Impressive Hun battle
In my now rather advanced ERE campaign I have taken Campus Iazegus from the Goths (I wanted to create another case of Horde-sickness, and hoped that they would drive into the WRE as I was at war with them). Anyway, the city was attacked for many years by Huns and my vast and impressive army was in the end nothing more than a bunch of cattledrivers. I needed to save the city from the Huns.
So I sent my most powerful army yet, to drive them off. I felt it was most impressive with plenty of Plumbatarii and a fair number of cavalry.
The battle came on a plain with hills to either side of me. I chose to make a stand in the valley (moving under fire from the Huns was simply stupid). Initially the Huns acted odd, the first army (of two) was sitting on the bigger hill to my left and began to move erratically. Meanwhile the other army moved up along the ridge to my front and the hill to my right. I dawned upon me that I was being duped... The first Hun army was reluctant to engage me while it slowly crept around my left flank, meanwhile the other Hun army swung around the right flank. Soon my situation was like this.
Looking left.
Looking right, take notice of the units in the distance to the right (they would later be important).
My flank, protected by my Hippo-toxotai and mercs began to shrink inwards was the superior numbers of fast Hun horse archers kep up the pressure and advanced further and further in a slow motion. But already it was clear my right was the choice of attack. Unit after unit began to converge on me (didn't dare to move), then they attacked. Several going for my front, obviously not going to win due to the strength of Plumbatarii and their plumbata. I would be wrong if I thought the AI actually had a concept of divertionary attacks (or could one hope?). But whatever the reason, those attacks kept me from moving enough troops around to decisively coutner the Huns.
The careful obsever will notice that I sent my only strong reserve into the fray, the poor Septimius Aemilianus, who is now dead. He did manage along with my Equites Auxilia to rout several Hun units but he was eventually overwhelmed.
The battle carried on, and in time even the Plumbatarii ran out of ammo to throw at the enemy. And my Hippo-toxotai were cornered and wiped out. I had lost my most maneuverable and strong forces. I had only my remaining Alan Nobles (strong heavy cavalry, responsible for several routs as they rode across my front), the general and the Merc Sarmatian Archers, but the two merc units were in for some trouble. In the next shot you will se the result of the Huns breaking my wings and getting around to the rear, cutting off the mercs.
The Sarmatians are driving at the four advancing Hunnic units. The result was a bloody fight that would have gone to the Sarmatians had they not been so severely outnumbered. Meanwhile the Alans are engaged with the three units of Hun Horde Horsemen (large, 66, units of horse archers) coming from the far right, that fight they lost. I have been forced into an defensive octagon.
At the time I lost my last remaining cavalry I tought the battle was lost. I had done well, but by men were beginning to crack, my priests were abou the only thing that kept them going (little bunch of black men in the center).
The Huns came closer and close with their horse archers, inflicting losses on the opposite units (shooting across the formation). It was devastating.
Once in a while they got too close to the units that still had ranged weapons, but they simply pulled back and began the maneuver again.
When the three Hunnic units on my right began a Cantabrian Circle each my wall was breaking down, so I gave it one last shot. I attacked those three with my valiant general. They fell back naturally, but luckily they kept shooting at my infantry until out of range. After a few volleys I struck luck. While fleeing the last unit (I had targeted the first) began to move slightly to my side. I took the chance and attacked it. Before they could retreat away my general had engaged their rearmost men, this promted that units to halt and engage my men in a brutal fight. My 16 men then faced even worse odds as the two other units turned around to help their buddies. 16 bodyguards against 150+ enemies. Just before the two other units managed to engage me the first unit broke, but that didn't halt them and I thought the end had come when my men began to drop quickly while one othe Hun units were still only slowly dropping, but then the other unit broke (my men had apparently engaged them instead), this sent the first unit flying as well.
For some reason the ret of the Hunnic army also retreated after a unit had managed to get tangled up in my octagon.
It was a victory, but my army was depleted, and I am most impressed with how the AI acted during the whole battle. Competent and sound tactics. They should have worked against my initial line, but I constantly reformed and never budged. It was not so far from what I would have done myself.
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Originally Posted by Colovion
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