Prester John vs Ceidonia

I bought a new folding table yesterday, so I can set up games in my office and avoid having to annex the dining table instead. In the afternoon I gave it a first outing, and what better way to do that than a game of HOTT?

The Ceidonians defended against Prester John's attacker. They are both medieval style armies with a core of knights, plus archers, spears and blades. 

Both armies advanced but Prester John halted about halfway to take advantage of a hill. His warband charged the Ceidonian levy on that flank and destroyed them. 

Then the two lines met, with the Ceidonians boldly attacking up the hill. 

The attack was hurled back, and the Ceidonians took some heavy losses. Their left flank was practically destroyed. 

Prester John's army pressed forward to exploit the advantage. 

The Ceidonian steam-tank crushed some of Prester John's knights. 

And now the two might behemoths - the tank and the elephant  - faced each other in the centre. This was a critical combat for the Ceidonians as losing it would see their general crushed under the tank's wheels, and lose them the battle. 

They won the fight and Prester John's elephant was pushed back towards his victorious right flank. 

It broke an element of blades and soon threated the native warbands as well. 

Meanwhile the Ceidonian rally continued on the other flank as Prester John's army became fragmented. Ceidonian swordsmen cut down the archers facing them.

More succcess for Prester John as he personally accounted for some Ceidonian blades. 

Meanwhile on the other flank he warband had avoided disaster and the elephant pushed back the Ceidonian tank into some of its own knights. 

Losses were heavy on both sides and fairly even, Prester John was attacked and driven into some of his own troops, destroying him. However his losses were lower than those of the Ceidonians so the army kept fighting. 

Both armies were looking very sparse in terms of elements now. 

The key turn arrived. A win for Prester John's troops here would destroy the tank and push the Ceidonians over their 12AP break point. 

The fight was a draw. And the Ceidonians overlapped some knights to push Prester John's losses over theirs.  

So it was a narrow 11g-10 win for the Ceidonian. Had their tank been destroyed then even the loss of those final knights wouldn't have prevented a 14-11g win for Prester John. Definitely a game won and lost on a key combat. 

I pronounce my new table well and truly christened.