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Being in between ASL games again, Patch and I played the final game from Truceless War tonight, the Battle of Leptis.

It’s certainly weighted against the rebels, with 4 cards to 6, and starting very near the base line. However, they’ve got a good line, and have the tools to make it work, if they can avoid being overwhelmed by the three Carthaginian elephant units. Also, new unit time for us, the rebels have a heavy chariot, which should be a good elephant hunter since they ignore the first sword hit, and on the offense will manage four dice to three.

I had the Carthaginians first, and drew what I called the ‘Summer Blockbuster Hand’. All special effects, not much plot. I only had a single ‘order’ card all game (Order Two Units Center), and no Leadership cards. With a Command of six, I decided to lead off with I Am Spartacus and see what it got me (one Hvy, two Med, two Light), and sent in the elephants against the HCH, while advancing an Aux, LC, and hitting a trapped Light with my two MC. The chariots evaded, while we traded one block each on the right, and I got a banner hit on an isolated light to cause a block loss. Patch managed to get one hit on each of my elephant units with archery, so I used Mounted Charge before he could get lucky again. I killed the HCH, a LC and a Light, mostly through banner hits, and also reduced an Aux to one block and a second to two, in return for losing an elephant while another retreated a hex.

Patch reshuffled his left flank and couldn’t do more than a single banner to my elephants, while I Ordered Heavy to move up my two heavies and the remaining elephants. I knocked out the weak Aux, and then forced a Heavy off the line, and forced a LS way out in front to retreat to the base line and lose a block on two banners. Patch put his center in motion and picked off one of the elephants, and I Ordered Light, and put together a left-side line of LC and Light, and Aux, with one of my Heavies anchoring the end. Patch Double Timed his good troops into contact, and killed off the Aux for the price of one block. I Ordered Medium to put my line together in the center, and the MC hit his flank again, but they only managed one hit, while a two banner result sent the fresh unit all the way back to my baseline.

Patch moved his right flank, but failed to pick off my elephants, and I played I Am Spartacus again. I only got two units in action (LC and the remaining elephants on a leader wildcard), and picked off a Aux and Light to end the game. 6-3

Definitely one of the oddest games I’ve had with a lot of meaningful banner results shoving troops around, and causing a lot more block losses than I’ve seen before.

For the second go-round, I was relieved to see more normal cards. I did not want to try to juggle a four-card hand full of various specialty cards. Patch started off on the right, knocking out a Light first thing, and reducing two other units by two blocks for no losses, and then went on the left and caused a couple losses (one to a blocked retreat on a banner…). I killed an elephant unit, and drove off some of his MC, but was still coming to grips with him when Patch played Mounted Charge.

He sent on MC to the extreme right, to kill my LC and weaken an Aux (who then killed the MC), while the other MC and an elephant took on Mathos+Med, who killed both units after taking three losses, and ignoring three banner results (across two attacks, of course). The remaining elephant wiped out the Heavy next to the other leader, and then knocked the leader’s Heavy to two blocks and forced a retreat. His LC cut off my LC and forced a kill on it.

I tried a Coordinated Assault, but he First Striked my attempt to get his elephants, and forced my Aux to retreat. Patch Counter Attacked to drive off my HCH with a loss and kill off my Heavies, forcing the leader to evade off the board.

Being down to mostly light units, I was trying to find ways to develop some concentration of force again, while picking off the elephants still in my line. Patch ended with an Order Mounted to envelop my left flank, and kill the HCH for the win. 6-4

The battle is definitely more even than it looks, though the Rebels are certainly vulnerable to being caught with a junk hand. However, both sides are a bit more scattered than usual, which accentuates the importance of banner results. I think if there were no elephants, the Carthaginians would really have their work cut out for them.