A Tale of Challenges: Carolingians Vs Byzantines

 
Deployment: The Byzantines have a unit of levy in the field on their left, and two more in the woods on their right. Their centre is held by twelve bow armed warriors, six mounted hearthguard, and the warlord himself. The Carolingians have a pair of normal and bow armed units of warriors on each flank. In the centre they have more warriors, the warlord and six mounted hearthguard. 

The two warlords have issued a number of challenges to demonstrate their worth, both to  their enemy and their own men. The Byzantine warlord has declared that he and more than half his men will survive the battle unharmed, and together they will kill the barbarian chieftain. The Carolingian warlord boasts they shall slaughter ten Romans in a single turn, and that his men will show their determination and lust for victory by throwing themselves at the enemy and taking 3/4 casualties! 



Turn 1: The Byzantines have first turn. They load up on saga abilities and pull their mounted hearthguard out of easy bow range. The Carolingians push forwards with ardor, safely ensconcing their bowmen in the terrain whilst forming a dense column of warriors in the gap on the left.



Byzantine Turn 2: The Roman toxotai use repeated volleys and indirect fire to overcome the Carolingian's defensor ability, killing three bowmen in the ruins and denying their enemy a Saga dice. 



Carolingian Turn 2: The warriors on the left keep pushing forwards through the gap towards the vulnerable Byzantine psiloi. On the right the archers use vinco to shoot down three of the enemy slingers. In the centre the hearthguard crash forwards into the toxotai cutting down seven of them, thus fulfilling their warlords challenge of slaughtering ten Romans in one turn.



Byzantine Turn 3: A massed volley softens the enemy up before the mounted hearthguard counter attack, using superior tactics to sweep the Frankish milites from the field. 



Carolingian Turn 3: The warlord coldly orders his warriors to lay down their lives and assault the enemy hearthguard, without the support of any saga abilities! Against the odds they take four Byzantines down with them, crippling the unit. 

Byzantine Turn 4: Another massed volley from the toxotai and psiloi is unleashed on the Carolingians, but thanks to defensor the Franks raise their shields and whether the storm with only a handful of casualties. 

Carolingian Turn 4: The warriors finally charge into the woods, using fortis to butcher their way through the javelinmen without losing any of their number.

Byzantine Turn 5: The Roman commander boldly draws his sword and spurs his horse into the treeline. He takes a fatigue but halts the Carolingian advance, throwing their warriors back out of the woods. 

Carolingian Turn 5: Finally throwing caution to the wind, the Frankish warlord gallops across the field using illusio and into the byzantine javelinmen, slaughtering the psiloi to a man. The warriors in the field also dash out to take on the toxotai. They scrape a bare and bloody win but crucially drop the Roman army below half strength, making a liar of their commander as he has failed to keep the majority of his men alive. 

Outcome: Both warlords have failed to live up to all their boasts. For the Byzantines; more than half their men are dead and the Frankish warlord still lives, but at least their own commander has managed to save his own neck. For the Carolingians; despite the great slaughter they still have more than a quarter of their starting force, but they did cut a bloody swathe through the enemy by killing ten in one turn. The points are balanced on a knife edge, but the day goes to the Franks. Carolingians win!