From Our Own Correspondent: Part 1
Kate Aide reports “A Biblical Epic”
when I last war-gamed with these 15mm biblical armies (Essex
Miniatures with a few Chariot Miniatures), using Armarti or DBM rules, my
friends and I would position Cecil B D Mille and his film crew atop some
vantage point to indicate the "Biblical Epic" was being played to enjoy.
More recently I have found a 15mm reporter and TV
cameraman (among my 15mm Vietnam forces) who now represents Kate Aide: famous
BBC war correspondent from the days of incessant civil war in Lebanon.
Following a burst of excitement, having come across Impetus
rules, I embarked on a mega rebasing: fixing two or four DBM elements to a base
to make a unit. This game was my first using full Impetus rules (without any
rule amendments from supplement books).
So here, a later Hebrew army, with Syrian-Aramaean allies
stands in the way of a Neo-Hittite Army from the north.
a small amount of map-work pregame, meant the battle was
to be fought in the south of modern day Lebanon, in the low lands just north of
the plains of Megiddo; mostly open, dry rock and desert, with some low hills
and rough areas.
As the day began the armies broke camp in the chill
morning, and moved to the open ground that would be a field of battle. Each force
rumbled out of the mists and dust, to await the sun’s warmth. Deployment was by
commands
The Hittite King deployed in their centre, himself
commanding the Noble, heavy chariots with open ground to their south. His guard
foot formed to his rear, themselves flanked by regular units of archers and
spears extending in line almost to the small village of Hannahon to their east.
The Hebrew King matched this with his largest force; heavy
chariots with a hoard of fleet-footed, javelin armed tribesmen to their west. The
light foot were south of some rough gullies; hoping to shield them from the
lighter Hittite chariots yet to appear from the dust. These tribes had archers
on either flank and were screened by the skirmishing bow armed tribesmen. A
unit of mounted, Bedouin scouts hoped to protect their west flank as it lay
open.
A more agile Hittite
command deployed to the west, with a low hill before them and the rough terrain
further to their south. This command had the light chariots and a unit of camel
mounted spears backed up by some lighter spear and bow armed foot. Skirmishing
slingers protected the extreme right of the line.
The Hebrew King’s regular foot, the Mighty Gibborim,
deployed south of another small area of rough ground with the bow armed Benjamite
tribesmen skirmishing ahead. The household archers took the large hill to their
east. In their midst was a tough unit of Philistine heavy, spear armed mercenaries.
[The small pebbles are used to keep track of unit losses –
white denote permanent losses]
With the stage set, Kate Aide, our intrepid reporter, did
her piece to camera talking of the air, charged with anticipation and the grim
determination of the soldiers arrayed as far as the eye could see on both sides
of the plain.
As the sun continued to climb, the trumpets signaled the coming of the
fated moment, and both armies moved forward.
The Hittites to the east emerged to the south of the
village and the lower slopes of the hill. The light chariots began to open out
to form a more aggressive line.
Aramaean Chariots wheeled from behind the big hill with
their foot following close behind. Hebrew Light chariots swung east ready to
protect the right flank of their archers on the hill.
The Hittite centre kept pace but the faster light chariots and the
camels to their west wheeled over the small hill before them to threaten the
Hebrew centre, with as much open ground ahead as they dared.
[The individual spearmen on 20mm bases are used to show
(and keep track of) a command that has activated]
The Israelite tribesmen advanced swiftly to occupy the
rough ground, confident the Hittite Light chariots intended to bypass them. Bedouin
scouts moved to prevent the Hittites using the small olive grove as a secure
flank.
To the east, Aramaeans advanced boldly to close on the
Hittite Light chariots and deny them the open ground to manoeuvre
That's where I'll leave it, at the end of turn 3.
How the battle unfolded, next time
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