I thought it time to field part of the Sassanian army which I hadn't yet gamed with, and the Late Roman with a small force of each as I expand the OHW rules by adding a couple of rules
Because the heavier cavalry in both these armies had the kontos I decided to give a +1 in the first round of combat to the charging unit, a sort of simulation of the impact they would have initially on contact.
Secondly I gave the skirmish cavalry (light horse, bow/javelin armed light cavalry) a break off rule to give them an opportunity to evade or skirmish from a distance.
More on this later.
The scenario is that the Sassanids are looking to exit Roman territory after an successful marauding campaign.
The aim of the game then, was for the Sassanians to exit 4 units from the table at the Roman end of the table.
The Sassanid army:-
4 x Clibanari (These are heavy cavalry with frontal armour on the horse and armoured rider)
2 Light horse/cavalry with bow.
The Late Romans, in contrast, fielded the following:-
2 x Auxiliaries (Shield and spear armed heavy infantry)
2 x Heavy Cavalry (These with no horse armour making them lighter than the Clibanari)
2 x Clibanari
The Romans were chosen by dicing as in the rule book. The option for all cavalry armies is not an option so I had to choose a force I thought suited the occasion.
The battle field was restricted by the lake and woods so the Sassanids wouldn't ride around the Romans. The Romans chose their terrain well.
Upon deployment you will notice that I changed the position of the auxiliaries to the Roman left flank, being a more suitable position anchoring on the flank on the lake.
The Sassanids, wanting to force the issue before Roman reinforcements arrived advance the light cavalry, who shoot to no visible effect.
The Roman heavy cavalry charge the light cavalry but fall short.
The Sassanid light cavalry evade back and the Clibanari charge. The evading light cavalry shooting causing 1 casualty. The right wing light cavalry shoot at the auxiliaries causing no casualties. Both the infantry and cavalry are classed as armoured.
The Roman heavy cavalry hold position to prevent the light cavalry coming back.
The battle line inflict low casualties on the Sassanid's.
The Sassanid's light cavalry keep up a stream of bow fire at both the cavalry and left most auxiliary cohort causing minor casualties (1 or 2 casualties)
The general melee also caused only minor casualties.
The Roman line held and caused a similar number of casualties in reply
The Sassanids kept up the pressure with the Roman heavy cavalry now having lost a 1/3 of their unit. It was similar along the Roman battle line, but the Romans gave slightly better in return than they received. The right wing heavy cavalry decided to charge the light horse archers and made contact mauling the light horse.
The Sassanids were not having much luck, causing lower casualties than the Romans in each combat. The light cavalry inflicting unchallenged loss on the auxiliaries who kept their position on the Roman left wing and the other light cavalry inflicting losses on the heavy cavalry being the exceptions.
The battle swung slightly to the Sassanids and the light cavalry even mixed it with the Roman heavy cavalry until they were forced to evade by heavy casualties. They inflicted further losses as they went.
Tiring, both armies inflicted lower casualties until the Roman heavy cavalry caught the horse archers and made them flee the field.
This was followed by the right wing Clibanari forcing the auxiliaries to retreat due to casualties. The Clibanari next to them also suffered at the hands of the enemy general and his unit of Clibanari.
The last auxiliary unit could take no more and left the field having stood all day under the bow fire of the skirmishing light horse.
The end, though was in sight when the Sassanid general was defeated by the resilient heavy cavalry of the Roman right wing.
Three units being lost the Saassanid's conceded the field and looked for another route home.
The armies were closely matched considering the Romans seemed more lightly equipped and had the disadvantage of having infantry. The Salute ( a die I got attending the Salute wargames show many years ago) die I was using didn't live up to the job, rolling low on all but a couple of occasions.
The evade rule.
The majority of rules allow light horse/skirmishing cavalry to evade away from threatening circumstances. In these rules it doesn't allow it. I had to choose whether I allowed the skirmishers to effectively move when it was not their turn, which I didn't, or allowing the Romans to catch them.
I can't see a way round this without changing this rule.
It was an enjoyable game despite the Sassanids losing and low die rolls.
