Pre Battle Sequence and I outscouted the invading Italians by 30%, so it was basically thirds deployement all the way (Please can all the pedants make their arguements about whether it should be the difference between between 30% and a 1/3 now please, there is a .3333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333 difference waiting to be given a good home).
Panoramic iew of Andy's rather magnificent Milanese, quite a lot of Blue Moon, a great deal of Mike's Modles and a pile of Donnington Ancient and Moderns, all beautifully painted too. Giraffes by Pendraken.
Extra zoomed in, without the giraffes!
Deployment, Hausa infantry take their tradition role of keeping quietly out the way in terrain and hping no one notices them. On my left, Andy deployed two units of mounted crossbows, two units of Conditorri knights, in the centre, a mix of crossbows, armoured foot and short spear types, and on the right one single, solitary knight unit. My allied cavalry and camels were on the left, with the aim of breaking through.
The first charges go in on Andy's centre. I really, really hate crossbows, all these wound one unit!
After the Milanese machine-gun corps pause to change barrels, this is the state of four cavalry units that all started on a 6. Thankfully, I had a red card to buy through at least some of the slowing effect of on our approach.
Thankfully, my CinC had kept a red card back for this eventuallity. Even more thankfully, the Milanese handgunners did not manage to receive the 'skirmish away lads' order, and my cavalry caught them (1-0).
My left hand two units made it in, my right hand two failed so combat was joined! Combat shy, loose in the open, and I'm charging with a short spear, vs nowt for the crossbows is a good indication of what to expect...
And after causing a couple of kills, we group broke off, even if my left hand caalry as on half strength. A risky move, and maybe I should have stayed engaged in combat, but Andy would now be firing on black plus, not white plus.
Just a slightly more vertical angle to show how good Andy's units look.
On the left, with a bit of high-card manouvering, my Tuareg camel allies were lined up on Andy's knights and my Tuareg cavalry (here played by Andy's mounted crossbows because I forgot my cavalry) was lined up against his (other) two units of mounted crossbows,
My second Hausa cavalry charge goes in, and my left-hand unit shatters under crossbow fire (1-2). Andy's KAB dice for my two adjacent units show the type of night I was about to have! I am up on impact all the way across the line, but in melee against the swordsmen, I was down. 
On the left, my camels charge, as do Andy's knight, and the cavalry also have to charge due to fairly naff cards, here comes another set of crossbows!
I lost a base to their shooting, but...
Andy's evade dice, he rolled a 2, which means he has lost 2 base widths for skirmishing, and then another -1 base for the dice roll, meaning he could only retire 2 bases, which means my cavalry could catch hime (with a buy through card). This will hurt as I am on +4 (short spear, superior, devastating chargers, hitting mounted who have shot), to nothing; nice!
Lots of casulties, two bases worth on impact, I was hoping for more. It does leave me vaulnerable to a flank from the other mounted crossbows though.
The general situation at the end of round two, things are a bit busy! On the far left I am trying to sneak camels into the flank of Andy's knights. In the centre the melee continues. On the right, my infantry cautiously advances.
Andy, in melee, was 2 up aginst my now spent cows, and then one up, and missed with both!
My guard cavalry take out two ranks of shortspear Italian infantry helped by Queen Amina as a legendary general, meaning they now count as melee experts, and were also chewing lumps out of the crossbows, but taking losses too.
My (borrowed) cavalry breaks through the Milanese crossbows, allowing me into the backfield (3-2). Howeer, Andy is about to hit the flank of my superior camels, this spells trouble.
We both charge each other's flanks, this is a real maelstrom of action. It was all about who could win the impact.
Well, that's not good! My flank charge by camels on the knights kills two bases, but no more, while taking considerable hit themselves. Andy's flank charge on my superior camels is rather more successful, and my camels backs break under the straw. (3-4)
Back in the centre, freed from teh threat of my cavalry, and emboldened by killing a unit, Andy's crossbows break another unit of horse (somewhat aided by the swordsmen), and turns on my flanks (3-6).
My own swordsmen close on teh end of the other crossbow unit (the cows are long gone by now, the Milenese will enjoy their steaks, but they cost me no victory points as 'expendibles'). The giraffes watch on, bemused...
Behind the lines on teh left, my superior allied (and on loan) cavalry smack into another unit of Andy's knights, which would be equal on the charge (+2 charging lancers and +1 devastating charge vs +1 superior +1 short spear and +1 devastating charge) and equal in melee (I was +1 superior, +1 melee expert, Andy +1 heavier armour, +1 melee expert), but he does have a general on site too! 
And the crossbows charge, break my cavalry (3-8) and charge agian into the flank of my guard cavalry.
Who promptly win!
Andy successfully countercharges his last unit of knights into my charging melee expert infantry (+3 lancers, +1 infantry not standing to receive horse, +1 loose in the open) who promptly fail to hit their intended targey of the crossbows and then lose a base! 
A wound each from the flank charge (crossbows in my flank +4 vs superior +1, foot not standing to receive +1, loose facing cavalry +1, combat shy +1 and a legendry general +2, is actually a yellow die to the Hausa elite, white to the over-confident crossbows, and we are both carrying wounds.
And being a yellow dice, I am luck to get a wound, Andy not so!
But that wound kills an oh so needed base...
You know, I am sure I had an army here a while ago!
However, in teh melee phase, my luck holds, and the superior cavalry, despite taking a wound and losing their thrd base out of six, cause enough hits to break all three units they were facing. We broke the flanking crossbows, which caused a KaB on the spears who fled, and on the other crossbows who also crumpled under pressure. Suddenly I had gone from 3-8 down to 9-8! I might even pull this off!
Or not, as Andy puts his fouurth flank charge of the game in, breaking my average camels (9-10) And yes, I need 6 units to break! Now all my opponents at the GT will know! ;)
One success is that Andy's central talented general dies in the multiple routs!
My elite caalry only followed up one base, as Andy's crossbows were on a go slow, parking smack bang in front of a unit of skirmishimg crossbows that had been hiding behind the lines in safety since the charges pf turn 2. They fire three whites, and that produced the one wound needed to break my guard cavalry. I had no option but to take the fire, as if I had charged, he would have fired, breaking them, or if I had sat still, he would have fired, breaking them!
Proof, if proof were needed, that I hate crossbows! (9-15)
A superb game, and well played and very well won by Andy. His crossbows accounted for 4 units, and the dice were definitely in his favour, a top game, and I was only one unit off claiming victory too!
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