Test of Battle of Thannuris (528 AD) Scenario

Last Thursday, our "Old Guys" group gathered to play our first game using my Command & Colors - Medieval game.  But instead of the tan and purple blocks and the laboriously applied labels, we used my 15mm figures, some of which I described in previous posts.

Unfortunately I did not take any pictures until about the 6th turn.  Please click on the images for a large picture.  The pictures were taken with my Motorola phone camera.

Overview with the Byzantine right/Sassanid left in the foreground.  The Byzantine left wing commander stares in dismay at the losses he's taken.

The Byzantines slowly moved forward on their right until they got within bow range and started a desultory ranged fire on the Sassanids.  They moved their medium bow-armed cavalry unit onto the hill and, with the two bow-armed light infantry units, returned the fire.  Casualties were minor here.

Another view of the action along the hill line taken from the rear of the Byzantine force.

But the main action was on the Byzantine left/Sassanid right.  Here the Sassanid right wing commander ponders his attack options.  As you can tell, he's dealt quite a bit of destruction to the Byzantine left wing cavalry.

The Sassanid super heavy cataphracts launch an attack against the remnants of two units of Byzantine cavalry, destroying both of them

Then wheeling around behind the hills on the next turn, the cataphracts position themselves for the coup de grace.  But it was the Sassanid medium cavalry attacking from the front that garnered the honors.  Rolling only three dice (two for attacking a hill and one for an Inspired 'battle bonus' Action, they got the one blue triangle they needed to destroy the last stand of Byzantine cavalry on the hill.  And then they rolled a single die to see if the Byzantine leader was killed -- and lo, he was with a roll of a helmet, garnering the last two victory banners needed to win the game.

The Sassanids won decisively 6 banners to 2 for the Byzantines.

My 15mm figures are a mix of various manufacturers, primarily vintage Miniature Figurines and Table Tops Games figures.  The hills were hand cut from 1/2" extruded insulation foam upon which I glued  an enlarged image of one of the C&C-M hills.  The mat is from Cigar Box.

This coming Thursday we'll fight the next scenario, the follow-up battle of Melebasa (528 AD).