Brighton et Gloriam MeG 500BC-200AD Game 1 vs Nigel & Imperial Romans

Fighting Nigel's list was going to be hard, two Praetorian cohorts and the rest as superior legionarii, yurk!

Scouting, well, that's not bad, 80% of 9 units please Nigel!
(9/100x80=7.2, rounds up to 8, useful)

It's a bleached and burnt desert out there! 

Deployment saw Nigel deploying strongly in the centre, which I had to deal with, plus two units of Auxilia, off shot left, so will be talked about later! My plan was to hold back until I could scope Nigel's plan.
Nigel mid deal...

Not bad cards...

Actually, I don't do sitting back. On the left is my two Italian infantry (an average 6 and a superior 4) faces off vs 12 average auxilia of Nigel's. In the centre, his mass of legionarii advance, to the right of the water feature Nigel's cavalry 6 (superior, no melee expert) advances on my cavalry (average, melee expert), he will be up on impact, and then we will be even in melee.

Nigel closes with the auxilia, my first holding action as these will be better in melee than mine.

The cavalry clash, a second potential holding action.

My javelins on the way do some damage, but his hits hurt.

The cavalry was quickly not going Nigel's way, this was not according to his plan.

His exceptional legion pile into my superiors, already causing massive damage. This was a matter of when, not if I was going to be in trouble, especially with dice rolls like that.

A break! Nigel's general falls on his sword, well, my swords, repeatedly, while falling down stairs, at least twice, as my cavalry horses thunder over his head, and back again. 2-0.

See that unit of Nigel's with white plumes, it's his other four of exceptionals, which are backing away in terror from my skilled Cretan archers. (These are now hitting on white+, meaning S hit too on the dice).

My cavalry sweeps round from the right. I try to bring as many units to bear on Nigel's line as possible. My elephants benefitted form five turns of red cards holding their charge. Nice pinning.

A superior six comes in on my line, catching my two 8s, but it suffers, badly. My left hand 8 is within a hit of breaking too.

My left 8 breaks, but the damage keeps piling on his superiors.

Yup, that's quite a big hole there.

Nigel charges my elephants, look how well we roll!

And look how good his dice were too!

Out on the left, both of our units of 6 were on one hit to break, but it was Nigel's day, he caused both my units to simultaneously break,oh dear! (2-6)

The Guards turn about and charge my elephants and superiors in the rear. Well, they tried to, but my Cretans archers and Velites were in range to react, and shot off two bases! Not enough to break them, but enough to make me laugh! It would not save the elephants though (2-8) Going well then...

My superiors turn to face, and despite being down, throw a good enough hit to break the Guards. (4-8)

In the last turn, I break that pesky 6, but Nigel crashes in to smash my 8, (6-15)

 First great game, could have done better but we fought as hard as we could. If I had rolled up on his auxilia, or broke his superiors quicker, or...
Nah, it was a good game. Not going to dwell on 'what ifs' here.
:)

Onto Game 2 vs Stephen Stead's Carthaginians