Déjà vu Weekend Anglo-Irish vs. Neo Assyrian

What is that smell?  If it is manure then this must be Lancaster, and if the leaves are dropping then this must be Fall In.  This is the first of 3 AAR's I'll be posting of an event I am going to call the Déjà vu weekend.  As my opposing armies were the same 3, Neo-Assyrian, Hunnic, Moldavian, on the same tables, 5,3, 1, in the same order, both days. 

A Headless Body Production

Location: Lancaster Host Convention Center

Event:      Fall In

Venue:     2013 Mini

Players:   Phil Gardocki, Anglo-Irish

                 Fred Stratton, Neo-Assyrian

Game:      Warrior, 1200 points

Neo-Assyrian
CIC Heavy Chariots, with a crew of 1 with Bow, 2 with JLS
2 units of 2 Heavy Chariots with a crews of 1 with Bow, 2 with JLS
Several units of 16 or 24 LMI JLS, D, Sh
2 units of EHC L, B
2 units of LC, B
1 unit of 36 Irreg 'C' LMI, JLS, Sh
1 unit of 36 Irreg 'E' LMI, B

Anglo Irish
A Bleeding CIC 6 Irreg'B', HK L Sh
A Rash Ally 6 Irreg'B', HK L Sh
2 Galloglaich (Clans Ramsay and O'Lyre) Irreg'B', 32 HI, 2HCW, JLS, D
1 Bonnachts Irreg'C', 36 LMI, 2HCW, JLS, Sh
2 Longbow Reg 'D', 16 MI LB Sh Stakes
1 Lights Irreg'C', 8 LC JLS, Sh
2 Kerns Irreg'C', 16 LI 1/2 S, 1/2 JLS, Sh

The Venue:

Fall In, 2013 at the Lancaster Host Convention Center.  This is the first round of the Warrior Mini.

The Board:

The boards main feature was a "minor water feature" dominating the right flank.  Its depth was determined to be a 6, which slows all troops, and is impassable to wheels.  The minor water had a large marsh that went with it.  On the left flank was a woods and a steep hill.

The Anglo-Irish Left Flank. A steep and brushy hill across the field from the woods.

The Anglo-Irish right flank.  A minor water feature astride a marsh dominates the flank.

A more pulled back shot of most of the board.

Deployment:

The Special Generals Table was in play for this tourney, and I opt to roll for my CIC. For this round, and for 4 of the next 5 rounds, I rolled a bleeder.  Meaning he is prone to a catastrophe on a down 2 roll instead of a down 3.

The board is pretty good for me.  Nice area to deploy my Galloglaichs between the woods and the stream.  My flanks should be easy to hold.  In the woods are the 36 man Bonnacht unit.  They are not going to be easily forced.   I issued Wait orders to my CIC Command, and Hold orders to the Ally.

The center Neo-Assyrians are deployed to defend the chicken salad sandwich.

Anglo-Irish left flank.  Bonnachts dominate the woods.  Long Bow just to their right, Clan O'Lyre, with 32 Galloglaich to their right.  A unit Slingers are forward deployed, providing a screen for the Light Cavalry, which I intend to go swat a Assyrian 4 figure Light Cavalry Unit.  The Ally General's Heavy Knights are positioned to provide support where needed.

Anglo-Irish right flank.  From left to right. 4 elements of Long Bow, 8 elements of Galloglaich.  The Slingers are defending the stream, while the CIC Heavy Knights are positioned to provide support where needed.

The Assyrian right flank.  A pair of heavy chariots, a unit of Light Cavalry, a large unit of 36 LMI JLS, and a 16 man LMI JLS, D, Sh unit.

 

The Assyrian left flank facing Clan Ramsay.  Looks like the a Heavy Chariot, 2 Extra Heavy Cavalry units, 36 Irreg 'E' bowman, and forcing the stream, a unit of LI, LMI and LC.

Bound 1:
Initially I thought to engage the 4 man Assyrian Light Cavalry unit on my far left flank with my 8 man Light Cavalry unit, but Fred would close the gap too quickly and my boys would be trapped. So I opened a hole with my Long Bow unit for them to retire through, and eventually, through a combination of retirements and marches, would lead them to my right flank, to counter all the troops Fred was forcing the stream with.

Seeing their superior mobility, the Assyrians took the roll of aggressor and advanced across the field.

The Assyrians approach my Kerns and darken the skies with darts, disordering the boyos.  Looks like I cheated myself.  There should have been 16 LI in that unit, not 12.  They must of overslept.  Typical Irish.

Bound 2: 

More general advance by the Assyrians.  The Anglo-Irish, with Wait and Hold orders, are waiting patiently for them to get close.

The other unit Kerns will trade shoots with Assyrian archers, while the Assyrian Light Cavalry look for a spot to ford.  This would be a long task, as it will take two bounds to cross, one to clear and recover their order.  So the LC won't be effective till bound 4 or 5.

The Ally General rushes around the woods to face down the Heavy Chariots, and provide flank support for the Bonnachts.

The Kerns in the center take a Light Cavalry charge in the teeth and are recoiled.  But their mission was successful as the Irish Light Cavalry slips away.

Bound 3:

Time to change orders.  The Anglo CIC waves his banner, changing his command to Attack!.  The Ally is out of sight, and so must be prompted to go to attack.  Being a Rash General, he bumps his orders to Rush, but the distance keeps those orders from taking effect till bound 4. 

Clan Ramsay is adjusting his position away from the stream.  The Assyrians are giving them plenty of time to do so.

The Ally General took 2 CPF, and charged the Heavy Chariots, who flee.  He missed catching them by a half an inch.  As his orders had not changed yet, he was allowed to recall.

The Kerns continue to fight the Light Cavalry.  Clan O'Lyre is taking advantage of the cover to adjust it's position in the line by compressing 2 elements.

Bound 4:

The action is now heating up.  The stream is getting forced, the Bonnachts in the wood, now with rush orders, started going after their opposing LMI unit.  The Kerns in the center were destroyed, forcing the Assyrian Light Cavalry to rally forward and giving an opportunity to cause a couple of wavers on the Assyrians if the Anglos can damage the Light Cavalry.  The Assyrians start to push the defending Kerns off of the water feature, turning the flank of the Anglos.  But the Anglos saw this coming and had re-positioned their line away from the crossing sites.

The Kerns have taken all they can and are destroyed.  Leaving the Assyrian Light Cavalry vulnerable to a good short range shot from the Long Bow.  Fortune favored them though as the Assyrian Light Cavalry passed their waver check. Clan O'Lyre trades missiles against an Assyrian infantry unit.  The results are zero-zero.

Bound 5:

We were approaching the 2.5 hour time limit, and nothing conclusive has yet happened.  The only thing that can be resolved is the fight in the middle pitting Galloglaich Clan O'Lyre against a 24 man Assyrian Infantry unit and a Heavy Chariot unit.  Missiles fly as and Clan O'Lyre takes 1 cpf, while the Assyrian's take 2.  They must take a waver check or hold.  The Assyrian General needs the infantry to charge with the chariots or the chariots will have to charge in alone, which is a bad idea.  He orders the infantry to charge and rolls a 1, causing them to shake.  

The Galloglaich charges the Assyrians, who pass their second morale check and stand.  The Heavy Chariots, also charge, but the Galloglaich charge is not canceled.  Then Clan O'Lyre roll a down 4 on melee, which comes up to a down 3 for being 'B's, and only do 48 to the Assyrians while taking 12 in return which fail to break the Assyrian Infantry, which break off safely away. 

The Bonnachts, receive a cavalry charge from the Assyrians, and repulse them. 

Clan O'Lyre charges the shaken Assyrian Infantry and the Heavy Chariots, but muff their melee roll with a down 4, and only recoil the infantry but not the chariots.

Clan Ramsay charges the Assyrian LMI, who escape.

While the LC retired on bound 1 faces the Assyrian flank attackers.

Time ran out here.  The net result was some thing like 77, for half a Assyrian Infantry unit, to 65, for a destroyed Kern unit.  So the game ended in a 1-1 tie.