Anglo-Irish vs. Later Ottoman Turk

A Headless Body Production

Venue:   Lancaster Host, Lancaster Pennsylvania.
Event:    HMGS's Cold Wars
Players: Don Carter and Phil Gardocki running Anglo Irish
                  Dan Woyke and Matt Kollmer running Later Ottoman Turk
                 
Game System: Warrior Ancients Doubles Tournament with 2000 points per team, round 3

 
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 

Later Ottoman Turk
1 unit of 6 Reg 'A/B' EHC/HC, L,B,SH
1 unit of 9 Irreg 'C', MC, B
3 units of  8 Irreg 'C', LC, L,B,SH
3 units of  24 Reg 'C', HI/MI LTS, HG/CB, SH

1 unit of  24 Reg 'B' HI HCW/JLS, B SH
2 units of  6 Irreg 'A', LMI, JLS, SH
1 unit of  12 Irreg 'C' LMI HCW/JLS, SH
3 units of  12  Reg 'C/D', LI, B
4 units of Serbian Knights, 6 Irreg 'B', 1/2 EHK, 1/2 EHC
1 unit of  4 Irreg 'C', LC, L, SH
1 unit of 2 1 Talent Stone Throwers Crew of 5.

The board is mostly a bunch of low hills.  With a couple of woods, one of which was in a great spot to anchor a flank to :)

This game is already in progress:

On the Anglo Irish left, numerous fast running Turks are going to turn the flank.

The fight will mostly be from just left of center to the right edge.  The Turks have a solid line of shooters with a wide mix of hand to hand weapons.  Their rear area is a mix of Heavy Cavalry and Super Heavy Knights.

Their lone bombard is facing both Light Infantry and Light Medium Bonnachts.  They also have assigned a general to the bombard to help direct its targeting.  I'll have to consider that in the future.

And the line stretches on and on, and onto the next board.

The Irish left flank is well defended with 24 Longbow, 16 Galloglaich, and the Bombards.  Reserve units are the Galloglaich Clan Ramsay, and two Knights units.

The Turks have won the initiative an are moving first.  Inundating the low hill with massive amounts of infantry.

The Turks are going to try to turn the flank that the Galloglaich have anchored against the wood.  Spoiler alert, there is an ambush there.

Irish Nobles march to provide mounted support for the flank units.  Clan Ramsay marches to the hill.  I expect the Light Horse will be shot up, and recall.  Then Clan Ramsay will expand and fill the gap.

The Turkish Light Horse advances with impunity.  They are one large unit, which I am sure served them well in previous games.  But today, they are facing Heavy Infantry with darts.  Which on average will do 2 CPF a turn to them.  More if they don't commit their Knights (Far right flank) to range for a soak off.

Longbow advance, but do not shoot.  As shielded Heavy Infantry, their job is to receive missile fire, not deliver it. 

A decent picture, 'nuff said.

Turn 2:

Well, the game is shaping up.  Using their superior mobility, the Turks have turned the Anglo-Irish left flank, and are focusing all their knights on the right.  The middle is held by massive amounts of missile armed foot troops, all with decent secondary weapons.  The Turk doesn't look vulnerable anywhere.  I suspect much of the foot are 'D's, interspersed with Jannisaries, usually Reg 'A'.

The Anglo-Irish were prepared for the turning of the flank, and have their forces anchored to a wood.  In the wood is a substantial ambush.  On the right, are 40 figures of Galloglaich, and they have been known to beat a Knight or 2 in their day.

Talk about announcing your intentions.  5 units of Knights and Cavalry face their left flank.  They are expecting a flank march, with 200 points missing from the Anglo-Irish setup.

Ambushes are revealed.  Kerns with slings, javelins and shields against LI Bow.   Also advancing out of the wood is a warband of Bonnachts.  The Turk suddenly realizes, that while they may win the battle, but it won't be won on this flank.

The Galloglaich advance to tease the Light Horse.  On average their darts can disorder 8 figures of Light Horse in Skirmish.  The Knights are there to charge and possibly catch the Turkish Skirmishers.  Or, turn the flank of the Turkish Infantry line.

The Longbow were not shooting anyway, so they might as well put out the stakes.

ok....  After a bold move to the left, the Serbian Knights turn around.

Turn 3:

The Turkish Light Horse accept the Galloglaich dart challenge, by the targeting priority to split fire on a hill.  That is OK, I don't have to shoot.

The Ottoman foot has stakes too.  Meanwhile, their archers roll a plus 3 and disorder the shielded Heavy Infantry Longbow.

Looking for a cheap kill, Ottoman Light Horse charge the Kerns.  The Kerns pass their waver, but the Bonnachts waver after a taking 2 CPF by the Bombards.

Turn 4:

Archer on Archer action.  The Ottomans have the advantage in morale and hand to hand weapons, the Longbow have heavier armor, and incoming missile fire.

With another good missile fire roll, the Galloglaich Clan Ramsay is disordered.

On the far right, things are not looking good for the Irish.  The Galloglaich Clan O'Lyre (blue standard) is disordered by archery fire.  Clan Jordan is taking a knight charge in the teeth.

Most units fear taking a charge of SHK in the teeth, but not the Galloglaich. On the surface, it doesn't look good.  Knights hitting 5@7 for 30 verses 6 @3 for 15.  But the Serbians had to hit Clan Jordan dead center, and so are coming into a hail of darts, for 18 @ -1.  Normally a -2, which would reduce their impact to 20, not enough for a push back.  The Serbian Knights will need a little luck here.

Which they didn't get.  The missile roll was an up 1, which is 18 plus disorder.  The Knights were recoiled disordered.

The Longbow are wavering, the Bonnachts are wavering.  Send in the Irish Light Horse!  After the die rolls were made, the count was dead even.  Both sides licked in combat.

Turn 5:

So the Turks send in another cavalry unit, destroying the Light Horse, and routing the Longbow.

If you were wondering how the Longbow shook initially, it was because The Galloglaich Clan Ramsay was destroyed by their opponents.

Brave Sir Robin, seeing the plight of the cowardly Longbow, said, "I'm good with that."  And shook in sympathy. 

Final shot.

At this point the Anglo-Irish called it in.  While their right flank and left flanks held, their center just collapsed in mass, and their reserves, including 2 units of Knights, that were to fill the holes also wavered and shook.