High Elves v Barbarians (non Fantasy!!)

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Paul K
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High Elves v Barbarians (non Fantasy!!)

Post by Paul K »

This game would be aptly described as a non-fantasy fantasy game. In other words the two fantasy armies are fantasy in name only as all the fantasy elements were removed – no flyers, magic, elementals, giants etc. We managed to complete 2 games in the evening, switching the players and terrain around, between games, and using the dice to decided who got which armies etc. Both armies had a total strength of approximately 250 points with the Barbarians having the greater number of troops and the mostly ‘A’ class High Elves having the superior quality units.
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Game 1
The dice gave Chris and Dave the High Elves and Tony and I the Barbarians. Both armies deployed 4 hexes in from the table edge and the open area in the centre of the battlefield was soon swallowed up as the two armies closed on each other. The road that snaked across the battlefield was swallowed-up by the High Elves. This enabled the slower moving High Elf spears and bows to deploy swiftly and confront the Barbarian hordes with a solid white line in the centre. Tony and I had configured all but two of our Barbarian Hordes into units of 6 stands. However, because the hordes were ‘aggressive’ and would therefore automatically charge at any enemy unit that was in charge range, at this early stage we held them back at a safe distance.
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We had decided to fight the High Elves on either wing in order to avoid the very dangerous High Elf bow units which were concentrated in the centre. Chris had moved all 4 units of High Elf cavalry to the left to face Tony’s Barbarian Chariots and hordes. On the other wing I used the cover of an 8 hex hill to move my hordes and 2 units of mammoth riders, (Oops, they were elephants, honest!), towards the High Elf spears in the hope of getting the first charge in. However, it was Chris who took the initiative and charged all 4 units of High Elf cavalry into Tony’s 6 stand Barbarian Hordes.
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The initial impact of the High Elf cavalry recoiled and caused hordes to flee disrupted, but I noticed that one of the leading hordes held its ground at a key position below the 4 hex hill. Tony was able to used his chariots and second line of hordes to counter-attack in the next Barbarian movement phase. Meanwhile on the other wing my mammoths made contact with Dave’s spear units which set the stage for a major hand-to-hand dice off on either wing of the battlefield. On my wing the High Elf spear units recoiled but held. However, on Tony’s wing the dice delivered some game changing results in favour of the Barbarians with one unit of High Elf cavalry being lost and the remaining three trapped into hand-to-hand combat with their flank now exposed.
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The shooting match in the centre had been brutal on the Barbarians out-matched bowmen who had been pretty much demolished by the High Elf bows. However, the game would be decided on either wing. My hordes had caught up with the mammoth riders (elephants!) and helped to deliver a punishing round of hand-to-hand combat results on the spear units through sheer weight of numbers. On the other wing Tony had succeeded in out-flanking the High Elf cavalry and with the help of some rather useful dice rolls sent all 3 of the remaining High Elf cavalry into the casualty tray. With the High Elves effectively defeated on either wing and their centre facing encirclement, the High Elf commanders conceded the game.

Game 2
We quickly set up the second game with a few terrain additions/modifications and switched the players around. This time Dave and Tony had the High Elves and Chris and I the Barbarians. We lost the dice roll for deployment so focussed our units centrally behind and on either side of a saddle hill. The High Elf deployment was similar to the first game with all the cavalry located on one wing, the bows in the centre and the spears behind the centre and on the other wing.
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The High Elf bow line steadily advanced toward the saddle hill in the centre on which we had located our Barbarian ballista unit with bowmen in front. The hope was that the saddle hill would give some protection from the High Elf shooters but in all honesty their main task was just to keep their opponents busy for a while and die slowly! The game would be decided on the wings as it had been in the previous game. Chris had massed his Barbarian hordes and a unit of chariots on our right wing as Dave’s spears advanced in an unbroken line against him. On my wing, the left, I had held my units back as the High Elf cavalry advanced. A small wood and the restricted space of just 4 hexes between it and the saddle hill gave some notable terrain advantage to my Barbarians.
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The first contact came in the centre as the shooting match between the High Elf bowmen and the Barbarian shooters soon produced casualties – nearly all Barbarian. We brought a unit of chariots across to bolster our hard-pressed shooters only to see it escape over the saddle hill away from the arrow storm. By concentrating the shooting of all our remaining bow, plus the aforementioned chariot and the ballista, we did manage to send one unit of High Elf bow to the casualty tray. This was hardly a fair exchange for the loss of most of our shooters.
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Tony’s High Elf cavalry advanced and then pulled back into a line rather than advance further towards my hordes and potentially unfavourable terrain. This bought more time for Dave’s High Elf bowmen to do a demolition job on our centre. So I took the all or nothing gamble and attacked his line of cavalry with 2 units of mammoths and a 6 stand horde. Chris at the same time through his hordes and chariot unit against Dave’s spears on the other wing. We had little option but to risk all and going on the offensive as our centre was already shot to pieces.
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My charge resulted in 3 combats 2 of which were ‘must win’ and would hopefully trap Tony’s general and enable my Barbarian hordes to join the action in my next tactical movement phase. Err, no that’s not what happened! With the dice favouring Tony’ in all 3 combats my opportunity was trashed! Chris, on the other hand rolled a great set of dice sending High Elf spear units to the casualty tray and forcing back the rest, Huzzah! Unfortunately, this local victory was in contrast to the unfolding catastrophe in the centre and now on my right wing. We Barbarians refused to go down without a fight but some of my dice rolls were now beyond embarrassing. When Dave’s victorious archers from the centre to shoot into the side of my quickly crumbling units we had no choice but to accept defeat.
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Game Analysis

In both games the line of High Elf bowmen dominated the centre of the field and the Barbarian chance of victory depended upon their performance on the wings. In the first game both wings of the High Elves were defeated by the mobile Barbarians. In the second game the Barbarian centre and my wing were well and truly smashed, only Chris managed to claim any success.
Kind regards
Paul

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