This was another very close and exciting game between my regular DBA opponent and me. The sides were:
Mongols: 3 x Cv, 9 x LH [Warrior Miniatures]
Il-Khans: 2 x Cv, 9 x LH, 1 x Ax [Mostly old Irregular Miniatures, helped out by a few Citadel Seljuks from Ebay]
In the last game Mr G- P- suffered an embarrassing defeat when light horse took his camp, and in this game took the precaution of garrisoning the Ilkhanid camp with some Kurdish mountaineers (the Auxilia) who stayed there for the whole time just to be sure.
This is the situation at the end of turn two, as the Mongols - on the left of the picture - send a strong force of light horse off round the hill and hope to pin the Ilkhanid centre with their more numerous heavy cavalry and the remaining light cavalry.
Mongols: 3 x Cv, 9 x LH [Warrior Miniatures]
Il-Khans: 2 x Cv, 9 x LH, 1 x Ax [Mostly old Irregular Miniatures, helped out by a few Citadel Seljuks from Ebay]
In the last game Mr G- P- suffered an embarrassing defeat when light horse took his camp, and in this game took the precaution of garrisoning the Ilkhanid camp with some Kurdish mountaineers (the Auxilia) who stayed there for the whole time just to be sure.
This is the situation at the end of turn two, as the Mongols - on the left of the picture - send a strong force of light horse off round the hill and hope to pin the Ilkhanid centre with their more numerous heavy cavalry and the remaining light cavalry.
The Persians see through this and send off some of their own light horse to hold off the outflanking Mongols and by the end of turn three have begun to wheel their left to outflank the Mongol centre-right. The lines close and it is looking good for the Mongols (below).
By turn four however the Il-Khan's men are really threatening the Mongol centre, which dares not advance against the weak enemy centre for fear of being outflanked (below).
In turn five the Mongol left completes its move around the hill and inflicts heavy losses on the outnumbered Ilkhanids facing them (below). They accomplish this by in one case the standard light horse manoeuvre of attacking in front and flank and in the other by an overlap and some terrible dice-rolls by Mr G- P-.
A severe shortage of PIPs prevents the Mongols from capitalising on this and allows the Ilkhanids in turn six to move their heavy cavalry from the centre to deal with the now disjointed Mongol light horse, leaving Mongol losses at three elements (below).
The Mongol centre is unable to take advantage of the move in turn seven due to a recurring PIP shortage and the still-threatening Ilkhanid right (below).
In turn eight - overall situation below - the Mongol general sees that things are turning against him and throws caution to the wind, advancing the centre.
This has some success and pushes Persian losses up to three elements (below).
However away on the Mongol left the Il-khan's general mops up another isolated Mongol light horse (below) and gets the win four - three.
