Medieval French vs Later Polish

Venue:   Lancaster Host, Lancaster Pennsylvania.
Event:    HMGS's Fall-In
Players: Phil Gardocki running Later Polish
                  Don Carter running Medieval French.
                 
Game System: Warrior Ancients 1600 point Tournament, Round 2


The Forces:
The Pole's:
  Commander with 2 SHK, L, Sh and 3 HC, L, SH
Sub General with 2 SHK, L, Sh and 3 HC, L, SH
Knights Zielony I Czerwony, 6 SHK, L, Sh
Knights Zielony I Ugier, 6 SHK, L, Sh
Knights Pointa Z Lanca, 6 SHK, L, Sh
Lithuanian Sub with 5 HC, JLS,L,SH
Lithuanians 12 Irreg'B' LC,JLS,B,SH
2 Wallachians LC,JLS,B,SH
2 Heavy Cavalry, CB
2 Bombards, with 8 crew.
2 Polish Axemen with 8 HI, 8 MI, 2HCT, Sh
1 Bowmen 12 LMI, 2HCW, B, Sh
Handgunners 12 LHI,HG
1602 points, 50 scouting points


Medieval French.

Lots of foot armed with spear and crossbow.  Some Knights.

Special General's Rules.
For Fall In, the usual General's characters are supplemented as follows:

A General with a character roll of 5 can be Bold or re-roll on Special General’s table. The CIC can choose to roll regardless if he wants to.
1 Bleeder. General has a physical defect that makes him more prone to a catastrophe. In Hand to Hand, if the Bleeder's unit takes 2 CPF or more, and makes  a unmodified melee roll of -2, -3, or -4, forces a catastrophe.  In  preparatory  shooting,  if  the Bleeder's unit is takes 2 CPF and the missile fire die roll is +2 or higher, forces a catastrophe.
2 Inattentive. General is sick or wounded. General gets only 10 prompt points a turn.
3 Efficient General gets 20 prompt points
4 Brave, General’s unit always adds an additional +1 in melee (So a down 3 roll for a Regular B General is even).
5 Inspirational. Unit with general is never uneasy. If the General is the CIC then all units within 120 paces are never uneasy.
6 Great. General is Efficient, Brave,  and Inspirational. 

The Polish CIC is Efficient.  The Lithuanian General is Cautious, and the Sub General is Bold.

The Board:

The Polish left is totally devoid of terrain.  Dead center is a knoll and a copse of trees.  On the right, and in the French's rear is a grove. 

Deployment:

The Polish are organized into 3 commands.  The CIC has 8 units including all the infantry.  The second command consists of a Polish Sub-General and 2 units of Knights, a Heavy Cavalry armed with Crossbow, and a Light Cavalry unit.  The Lithuanians have a Heavy Cavalry General and 2 Light Cavalry.

Turn 1:

The Polish line from the center to the left.  Hidden in the copse of trees is a 4 element unit of 2HCW, B, LMI.  Visible is 2 HCT, supported by HG.  Bombards on the knoll then more 2HCT.  The CIC's Knights and Heavy Cavalry follow on the left, while their flanks are covered by are the Lithuanian command of Light Horse.  Off board on the Polish Right is the main strike force of 3 units of SHK, supported by HC and LC.

The French left flank consists of a force of missile armed foot supported by Knights.

A unit of Polish Heavy Cavalry, CB is staring down the French center and left.

And the French go on and on.  Pavises for the close order troops.  Supported by Knights.

The View from the Bombard.

Turn 1.
The Polish Infantry step forward.  The Heavy infantry would love to engage the pavise armed troops as they count shield less in hand to hand.  And the Pavise does not provide cover against Hand Guns.
The Lithuanians also step forward to slow down the considerable forces of the French right.

The Polish forces step off.

On the right, the Polish Sub-General has the main strike force. The French line is formidable but probably unwieldy.  Some opportunities will make themselves available. 

Just a note, that stream on the left is a different board.

The Wallachians, shoot up and disorder the smaller French Light Horse unit then charge but fail to catch them. 

The French maneuver away from the bombard, placing their Knights against the Halberdiers. 

The French left similarly bunch up to avoid the Bombards.

The Polish Knights are looking for Cavalry on Cavalry combat.  The French have Irregular 'A's in the line, and the Polish Crossbow Heavy Cavalry is about to draw them out.

The Wallachians are not going to have a nice day

Turn 2:

The Polish Crossbow Cavalry have evaded.  The charging 'A's make a recall move.  On reflection, I think that was a mistake, as impetuous chargers must rally forward. 

Polish Winged Hussars are looking for an opportunity.

The Polish CIC command actually has "Wait" orders.  I think the ambush in the woods is going to pay off.

There also seems to be an opportunity on the Polish left flank to charge loose order in the open.

The French Flank March has arrived.

INTERLUDE

Since the game across the divide is much more interesting than our own we will take you to it.

On the table next to ours, a horde of Camelry are pushing the flank.  They have disordered  enemy lights and shoot.

The shot failed to do it's 3 per, and a second disorder, so the Camel charge!, but fail to make contact.

Back to our story:

Turn 2, continued.

In a classic case of overkill, Super Heavy Knights line up a show on Shieldless LMI Bow.  Even a win will be a waste of points here as none of the French will see them fall.

It is no surprise that the Lithuanian General is disordered by bow fire.  The Knights Zielony I Czerwony charge and pull up short!  The LMI Bow evade off the board and their peril was no more.

The French Light Cavalry decide to fight!  The Wallachians stand to receive, shooting the French down 3 and disordered for a - 4 on contact.  The subsequent die rolls routed the French.  However, the two infantry units, though uneasy, passed their waver checks.

Seeing an opportunity, the French Charge!  If memory serves this is Irreg 'A' SHK backed by Irreg 'C' HC.  The dice roll flat, but so the Halberdiers recoil disordered.

Turn 3:

The French chase off the Polish HC.  Covering their attacking forces on the Polish Halberdiers.

The Lithuanian General is marked as Shaken.  When did that occur?  How did that happen?  They were disordered by bow fire on turn 2, but I don't see any cause for another check.

This would be taken after charges and combat.  Lithuanian LC (upper left) are squared off against LMI CB.  Wallachian LC (Center with the red flag against LMI B, which have left heir knoll.  The Knights Zielony I Czerwony (far left) have rallied and will go after the French Knights on the right.  French Knights are continuing their combat against the Polish Halberdiers.Other French Gendarmes have caught and routed the Polish Heavy Cavalry Crossbow, causing a failed waver check on the Lithuanian General.

The French are advancing very methodically.  He is not presenting any opportunities here. 

Turn4:

The CIC approaches the French Gendarmes for a flank shot, but fails it's waver seeing the routing Heavy Cavalry.

That is two generals shaken.  If anyone in this army had any courage, the French would be in trouble.

The Halberdiers die to a man.

The Lithuanian General, spends the required amount of time, and rallies from Shaken to Disordered.  Charges are declared, with the Lithuanians recoiling.

Turn 5:

The Lithuanian General is destroyed, but the Knights Zielony I Czerwony are now enter the fray. 

For reasons unknown, the French leave a the Shaken Polish CIC alone.  Afterwards he said he thought they were already in combat.

Turn 6:

It's Irreg 'A's vs Super Heavies as this clash continues. 

The Wallacians stood one charge against LMI B, then break off.

On the right, the Knights Zielony I Ugier see an opportunity for a breakthrough and a converted charge. But, they blow the die roll and the Shieldless French Foot hold.

The Knights Pointa Z Lanca also charge the shield less French foot, burst through, and catch an enemy general at rest.

Polish Halberds, finally lure the French foot into an ambush.

Out fly arrows from the wood, but the French care not.

The Knights Zielony I Ugier (with green and yellow pennons) rolled a -3 on their first impact, and so their breakthrough target gets away, but the Polish Sub General has another chance to catch a French Knight on a break-through.

The Polish Skirmishers are still holding up the French, but are now down to being pushed into the woods.

More time goes by, and the Polish CIC recovers his morale, and charges the flank of the French Knights.  But a -4 forgives a lot of ills and so the French Knights survive.

It is Halberd vs Long Spear with a flank charge of 2HCW.  The dice were pretty even, doing 64 to 12, and the French force recoils disordered.

French Gendarmes fail their counter, and so continue to be hit upon the flank. The CIC needs only to roll even dice to rout them. 

He only needed even dice.  I guess they were making up for the -4 on the impact.

The Polish General can't get a break here, only a destruction.  No Frenchmen get to see this rout either.

The Knights Zielony I Czerwony are now taken in the flank.

It is all shieldless combat here, so casualties or heavy, but no 2-1, and so no break here. 

Time was running out, and the French manage a flank charge on the Bombard, and also managed to take out one of the knights on the right flank.  With 1/2 points from the CIC's command his score was a 4-2 win for the French.

Later Polish vs Nikephorian Byzantine at Fall In

A Headless Body Production

Venue:   Lancaster Host, Lancaster Pennsylvania.
Event:    HMGS's Fall-In
Players: Phil Gardocki running Later Polish
                  Mike Mallamaci, running Nikephorian Byzantine.
                 
Game System: Warrior Ancients 1600 point Tournament, Round 1


The Forces:
The Pole's:

Commander with 2 SHK, L, Sh and 3 HC, L, SH
Sub General with 2 SHK, L, Sh and 3 HC, L, SH
Knights Zielony I Czerwony, 6 SHK, L, Sh (Green and Red)
Knights Zielony I Ugier, 6 SHK, L, Sh (Green and Yellow)
Knights Pointa Z Lanca, 6 SHK, L, Sh (Point of the Spear)
Lithuanian Sub with 5 HC, JLS,L,SH
Lithuanians 12 Irreg'B' LC,JLS,B,SH
2 Wallachians LC,JLS,B,SH
2 Heavy Cavalry, CB
2 Bombards, with 8 crew.
2 Polish Axmen with 8 HI, 8 MI, 2HCT, Sh
1 Bowmen 12 LMI, 2HCW, B, Sh
Handgunners 12 LHI,HG
1602 points, 50 scouting points

Nikephorian Byzantine:
5 or so units of Cavalry
5 or so units of Skutatoi, 4 with Long Spear, Dart, 1 with Heavy Throwing Weapon

2 units of Varangians
Miscellaneous Light Infantry and Cavalry 


Special General's Rules.
For Fall In, the usual General's characters are supplemented as follows:

A General with a character roll of 5 can be Bold or re-roll on Special General’s table. The CIC can choose to roll regardless if he wants to.
1 Bleeder. General has a physical defect that makes him more prone to a catastrophe. In Hand to Hand, if the Bleeder's unit takes 2 CPF or more, and makes  a unmodified melee roll of -2, -3, or -4, forces a catastrophe.  In  preparatory  shooting,  if  the Bleeder's unit is takes 2 CPF and the missile fire die roll is +2 or higher, forces a catastrophe.
2 Inattentive. General is sick or wounded. General gets only 10 prompt points a turn.
3 Efficient General gets 20 prompt points
4 Brave, General’s unit always adds an additional +1 in melee (So a down 3 roll for a Regular B General is even).
5 Inspirational. Unit with general is never uneasy. If the General is the CIC then all units within 120 paces are never uneasy.
6 Great. General is Efficient, Brave,  and Inspirational. 

The Polish CIC is Efficient.  The Lithuanian General is Cautious, and the Sub General is Bold.

The Board:

It is a sunny day, somewhere in the Arabian Peninsula, where for God-only-knows-why, that the Byzantines decided to settle their disputes with the Polish.  There are sand dunes, rocky areas, and an oasis.  Just the thing for a cavalry army.

Queue the theme to "Lawrence of Arabia". 

Deployment:

The Polish are organized into 3 commands.  The CIC has 8 units including all the infantry.  The second command consists of a Polish Sub-General and 2 units of Knights, a Heavy Cavalry armed with Crossbow, and a Light Cavalry unit.  The Lithuanians have a Heavy Cavalry General and 2 Light Cavalry.

The Polish have anchored their line on the Oasis, drawing diagonally towards the center of the board, with a halberdier unit hanging on the right.  To the far right is the Lithuanian command.  My thought is the Byzantines will largely deploy in the the gap between the two sand dunes and into my combined missile units of bombards, handguns and bow, while the flanks of his attack will face my Knight command on the left, and the Lithuanians picking off his right.

Turn 1:
The Byzantines "lose" the initiative roll, and so move second.

The Lithuanians press the right flank.  They are opposed by an 8 man Light Horse unit, a 4 man Light Infantry unit and an Extra Heavy Cavalry unit.  But all his units are regular, and mine irregular. I  have the advantage in mass and shooting, but he has the advantage in armor, maneuverability, and terrain.  So this is probably a wash here.  While a win here would be nice, the main goal is to prevent a wrap around of the flank. 

The Lithuanians close in on the Byzantine LC.  These pictures are horrible, so sorry about that. 

The main Byzantine line is approaching the Polish line.  The Byzantines are opening a huge gap to avoid being shot at by the Bombards. 

The Polish Sub General Command has wait orders.  I don't want to fight in the Sand Dunes.

There is always one.  Byzantine Light Infantry turns the flank of the Oasis.

Skutatoi's advance.

The view from the Polish left flank.

Turn 2:

The Byzantines "lose" the initiative roll, and so move second. 

The Polish Commander waves his banner.  This will change two of his commands from Wait to Attack next turn.

What I did not know at this time was Mikes Sub-General was miss behaving.  He wanted a cautious advance, and gave him wait orders, but being Rash, the general upped the orders to Probe.  Forcing a quicker advance than intended.

The Byzantine army forms up.  Light Horse to take shots from the Bombard, Heavy Cavalry to charge my loose order troops.  Long Spear Skutatoi to hold my knights.

The Wallachian Light Cavalry are delaying the advance of a number of Byzantine units, including both Varangians.

The Poles send their XB armed HC to run off the Light Infantry.  My experience with the HC XB is this is about all they can handle.

The Byzantines counter back.  Given a chance, I'll charge the Byzantine LC to run it off the board.

The LI is going to be an annoyance here.

The lines close very slowly.

Turn 3:
The Byzantines "lose" the initiative roll, and so move second. 

The Byzantine Sub-General continues to ignore his commanders prompting.  Half the army has Wait or Hold orders and the other half have Probe. 

Most of the Polish Army now has Attack orders.

If I move first, the Byzantines will maneuver on my flanks.  So I'll be patient for now.

The Bombards fire, and roll a +1.  16@4 is 48, doing 6 CPF to the Byzantine Light Cavalry.  The Byzantines trying to get their HTW armed Skutatoi's onto the Polish Halberdier.  The Polish Sub General lines up his lancers for a charge.

The Wallachians continue to delay the advance of the Byzantine right flank.  The flanking Byzantine Light Infantry roll a +3,  disordering the Crossbow armed Heavy Cavalry they are facing.

Lances lowered, the Knights Pointa Z Lanca, and their General charge.

And roll too well.  Skutatoi shatter to the wind, throwing morale checks all round, but all the Byzantines pass.

I say I rolled to well, because I wanted to burst through the Skutatoi, not break it.  The Byzantine CIC was right behind them, and the burst though would have caught him on the flank, a guaranteed rout.

Nothing to look at here.

The Wallachians stood as long as they could, but pelted by dart a arrow, retire from the field.

Turn 4:
The Byzantines "lose" the initiative roll, and so move second. 

The Byzantine Sub-General continues to ignore his commanders prompting. 

With a break on the board, and Attack orders, the Polish Infantry line moves forward.  Causing 2 CPF with Handguns is a automatic waver check. 

The Polish Halberdiers  compress and are intended to cross in front of the bombard to attack the Skutatoi being shot at by Bow and Hand Gun.  It will take them a couple of turns to get there though.  The Knights Zielony I Ugier (Green and Yellow, not a very imaginative name) Take advantage of the compressed Halberdiers to line up a shot on the next Skutatoi.

Feeling the need to do something, the Byzantines push on their left flank.

While on the far left, the Heavy Cavalry Crossbow has recovered it's order and is now advancing.

As a surprise, it wasn't the Skutatoi that charges Pointa Z Lanca, but a Byzantine General.  Hit in the flank, Pointa Z Lanca is disordered, but not broken.

This line begins to close. 

Turn 5:
The Byzantines "lose" the initiative roll, and so move second. 

The Byzantine Sub-General finally accepts his commanders orders, but really too late to do any good.

On the right, Byzantines charge and recall.

A Polish disaster. The Knights Green and Yellow charge and break the Byzantine Sub General.  But most of the Byzantine units pass their waver checks.  Meanwhile the Byzantines double up on the Knights Point of the Spear, breaking it as well.  The gap between the Knights Green and Yellow and the Halberdiers is about 110mm, just short of the required 120mm.  The Halberdiers are carried away!  The Polish Sub-General, faced with 2 waver checks, rolls double 1's.  His Wallachians see it and Shake, placing his command in retirement.  The bombards shake as well.  Off on the right, the Byzantines also managed to sneak in a flank charge on the end of the infantry line, routing the Halberdiers there.

The game was called on time here.  The score was a 4-2 win for the Byzantines.