Spanish Salsa and Swiss Wine

A Headless Body Production
 

Location: Lancaster Host Convention Center

Event:      Cold Wars 2106

Venue:     L'Art de la Guerre Medieval Theme, Round 3.

Players:   Phil Gardocki, Swiss, list 220, year 1400.

                 Roger Taylor, Medieval Spanish

Game:      L'Art de la Guerre, 200 points
Description: A battle report between Early Swiss and Medieval Spanish.

The Spanish won the initiative roll and decided to attack, so the Swiss get to pick the terrain.  

The terrain could not be more favorable for the Swiss.  Steep hills and an impassable lake for the Spanish to squeeze around.

The Spanish left flank is compressed 3 ranks deep to pass through.  Lets see if I can peel them off.

I have an advantage in command points, so I'll spend a few to annoy one of his commands.

Turn 2:

The Swiss Light Horse race for the flanks.  I know his Heavy Infantry won't try to force the hill, but I want to let him think I'll stay on it.

The Light infantry have done all they can, which was nothing.  The Spanish Knights are ready to charge.

The Swiss will have a few more Halberdiers to fill this gap soon.

Knights have a huge advantage here.  +1 vs foot, +1 for Impact, and half of them are Elites.  In an effort to throw off the massive coordinated attack the Spanish have planned, the entire Swiss Main battle, turns and marches away.   The Spanish counter the Swiss Light Horse by sending a couple of their own Light Horse to their right flank.

Having extra command pips, the Swiss send the Light Infantry on an side adventure.

Turn 3:

The Swiss Light Crossbow have done their job.  Capturing the attention of an entire battle!

The Spanish line holds position.  Except for their Light Cavalry, which chased off the Swiss LC Crossbow.

The Swiss turn back around and advance.  Making contact on the right, coming off the hill on the left.  The LC Crossbow even causes a missile hit on the Spanish LC.

Turn 4:

The Swiss fail in their objective to break up the Spanish lines.  Even with their advantages against infantry they lost a Halberdier unit on the right flank. On the left the Spanish Infantry holds its own.  But in the center, the massive knight charge slams home, scattering man and weapon to the winds.

6 Knights charge in, and the Swiss roll 6 2's in response.  The red "people pizza's" mark the dead, while the number 2 cohesion markers mark the soon to be dead.

On the left, the Spanish LC retreat, hopefully to rally.  Some of the Spanish Infantry is damaged in the only bright spot in this disaster.

A close up on the center.  Revealing that what looks like a bad situation is actually worse, as the knights have penetrated the lines and will son be flanking the survivors.

There are some spots where the plan is working.  The Swiss have flanked the Spanish right most battle.

On the left, a fresh Halberdier is thrown into the fight.

On the far right, two Light Infantry Crossbow units continue to annoy and confound.

Turn 5:
It was really over on turn 4.  The Swiss center, and largest battle, was almost totally destroyed.  It is just a matter of points at this time.

The Spanish victory is so great, that there are not enough Halberdiers to go around.

The Swiss List:
Brilliant General:  Larry
Brilliant General:  Darryl
Competent General:  Darryl
14 Medium Swordsmen 2HW Elite
1 Medium Swordsmen 2HW
4 Light Infantry Crossbow
2 Light Cavalry Crossbow
3 Fortifications

The Spanish List:
Not recorded

So what went wrong?  My deployment was almost perfect.  The steep hills prevented any flanking maneuvers, my lines fit well in the gaps.  I had reserve units to counter any problems.  Two LI units managed to draw off 6 units.  Possibly this is just a bad match up, as the knights were +2 on impact against the Halberdier's +0.  Both sides were elites so there was no advantage there.  

On the flanks against the infantry, I had the the advantage, but still lost on the right, and didn't do well enough on the left.  Bad match up's are going to happen.  I think it is time to switch to a different army.