Biblical Dry Run - Turn 10

Situation at the start of turn 10

Hebrews

Reg declares a charge by the auxiliaries in the rocky outcrop against my marine archers. In the subsequent melee my archers get the usual one die per base, but auxiliaries get two dice per base against close-order archers. Clearly it was a mistake on my part to advance my men so far forward, especially when their bows have a range of 24cm. Nevertheless the archers put up a creditable fight, scoring three hits while suffering four. One hit on each side is negated by a saving throw of 6. However, under totting up, my unit loses a base, although its morale holds good.

The three-base auxiliaries in the centre turn to line up a future charge against my Sherden, and the four-base auxiliaries behind them move diagonally right to try to cover their comrades' exposed flank.

The four-base Benjaminite slingers fall back through the rocky ground they are hiding in and emerge on the other side, apparently to get involved in the central fighting, while at the same time getting out of range of my regular archers.

The one-base Benjaminite slingers in the other patch of rocky ground also fall back, leaving the rocks between themselves and my royal chariot squadron.

No hits are scored in the melee between my marine spears and the Simeonites.

In the melee beside the hill my charioteers score three hits, the Gadites replying with one. I succeed in saving the hit on my men, but the Gadites are not so fortunate, and so, undeer totting up, lose their last base.

Both armies are down to six units (victory is declared when one side is down to two units, time permitting)

Egyptians

I wrote "time permitting" because the day is getting on, both in the real world and on the wargaming table.

We more-or-less agreed before starting the game that 12 turns would represent a day's fighting, and it looks like we will anyway not have time for more turns.

I, partly in an attempt to speed things along, declare a charge by my central chariot squadron on the exposed flank of the nearest Hebrew auxiliaries. Light chariots always get one die per base in a melee, but here an extra die per base applies thanks to hitting the auxiliaries from the side, and another extra die for being chariots on the first round of a melee. However, I had forgotten that auxiliaries get three dice per base against chariots (I mistakenly thought it was two). My 12 dice score three hits, while the auxiliaries' nine dice (the unit has lost a base) score four hits. Chariots have a saving throw of 5+, and I do save one hit. The auxiliaries, needing 6s, are very unlucky when Reg rolls three 5s. So both sides take three hits, which under totting up means the auxiliaries lose a base, and a further one goes when their morale fails (Reg rolls a 2).

Both my other chariot squadrons head for the main fighting in the centre of the battlefield, with the royal squadron on the Egyptian left halting to fire at the nearest band of Hebrew auxiliaries. The dice land 6, 5, 4 and 3, meaning three hits, none of which is saved.

My regular archers are rather out of things, so I get them to just turn and await the outcome of the melee involving my marine archers. Incredibly, in that melee the latter score one hit from three dice while suffering none from the auxiliaries' six dice. What is more, the one hit is not saved, so under totting up the auxiliaries lose a base, and a further one when Reg rolls 1 for the compulsory morale check.

No hits are scored in the one-on-one melee.

It has been an excellent turn for my Egyptians