It's a (HOTT) Knockout! - Episode Two

Continuing my HOTT Knockout campaign, started HERE.

After two seasons the map hadn't changed; Prester John had repulsed an attack by the Swiss, whilst his own attempts to expand his expire were foiled by the Inca.

Season 3

Each nation rolled and the scores were as follows:

Elves: 3
Inca: 4+1=5 (4)
Prester John: 1

Fishmen: 5 (6)
Swiss: 3-1=2

So the Fishmen entered the campaign, attacking the recently defeated Prester John.

The two armies lined up.

They both advanced for a showdown in the centre.

The battle began with the wilder Fishmen charging Prester John's archers.

To some extent Prester John was forced into an attack because the Fishmen had artillery and could afford to sit back and bombard his army. As it was an early shot caused the elephant to flee.

The main forces of each army crashed into each other ...

... and Prester John's tribal warriors slaughtered the Fishman leader and is bodyguard. 

Fortunately the losses for both sides were even at this point, so the leaderless Fishmen fought on. But the warriors kept attacking, and more Fishmen fell.

The fight near the town continued, and the archers cut down some Fishman warriors.

The warriors continued their attack, and this time the losses were enough to break the Fishman invaders.

The Prester John saw off the Fishman invasion with an 8g-2 victory.

Season 4

After three Seasons, all three invasions had been defeated. Would this Season finally see any territory changed hands?

The rolls were:

Elves: 2
Inca: 1+1=2
Prester John: 6+1=7

Fishmen: 2-1=1
Swiss:5-1=4

So, amazingly, Prester John was on the attack again and his opponents would be the Fishmen, as his army pursued them back to their homeland.

Prester John's army landed on the coast and the Fishmen were lined up to meet them.

The Fishman warriors saw off some lurkers in the woods.

Prester John ordered an advance. Both armies were fighting on a narrow frontage, restricted by the terrain.

Prester John's warriors didn't do so well this time, overlapped and wiped out by their Fishman equivalents.

The Priest-King's troops charged the Fishman line ...

... and were repulsed.

The swordsmen renewed the attack, and destroyed the Fishman artillery.

An attack all along the line. The Fishman warriors threatening the flank were being ably dealt with by Prester John's knights.

The Fishman line began to break up. Victory was in sight for Prester John.

But the Fishman were able to summon their god to their aid!

Inspired they brought down Prester John's elephant.

But their general was surrounded by swordsman. He could only hold them off for so long.

The god attacked Prester John's knights, destroying them.

And that was too much for Prester John's army, which broke.

The Fishmen won 13-7. The game was closer than that though; loss of the god to an unlucky PIP roll, or loss of their surrounded general would have pretty much cost the Fishmen the game, and seen Prester John capture their lands. But the held him off. For now.

Season 5

In my previous post I said I'd cover Seasons 3 and 4 in this post, but I had time to play the next season, and did.

The rolls were as follows:

Elves: 4

Inca: 5+1=6 (3)

Prester John: 6 (6)

Fishmen: 2

Swiss: 6-1=5

So whilst the Inca had almost been the aggressors this time around, the fifth battle was actually a repeat of the fourth, and Prester John's army continued its attempted invasion of the lands of the Fishmen. So far all five battles had featured his army.

This time the Fishmen stuck to their narrow frontage, whilst Prester John tried a flanking move with his knights.

The Fishmen extended their line to meet the flanking force.

Once again their elephant fled from the artillery, and would take no further part in the battle.

The swordsmen advanced confidently.

The attack went in.

The knights were thrown back, but the Fishman centre gave ground.

The artillery was defeated again, and Prester John's swordsmen broke through the line and advanced on the stronghold.

Both armies had broken up and the battle was being fought in patches. The Fishmen pulled back some spears to defend their stronghold.

The first attack on the stronghold failed, but more swordsmen were advancing.

In the centre Prester John's archers were being slowly forced back by the Fishman general. Prester John went to their aid, but soon found his retreat cut off by Some Fishman spears. Meanwhile the spears defending the stronghold saw off their attackers, denying the swordsmen a coordinated assault on the stronghold.

The Fishman general charged Prester John. If he could be forced back he would be destroyed since his retreat was blocked.

Only this could save the stronghold from inevitable capture. And it worked. Prester John was eliminated, and his army broke.

This was an incredibly close game, with Prester John mounting two attacks on the stronghold, either of which could have lost the Fishman the game. The Fishmen won 10g-9.

And there are more surprises to come in the next part.