Fright Knight redux

Since the previous game ended so abruptly, we had time for another.  The board had a more interesting setup this time, with cross-roads passing through a wood, another wood, and a gentle hill as well.

After my traditional '1' for pips on the first bound...

The initial setup for both our forces was sensible.  Myp plan was to use the road to seize the central wood on my first turn with the Ax, march the Bd line up to the gap between the two woods and hopefully combat his Wb there with my Cv in reserve, and to use the LH on each flank to guard my flanks and threaten his.

... but I rolled well for pips after that

My Ax and Ps spread out in the wood to stop him easily skirting it or passing through it.  I had the Ax on the road pulled back slightly in case his Kn charged me.  He'd still get the QK but at least I'd have the double overlap.  I think I should have done something trickier with angled units and gotten off the road but it wasn't an issue in the end.  My LH went to the right of the woods but I got caught out by forgetting about the 2 pip cost due to obstructed LOS over 600 paces, so it didn't get as far as I'd hoped.  I learned my lesson last time and brought my Bd up in time with the rest of my army.  The other LH is out of shot on the left of picture.

He brought his army up in line, slowly spreading out his Kn to meet me.

Git around!  Git!

Realizing that my Cv weren't in much of a position to help and their LOS was poor, I started to redeploy them to the centre road.  The LH continued the flanking move on the right.  The Gepid Ps on my left blocked my LH from attacking their camp by projecting a ZOC out of the woods, and on my right the Ps guarded his flank.  The rest of his army continued to advance.  If you think my LH looks a little too close to the Ps on the right...

Gepids 1 - Romans 0

... you're correct!  The Ps doubled my LH in a straight-up combat and killed them.  I really like the idea of LH but I ain't no good at using them!

Gepids 1 - Romans 1

My CvG advanced up the road.  Probably slightly rash since if the Kn charged him it would be even odds, but hey - that guy's got a wolf-skin on his head, don't mess with him!  Speaking of rash, a unit of Gepid Kn was killed by my Ax which had a toe in the woods.  The odds were even due to the overlap but I'm not sure there was much to be gained, as the Kn would have followed up into the woods if they'd won and I probably would have trapped and killed them reasonably easily there.  The Gepid Wb spread out into double ranks from column formation to face down my Bd.

My Bd was staring downhill at the Gepid warband.  If I rolled enough pips I'd be able to charge them and get an overlap on the left and Ps support from the rear.  The odds weren't going to get any better than this!

Gepids 4 - Romans 1

On the left, the odds were 7-3 to me.  I was beaten, recoiled and killed.  Now the adjacent unit with Ps behind it had the double overlap against it!  Still 4-4 though.  Beaten, recoiled, killed, and the Ps is killed too for adding rear support from immediately behind.  And that's the game.  Aaaaargh!

Post-game thoughts:

1. I had a better plan this game and didn't let my fear of Kn make me do silly things.
2. Bringing my Bd up in concert with my other troops was much more effective.
3. My opponent used his Ps ZOCs very effectively to constrain me.  I need to consider doing similar things myself.  If I'd used my Ax to project angled ZOCs out of the wood I would have disordered his line more as it approached.
4. Once I'd put the LH on my left flank to make him put his Ps there, I could have moved it away to the right flank to join my other LH and it would have been more effective.  Letting his Ps even reach my LH was dumb.
5. I shouldn't have risked my general like that but nothing came of it.
6. Sometimes the odds are all in your favour but the dice ain't.  Them's the breaks.
7. Don't the woods look nice?