Friday, July 26, 2013

Anglo-Irish vs Khmer


A Headless Body Production
Location:  Fredricksburg Convention Center
Event:       Historicon
Venue:     2013 Nationals
Players:    Phil Gardocki, Anglo Irish
                 Rich Kroupa, Khmer
Game:      Warrior, 1600 points

Khmer
CIC 2 elephants, Irreg'B'/Reg'C', 16 LMI, Jls, B, Sh
Sub 2 elephants, Irreg'B'/Reg'D', 16 LMI, Jls, B, Sh
Ally Burmese, Irreg'C', 2 elephants, crew of 6 with Bow
1 Elephant, Irreg'B'/Reg'D', 2 Elephants with Bolt Shooters, 16 LMI B
3 Elephants, Irreg'B'/Reg'D', 2 Elephants, Irreg'B'/Reg'D' 16 LMI B
2 Line Infantry, Reg ‘C’, 8 LMI, JLS, SH
1 Line Infantry, Reg ‘C’, 16 LMI JLS, B, SH
2 Light Infantry, 4 Reg ‘D', LI B
1 Light Cavalry, 4 Reg 'C', LC,JLS,SH
1 Burmese Elephants, 2 Elephants, 6 crew with Bow
1 Bowmen, 18 Irreg'D', LMI B

Anglo Irish
CIC 6 Irreg'B', HK L Sh
Cautious Ally 6 Irreg'B', HK L Sh
2 Irish Heavy Cavalry 6 Irreg'B', HC L Sh
3 Galloglaich (Clans Ramsay, Lyre and Jordan) Irreg'B', 24 HI, 2HCW, JLS, D
2 Bonnachts Irreg'C', 27 LMI, 2HCW, JLS, Sh
3 Longbow Reg 'D', 16 MI LB Sh Stakes
1 Lights Irreg'C', 8 LC JLS, Sh
2 Kerns Irreg'C', 12 LI 1/2 S, 1/2 JLS, Sh

The Venue:
Historicon, 2013 at the Fredricksburg Convention Center.  This is the third round of the Warrior Nationals.

The Board:
The board was a mix of brush and hills.  Most of the brush was anchored to the left side of the board, while the hills were interspersed in the center, with one greatly over sized, but gentle ridge line dominated the right flank from deployment zone to deployment zone. 

Deployment:
I decided to play mostly on the left side of the board as the brush greatly impedes the elephants, while the hills do not. The Anglo Irish were split into a small ally command of 5 units, the Heavy Cavalry, 2 Bonnachts, the Light Cavalry, and the Ally General. Which were deployed on the left flank.  The Bonnachts, being loose order, were deployed in the brush, giving them some measure of protection from Rich's elephants.  The Light Cavalry unit was sent on a flank march.  The rest of the army was stretched in a line across the plains to just right of center, where two long bow units wrapped around on a hill, cowering behind their stakes.  In reserve, the Anglo Irish kept a Kern Light Infantry unit, and another Longbow unit.

The Khmer deployed their loose order troops in the brush as well, then set up what seemed to be an unending line of elephants in the plains.  The Greeks always preferred to be longer and deeper than their opponents, and Rich managed it.  Off of my right flank was a full command of Burmese that was going to run around my flanks.

Turn 1:
Both commands were given 'Attack' orders and started a general advance.  The Anglo-Irish Ally was Cautious, but obeyed his orders and the slow march proceeded forward.  The Khmer were aware of a flank march, and had to maneuver to cover the flanks of their loose order troops in the brush, while watching two large war bands of Bonnachts approach from the front.  The Khmer advanced as well, but mostly just short 40 pace advances, while reforming their Elephants into single column units.  On the far right flank, the Khmer Burmese command started a march way out of range of the Longbow men, turning the Anglo Irish Right flank.  

But his did not go unanswered as the Anglo Irish sent out a unit of Kerns to intercept, and a unit of Longbow to defend the area should, or more likely, when, the Kerns fail.

Left Flank.  Bonnachts start their advance driving the verge before them in an attempt at camouflage.
From left of center to center, in order from left to right, Clans Ramsey, Jordan, and Lyre.  I am not sure what the elephants names are.
Right flank, Clan Lyre, and a unit of Kerns.  Facing even more elephants.

And on the far right, two units of Longbow.

A bit blurry.  The Anglo Irish backfield.  The Red unit on the left is the Ally General, a unit of LI Kerns, The CIC in green, another Heavy Cavalry unit, standing on the hill next to SmallHendge, another unit of Longbow.


Turn 2:
      The flank march has arrived, the unit of Irish Light Cavalry.  A bit early, but it totally threw the Khmer flank into disarray.  The Khmer unit of LMI B turned and loosed a shot, causing 2 cpf and a waver check.  But even though unsupported the Irish Cavalry passed, and charged.  The Bonnachts continued their advance, leaving the brush.  They were confronted by a single elephant unit that did not commit to charge range.

In the center, the three clans of Galloglaich advance to within 120 paces of the elephants, giving the elephants the choice of charging or not.
Burmese Elephants on the long march.
In a bit of over commitment, two full elephant units (cost about 280 points) approach 11 Kern slingers and their little dog.  (about 55 points)  In the upper right of the frame, the Burmese infantry are making an on board flank march.

In what is probably the best picture I took that weekend, Clan Jordan faces down the enemy.
The Elephants clip the corner of Clan Jordan.
Clan Jordan rolls +1 darts, +2 melee, 56 casualties to 13,  4-1 and 3cpf, the elephants rout!  (People pizzas provided by Litko systems)  The CIC elephant to the left shakes, but the camp and the right hand elephant passed their waver checks.
On the left flank, the situation didn't improve, as Irish Light Cavalry charged frontally. The Khmer Light Cavalry also charged, while the Khmer Light Infantry evaded.  The Khmer Cavalry rolled a -1 to an even, and were caught when they broke off.  The Anglo Irish Light Cavalry then converted a charge into the Khmer Light Infantry.
Turn 3:
     Bound 2 was an unmitigated disaster for the Khmer.  The Khmer expected to latch on to Clan Jordan, thus shutting down the darts and bringing in a followup charge of another unit of elephants, but instead wound routing and a shaking the CIC.  To save his CIC, he sent in a supporting unit of 8 LMI JLS SH.  Clan Ramsey made short work of them, as the Khmer were quickly darted, charged, routed, and then converted a charge into the next elephant, which shook from the rout.  This defeat put the main command in retirement.  The Bonnachts, made eager by the charging Galloglaich, charged impetuously a the Khmer LMI B unit, which evaded, leaving the Bonnachts a stones throw away from the left flank elephant.
The Heavy Cavalry pulls back.  Clan Lyre should be able to handle their elephant, and either the Kerns were not going to need any help, or they'll break, and the Heavy Cavalry wasn't going to be of any help any way.

The other unit of Kerns stop the Burmese march, and now were retiring from the front.


At this point Rich surrendered.  We didn't even run the numbers for half of bound 3, it was an obvious blow out for his first command, and his second command was looking bad.  A 5-1 for the Anglo Irish.   I will say, after receiving Rich's list that he had a lot of chutzpah.  To get the 18 elephants he skimped on the escorts, about 280 points of 'D' troops, so his list looked like a practice run for a "Dogs of War" tournament.  But then I also had 210 points of 'D' troops in my list as well.