero damage on the Han cavalry and the Heavy cavalry were broken in short order. Ah well, there was an element of risk. However, that did seem to set the tone for my dice in all conditions for the game 😒 Anyway, despite this I was still in an OK position.
In the centre I was using the catafracts as a block to hold up 3 Han units whilst I manoeuvred elsewhere to set up suitable shooting and fighting. To try and trap one of my Heavy cavalry units, my righthand most one, Bruno essayed a speculative charge with a 4 base unit on the basis that if he lost my cavalry would pursue to a really bad position. Of course this predicated my cavalry winning and after the initial fighting we were both 1 wound away from breaking. Elsewhere my shooting was uniformly ineffective.
Of course my cavalry broke but the Han one didn't. More woeful shooting ensued and one of my horse archer units evaded short and was caught. Bad day at the office really. I did push the catafracts up to charge but really I was back-pedalling in most places now.
The catafract charge drove away 2 Han units and hit the flank of the Xianbei best cavalry and whilst they did some damage both units were reduced to 4 bases. I was teed up for a couple of charges with heavy cavalry in an aim to get some points from the game
However, nothing came of any of this and we ran out of time before an army break result (it would have been my army, of course, that would break 😂). So 2-10 in favour of Bruno.
The last game would be against jean-Luc Van Loo who was using Early Imperial Roman with a Kommagene ally. Third person I played at the weekend that I hadn't played before - which was a win for me.
I can't recall who attacked/defended in this game but we ended up on a table with next to no terrain. There was a river on my right and a marsh on my left but otherwise nothing. I outscouted the Romans and they deployed with an infantry centre with Roman cavalry on their left and the allied catafracts on their right (one Average and one Superior).
I went with my catafracts supported by horse archers on my right to take out the Roman cavalry, lancers and horse archers on the left to deal with the Kommagenes and more of the same in the centre to face off the Roman infantry - with the aim of attacking the auxilia as the weaker link there.
It looked like this:
After a couple of moves the armies had moved up to reasonably close range with my horse archers lined up to shoot away. Cards had meant my right wing was a bit slower than desired but nothing serious. For the only time in the competition I had also moved one of the Chinese crossbow militia units, in this case into a position to charge and drive away the Kommagene horse archers who other wise could be an issue for my horse archers. The Chinese were likely to get shot down but they were expendable 😁 I had also lined up a lancer cavalry unit to charge an auxilia unit on that flank as well.
Things started to go a bit wrong for Jean-Luc at this point. The average catafracts took a bit of damage from my horse archers but were then brutally ridden down by one of my Heavy cavalry units for very little loss. Somewhat reminiscent of the game against Denis on Saturday.. Whilst the Superior catafracts then came up and battered the lancers somewhat the latter held on which would allow me to set up for their inevitable demise and be able to catch the catafracts in a way favourable to me.
In 2 moves of charging my cavalry unit aimed at the auxilia broke them and pursued behind the Roman line - although they were badly hurt in the fighting and would not get a card to take of an irritating would they were carrying. On my right my catafracts had hit both Roman cavalry units and was making slow work but were not themselves damaged.
As planned a reception was made for the Kommagene catafracts whilst my cavalry behind the Roman line was able to get to position to charge the flank of some legionaries. The right continued to be bogged down but I did charge another lancer unit at a legionary unit whilst also having horse archers hoot at them
The Kommagene catafracts were broken by a combination of lancers to their front and a horse archer unit hitting them in the rear, although they went down fighting taking bases off the lancers.
The flank attack on the legionaries in the centre was reasonably effective, however, as the lancers were weakened they broke before they could quite finish off the legionaries.
On the right things were slowly going my way with a Roman cavalry unit a wound from breaking and a legionary unit getting damaged. However, the Romans were fighting back and my units were taking loses.
The end came shortly after though with a Roman cavalry unit finally breaking and this took the army down.
The final score was 15-6 to me.
Over all this left me 11th from 20 which given the way the 2 morning games had gone I was happy enough with. Overall it had been a great weekend and many thanks to everyone involved 😁
The final standings:
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