The Dublin Zurich Affair

 A Headless Body Production

Location:  Regency at Providence Community Center, Phoenixville, Pa

Event:       Providence Gamer's Game Knight

Players:    John Seydow, playing the Swiss circa 1400AD.
                  Bruce Potter, playing Anglo Irish

Game System: L'Art de la Guerre, 100(ish) points per side.

Scenario:  A demo game for two people that are new to Ancients. 

Technology:  A new camera!  With a tripod!  The old camera (Canon SX110) wasn't bad, but the new one (Canon SX400) has 4 times the light gathering capability, and a better zoom.

 

The Forces:

For 100 point games, the board is smaller, and the number of terrain pieces limited to two per player.  Larry, the Swiss General, was Brilliant.  Their forces consisted of 9 Halberdiers (Medium 2 Handed Swordsmen), 4 Light Infantry Crossbow, 1 Light Horse Crossbow and a fortified camp.  

     

Darryl, the Anglo Irish commander, was also Brilliant.  He brought a wide array of forces, including a Medium Knight, 2 Heavy Cavalry units, 3 Longbow, 3 Galloglaich (Gaelic for "Grey Foreigners") , 2 units of Irish Foot, 2 units of Kerns and a fortified camp. 

Deployment:

The Swiss win the toss and elect to receive!  They select 2 steep hills.  The Irish selected a wood and a brush.  Three of the terrain pieces fell on the Swiss Left flank, but one piece was not playable and discarded.  The remaining steep hill was in the center of the Irish line.

The Swiss deploy their Halberdiers in a long line in the center, supported by a single LI Crossbowman, their left flank held by a single LI Crossbowman in the woods.  Their right flank, had a single Halberdier to catch any flank runs, supported by 2 LI Crossbow and a Light Horse Crossbow.

The Anglo-Irish infantry is set up to shoot then pull out the Longbow, taking advantage of the interpenetration abilities of swordsmen through bow.

The Swiss line, liberally dosed by crib notes. 

The Anglo-Irish right-center deployment.  Irish Foot end capping 3 units of longbow.  Backed by Galloglaich.

The Anglo-Irish center-left line.  The Camp, incorrectly placed on the hill, is defended by 3 small boys and their dog and is flanked by Heavy Cavalry and Knights.

Turn 1:
Darryl  rolls a 6, with 4 command points, double times his infantry towards the Swiss line.  However he holds back is horse.  His thought was to keep the impetuous cavalry under control, until the main battle lines are engaged.

Spending extra command points, the Irish foot quick march.

But the horse stay behind.

Shouting "Viva il papa", the Swiss advance in two battles, one with Light Infantry cover, the other bearing down on the Irish left.

The longbow start their work damaging the Swiss LI and one of the Halberdiers.

Turn 2:
The Swiss Light Horse, had approached to within charge reach of the Irish Horse, triggering a pair of impetuous charges.  The main Irish battle line is satisfied with the range and continue to rain arrows onto the Swiss line.

The lines at the beginning of turn 2.

Yes, both of the impetuous Heavy Cavalry are in range.  The cost to hold them back is 3 command points. 

Charge and flee.

The Longbow shoot quite well, stripping the Swiss screen and further damaging a Halberdier. 

The Swiss respond.  They leave their damaged unit behind.  Charging the Irish Javelin-men, causing two points of damage.

The longbow, at a range of about 5 meters fire their last volley, but to no effect.  The Swiss manage to Rally their damaged Halberdier, raising it's cohesion level to 1.

Turn 3:
Summation so far. The Irish have 3 points (1 killed, 1 damaged unit) against 2 points (2 damaged units)

The main battle lines are either in contact, or will be this turn.  Both sides have a heavily damaged unit, 2 out of 3 points.  Two Irish Horse units are chasing skirmishers. 

As one, the Galloglaich charge, replacing the longbow.  It is elite two handed swords vs elite two handed swords!

The Galloglaich interpenetrate the longbowmen.  This is an utterly fair fight as the troop types is both elite swordsmen 2 handed weapons.  The Swiss gain the advantage, causing cohesion hits on two of the Galloglaich, and also destroying the Irish Javelin-men.  Their only damage to the front line was from missile fire from the other Irish foot.

The Swiss have turned the left flank on the Irish and charge.  They also are wrapping up the Irish right flank.

Turn 4:

The score is Irish 3, Swiss 4.

The Irish lose a Galloglaich unit, but the Swiss have invited a charge by knights in their rear.  The remaining Galloglaich fight well, damaging most of the Swiss line.

In what is mostly an anecdotal event, the Irish Heavy Cavalry are mainly chasing smoke.

Well, this is totally confusing.  There are almost no units undamaged on the board.  The Galloglaich fought bravely, but futilely, their routs causing damage to the longbow behind them.  The last Irish hope of the Knight charge, started well, but now the knights themselves are flanked. 

Overview of the main battlefield.  One Irish Horse is still chasing skirmishers, but the other has found something else to fight.

The final fight.  Irish Javelin-men are facing a unit of Halberdiers, and roll very poorly.

And take 3 hits, damaging two units with their rout.

With the rout of the second Irish Foot unit, the Anglo-Irish hit their army break point of 14, the Swiss were sitting at 6 points.  A fairly convincing Swiss win.

The Anglo Irish is my favorite army using the Warrior Rules set.  I don't now how effective the longbow are in LADG, they should be pretty good, as most units have a protection factor of zero against them.  I am not sure the thing to do with the Galloglaich is to replace the bow before combat.  This allowed the Swiss to wrap both flanks of the Irish while the Longbow took no part in turns 3 and 4.

But would it have mattered?  The Swiss had 9 elite hand-hand combat units in this game, vice 4 elite and 4 ordinary hand-hand units.  I'll just have to play more games!