Arsephat and the Girgashites triumphant!

The Canaanites had their first run out today, against a marauding Philistine band.  Honours were not even remotely even.

The terrain was straight forward.  I had just run a game of Men who would be Kings and simply removed the 15mm Pathan hill village to make this resemble the deserts of Transjordan. 

The Canaanites deployed on their base line (and I am acutely aware that the table is too narrow for a 28mm game in the standard sense.)  Over the hill the Peleset warband appeared, including a baggage cart bearing a lady who had her chest on display.  This sort of thing drives the Canaanites wild.

I formed two chariot groups, both with chariot runners, counting these as light cavalry types, but with a serious amount of firepower.  Maryannu chariots carried spare quivers, and the chariot runners would also be archers adding to the storm of arrows that was about to descend on the Peleset..  

Drews postulates that close fighting infantry armed with javelins and bronze swords were the demise of chariotry and the maryannu.  I`m not convinced and neither was Arsephat, my Canaanite King.  His loyal (?) sons Yul-Yassib and Adonijah gave the Girgashites three captains, against the two for my Peleset.  In reality the Peleset are only half of my Sea Peoples army, so they lack some command.

Old Nestor took the initiative, occupying the central hill.  Very much the traditionalist Uriah the Hittite tactic that has cost me so many games.

The Canaanite response was to swiftly move to envelop the Peleset flank.  

They began the arrow storm against of the Peleset warbands that were moving up against them.  I will be honest in that the dice were with them.  Did not Arsephat have the sacred relic , the Teste of Baal in it's casket behind his chariot!  There were a lot of rolls of 5 and 6.  The Peleset had a lot of rolls of 1 and 2.  In short order the Peleset were lost on that flank. 

 The Peleset had also lost the Captain on this flank and that added to their troubles.  

Old Nestor decided for better or worse, that sitting on a hill was probably a bad idea, and with Apollo behind him he swooped down, only to find himself in a vicious melee with the Maryannu.  The Girgashites were pushed awy, but their command and control was so much better.  Arsephat rallied the shock and actually managed to put another load or arrows point first into Nestor.  

 On the other flank Adonijah (as played by George Sanders) lead the Royal Guard onto the hill and fought the remaining Peleset warband.  

The battle ended with the Peleset probably having fought too long, losing well over three quarters of their men.

As for Nestor, well "over the hill" is probably the kindest thing the scribes will say.  If he did this badly against the Canaanites how can he hope to take on the Egyptians?

My background music for this game was Legends of Kitholan.  It fitted the game really well.  Just saying...