Cinaed overview

Well where to start, last weekend saw the Spartans take the field for the first time in a competitive game and for that matter as a finished force and my prediction came true as the wooden spoon is mine, all mine :). To be fair I had 3 very good games and enjoyed them all in different ways.

Game 1 against Crusaders was going to be hard from the very start; when your facing 6 units of crossbows and 4 short bows with 2 light cavalry and 3 Impetuous Heavy cavalry to back them up you know your in for a tough time. So the Spartans fought in the shade to start of with. In-discipline in the ranks broke the battle line as it progressed through the arrow storm, during which time the right flank evaporated under the pressure of the combined skirmishers and light cavalry allowing the Crusaders the opportunity to flank the main phalanx. When the battle line finally clashed the Crusaders held - the dice god was not in my camp at this point - and the Crusaders then released their Knights. The Spartans held them for a while but the flanking lights brought in the end. Overall a very good game and a fair introduction to Impetus.

Game 2 against Carthage was also going to be hard. 4 units of cavalry on the extreme left, with elephants and Spanish light infantry over on the right. I had decided to split my line and hold the left with skirmishers, 1 phalanx and my only unit of cavalry. The rest went forward to clash with the Spanish. Again in-discipline on the left caused problems and a failed charge didn't help matters. The evasion from light cavalry changes a lot from BI. 1 Phalanx held up the elephants whilst the other 2 clashed against the Spanish with support from a unit of peltasts on the far right, yet again I couldn't wear the main line down and it all went horribly wrong from there.

Game 3 against the Huns was just painful and the Spartan's fought in the shade yet again. The Hun player had 2 warbands which were my main target and a good combat ensued there. However, against such a mobile and bow armed force I was always going to struggle. Again the holding force on the right this time dwindled away too quickly and with the loose of 1 phalanx on the left to missile fire very quickly it was over very quickly.

The Spartans are a good army to play with but lacked enough missile troops and  cavalry to hold their flanks long enough for the phalanx to do its job against this opposition. In games 1 & 3 I couldn't just sit there as I would have just been whittled away with no means of replying. Game 2 I could have done so but counted on the phalanx beating the Spanish - which they should have done - allowing me to turn the flank and centre.

Overall Impetus is a good game which has more to offer than BI, not that I am saying I'll stop playing BI as I won't. Things to look out for are evasion, counter charge, skirmishers dispersing when contacted and opportunity charges.
Forgetting a few minor changes in the cohesion test - which is slightly different - doesn't help either.

The day itself was very good with a friendly bunch of guys from Falkirk, Kincardine and Fife. There are already plans for 4 games next year and I'm going to go back after all I don't want to stay at equal 98th in the world rankings for ever :)


Unfortunately, there are no pictures of the day as the camera was on the blink.
Cheers