Klytika vs Helenas
Known only to the pious and the few citizens who live in the open lands of the western
Helenas, distant from the giant metropolii and tourmoil of the City States as politic
strife turns towards war, the Temple of Nike felt itself safe from all danger. That
was before a lone juvenile from a farm not far away came running into the Temple grounds,
terrified and speechless. The broken arrow shaft sticking into her arm an unmistakable
message. Immediately the senior Heroine Nikoaeloa called for the maidens meditating
at the Temple to don their armour and grasp the shafts of their long spears.
This battle is a full-playtest for the Klytika army list against a basic Aryidannan
army that uses fully compatable troops with the Helenas.
The Klytika
A 100 Point Heroine Rules list.
|
Klytikon |
|
|
|
Kata 1 |
1 x Kataphrakt |
28 Points |
|
Kata 2 |
1 x Kataphrakt |
28 Points |
|
Kata 3 |
2 x Composite Doe
1 x Javelin Doe |
34 Points |
|
Total |
|
100 Points |
|
Heroines
|
|
|
|
|
Filli |
10 Points |
|
|
Couture II, Angels Voice, Carefree |
9 Points |
|
Total |
|
19 Points |
|
Items |
|
|
|
|
Kata 1: Sudden Burst (A+2 Follow Up+1) |
10 Points |
|
|
Kata 3: Eagle Eye (reroll missile misses) |
10 Points |
The Helenas Temple Army
A 100 Point Maiden Rules list.
|
Helenas Band |
|
|
|
OXA 1 |
2 x Hoplite 1st Class |
30 Points |
|
OXA 2 |
2 x Hoplite 1st Class |
30 Points |
|
OXA 3 |
2 x Hoplite 2nd Class |
24 Points |
|
OXA 4 |
3 x Juvenile Slingers |
15 Points |
|
Total |
|
99 Points |
|
Heroines |
|
|
|
|
Nikaeloa |
10 Points |
|
|
Cloxia |
10 Points |
|
Total |
|
20 Points |
|
Items |
|
|
|
|
OXA 1: Painted Shields (Glamour 1) |
5 Points |
|
|
OXA 2: Honed Weapons (reroll Hits for extra hits) |
10 Points |
|
|
OXA 4: Fantatics (Don't Rout) |
15 Points |
|
Total |
|
20 Points |
The Meadow of Glamour
The meadow is an open field with two Temple buildings with vision of their celestial
Goddesses at one end and a statue of the winged Goddess of Victory Nike in between
near the centre of the meadow. The Priestesses and Acolytes of the Temple not fighting
are standing on the base the statue (but take no part in the battle).
The Klytika deploy in the centre of their zone. Their high movement will let them
choose which side of the statue to assault towards and use it to project one flank.
When the Helenas in front are destroyed they can then swing around into the remaining
Helenas and finish them.
The Helenas are divided into two forces. OXA 1 and 3 of heavy Hoplite maidens on their
right and OXA 2 and the sling armed Juvelines providing missile support. A Heroines
provides Glamour to each formation. If the enemy charges OXA 1 the Juveniles will
keep them distant with their missiles allowing the Hoplites to strike the flank.
Turn 1
The Helenas win the Rotating Initiative roll allowing them to move first each turn.
Against a fast opponent this means they can move into contact first or close the distance
to decrease the charing bonus mounted Units get in melee when they contact.
The Juvelines advance forwards and get their slings ready to hurl at the lightly armoured
Doe, wanting to drive them from the meadow and expose the slower Kataphakts. OXA 2
follows close behind providing a refuge in case the Klytika get too close for the
Juveniles comfort. They are just young girls and bare to the arrows pointing at them...
The Hoplite flank of OXA 1 and 3 advance down their side of the meadow.
The Klytikon Heroine Filli eyeing the Helenas lines decides to concentrate her attack
on the weaker Helenas left and orders the Doe to gallop close. The two Kata jingle
side by side behind.
The two skirmishing formations fire at each other with effect. Both Units are Skirmishers
(S in the Notes section of their Profiles) and Fall Back double the number of its
taken. The Juveniles score 2 hits against the centre Doe Stand driving it back 4 depths
and disrupting the Kataphrakt line (3xA2@D3+1 [shooter also a target]
score: 0,2,0). The Doe's response also drives the Helenas girls back with a total
of three hits (2xA2@D2+1 [shooter also a target] -1 [close range composite
bow] score: 1, 0 and 1xA2@D2+1 score: 2). A poor result for the Eagle Eyed
Doe maids.
Turn 2
OXA 1 and 3 begin their turn around the statue, urged on by the Priestess and her
praying Acolytes. The statue of Nike, Goddess of Victory gives them strength and the
closeness of companions ardour. Cloxia reorganises her formation putting the Hoplites
of OXA 2 in front and the Juvelines reform behind and get into ready to move into
a supporting position. From there they can still hurl their stones and be protected
by the large Hoplite shield.
The Does concentrate against OXA 2 and the Kataphrakt close in behind, almost ready
for the charge that will shatter the thin line of redheads. Filli maneouvers them
into the Shatter formation: lassos ready to pull maidens out of line.
The Priestess exhorts her maidens towards victory!
The Klytika have the Rotating Initiative so decide the order of combat. There is only
shooting and it is simultaneous but rolling first is always better! Against the armoured
maidens of OXA 2 the composite bows of the Doe do little and only cause 1 Push Back
to each Stand. The Juveniles score no hits at all, too busy calming their fluttering
nerves from the rain of arrows they had to endure ealier.
Turn 3
The Hoplite maidens continue to move around the statue of Nike. They knew that the
first charge was going to be soon and they had to be there to catch the enemy in a
disorganised state. OXA 2 shapes up and gets ready for an attack at any moment. The
Juveniles fall in behind ready to fire.
Filli recognises the threat to her force. If she presses the attack and ignores the
force flanking her she could get surrounded with enemy infront, behind and the statue
blocking her force from moving freely. If she orders a retreat then the enemy would
be able to combine and present a much more dangerous and resilient front. Filli did
not want to give up on her attack, nor expose her flank. The decision she she took
was dangerous and not conventional. She would split her force.
KATA 1 on the left wheeled and charged OXA 1 with Filli in the midst. Her presence
gives her maidens strength and the heavily armoured kataphrakts crash into the spear
bristling ranks of Hoplites. The Glamour test to engage was 6 (Filli: 5, Kataphrakt:1)
vs 3 (3: Nikealoa) and both sides roll 1 on their D3 bonus. KATA 2 and the Doe advance
closer to OXA 2 but the Kataphrackts do not have the speed to charge. If they hold
against the missile fire then next turn they can.
The Juveniles have courage and better aim protected by the heavy armour of the elder
damsels. Each Doe Stand is hit (2,2,1) and pushed back greatly. In response the Doe
can do little to the Hoplites (1,1) but the Javelin Doe throw true and get 2 hits
on the exposed Juveniles and send them rushing off the meadow in panic.
Nikealoa challenges Filli as the two lines close but the Klytika Heroine is disdainfull
of the Helenas dame and points the tip of her javelin at the painted shields of the
Hoplites. The powerful Kataphrakt crash into the Helenas after a brief show of heavy
white painted darts and admist dreadful noise, stomping hooves, bustling deer and
the shove and hack of weapons OXA 1 is completely destroyed as the maidens are trampled
into the grass. Even with A9 (4+2+3) the Hoplites score no hits on the Kataphrakts
and take 5 in return, four of which are Followed Up. Both Hoplite Stands are destroyed
and Nikealoa takes the last hit bringing her down to H1. She seeks refuge with OXA
3. KATA 1 had a total of A12 with Filli's support.
Turn 4
The Helenas had just taken a crushing blow. Would it be a mortal one? Nikealoa tries
to rally OXA 3 and assault the Kataphrakts but the maidens, so distraught at witnessing
the destruction of their sisters balks and refuses to close with the metal glistening
riders, blood splattered on the armour. Cloxia seeing how effective her Juveniles
are when well protected orders her maidens forward and to keep up the barrage of stones.
Drive the enemy from the meadow is her cry!
KATA 1 swings and slams into OXA 3 easily making the Glamour test to engage.
The Doe form into column and give KATA 2 open space to move forward: before they constantly
got in the way of the Kataphrakts and halted the charge. The heavy armour of the Kataphrakts
will allow them to close easily.
The stones of the Juveniles have no impact against the Kataphrakt scales. The change
in tactics by both sides have countered each other. The Doe's fire is also ineffective
as only the lead stand can shoot and the arrows bounce off the bronze shields.
This time Filli accepts the challenge by Nikealoa with glee seeing the wounded state
of her opponent. The two Heroines clash, mounted against foot and Nikealoa unhorses
Filli with the length of her spear but the Klytika Heroine quickly rolls to her feet,
and although wounded, as Nikealoa gets ready to thrust her through, hurls a dagger
into the Helenas Heroine's unprotected thoat and extinquishing the life from her.
Filli used 3 of her Glamour to cause an automatic Hit against Nikealoa (and having
only H1, killed her) but lost the Duel 3 hits to 4 and is also reduced to H1.
OXA 3 does not break and rout at the lost of their Heroine but fight on with courage
in their breast and are only pushed back. The Kataphrakts have no momentum and find
it difficult to break the rigid maidens.
Turn 5
The Helenas are not yet beaten but victory looks distant. The Priestess has gone quiet
and now prays for deliverance from the invaders. Using the statue as a flank
guard and refusing her left Cloxia swings her line and is thankful to a degree as
the Kataphrakts in front of her veer away. This is occuring because OXA 3 locked in
combat is able to flank the Kataphrakts and attack from two sides. If they can destroy
the monsterous enemy Stand the battle will be swinging back to an even position.
To cover the change in direction the Doe advance to block OXA 2 from proceeding any
further. Filli sees the flow of the battle as an opportunity. She can bring both her
KATA into battle against an isolated enemy Unit.
Slung stones keep up their barrage but in turn the Hoplite line is rocked by accurate
bowfire. This engagement could take forever and time is what Cloxia knows she does
not have. She must drive the skirmishing cavalry away but two Stands of Juveniles
are just not enough!
The Priestess' prayers are not answered at least in the way the Helenas want. The
Kataphrakts heavy armour deflects the spear tips of the Hoplites and they recoil.
The red-headed maidens glance with apprehension at the other approaching KATA.
Turn 6 & 7
Cloxia struggles to maintain the momentum. She can see what is about to happen and
knows that she is powerless to stop it. To strike any blow against the enemy would
recover some pride...
With a cheer KATA 2 slams into the side of OXA 3. The Doe use their superior speed
to get in the way of the Hoplites again.
KATA 2 overruns one Stand of OXA 3 before the reunited Kataphrakts finish off the
Unit. The Juveniles and Doe continue to trade missiles, the Doe coming close to striking
down a Stand of Hoplites with 3 hits. They are constantly disrupted themselves but
quickly reform.
When they hear the death cries of OXA 3 the remaining Helenas loose heart and break
and flee into the Temple seeking salvation from the marauding Klytika.
Conclusion
A complete victory to the Klytikon. So much so that the Kataphrakts have been down
graded to D5 instead of D6 increases the chances of being hit at all. The Kataphrakts
still have a strong charge bonus with Darts (D-1) and being cavalry and will be able
to Trample most enemies. Trample has been made less powerful (2 x Follow Up would
allow a Stand to blast through a 4 deep Sarissa Phalanx with ease). The benefit of
Trample is that the Stand only occupies space of destroyed enemy Stands allowing a
tighter and more disciplined formation to be mantained and even single Stands will
be able to break through supported Stands and create a hole to move through.
The Does did their job at skirmishing perfectly and the Juveniles kept them away.
Eventually the Juveniles probably would have driven the Does from the meadow unless
some lucky shots took down a Stand of Hoplites. However the Does were able to block
half the Helenas army by themselves allowing the Kataphrakt to pick on the other half
which didn't have any missile troops and were struck with the Units not supporting
each other.
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