By David Schlanger and David Kuijt
Note: all images are clickable to see a larger version.
It didn't happen at Historicon 2004. It would have been an epic clash, but it was not meant to be.
Mark "Hannibal" Pozniak and Jack "the Butcher" Sheriff
versus
David "Quetzacoatl" Kuijt and David "Striped-Deity" Schlanger
You can see the reason for Jack's nickname "The Butcher" - look at that battle face! Mark seems a bit embarrassed about his Carthaginian and Syracusan camps (or lack thereof) - nice bunny coaster, dude!
This is the initial two command deployment for the Aztecs. The CinC command is on the Aztec left anchored by the steep hill. In this case, we leave the Tlaxie ally command off-board as our last placement command. Given our deployment, we will be able to effectively deploy the Tlaxies on our left, right, or center. We absolutely need this kind of flexibility for the Aztecs - with no mounted there will be no redeployment once the battle begins. Gotta love those Aztecs camps!
This deployment and terrain were designed as the Defending strategy described in our Aztec Strategy Manual. See inside that tome of revealed wisdom for further details and discussions.
The Tlaxies have been placed in the center, opposite the steep hill in front of the Carthaginian camps. We knew that if we could get our Tlaxie blade and bow onto that hill, we would be able to win the game. Note the two elements of Tlaxie Bow placed in column on our left flank as anti-mounted support for the CinC command and the element of bow placed in the pyramid camp as further flank support camp guard.
This is a shot of the final deployment, or close to it. Notice the Carthaginian refused left, as they planned to aggressively move the Syracusan ally on their right and their center in an effort to crush our Aztec CinC command to win the game.
The Syracusan spear column spikes down the road aggressively, as the Cartho center moves forward as well. Notice the Carthaginian warband are needed on their right, leaving little to defend the steep hill in front of their camps.
The appearance of Chocolate cake did nothing to slow down the advance of the Syracusans. This would be a tough challenge for the Aztec CinC, but the Aztecs couldn't sit back and wait, as they needed to take the hill. Despite bringing the Aztec CinC into closer proximity with the advancing and numerous enemy, the hill would prove to be crucial and had to be secured. The Aztec and Tlaxie psiloi supported blade walls began a wheel into the gap between the steep hills in order to cramp the Cartho elephants' space.
The smaller Aztec command spikes a column of Warband and Bow up the road on our right flank. The Aztecs placed so many roads as an effort to compensate for their lack of mounted. This strategy definitely worked. Brilliant, don't you think?
The Numidian LH is attempting to slow the Aztecs - but it won't last long. A brave attack at +2 with QK to +4, but almost the worst possible result -- a lock! The two elements remained locked in combat.
The Aztec Warband loves their double move glory! The Aztec lowpip command got two pips, which was enough to throw a psycho maquihuitl-wielding maniac 5Wb into a flank of the poor Numidians. At +4:+1 the Numidians were praying, but prayer was unanswered and they went down in little piles of blood-soaked Numidian cloth.
Notice the Tlaxie and Aztec CinC blade wall in the distance - there's very little space for the Cartho elephants. The Tlaxies form column and move onto the hill!
The Aztecs continue to advance on their right, while the Syracusans and Carthaginians fan out around the hill on the other flank. The Tlaxies now thoroughly control the hill in the middle.
On the right the second Numidian LH dares not contest the Aztec bow's advance, and is worried about a charge down the road and violent shoot-em-up with obsidian-tipped arrows, so tries to withdraw to cover behind the Cartho spear line. The Aztec lowpip command, normally left in a defensive position, is salivating at the chance to fight against a nice meaty opponent with no more pips than itself; in the face of the advancing trio of blade/bladeGen/blade the Cartho lowpip command has no good options to deal with the warband and bows running down the road to outflank them.
This is a slightly closer view of the Aztec center and left at this crucial point in the battle, events would evolve quickly from here on out.
This is a closer view of the Aztec center, with the Tlaxie bow on the hill. Check out the Otomi mercenaries in front! The Aztec Sub General is moving aggressively to the right of Tlaxie hill as well. If this contingent of Aztec Blade can get to the Carthaginian right along with the Warband spike on the road, it will spell doom for the Carthaginians.
Yet another view of the battlefield, how did the chocolate cake last this long? As you can see on the far Aztec left, the Syracusan spear are finally closing in on the Tlaxie flank protectors.
After acquiring a dominant position on the center steep hill, the Tlaxie bowmen now line up and start shooting, while still remaining in the protection of the rough terrain and holding hill advantage. There is very little room for Carthaginian recoil. Note the further advance of the Aztec lowpip command's wall of blades, which now is in good attack formation facing nice meaty spearmen. The surviving Numidian LH has nowhere to go and nothing to do -- he can't escape bowmen with feet in the steep hill no matter where he looks.
The Aztec CinC has repositioned his warband line on the hill to make it more difficult for the Carthaginians to press forward. The Tlaxie bowmen holding the far left of the Aztec flank are hard pressed, but holding. The Carthaginians have still been unable to get their elephants into combat.
The Tlaxie firing squad begins their missile onslaught and Carthaginians begin to fall back. The Numidian LH was the first to evaporate, shot to death by a pair of Tlaxie bow elements. On the right the Aztec Warband fan out into a dominant flanking position, while the Sub General Blade wall prepares for a frontal assault on the Carthaginian left.
Not only did the Aztec CinC hold against two commands, it broke the Syracusans who had advanced as aggressively as possible (given the plight of the Carthaginian left). The furthest Syracusan spear trundled clear across the board to finally get at the Tlaxie bow, only to break and flee. See their nice regular formations of spear at the top of the image above, now facing towards hearth and home and base edge, running their little hoplite legs off!
With the Syracusans routed, the Carthaginians are now desperate to make something happen in the middle of the board. It will be difficult with the steep hill so well controlled by the Tlaxies who are now pushing their bow forward in an effort to push the Carthaginians off of the back edge.
The Aztec Sub General left behind this reserve in the first couple of bounds. These elements barely moved the entire game. This is a product of the low PIP command needing to move forward aggressively, and just not getting enough PIPS on the first two bounds.
This is a view of the entire battlefield during the initial stage of the Syracusans routing.
The Tlaxie bow have pushed an elephant off of the board, as well as turned a flank to kill a spear. That's even a Tlaxie bow in behind the spear on the far left of the Carthaginian line. It's looking really badly for the Carthos, as these losses in addition to the earlier LH have broken the smaller Carthaginian command.
This is a view of the battlefield at the time of the second Cartho command busting.
The Carthaginian center is hopeless, caught between both steep hills controlled by the Aztecs and Tlaxies. While the Carthos do have some unbroken troops on the hill, with the Syracusans in flight, the Cartho right is now threatened and will eventually lose any chance they had to gain control of the hill.
The Carthaginians concede - both flanks broken, their Cartho rabbit coaster camp under duress, and their center unable to press the fight.
The defeated Mark "Hannibal" Pozniak (R) and Jack "the Butcher" Sheriff (L). Nothing Says Defeat Like Having Your Heart Cut Out With An Obsidian Knife.
The victorious David "Quetzacoatl" Kuijt (L) and David "Striped-Deity" Schlanger (R). Real Men Wear Quetzal Feathers and Smite Their Enemies with Macquihuitls!
Aztec BBDBA Army Strategy Manual here.
Page created: May 11, 2005.
The authors may be contacted at buckynduke@comcast.net Please do not use any pictures or text from this page without permission.