Saturday at Dennis's, Round 2

A Headless Body Production

Venue:   On Military Matters Bookstore.  Owner Operator Dennis Shorthouse
Event:    The first of a monthly gaming event.
Players: Phil Gardocki running Anglo Irish
                  Allen Kaplan, Alexandrian Macedonians
                 
Game System: L'Art de la Guerre, 200 points per side.
Theme: Open, no restrictions


The Forces:

   Anglo Irish circa 1400: Commanders  Larry, Darryl and Darryl, all barely competent.
      4 Galloglaich, Heavy Swordsmen, 2HW (elite)
      2 Heavy Knights, Impact (elite)      
      6 Longbowmen,stakes
      2 Irish Nobles, Heavy Cavalry
      2 Light Cavalry, Javelin

      2 Kerns, Light Infantry, Javelin

      2 Irish Foot, Javelinmen, Javelin
Breakpoint...20

Alexander drives his army too fast to get an accurate headcount.  But you know the drill, Pike, Cavalry, Thracians. 
Breakpoint...20

Dennis has a wonderful bookstore in Hopewell New Jersey, that he has been running for many decades.  Imagine going through a library that is nothing but military history.  If you don't think you knew him, he is a long time supporter of Historical Miniatures Gaming Society, and held the coveted #1 spot in the dealers area for over 20 years.  So if you have been to any of HMGS's events at the Lancaster Host, you probably have met Dennis at some time.

The Board:

The Anglo Irish have lost the roll and must defend in the plains.  In addition to the mandatory field, they chose a gentle hill, a gully and a plantation.  Alexander, ever the micro manager, selects a field and a road. 

The Anglo-Irish  right flank had the lion's share of the terrain, with a field, a plantation, a hill and the road.  The gully, after much adjusting, was safely on the left flank.

Deployment:

The Macedonians filled the space between the hill/plantation combo on the Anglo-Irish right and the gully on the left.

Contrary to expectations, Alexander places all his cavalry on his left.  Strange, since other than the gully, which is avoidable, it was all open space.  Now he has to worry about plantations and a hill.  The Pike pull up in the center, as expected.

While his loose order Thracians and Peltasts are holding the left.

The Anglo Irish right and center.  5 Longbow, 3 Galloglaich and an ambush, and seem well positioned to receive.

On the Anglo Irish Left is the Cavalry Command.  I guess Alexander knew what he was doing.  The Anglo Knights are heavy and would make short work of the Companions.  However equally sure his companions would kick my Irish Nobles butts.

Turn 1:

The Macedonian Pike double time across the board.  The Galloglaich are not afraid.  But most of the line is held by Longbow.  That is a problem, especially as he seems to have adequate skirmishers to protect the Phalanx from missiles.

The Peltasts and Thracians also boldly march forward.  Heedless of the Irish Light Horse and the unmanned fortifications in front of them.

An ambush is revealed.  Clan Ramsay, an Anglo Longbow, and 2 Irish Foot units.  They advance and disorder the Macedonian Light Cavalry. 

The other ambush is revealed.  Irish Nobles and Anglo Knights exit the gully.

Larry is full of command points, but declines to move.

Alexander's cavalry is going to have a tough time turning this flank.

Turn 2:

Alexander's Companions decide not to advance into range of the Longbow, even when a tempting target of Kerns and Javelinmen present themselves.

Faced with Heavy Cavalry and Knights to their front and Light Horse on the flanks, the Thracians hold and do a bit of redeploying.

The Longbow on the hill is in range and on target.

 Turn 3:

The Kerns have been caught.    In classic LADG fashion, a unit was placed behind them so they cannot evade, and then are auto killed by Heavy Cavalry.  They were just too far ahead of the battle-line.

The Thracians are marching at a left oblique.    Two Taxis of Pike are marching a right oblique.  The effect is a two element overlap at this time that will eventually put the pike against the Anglo Irish Cavalry Command.

And he has a lot of command points to do it.

The remaining Phalanx enters longbow range, and the hits start.

The Kerns died, but the Peltasts took a longbow hit as well.

The mediums are out numbered, out flanked and out armored, its time to charge!

The firing line continues to shoot up the main Phalanx.  More hits accrue

Turn 4:

The shock of impact is over, it is time for the grind.

The main Phalanx is disordered all down the line from missile fire, decides to charge.

Kerns are run off.  They are the only thing between Thracians and the camp.

Off the top of the panel, the Irish foot occupied the plantation, leaving the Anglo Longbow on the hill vulnerable. 

From left to right.  Anglo Longbow take a hit, Clan O'Lyre cause 2 hits, Anglo Longbow take 2 hits while the boys from Stafford blow their opponents away!

Thracians are falling to the mounted charge, but the Anglo Knights are flanked and there are Pike in the field.

Uphill, the Longbow hold their ground.

More Peltasts fall.

An Anglo Longbow unit falls, but the rest of the line holds.

On the right flank, Clan Ramsay charges, but too late to save the Longbow on the hill.

Turn 5:

Clan Ramsay is flanked but still win by 1.

Clan O'Lyre holds, and in a miracle roll, an Anglo Longbow routs a Pike.

The Cavalry romp has done a lot of damage, it is now time to pay the price.  A Heavy Knight falls.

The other Knight holds.  Pike is flanked with support.

The main Phalanx line is deteriorating rapidly.  Two routed, the remaining 2 Taxis's are flanked, and have 2 and 3 hits respectively. 

A companion falls, and help is on the way to deal with the other one.

End Game.

This game went well for the Anglo Irish.  They only lost 9 points, to 20 for the Macedonians.

So what went right?  The placement of the fortifications I think influenced the placement of the Companion Cavalry.  In addition to the Gully I had two fortifications on the left.  I guess he didn't want to deal with them.  So he deployed on his left, where he was constrained by terrain and facing, literally, a brick wall.  They had a victory or two, but only because I exposed the opportunities.

Because the Companions were on the Anglo-Irish Right, the loose order command of Thracians and Peltasts was on the left were facing Heavy Knights and Cavalry.  Two Taxis of Pike were diverted to support them, but in the end that is all they did, provide support.  They would have engaged the Knights, but were also surrounded by the Irish Nobles and Light Horse.

This left the Pike command pointed exactly where it needed to be.  But then Alexander diverted 2 Taxis of Pike to deal with the Anglo-Irish Cavalry command, leaving only 4 Pike for the assault.  Then he diverted his skirmishers to kill a Kern unit.  This exposed the main Phalanx to a bit of shooting, which by luck disordered 3 Taxis of Pike before contact.  The Pike needed a bit of luck after that, and didn't get it.  At the end the main Phalanx was heavily damaged while the Anglo Irish main line was intact.