Warring States: Week 1

This is the beginning of a Rally Round the King Local Campaign set in a fictional Iron Age China in which four rival states vie for control of the country after the Center State's imperial rule has collapsed. It uses my random set-up rules and Opposing Generals War Profiles.

The campaign ladder and Center States battlefields were randomly generated, as was my choice of opponent, who turned out to be none other than the Northern States' General Xiang Gua, a ruthless, self-styled warlord who has clung to the old ways of relying on chariots and the power of horses while the rest of China has invested its military strength in levied multitudes of manpower.

General Xiang Gua's Groups (Northern State)

1. 5 Chariots 
2. 4 Cavalry 
3. 4 Archers, 2 Skirmishers 
4. 6 Levies 
5. Decoy 
6. Decoy 

My Groups (Southern State)

1. 2 Chariots, 2 Horse Archers, 2 Skirmishes 
2. 3 Cavalry 
3. 3 Horse Archers 
4. 8 Levies 
5. Decoy 
6. Decoy 

This is how the initial group placement worked out:

My groups are blue. Xiang Gua's groups are green.

Misty Trees
I chose to FIGHT, but General Xiang Gua chose FLIGHT and aimed to consolidate his forces later in the campaign during Week 3 in Ghost Forest. I scored 1 campaign point.

Plains of Sorrow
General Xiang Gua's groups are unopposed. Xiang Gua scores 1 point.

Ghost Forest
Both General Xiang Gua and I chose to FIGHT. I revealed his groups' identities and discovered that my 3 Cavalry and 3 Horse Archers would be facing his 5 Chariots. (His other group was a decoy.)

Refrigerators aren't photogenic. Sorry.

The woods of Ghost Forest (randomly) turned out to be on either side of the battlefield, so my Horse Archers - divided into two small bodies - didn't have the wide berth I would have preferred. I opted to send my Cavalry forward first to meet Xiang Gua's Chariots head on.

Refrigerator close-ups are much better!

We charged and counter-charged (though I was hoping Xiang Gua would choose to take a firing position [1 or 2 on a d6]...the warlord did not, as was his style). After two rounds of melee, my Cavalry held fast and caused the Chariots to temporarily retire, but at a considerable cost of hits and one of my Cavalry units.

Xiang Gua's follow-up was to then move forward and take a firing position. I spent my actions on moving my Horse Archers into position as well, rather than maneuvering my Cavalry. This was a huge mistake. The Chariots fired a volley of arrows that caused my two remaining units of Cavalry to rout. My Horse Archers fired back at Xiang Gua's flanks which sent two units of Chariots retiring to safety, but it wasn't enough. The remaining body of Chariots wheeled about and (by 50/50 random roll) charged at my two-unit Horse Archer body. The Horse Archers fled and, as one of the enemy Chariots pursued, I called a retreat.

Xiang Gua won and scored 2 points.

CURRENT SCORE

Xiang Gua 3

Me 1

And here is what the campaign ladder looks like now:

Next, Week 2. No battles and I'll be losing by more, but I've a very important tactical decision to make...