Sumer Time!

After a long engagement of the War of Austrian Succession battle of Bassignana,  I cleared the gaming table and rolled out the Sumerian armies for a few games.

The first, of what may be several games, featured four, remote players in a balanced introductory scenario.  With equal forces, the four players were divided into two armies with random player assignments.  Doug and Colin (Lugal) would command the Blue Army while Stephen (Lugal) and Alan would step into command of the Red Army.  After recently gaming in both WAS and Great Italians Wars, players asked if I could bring the Sumerians to the table.  I was happy to oblige! 

Initial dispositions.

Since this contest would be an introduction into chariot warfare (well, battle cars), the terms of victory were simple.  Break the opposing army!

Let's see how the players made out in this first clash.

Both armies step off toward the enemy.  Blue Army (blue and black VBU dice) gets its battle cars in motion early while Red Army (red and green VBU dice) holds back some of its battle cars in reserve.  A few shots are exchanged as the two lines close.  Skirmisher on skirmisher fire is ineffective but some of the skirmishers rush into the fighting in an effort to displace the enemy skirmishing screen. 

Battle lines close.

Skirmishing from afar.

Hidden behind his own troops and by the oasis surrounding the pond, Colin whips his equids as fast they will go and plunges into the enemy.  Colin is wasting little time in thrusting himself into the fray.  Probably in shock, Alan's archers fail to get off a volley of arrows as the battle car attacks.  The clash is decisive.  Alan's archers retreat having suffered heavy casualties.  While Alan's supporting skirmishers run clear of Colin's battle car, his massed archers are not as fortunate.  The archers are caught in pursuit and scattered.  The battle is not beginning well for Alan!   

Contact!

Pursuit and destruction!

With his right bending already under the weight of attack, Stephen whips his Left Wing battle car into action in an attempt to stabilize the situation.  Massed archers are brought up in the center in range of the enemy as Alan moves his spearmen forward.  Skirmishers fall back.  Stephen also puts his Lugal's battle car into motion perhaps to be utilized as a mobile fire brigade.

Stephen's Left Wing battle car trots in to hit Doug's massed archers.  Doug's archers coolly let loose a volley of arrows into the battle car.  Taking damage and disordered from the volley, Stephen plows on!  In the clash, the archers actually manage to stand their ground and see the battle car off.  With his left blocked with friendly infantry, the car is forced to wheel right and head back toward the center of the line in retreat.  A cheer goes up from Doug's line!   

Heavy infantry to the front!
Skirmishers to the rear!

Stephen's battle car attacks...

and is repulsed!

Stephen's battle car slowly turns back toward the center.

Back on the Blue Army's Left, Colin is not finished with his mad dash into the enemy's line.  Winning initiative, Colin continues where he left off.  That is, causing havoc upon the Red Army's Right.

With Alan's car offering up a flank attack, Colin gleefully accepts and plows into the side of the enemy car.  In an uncharacteristic turn-around in fortune, Alan actually repels Colin's attack after two rounds of melee.  Choosing to pursue, Alan catches the enemy battle car and dispatches it!  Cheers go up from the Red Army!        

A tasty flank attack...

turns sour!

Seeing the enemy car wheel about and offer up a rear, Doug whips his equids to pick up the pace.  Passing through his battle line, Doug strikes Stephen's car in the rear.  I am not sure Stephen even saw what was coming.  Red Army's battle car is destroyed.  Doug fails to press on as his car refuses to pursue.  In the center, Alan's spearmen take a pounding from Colin's archers.  Alan's rear stand of spearmen is about to dissolve.    

Doug dispatches an enemy car...

while Colin makes the enemy pay on the approach.

Sensing that now may be the crucial point in the battle, Red Army's Lugal crashes into Doug's car in the middle of the field.  Doug's car is driven off as it veers to the right.  Stephen, in the Lugal's car, presses on to his front.  First the Lugal overruns an unfortunate skirmisher before crashing into Doug's Right Wing.  Worn down by its exertions, Stephen's Lugal cannot break through.  Instead, he is forced to veer off to the left bringing him upon the rear of Doug's battle car.  

Fortunately for Doug, a retreat is no pursuit so Stephen's Lugal cannot attack.  With an end of turn, there is much gnashing of teeth as initiative is rolled...and rerolled.  The Red Army wins initiative!  Stephen uses this chance to put his Lugal in motion and finish off Doug's car.  Hoorah!     

Red's Lugal attacks and drives off the enemy car!

In pursuit, Red Lugal is stopped...

but delivers a fatal blow to Doug's car in the next turn.

Uncertain as how the combat on either wing would play out, Blue Army's Lugal (Colin) strikes straight up the middle.  Charging straight into two bodies of massed enemy archers at the junction between the two wings, Colin drives the enemy back with great casualties.  In pursuit, Colin's Lugal scatters two enemy formations and wheels into the center of the enemy's rear.

Blue Lugal attacks!

The Red Army's battle line is split!

Blue Lugal breaks through into the enemy's rear!

While Stephen's rampage with his Lugal manages to even the Army Breakpoint Clock, Colin's attack in the center brings the Red Army teetering upon the brink of collapse.  One more successful attack ought to do the trick but one more unsuccessful attack could spell doom for his army too.

Advancing out of the woods, Colin attacks Alan's badly damaged battle car in one last push.  Who was victorious?  Colin, Doug, and their Blue Army, of course!   

Spearmen attack out of the woods...

breaking the enemy's will to fight.

Fantastic game with each army and player getting in a few hard licks and taking a few as well.  Terrific action throughout with fortunes seemingly changing with each passing activation.  Players came to grips with the rules and battle car operations quickly to produce a very enjoyable game for the host (me!).  Hopefully, they enjoyed the contest as much as I.

Congratulations to Colin and Doug in victory.  My condolences to Stephen and Alan in defeat.  The outcome really could have gone either way and it was refreshing to see Alan's dice make somewhat of a turn-around in this game.

Thanks fellas, that was great fun!

Please visit Colin's (Remote Wargame in the Sumer(ian) Time) and Alan's (Biting the Bullet) blogs for their impressions of the game.