Going Down for the Last Time

After going down to defeat in three straight, remote games, a new opponent arose from the crowd to try his hand at maneuvering battle carts on the plains of battle.  My new opponent was Mark from the Mud, Blood, and Steel blog.

Could this be the opportunity I needed to turn my fortunes around?

Let's find out!

Mark commands the Blue Army while I command the Red Army.

Armies arrayed for battle.

Once the two armies close to within charge range, Mark strikes with his left battle cart as it trots forward from Blue's battle line.  The cart's target is a massed archer unit on the enemy right.  Blue moves up a skirmisher to distract the enemy's skirmisher.

As the cart reaches the enemy line, the archers test to shoot.  The brave bowmen succeed and let loose a devastating volley.  The battle cart suffers heavy casualties, loses its Impetus bonus and becomes disordered.  Still, the cart plows ahead.

Blue cart plunges into Red's battle line.

In the initial clash, the archers have seen enough and break for the rear having suffered heavy casualties.  The cart breaches the enemy battle line.  Will it pursue?

Breakthrough!

Of course!

As the cart trundles forward, it catches the fleeing bowmen.  They are cut down to the man.  While the driver of the cart encourages his animals on, they fail to continue the pursuit.

Pursuit and destruction!

Graced with winning the initiative, Blue continues from where it left off from last turn.  First, archers in the battle line shoot into Red's battle line trying to disorder the enemy before launching an attack.  All missiles fail to bother the enemy so attacks are called off. 

Second, the victorious battle cart running amok in the enemy's backfield, although showing heavy damage, continues its rampage.  Next target?  The rear of an enemy spear block.

Attacked from the rear!

Surprised by the attack from its rear, the heavy spearmen scatter as the cart crashes into its formation.  Disaster!  Having ripped through the heavy infantry, the jubilant cart crashes into the rear of a body of massed archers.

The crash is really a whimper, and the cart is turned back before it can do further damage.

Another one bites the dust before being turned away.

Seeing its right collapsing and the destruction of one of its spear blocks, Red Army attacks before all is lost.  Better to die fighting than to be cut to pieces where you stand.  Red's heavy spear block alongside steps off toward the enemy.

The battle cart on the right of the line charges forward into the enemy's heavy infantry.  After a couple of rounds of poking and hacking, the cart is driven off having suffered very heavy casualties.

Red's cart is repulsed after heavy losses.

As Red's heavy spear clash with the enemy's heavy spear in a prolonged shoving match, casualties mount.  Both combatants suffer mightily.  Each loses one stand in the fighting.  No longer mustering enough soldiers for a large unit, Red's spearmen fall back.  Blue spear pursue, hit them again, and Red continues its retreat.

Red's heavy infantry loses the melee and retires.

Huge hole in Red's battle line.

In an attempt to stabilize the dire situation, Red's Lugal moves up and through his own battle line.  On the far right of Red's line, the second battle cart dispatches enemy skirmishers and then wheels about.

Red Lugal moves up.

With the battlefield stripped of troops through attrition and large gaps opening up everywhere, the battle carts are free to roam.  Red's Lugal scatters the archers to his front while Blue's carts bear down on weakened enemy units ripe for the picking.

Sweeping cart maneuvers across the plain.

Blue's Lugal strikes first.  A skirmisher is run over and then Red's massed archers are cut down from the rear.  Red's army, save for its Lugal and a few scattered remnants, is destroyed.  

The battle is over.

Blue's Lugal smashes the enemy to win the day!

Congratulations to Mark on mounting a complete defeat of my Red Army in an impressive manner.  Really impressive.

One consolation for me is that at least my Lugal remained on the field, alive, in this battle.  Still, my army winds up on the receiving end of a crushing defeat.  

Mark's breakthrough of his cart, early on, through my battle line and its seemingly unending rampage through my ranks sealed my fate.  With that destruction, Red's Army never regained its footing.

Well played and great fun!

Having lost four of these remote battles all at the hands of different opponents, time to consider another era.  Perhaps my luck will improve?