Hill Of Watchfires - Turn XII

I win if there are no Dacian units on the hill at the end of this turn

The start-of-turn-event die is a 6, meaning the return of fog.

The archers have targets, so remain in cover.

My horsemen also remain where they are, but my left-flank Praetorians descend from the hill and contact the swordsmen, making it impossible for the latter to move onto the hill this turn even if they should defeat my men in a melee.

Since the warriors and archers also cannot make it onto the hill, I declare the battle over.

Hill Of Watchfires - Turn XI: Attack Phase

The Dacian archers again get to attack first

Their preferred target of those in range and line-of-sight is the Praetorian Guard, and they fire at my right-flank unit as having the lower to-hit total. There is a standard requirement of 9+, but the presence of swordsmen engaged with the Praetorians reduces the score to 8+. However, 2 is rolled.

My rearward cavalry attack the swordsmen at the foot of the hill, needing 7+, but with a -1 modifier for being on higher ground, and two more -1s thanks to the presence of friendly units. I roll 6, which eliminates the swordsmen as they have no available retreat squares.

The final turn should be short but sweet, from a Roman perspective

Hill Of Watchfires - Turn XI

A Roman victory is all but assured

The start-of-turn-event die is a 2, but that only applies to falxmen in trees, and there are none left (falxmen, that is, there are still plenty of trees).

The archers have a target, so remain in cover.

My rearward cavalry reascend the hill and charge-attack the swordsmen directly ahead of them, needing 7+, but with -1 modifiers for being on higher ground and for the assistance of a friendly unit. However, I roll 3.

My right and central Praetorians move straight ahead, but the left-flank unit falls back diagonally left.

The Dacian swordsmen in the trees stay where they are, as does my legion, but my spearmen occupy the hex just vacated by the left-flank Praetorians, and my commander advances a hex, so as to put all Roman units in command range.

The Dacian warriors advance diagonally to their left.

My eight units mean I have twice as many as the AI, and the hill is firmly in Roman hands

Hill Of Watchfires - Turn X: Attack Phase

Despite fog and intervening friends, the Dacian archers can shoot at my cavalry as both units of horsemen are within two hexes, and friends do not block line-of-sight

The archers choose to shoot at the further-back unit as there are two -1 modifiers for fellow Dacians being adjacent. But there is a +1 modifier for attacking from lower ground, and as archers against cavalry need 9+, the revised score for a hit is 8+. However, the AI rolls 9, forcing my men to fall back two hexes, and so off the hill.

My other cavalry attack the falxmen opposite them, needing 7+, with a -1 for being on higher ground, and I roll 10, eliminating the Dacian unit. I do not allow the cavalry to occupy the vacated hex.

My forward Praetorians attack the other falxmen, also needing 7+, and with a -1 for being on higher ground, and another -1 for support from the spearmen, and I roll 9, routing the enemy.

As an aside, it is somewhat ironic that the falxmen vacillated at the rear of the battlefield for so long, only to be wiped out as soon as they got involved in the fighting.

My right-flank Praetorians attack the warriors, needing 5+. I roll 6, sending the warriors back two hexes.

The swordsmen at the foot of the hill attack my forward cavalry, needing 8+, but with a +1 for attacking from lower ground. The dice total 5.

A unit of cavalry retreating is the first real setback I have suffered for several turns

Hill Of Watchfires - Turn X

A Roman triumph cannot be far away

The start-of-turn-event die is a 6, meaning more fog to reduce the range of the surviving Dacian archers.

They advance diagonally into trees.

My forward cavalry advance diagonally right and charge-attack the forward swordsmen, needing 7+, but with a -1 modifier for being on higher ground. However, I roll 2.

My commander withdraws two hexes diagonally right so as to put all Roman units in command range, and then my rearward cavalry attack the same forward swordsmen, needing 7+, but with -1s for being on higher ground and for having support from other cavalrymen. However, I come up short with 4, the swordsmen leading a charmed life.

My forward Praetorians advance diagonally right, the middle Praetorians advance diagonally left, and the rearward Praetorians advance straight ahead.

The rearward Dacian swordsmen advance into trees, and my legion also advances a hex.

The right-flank falxmen advance to the foot of the hill, putting them in contact with two Roman units. The other falxmen also advance to the foot of the hill, putting them in contact with my forward cavalry.

It seems the AI is throwing in its last reserves, and the Dacian warriors confirm this by also advancing, making contact with cavalry and Praetorians.

A lot of fighting to be sorted out!

Hill Of Watchfires - Turn IX: Attack Phase

Rather aptly, the Romans look in organised formation, while the Dacian units are haphazardly scattered

My forward Praetorians attack the swordsmen with whom they are in contact, needing 6+. There are -1 modifiers for being on higher ground and for support from the commander, but I only roll the 4 needed to force the swordsmen to the edge of the battlefield again.

Perhaps I can advance part, at least, of my army off the north side of the hill, and so rule out any last-minute charge by Dacians onto the high ground

Hill Of Watchfires - Turn IX

The Praetorians that arrived as reinforcements at turn VII are unlikely to get into the action

The start-of-turn-event die is a 1, allowing Dacian archers to launch a surprise attack at a range of three hexes. My forward cavalry fit the criteria for a target, but 9+ is needed, and there is a +1 modifier for attacking from lower ground. The AI's dice land, not for the first time, as a miserable pair of 1s.

The movement phase begins with the archers holding their position as they have enemy in range and line-of-sight.

My forward cavalry leave the edge of the hill and place themselves between nearby trees and rocky ground. My other cavalry remain where they are.

The forward Praetorians advance diagonally left to confront the swordsmen who have reached the foot of the hill. The middle Praetorians advance diagonally into trees, and the rearward Praetorians move straight ahead.

The swordsmen on the Dacian left move to the foot of the hill.

My legion advances diagonally left, for a reason that will soon become clear.

Both units of flaxmen stand still.

My spearmen advance into rocky ground on the edge of the hill, leaving a route for my commander to advance diagonally left three hexes, and so be in position to support my forward Praetorians.

The Dacian warriors advance diagonally right.

The Dacians have not given up, but the odds are stacked against them

Hill Of Watchfires - Turn VIII: Attack Phase

The rearward archers cannot shoot as fog is reducing their range to two hexes

But the forward archers can attack my forward cavalry, needing 9+, but with +1 modifiers for being on lower ground and for being bowmen attacking from an adjacent hex. The dice total 3.

My cavalry counterattack, needing 6+, but with a -1 for being on higher ground, and I roll exactly 5. The archers retreat one hex, but further retreating is impossible as their way is blocked, so the unit routs.

The AI is outnumbered by eight units to six

Hill Of Watchfires - Turn VIII

The AI now has one more unit than my Romans

The start-of-turn-event die is a 6, meaning the return of fog, which cuts archery range to two hexes.

A second unit of Dacian archers reaches the foot of the hill on its east side.

My leading cavalry advance diagonally right a hex, and charge-attack the swordsmen on the hill, needing 6+. I roll 6, which eliminates the swordsmen as they have no retreat hexes available. My cavalry are out of command range, and so have to occupy the vacated hex. My other cavalry also advance diagonally right, and charge-attack the forward archers, needing 6+. A -1 modifier for being on higher ground is cancelled by a +1 for attacking from rocky ground, but there is also a -1 thanks to my newly arrived forward cavalry. I roll 9, eliminating the Dacian unit.

My Praetorians in the centre of the hill advance diagonally left, into trees and nearer the swordsmen approaching from the north. The other Praetorians on the hill advance straight ahead, which leaves room for my commander to advance two hexes diagonally right, bringing all Roman troops into command range. This lets my Praetorians in the river advance onto dry land.

Both surviving units of Dacian swordsmen stay where they are.

My legion advances onto the hill.

The rearward falxmen advance diagonally to their right.

My spearmen advance a hex.

The remaining unit of Dacian warriors stands still.

For the first time, the high ground is free of Dacians

Hill Of Watchfires - Turn VII: Attack Phase

None of the Dacian bow units is in position to shoot

My rearward cavalry attack the warriors at the foot of the hill, needing 6+, but with  three -1 modifiers: one for being on higher ground, the other two for having units of friends also engaged with the warriors. I roll 8, eliminating the Dacian unit. My cavalry do not enter the vacated hex.

Just one unit of Dacian swordsmen remains on the hill, although another approaches