I think you missed a good opportunity here. I feel you actually had the Troll in a bad spot here, not the other way around.
It sounds like you likely had your 1AN there, with two kingdom brigades and clearly two p-3 wizards (and possibly a p-1 as well). As this was turn 2 the TR had between five and seven brigades, perhaps as many as eight with a general and a captain as leaders.
Your wizards actually gave you the clear advantage here.
No matter what the TR group actually could do little to threaten you. His group is mostly infantry, with very little archery and no cavalry. Without a chaos spell he has no way to force you into infantry combat. With the AN's excellent leaders, good troops and wizards you could defend (or attack) the TR all day on a 1 and take minimal losses.
Several possible scenarios:
Slay the TR wizards: If the TR has a p-1 you can dispel protect and slay with the other. If the TR has no p-1s (only adepts) then kill both adepts in one turn.
Slay the TR leaders: Very effective versus the TR. If you kill a general and a captain that reduces his combat value by 15% right away.
Attack on a 1 and cast fire strikes: Two p-3 fire strikes deal 4200 damage base, plus the two p-3 presence effects add another 800 or so (guesstimate). With the TR's vulnerability to magic call it 6000 damage right there. Throw in your archery and cavalry and you are dealing a lot of damage with only light losses in return (depending on terrain of course). If you are more conservative cast two guarded attacks for 1800 damage instead.
If on a pop center you could have attacked on a 1, cast a wall of flame and cast diplomacy with the other wizard. If the TR attacks on a 3 he goes through the wall. If he doesn't then you take the pop center behind the wall, even if the TR attacks the pop center (as diplomacy comes after the attack).
Do any of the above and pursue the TR. Deal a little extra damage from the pursue and put the TR in a bad spot the following turn.
Keep in mind group combat is not all about the numbers. It actually rarely is.
(04-30-2013, 09:21 PM)Wulfgar Wrote: So, my Ancient Ones were all set to do battle with a large Troll group. It was going to be a desperate battle against incredible odds, but my troops were ready to go down fightin'.
I had hoped to leave a fear of fire ingrained on the Troll racial memory so deep that it would be generations before they even talked about maybe roasting marshmallows at a campfire.
Instead, I get this message, twice (once for each casting):OUR ATTACK AGAINST THE 1ST TROLL WAS PREVENTED BY A WALL OF FLAME CAST BY ONE OF OUR OWN
WIZARDS.
Apparently the battle never took place. Nor do I know how much damage I did to the Troll group.
I had issued the spell orders, then the attack enemy group order.
What am I missing here?
