Timurids Invade Poland!

A Headless Body Production

Tepanec: Ed Bernhard
Polish :    Phil Gardocki
Game System:  Warrior, 1600 points
Venue:  Phil's Basement


Timurid
CnC  4 SHC, 3 EHC
2 Sub Generals -  4 SHC, 3 EHC
2 uints of 6 HC, L,B,Sh
3 - units of 8 LC, B
3 - units of 4 LC, B
1 unit of 3 Elephants
1 unit of 48 ID, MI, B
4 units of  16 LMI, 1HCW, B, Sh


Polish
5 units of 6 Knights Knights (including CIC and Sub)
1 unit of 12 Knights Knights
2 units of 12 Lithuanian Light Cavalry
1 unit of 12 Wallachian Light Cavalry
2 units of 4 Tarter Light Cavalry
1 unit of 6 Heavy Cavalry (Lithuanian Sub General)
3 units of 6 Crossbow Cavalry
1 unit of 18 Foot Bowmen

This is a practice round in preparation for Historicon.  Ed brought down his Timurids to face my new Polish Army.

The Board:
        There was a hill with steep sides on the left flank of the Poles, and a rise on the right.  The Timurids had a woods in their deployment area.

Poles on the left, Timurids on the right.  Far off hill has a steep edge on the edge of the table side. 
Lithuanian Command (2 LC, HC) is parked on the far hill facing 5 LC units, LMI, and an Elephant.  Main Polish Body is facing MI, LMI, 3 Mixed Cataphact EHC units, and several LC.





Deployment.

      I deployed my Lithuanians on the far left.  Two units of B class LC backed by their HC general can delay most commands, and possibly exploit some advantage.  The main body, 5 Knight units, 2 HC crossbow and a Wallachian LC.  My grand plan was to smash the 48 man bow unit, and then exploit any shakes that occur.  Ed's plan (I think) was to absorb the charges, and countercharge.





  

Close up of the Polish Main line.  From left to right, Knights Zielony i Ugier, Sub General, Tarter LC, Knights Pointa z Lanca, HC Crossbow and Knights Zielony i Czerwony.



Lithuanians on the far left.  Facing Mongol Cavalry, Foot Bow, Heavy Cavalry and just peeking on the right, Elephants.



The Tarters, left side, take the bow hit, as Knights Pointa z Lanca lines up for the charge.



Bound 1:

     My Lithuanian command went unreliable, and so took up defensive positons on the left flank hill with wait orders.

The Tarters running with the Knights Pointa z Lanca distracted the bow fire allowing the knights to come in unharmed, recoiling the large MI block.  Knowing how well the Timurids menauver, the Wallachians, charged 3 units, which will put the Mongol 90 degree turn games off till bound 3.



Which goes off as planned.

And on my right, the Wallachians chase off 3 Light Cavalry units.  If they had more support I could have run them into the woods.





Medium Cavalry Crossbow and the Knights Zielony i Ugier patiently wait for a shake.

Bound 2:

     On the left flank, the Timurids continued to carefully advance, but were somewhat stymied by the steep hill.  The engaged Knights Pointa z Lanca continued to push back the block of bow, which passed its waver check.  The Wallachians rallied back and so had a lot of room to watch and react to.  The 18 man LMI B unit took up shooting positions for anything that clears the crest of the rise on the right flank.

Bound 3:

     Order changes were sent to the Lithuanians, which arrived and were accepted.  But in reality, with the way Ed had them under pressure from the combined Regular Cavalry on the flanks, and Infantry supported by Elephants, only "Delay" would have been suitable.  I was starting to extradite them from the corner, before they were trapped. 

The Knights Pointa z Lanca continued to push back their bow unit, which did shake.  Realizing that the potential break was still in the future, I committed the Knights Zielony i Czerwony to assault one of the many 16 man LMI B units, and caught it.  The Knights Czerwony a Blekit were committed to a charge to chase away HC Skirmishers. 

 Knights Pointa z Lanca continued to push back their bow unit, Knights Czerwony a Blekit charge skirmishers, while Knights Zielony i Czerwony run down an LMI unit. 

      Bound 4:

            The Lithuanian command continued to try to extradite itself from the left corner.  I brought forward the Medium Cavalry Crossbow to distract archers from the Knights Zielony i Ugier.  The Medium Cavalry took 15cpf, and became the walking dead.  The  Knights Pointa z Lanca continued to push back their bow unit, which passed its waver and stuck around. 

Which, unfortunately was on the Crossbow :)

 Bound 5.

                 Finally,  The Knights Pointa z Lanca route their opponents.  On LMI bow unit failed it's waver check.  I commited my Sub General to charge another LMI unit, which evaded, and lead to a Cataphract on Knight head on charge.  The knights won by a smidgen, and recoiled the Cats, but Ed had plenty of support, while my support units were running out of steam. 

 

Bound 5: General on General action near the center.  Routing MI to the right. 

Bound 4? 5?.  Either way the hill defenses have collapsed.  The large LC unit was run off of the board, but the remainder of the command managed to get away.

 Bount 6:

        My Sub General charged the Timurid Sub, recoiling him.  The Timurids were not quite ready with a countercharge in the flank of the Sub.  Most of my smaller units, the Tarters, and Crossbow Cavalry have been shot to exhaustion, and are potential routs.

Bound 6.  Doing 5 casualties to 1, my Sub General opted to burst through  Hitting the already shaken LMI Bow unit.

Bound 7, My Sub routed the LMI, but were exhausted in the process.  The Timurid CIC charged Sub destroying it.

You will have to trust me, there was a cavalry unit next to the elephants.

Final round (bound 8? 9?)  The Polish main command had totally turned the Timurid middle.  Facing down both the Timurid Camp, and CIC.  But the Pol's were out of steam.  The Knights Pointa z Lanca couldn't charge without exhausting himself, (and taking the command into retirement) while my CIC was facing elephants.  We called here, with a final tally of Polish Lose, 5-3 .

AAR Warrior Later Polish vs. Tepanecs

A Headless Body Production

Tepanec: Bill Low
Polish :    Phil Gardocki
Game System:  Warrior, 1600 points
Venue:  Historicon 2012 Open Tourney.

Tepanec
Many units of 16 LMI, either LTS or 2HCT or JLS, dual or triple armed with 1HCW and or Sling.
A few units of 6 LMI 2HCT
about 6 units LI

Polish
5 units of 6 Knights (including CIC and Sub)
1 unit of 12 Knights
2 units of 18 Lithuanian Light Cavalry
1 unit of 12 Wallachian Light Cavalry
2 units of 4 Tarter Light Cavalry
1 unit of 6 Heavy Cavalry (Lithuanian Sub General)
2 units of 6 Crossbow Cavalry
1 unit of 12 Foot Bowmen

It is the final round of the Historicon 25mm Open Tourney.  My brand new Late Polish list is up against Bill Low’s Tepanec’s.  There is no ego on the line here, as we are duking it out for last place.  Something I am well familiar with.  Bill was visibly fatigued, this being his 9th game in 3 days.

The Board:
        The Board had a combination piece of Marsh and Impassable pond on my left.  A large sandy area on the right, swathing to the center of the board.  A gentle hill was centerlined just right of center on the board.

My army was brand spanking new.  At least 32 figures were unpainted 3 weeks ago.  Top that off with the fact I have never run a Knight army before.  My original tactics were “charge first, then charge something that cracks”, had proven a complete failure in the first four games I played.  (losses 5-3, 4-2, 5-0,5-1) I was going to have to do things differently.  

I lined up the Lithuanian Light Cavalry from the Pond to near the right edge in a single line.  Everything else was well behind the line to take advantage of marching to a perceived weakpoint.  

The Tepanec’s were out scouted.  This is fairly normal for them, and Bill set them up in three groups in the rear area, and they were well screened by light infantry.  Bill has been running this army for several years, and knew how to make it spin.
I was hit with Déjà vu as the marches started.  I have seen this before.  I remember playing Bill a couple years ago, and the deployment was the same.  What made it remarkable at the time was the precision marches he made behind the screen of Light Infantry to present a unified strong point with flanks covered.  Not unlike a Swiss Kiel, a blocky spear point.  At the time I marveled at the maneuvering, and when it was over realized that I had blown any chance of defeating him in detail and berated myself for letting him get away with it.  Not this time!


 

Left Flank Lithuanian LC lined up on  about half the Tepanec Army.



My Lithuanians surged forward across the front, pinning his lights, and keeping the reorganization to a minimum.  That done, I saw the weak point on my far left.   A single unit of LMI supported by two LI units, one LI went into the Marsh in an on board flanking maneuver.  The other was the only support between the LMI and the rest of the line.  The only problem was there was limited space between the marsh and his main battle line.  If he pushed forward, this opportunity would be lost.  One Lithuanian and my Wallachians charged some LI, catching and routing one.  

Wallachians (near hill) and Tarters (4 man LC) line up on an 8 man Slinger LI unit.

Bound 2.

        As I moved most of my knights to the left flank, Bill pushed on the right.  Both of my Lithuanians took generous amounts of sling fire.  But because of size (18 and 16 man units) shielded or skirmish, and sling (1.5 ranks at a 2 vice a bows 2 ranks at a 3) , they held firm.  Off to the left, I snuck in a 4 man LC unit and charged another LI unit.  Which shook and broke.  And while this is a good thing, it also created an opportunity for Bill to catch the LC and rout it back into my mustering forces.  I had to leave a wide open route path, and present minimum exposure.   After all, nothing throws waver checks better than Light Cavalry.

Left flank, the terrain piece is an impassable pond.  The Tarter LC has routed an LI, but the Tepenac's have two units that could swat them.  The Knights Zielony i Czerwony are "in theater", but not close enough to intervene this turn.

Bound 3.

        On the right flank, I am gumming up the works with the large Lithuanian LC, while moving the rest of the command via retirement moves and command moves to the eventual strike points.  Bill was doing is best to batter retire the LC to no avail.   In the middle, the Wallachians were pommeled badly and recalled.  The left Lithuanian LC also did not receive 2 CPF from missile fire, so stayed put.  On the left Bill tried to rout the LC pursuing the LI with a LMI unit, but the LC was only redisordered and passed waver.  Time to take a chance, and I sent the Knights Zielony i Czerwony  up for what will be a “Type 1” flank charge.  (A charge that starts in front of the enemy, but off to the side, but winds up hitting the flank only).  Two other Knights line up on, but 240 paces from, other nearby LMI units to both keep them out of the fight, and to exploit any openings.  



On the right flank the Lithuanian LC lined up on the other half.  The hill is gentle all round.  The upper right corner of a great sandy area is evident at the bottom.  The Knights Czerwony a Blekit and the Lithuanian Sub General are supporting the flank.


Bound 4.        

        On the right, the Lithuanians were finally forced to make a recall move.  They are in danger due to the sand dunes to their rear.  I recognized this early and have been trying to compress them, but rolled successive 1’s on counters bounds 2, 3, and 4.  The Wallacians stayed on their perch on the center hill.  The Tepanec line was pivoting on their position, but as of this turn, only 8 LI Slingers were able to shoot them.  On the left more Lithuanians were trying to get out of the way of the future knight charges.

       

The Knights Zielony i Czerwony made their charge, and the LMI shook on declaration and routed, and was pursued by both Knights and Light Cavalry.  A real rout, but also another opportunity for Bill to send one back at me.

       

Bill’s onboard flankers, having marched out of the marsh, were faced by my more useless units, a Med Cavalry Crossbow unit and a 12 man LMI B unit.  They eventually picked up the LI, but played no further part in this fight.

Lithuanians recall, but if they do it again, they might get caught on the sand.  Realizing there will be nothing gained here, the Knights Czerwony a Blekit and the Lithuanian Sub General start to redeploy elseware.

 Bound 5.

        On the right was some attempts of the Tepanec’s to redeploy their units, but this would be foiled again by the Lithuanian LC later.  The Wallacians in the center were like a rock, accepting sling fire on the zero chart.  (sling 2, shieldless +1, skirmish -2, higher ground -1) and was effectively immobile.  Bill stopped shooting at the other Lithuanian, to conserve his final good shot for the charge that was plainly coming.  After much measuring, he opted to pass on a chance to charge the pursuing LC, and the opportunity to convert into the Knights Zielony i Czerwony.   The left side Lithuanian finally made a successful counter, and pulled the curtain back for a charge from the Sub General and the Knights Pointa z Lanca (the Point of the Spear) .  18 Knights charged in, two LMI units passed waver.  The Sub General hit first and rolled an even to against a -1 on the Irreg ‘A’ unit.  Routing it.  The adjacent LMI unit passed their rout check, but muffed their sling roll, and Pointa z Lanca came in unmolested.  Even dice all round, and the LMI recoiled, while the Knights Pointa z Lanca expanded.  

The Knights Czerwony a Blekit along with the Tarters run a warband to the ground.  The two Polish Generals Commit to the flank.  On the right side the Pointa z Lanca line up on their warband.

Wallachians continue to hold the bend in the army.  The  Lithuanian HC (by the die) continues to redeploy.  Off to the right the Lithuanian LC is still pinning down a warband and 2 LI units.

Final Bound.

        Far Left flank, the Knights Zielony i Czerwony were rallied, and looking for an opportunity to unhinge Bill’s right flank.  Bill pulled back his right most unit into skirmish, but not far enough.  The Knights Zielony i Czerwony rolled long, and caught the skirmishers, routing them.  Removing a chance of flanking the pursuing Sub General.  Tired and Disordered, Pointa z Lanca took a flank charge, but rolled a +3 against their frontal opponents, doing 54 to 30, recoiling them into shaken, but unable to follow up.  But there were two more Knights in play, the CIC and the Knights Czerwony a Blekit, and they would be able to both flank charge the flankers, and cover any other units in theater, and Bill surrendered at this point.

Final Score 399-0 a 4-0.

Same timeframe as above.  Polish Sub General to the left, Pointa z Lanca lined up on a warband.  A Lithuanian LC is present to suck up the sling stones, while the Knights Czerwony a Blekit (peeking far right) have arrived in theater.

Lessons learned?

        I am not sure.  I played this game cagy.  Culling a target from the herd before committing.  While that sounds good, it is not easily accomplished, nor can it be counted on.  If Bill wasn’t exhausted, he probably would have tightened up his deployment or pinned me against the pond.  The large Lithuanian Light Cavalry units seem to be worth the expense, tying up large swaths of real estate, about 42”.  Shielded they took a lot of damage before recalling.  But once again, this is against a Sling based army, where the missile fire is effectively halved as compared to bow fire.