Anglo Irish vs. Hundred Years War English

A Headless Body Production

Venue:   Lancaster Host, Lancaster Pennsylvania.
Event:    HMGS's Cold Wars
Players: Don Carter and Phil Gardocki running Anglo Irish
                  Sean Scott and Jevon Garrett, running Hundred Years War English.
                 
Game System: Warrior Ancients Doubles Tournament with 2000 points per team, round 1

 
The Forces:
The Anglo-Irish, Late Period

Commander with + 5 Reg 'B', SHK,
Ally General with 2 Irreg'B' HK, 3 HC
Monty Python's Knights of the Round Table, 6 Reg 'B', SHK
2 units of Irish Lancers, 6 Irreg 'B', 1/2 HK, 1/2 HC
2 units of Irish Horse, 4 Irreg 'C', JLS, SH

4 units of Galloglaich, 2 with 16, and 2 with 24 Irreg 'B', 1/2 HI, 2HCW, JLS, D
           List rule, always fights a rank and half.  Can counter charge if willing, can            
           counter charge impetuously if eager.
2 units of Longbow, each of 24 Reg'D', half HI, 1/2 LB, Sh, half MI, 1/2 LB, unemplaced stakes.
2 units of Bonnachts, 27 Irreg'C' LMI, 1/3 2HCW, JLS, SH, 1/3 JLS, SH, 1/3 JLS
            Capable of skirmish, shield wall and barbarian rush rules.
2 units of Kerns Irreg 'C', 1/2 S, SH, 1/2 JLS
Bombards, 1 unit of 2, Reg'C', each with 4 crew.
18 units, 2 commands 1999 points, 21 scouting points 

Hundred Years War English
Super Heavy Knights, Light Medium Infantry Longbow, some Light Infantry.

My first thought, which was overheard by Jevon, was, I have no idea on how to play against these guys. 

The Board:
The board had a gully on the left side which the Anglo-Irish placed their Bombard.  Nice angled position across the center of the board, and nice defensive terrain piece. 

Bombards on the left.  A small (16 figure) unit of Galloglaich and the Irish Light Horse are available if the flank is turned.

In the center, the Bonnachts, Longbow, and the Galloglaich Clan Ramsay.

I rarely set up right on the deployment line. I like having some maneuvering room, and it throws off everyone's math when moving around.

Don, however is right there on the line. With good reason.  The low rise is the dominant piece of terrain.  Who ever rolls highest initiative on turn 1 will have the high ground.

Jevon's longbow, taking advantage of being regular, are set up in column.  They can move and expand.  It seems like the HYWE have decided it would be easier to push up hill then deal with the gully.

On the our right flank, we have, a small Galloglaich Clan O'Lyre, the longbow, Clan Jordan, and a large unit of Kerns.  The rank Cavalry is Irish Light Horse, The Ally (HK) General in red, the Knights (SHK) of the Round Table, and a unit of Irish (HK) Lancers.

This is the largest contingent of Knights I have ever run with the Anglo Irish.  5 units of Knights, 2 of the SHK's  My normal army runs them with 2 units of HK, both generals.

The English, however are unimpressed by my Knights.  with 6 units of their own.

Turn 1:

A hidden unit of Kerns, 1/2 Sling, 1/2 JLS, marches around the HYWE right flank.  Irish Light Horse to support them.  The HYWE send 8 Light Horse of their own to keep things under control.

This is hard to tell in the picture, but the Galloglaich have been turned around for a redeployment march.

The two Anglo-Irish commanders are not coordinating well.  One is racing for the center, while the other is more laid back.

The English Knights however are being extremely aggressive.

For only half the army, that is a pretty impressive line.

The view from Clan Ramsay, and the Anglo-Irish CIC.

Turn 2:
Turn one, and the intentions are clear.  The English are attempting to overwhelm the Anglo-Irish right. This should be difficult as the Irish are sitting on the high ground. The other half of the Anglo-Irish are going to try to collapse the English right as well.

The HYWE commands seem to be mostly cavalry on their right, Longbow on their left. The Anglo-Irish are almost perfectly balanced.

In an unexpected twist, the Galloglaich Clan Jordan collapses to a combination of shooting and hand to hand.  Fortunately, the nearby Longbow passes their waver (needing 4+).  The Knights of the Round Table take the converted charge at a halt!

If you missed the previous battlereports, the 8 figures on foot with the white tabards are actually Monty Python Knights from Medieval Mayhem.  I had to have them, and I had to deploy them.  The just do not look like mounted SHK.

The Irish Ally General (HK) is challenging the English knights.  Galloglaich Clan Ramsay is ready to enter the fray as well.

Turn 3:

Galloglaich Clan Stafford is in march.

We will be visiting this encounter from time to time, but "Spoiler Alert"  nothing really is accomplished here.

Clan Ramsay contracts to open up room for anticipated routs.  The Longbow are in position to receive knights.  But the English skirmishers are in the way.

Irish Nobles see the routers and turn tail.

The Irish General charges in and rolls an up 3.  The English CIC matches them with an up 2.  So both sides take 30 and are standing still, disordered with 9 fatigue.

Turn 4:

Clan O'Lyre charges off the hill with the Bonnachts into a single English longbow unit.  The dice are down 4 and down 3 respectively.  Clan O'Lyre is now fighting 12@2 for 24, the Bonnachts do 15.  The Longbow fight back, rolling even, for 16 and 10, and are recoiled despite the crummy dice.

The Knights of the Round Table break their opposing Longbow unit.  All the English pass their waver checks in response, and the Knights are then taken in the flank.  The Irish Ally General is destroyed by the English CIC.

This started a whole cascade of bad goings.  The Irish CIC, LC, Irish Nobles, the Knights of the Round Table, and the Longbow all shook for starters.  This took the Irish Ally command into retirement.  On the rise there was a great opportunity to blow a hole in the English line, but with the down 4 and 3 rolls, just left disordered and tired figures off of the hill, ready to be chopped up.

The final score, 5-1.