Three weeks. Three hot stinking weeks sweltering in the heat, three hot stinking weeks choking on the dust of this poxy land. And all for nothing. Ahmet swung his legs across and sat on the edge of his cot, wiping his sleeve across his brow. Another day. Another day spent swallowing the dust of Palestine. The very thought had the vapours rising in his blood already. Shouting from across the encampment drew him from his deep reverie, and his valet burst through the tent flaps.
"They are here, they are here, they have appeared as if from the mists of time itself, exalted one" and the look on his valet's face spoke of a primaevil terror of the sort that no man could imagine.
"Calm down man, stop gibbering. Tell me what has happened."
"The undead, the possessed, they are here. They have appeared across the plain, conjured up by the wizards of the almighty."
Ahmet had set off with the blessing of the Sultan, conquest and glory in his mind. But the elusive Egyptian army had eluded them. Now, finally, was the chance for glory. Today the might of the Grand Turkish army would be tested. And he was determined it would not be found wanting.
This was the first Big battle HotT outing for my newly completed Turkish VSF army, facing off against Andy's Semi Historical Egyptian army.
 |
| Let battle commence |
 |
| The Turkish right wing, aerial hero, airboat, behemoth, and two heroes in the command |
 |
| The Egyptian left wing, aerial hero CnC and flyer supporting a command of spear, with a behemoth in the foreground |
 |
| Turn 1, and the Turkish Djin (a God) appeared |
 |
| The Turkish stronghold being defended by the Turkish army |
 |
| The Turkish aerial hero, and airboat, over fly the Egyptian left flank |
 |
| The battle lines close |
 |
| The Turkish left faces off against Egyptian blade. The flyers have flown over the Egyptian lines, and on the next turn one has come back to pin the Egyptian flyer on the extreme left of the photo |
 |
| An Egyptian hero swings around into the copse to pin the end of the line on the Turkish left flank |
 |
| The Djin overflew the Egyptian lines too, and then came back in the following turn to attack an Egyptian chariot (Knight). The very next turn however the God abandoned the battlefield (i.e. I threw a 1 on the PIP die for that command) |
 |
| The forces of each army start to mix it on the Turkish right |
 |
| The lines collide. The aerial hero has attacked a spear from the rear |
 |
| The lines clash on the Turkish left too |
 |
| Another Turkish flyer comes in to pin the Egyptian hero on the left flank |
 |
| The Egyptian aerial hero (the army CnC) attacks on the Turkish right |
 |
| The Turkish left takes casualties |
 |
| Now it's getting very up close and personal on the Turkish right |
 |
| VERY!!! |
 |
| A unit of Turkish knights is attacked by Egyptian blade. That's a hero tucked up behind them. They didn't survive the fight |
 |
| Looking a little like a stand-off on the left flank |
 |
| But it's all go on the right |
 |
| In the centre it's more about an exchange of fire between artillery and shooters |
 |
| The Turkish left flank has holes in the line as it takes casualties |
 |
| Several spear disappear from the Egyptian right as casualties |
 |
| Turkish hero and paladin take on the Egyptian CnC, the aerial hero |
 |
| The third Turkish flyer flies in to pin units of the Egyptian right to try to stop them breaking through the Turkish left flank. |
 |
| Behemoth vs hero, aerial hero vs paladin |
 |
| Up close |
 |
| The Egyptian centre finally closes to the attack |
 |
| Lots of pushing and shoving on the left ... still |
 |
| The Turkish paladin falls to the attacks of the Egyptian CnC |
 |
| The Egyptian left has been decimated by the Turkish right, despite the loss of their paladin |
 |
| The centre is hotly contested |
 |
| The Egyptian aerial hero/CnC falls to the Turkish hero |
And so the battle ends, with the Egyptians having lost their CnC and more points than the Turkish army. Some photos of the state of play elsewhere along the lines at the end of the battle.
What a great game. The battle was eventually decided on the Turkish right, but it was close. There were only 4 APs in it in terms of casualty differential when the Egyptian CnC fell.
An excellent first outing for the Turkish army. It is rider heavy, and against Andy's Egyptians this makes them vulnerable, he has quite a few spear. This meant that I was more cautious with the mounted than I might otherwise be. But it was well fought nonetheless.
