On The Table - Turn Two

Situation at the start of the turn

As per the rules, we again dice to see who will move first - this is done each turn - and I win 6-5.

My two units of slingers advance into the orchard and edge of the town, both shooting at the Egyptian further-forward right-flank heavy infantry, but I roll a pair of 1s.

The heavy cavalry edge forward to keep in line with the slingers.

The further-forward elite chariots advance a hex and shoot at the nearest javelinmen. I roll a 5, which means a hit. Pharoah rolls a die to determine the outcome of the hit, and his die lands on 1, meaning the unit loses a strength point. And since the unit is of poor quality, it started with 1SP, so the unit is eliminated, reducing the Egyptian army's strength from 40SP to 39SP.

My other chariot squadrons cautiously advance one hex.

My blue-shield heavy infantry advance two hexes, which puts them in close combat with the Egyptian marine archers, who have Pharoah in direct support. Close combats are decided by both units rolling a die, needing 5+ to score a hit. I roll a 6, which is a hit without the +1 modifier for my unit being heavy infantry. The archers roll a 3, which is not enough despite a +1 modifier for Pharoah being in the same hex. The Egyptians have to roll a die to see the effect of the hit they suffered. The roll is a 2, meaning the unit loses a strength point, or I can choose to try to make Pharoah the victim of the hit. I would need to roll a 6 - anything less, and not only does Pharoah not become a casualty, but the unit does not lose a strength point. I decide to play conservatively, and settle for the base loss. 

My red-shield heavy infantry advance and attack the Egyptian heavy infantry between the archers and the rough ground. I roll 3 and Pharoah rolls 1, so neither side scores a hit.

My close-order archers fire at the marine spearmen directly ahead of them, but roll a 2, which is nowhere near enough despite a +1 modifier for shooting without moving.

My average-quality Bedouin camelry shoot at the Egyptian archers directly ahead of them, rolling a 6. The archers roll a 4 to determine the outcome of the hit, and since the unit is average, it can choose to lose 1SP or retreat a hex. Pharoah chooses the latter.

The further-forward poor-quality camelry advance diagonally left, which puts them in firing range of the same Egyptian archers, but I roll a 3.

The other camelry advance to directly behind the village, and my commander joins the further-back of the two elite chariot squadrons.

The battlelines have clashed, and so far only the Egyptians have suffered hits

Close-up of Assyrian troops in and around the town

Here's a question - could the figure of Pharoah start by supporting the marine archers in their melee, and then move to join the heavy infantry by the rough ground and support them in their melee?

The rules do not, as it were, rule it out, but we agree this seems against the spirit of the game.

Reg therefore begins by moving Pharoah from the archers' hex to the heavy-infantry's hex, and chooses for that close combat to be fought first. We both roll a 4, which means we both score a hit as there are +1 modifiers for being heavy infantry (as well as the Egyptians getting a +1 modifier for the commander's support). To resolve the hits, we both roll a 3, which, with the units being of average quality, means both lose 1SP (I don't try to make Pharoah a casualty).

The marine spearmen advance a hex and turn to attack my blue-shield heavy infantry. Pharoah rolls a 3, which is not enough despite a +1 modifier for being heavy infantry. I roll a 2, which also is not enough.

The big melee

Not that it made a difference, at least on this occasion, but we agreed the marines' angle of attack did not count as attacking from a flank (there is a -1 modifier for a unit trying to score a hit if the enemy unit is attacking from a flank or the rear).

The surviving Egyptian javelin unit cannot advance and hurl their spears at my red-shield heavy infantry (Reg and I agreed troops can only fire into a melee from behind, otherwise there is too great a danger of hitting one's own mend), so instead advance and engage them in close combat. Pharoah rolls a 5, scoring a hit. To resolve it I roll a 1, meaning the unit loses a base. The embattled red shields in return roll a 5 - also a hit. Resolving it, Pharaoh rolls a 1, meaning a loss of 1SP, which eliminates the light-infantry unit as it is of poor quality and so only had 1SP to start with.

The Egyptian archers by the hill shoot at the leading camelry unit, but roll a 1.

Both elite chariot squadrons advance to the edge of the hill and shoot at the nearest camelry, but rolls of 4 and 1 are not enough.

On the Egyptian right both chariot squadrons advance a hex and shoot at my heavy cavalry, rolling 6 and 3, so one hit. I resolve it by rolling a 5, choosing to retreat a hex rather than lose 1SP.

Also on the Egyptian right, the further-forward heavy infantry advance straight forward a hex, and then diagonally left, and so attack my further-forward elite chariots. Pharoah rolls a 5, but I only roll a 2. I resolve the hit on my unit by rolling a 2, which means that despite being elite it has to lose 1SP.

The other heavy infantry on the Egyptian right advance and attack my slingers in the orchard. Pharoah rolls a 5, to which is added +1 for being heavy infantry, while I roll a 6 (in the rules there is no modifier for being behind cover in close combat, as opposed to being behind cover when shot at). Both sides score a hit. To resolve the hits, Pharoah rolls a 3, which means the heavy infantry lose 1SP, while I roll a 4, choosing to retreat a hex rather than lose a strength point. Since my unit retreated, the heavy infantry can choose to follow-up by occupying the vacated hex and initiating another round of close combat, but Pharoah decides not to, perhaps fearing his men will be too vulnerable so far in advance of any friendly unit.

The Egyptians have lost five strength points, the Assyrians three, meaning the former have 35SP remaining, the latter 36SP

The losses have been relatively small so far, but it should be remembered an army counts as exhausted if it loses a third of its initial strength points.

So my Assyrians, who started with 39SP, would be exhausted if 13SP are lost, while the Egyptians, who started with 40SP, would be exhausted on losing 14SP (one-third rounded up to the nearest whole number).

Once an army is exhausted, it can no longer take offensive action, and a battle continues until both armies are exhausted.