Last night was the third and 'deciding' Tactica 2 game between New Kingdom Egyptians and Sea Peoples. The armies were unchanged at about 2750pts in tactica 2 terms. There was no Terrain. The battlefield as flat.
The Egyptian Commanders Hughmosis and Billhotep battleplan was based on forming a defensive infantry battleline with Missile power evenly deispersed throughout by placing the 24 figure HI Bowmen units in between the 48 figure Spearmen units. The chariots were Deployed evenly between the 2 flanks with the Massed Light infantry in front in the right Flank Sector and with the Nubian Warband (FV 3-6 Veteran with Bow and Impetus against Foot) supporting in their Left Flank Sector. The Egyptian were therefore a little more aggressive in the Flank Sectors trying to implemet outflanking manoeuvres in both.
The Sea Peoples Commanders Gordowesh and Simowesh determined to attack in the right central sector with all their main Warband units and in the left Flank Sector with their massed Light Infantry and Chariot. The Ox Cart unit was placed on the right end of their battleline to protect the flank of the Warband attack but also has a 36 figure unit of Ahhiyawa Spermen and the small 24 figure Shaasu Warband outside them on the right to negate and outflanking attempt. The other 2 units of 36 figure Ahhiyawa Sperment made up the left of the Sea Peoples battleline in the left of the Central Sector of the table.
So, the Sea Peoples advanced all along the line and the Egyptians waited until they approached to within Bow range. The Egyptian Bowfire when they 'opened up' was effective and the Sea Peoples had to endure numerous casualties and Missile Halt tests as the surged forward. Fortunately, the were only halted once of the extreme right end of their battleline where the unit of Ahhiyawa Deployed to the right of the Ox Carts was halted after 6 Missile Hits in 2 Turns; despite the Protection of their large body Shields.
On the Sea Peoples left, their Ships Crews Massed Light Infantry charged into Hughmosis' Miltia Grade Asiatic Massed Light Infantry Bowmen and started bashing them up. However, the innermost unit of Asaiatic Bowmen passed their Fates Roll with a double 6, much to the vexation of Gordowesh who's outflanking maneouvre was critically delayed by a Turn.
The Sea Peoples Warbands crashed into the Egyptian Infantry battleline but most units failed their Impetus Rolls (perhaps somewhat dispirited by the Missile 'Kills' inflicted by the Egyptian Bowfire during the their advance).
On the Sea Peoples right, the Shaasu Warband defused the attempts of the Egyptian Chariots to outflank them, even with the support of the small unit of Egyptian LC Scouts Deployed on the extreme left of the Egyptian array. Inside of them, the Ahhiyawa Spearmen regained their composure after their Missile Halt and recommenced their advance towards the Nubian Warband that Billhotep had held in reserve inside and behind his Chariots. Eventually, after a final volley of Bowfire, the Nubians were forced to Charge them in concert with a unit of (3) Chariots.
On the Egyptian right, Hughmosis had cleverly Deployed a 2 Model Unit of Chariots to delay by 2 Turns the Sea Peoples Peleset Guard Unit (26 figures, FV 5-6, Elite) from charging into the highly vulnerable Syrian Militia Grade Foot opposite them on the right end of the Egyptian Infantry battleline. Another delay to the implementation of Gordowesh's attack.
Eventually, a general Melee was formed pretty much all along the line. One would normally expect the Sea Peoples to have the edge in these circumstances BUT 3 significant factors intervened to their demise as follows:
1. Most of the Sea Peoples units had been significantly damaged by the Egyptian Bowfire such that they were quickly relieved of any Rank/Depth Bonus' that they had anticipated.
2. Only one of their Warbands was successful in rolling for Impetus.
3. The interspersing of the 24 figure Egyptian Heavy Bowmen units in 3 ranks and a frontage of 8 figure between the 48 figure Egyptian Spearmen units in 4 ranks on a 12 figure frontage resulted in many 2 v 1 Melees in the Egyptian's favour. This tactic COULD HAVE backfired on the Egyptians IF the Sea Peoples Warbands had received Impetus as the Egyptian Bowmen were relatively weak in Melee power at FV 3-6 and at only 24 figures strong, the Sea Peoples were expecting some early 'Breaks' with potential to spread Disorder through the Egyptian line. There was one such 'early Break' but the adjacent Egyptian Units passed their Routed Past/Into Tests and remained stoutly defiant.
Consequently, despite some local successes, the overall, solid resistance of the Egyptian Infantry line, combined with the Missile casualties that their archery had inflicted on the Sea Peoples delivered a sufficient edge in the general melee such that the Sea Peoples Infantry was the first to waver and Break.
Additionally, Gordowesh was notably unsuccessful in his own Routed Past/Into Control Tests and as Disorder spread through the Sea Peoples battleline, it broke up to deliver victory to the Egyptians as the casualties mounted to exceed the ea Peoples Army Breakpoint.
So the Egyptians win the 3 battle campaign 2 and a half points to a half. Perhaps the Sea Peoples army needs a helping handicap BUT perhaps a slight re-jigging of the organisation of its infantry units into fewer, larger units (four 36 figures units into three 48s) may also be sufficient.
We won't find out this time because next week will be Hoplites versus Early Achaemenid Persians.
Photos not uploading here either.