Kadesh - Turn Four

This turn could conceivably see the Egyptians fall below half-strength (in units) and so lose the battle

Reg wins the dice-off (6-2) to determine who goes first.

He starts with the ongoing melee between the two-base Karnak biblical infantry and my one-base heavy chariot squadron. I do not score a hit, but the Egyptian unit (or, rather, Reg on its behalf) continues with incredible dice rolling, again getting two 6s. However, one hit is saved, and the other 'only' results in the charioteers being forced back 3cm. The Karnak cannot follow up as, although my men were forced back, they did not actually lose that round of fighting since no base was eliminated.

Pharoah's Royal Chariot Squadron, menaced by two Hittite squadrons, heads towards the Orontes, then swings round and shoots at my elite squadron, scoring a hit, but it is saved.

The Ka archers shoot at the Hittite squadron nearest them, scoring two hits. One is saved, but the other causes my men to lose a base, although the charioteers' morale remains steady.

The Kush archers shoot at the chariots nearest them, scoring two hits, one of which is saved, and the other resolved as causing my squadron to fall back 3cm.

Finally, Reg leaves the Carchemish biblical infantry where they are,

The Egyptians are hanging on, but now it is the Hittites' go

I start by ordering my right-flank elite heavy chariots to turn and charge the Egyptian light chariots. Despite losing half their movement allowance for turning, my men are just able to reach the enemy, with Reg cursing himself for having been so careless as to allow this to happen.

Heavy chariots roll three dice per base against light chariots, and there is the die-per-base bonus that chariots always get in the first round of a melee. That means 16 dice in all, and I manage to roll four hits, only one of which is saved. However, all three remaining hits are resolved as forcing the Egyptians back, rather than losing bases, and so they withdraw 9cm.

Meanwhile, Pharoah's squadron in the melee receives one die per base, plus the die-per-base bonus, and Reg rolls three hits, two of which are saved, but the third causes my men to lose a base.

I send my furthest-right heavy chariots to try to outflank the Ka archers.

Meanwhile, one of the Allied light-chariot squadrons advances on the Ka from the front and shoots, but without inflicting casualties.

The other Allied light squadron veers right and shoots at the Karnak biblical infantry, scoring three hits, only one of which is saved. The remaining two are both resolved as the loss of a base, which means the Karnak become the fourth Egyptian unit to be eliminated.

My two-base heavy chariots opposite the Kush archers are able to tack left and charge the bowmen. They receive three dice per base, plus one more per base for being chariots in the first turn of a melee. I roll two hits - one is saved, and the other is resolved as the Kush falling back 3cm.

King Muwatalli II and my elite heavy chariots on the Hittite left, opposite the Carchemish biblical infantry, should be able to charge them, but move-variation causes the squadron to lose 25% of its movement allowance, meaning the charioteers come up just short.

However, the other heavy squadron opposite the Carchemish suffer no such misfortune, and so, despite starting from further away than my elite squadron, crash into the Egyptian infantry. My men receive one die per base in this match-up, plus the die-per-base bonus for being chariots in the first round of a melee, and score two hits, but both are saved.

The Carchemish roll one die per base, scoring a hit, which is not saved, and is resolved as forcing my men back 3cm.

Fighting is getting close to the outskirts of Kadesh