Feudal Honor

A Headless Body Production
Venue: Round 2 at Barrage, 2019

Event:  L' Art de la Guerre, open(ish) 200 points
Rules Set: L'Art de la Guerre
Theme: Later Periods (that is the "ish" part)
Players: Phil Gardocki playing Nikephorian Byzantine
               Hilton McManus playing Feudal French

Now in it's 25th year, Barrage began as a one-day mini-convention run by the Harford Area Weekly Kriegspielers (HAWKs). For the past few years Barrage has been held at the community center in Havre de Grace, Maryland, about 30 minutes north of Baltimore. This venue is convenient from I-95, has plenty of parking, is well lit, and is comfortable.  Food in the form of excellently cooked hot dogs and other comfort foods are available, and pizza is brought in around 4pm

Barrage is a low-stress event, focusing on having fun with miniatures games of many different genres, scales, and sets of rules.  In the past they've had a half dozen dealers, a few flea market tables, as many as 200 attendees, and thirty or more miniatures games.   In 2014 they added an ancient tournament, significantly raising the stress level of the building.  Beginning in 2016, the HAWKs took the bold step to grow Barrage into a two-day event.  But none of this growth has detracted from the congenial atmosphere of Barrage.

The Forces:

Nikephorian Byzantine

Commanded by the Sneaker brothers, Nikephoros, the Brilliant, Adidasphoros, the Brilliant and Pumaphoros, the ordinary, and somewhat unreliable.

      4 Thematic Kataphractoi, Medium Cavalry Impact

      4 Petchnegs, Light Cavalry, Bow

      1 Turkomons, Light Cavalry, Bow, Elite

      2 Varangians, Heavy Swordsmen 2HW, Armor, Elite

      8 Skutatoi, ½ Heavy Spearmen ½ Bowmen

      4 Light Infantry, Bows and Javelins

Breakpoint of 24

Feudal French
I don't have Shakespeare to give me a preview of the French.  
13 Medium knights, most Impetuous, some elite, only 7 can be seen
A couple of Sergeants
A couple of Spearmen
A couple of Light Infantry
4 Levy,
Breakpoint around 21

The Byzantines win the initiative and elect to attack in the plains.

The Board:

The French were cunning and selected the road, the coastal and the town, and got them all.  Nikephoros selected a bald hill and the gully, which the French filibustered to their side of the board.

A brand new gully, engineered to hide up to 8 elements.  Hilton was very appreciative I brought it.

There are three French commands visible here.  The first French command is a General and a Knight on the left.  The horse belong to the center, then starting with the red banner the right command.

On the far right, a nondescript ambush marker, behind the the Coastal town of Niniva, next to that, the French unfortified camp, but guarded by 4 units of Levys.

Pumaphoros takes the position of dishonor on the left.  His job is to advance and shoot up whatever is in the gully

Nikephoros will sand against the knights. 

Adidasphoros will take the hill, the Levy, then the camp.

Turn 1:

Pumaphoros proves his worth, and goes unresponsive.

This was noticed by Nikephoros, who changes his plan to "Halt"

But Adidasphoros was on independent operations any way, and advances to find two spearmen and two knights.

Pumaphoros's French counterpart also goes unresponsive.

While the impetuous knights lead the advance.

With Petchnegs already behind the flank of the French line, they go for some adjustments on the hill.

In the background, a pair of light foot units race to the hill.

Turn 2:

Both Pumaphoros and Nikephoros hold fast

Adidasphoros continues to wrap the French, and scores a lucky missile shot.

I really have to get better at this.  Two Psiloi caught and slaughtered.

The Sergeants move 4, I was calculating on the Knights moving 3.

The French reinforce the hill.  This no longer looks winnable to me.

This exciting legerdemain was performed on live You Tube, channel Little Wars TV, from 2:08 - 2:13

Turn 3:

Pumaphoros goes communicative and gets his archers on line for some shooting.

Taking advantage of the bad French positioning, Adidasphoros charges up the hill with two supports, routing one heavy spear and causing multiple hits to another. 

If the French Knight charges the single Thematic Lancer, I'll have a flank shot on it.  If the Spearmen conforms to the Lights, I'll a flank shot there.

But my plan is still not to stay here.  I am just taking advantage of the situation and back off.  

If I do this right, Nikephoros should be able to beat the center comfortably now that 2 of the knights have been parsed off to support the French left.

6 Heavy foot against 4 knights and a heavy cavalry.  Some of the knights are already disordered by arrows.

The French unresponsive command also is released.  4!  Count em! 4 more knights.

That really changes things.  I was expecting LMI or something, like that, but more friggen Knights?

Nikephoros is nonplussed by the revelation.  One knight stops to rally, the cavalry moves to support the hill, leaving 3 knights against 6 heavy foot.

Considering their position, the French maneuver quite well, defanging both of Adidasphoros flank traps.

The French have 8 points towards their demoralization level of 21
The Byzantines have 6 points towards their demoralization level of 24

Turn 4:

Pumaphoros was a bit out of position to receive the knight ambush, but makes up for it with vigorous shooting.

Nikephoros well and truly sets the trap.  The knights are zoc'ed and will be flanked when they charge.

Adidasphoros pulls off a disengage.

It cost him a light horse, but worth it to keep his lancers intact

The French have 12 points towards their demoralization level of 21
The Byzantines have 6 points towards their demoralization level of 24

As a bit of for shadowing here, Hilton took first place in this tournament. 

The knights charge both fast and furious.

Swinging to their right, the knights avoid the main trap, but at a cost.

On the French left, in stead of pursuit, the French try to reorganize instead.

The French have 15 points towards their demoralization level of 21
The Byzantines have 8 points towards their demoralization level of 24

Turn 5:

You don't see a knight killed by missile fire very often.  But the Byzantine line is beginning to crack

Out numbered the French may be, but after impact, the quality is all theirs

Adidasphoros thinks this game is won, and so continues to withdrawal.

He has two units on the flank and rear that distract the French, to keep them from combining against him.

But the sly French commander is not giving up yet.  His double damaged heavy cavalry may still be of use.  It turns, and...

Again gets around my lights.  The knights will then follow.

The left scrum continues

But not for long.  I hope they will hold for another turn, long enough to win the game in the center.

Another Skutatoi falls.  The Byzantine flank shot is being countered by the last, uncommitted knight, who is also an included genera.

So far, this withdrawal has cost 5 points in lights, and the French Knights have almost manage to reform their lines.

Turn 6:
The French have 18 points towards their demoralization level of 21
The Byzantines have 16 points towards their demoralization level of 24

Pumaphoros commits his final troops, leading from the front.  Only superior French armor has saved them from being totally blown away.

Nikephoros trips the trap.  Like the knights, the Byzantines always seem to have another Skutatoi to commit.

The Petchnegs are known for both their temerity, and timidity.  Today, temerity wins, as they actually disorder a knight.

Camp? Light Infantry?  The rear of the Levy?  For reasons lost to the mists of time (4 days ago) the Petchnegs run up the hill into the Levy.

<repeat> another Skutatoi falls.

<repeat> another Skutatoi falls.

The French throw in their final reserves.

And with a final rout with the lights, and the Byzantines hit their demoralization level of 24.

The French have 20 points towards their demoralization level of 21
The Byzantines have 24 points towards their demoralization level of 24

What went wrong?  I think the decision to pull the right flank from the hill, and the attack of 4 knights plus support was, strategically, a correct one, but then screwed up the execution of the withdrawal costing 8 points and the game.  The same cost as if I had just charged with my lancers.  I was over thinking it by putting distractions on the board with a LC in the rear, A lancer on the flanks, and not spending command points on getting the hell out of there.  

But on Hilton's side, when he sent two more knights, and a LI to the hill, he also was running the show with two generals.  So he was out spending Adidasphoros (brilliant) in command points, and keeping impetuous knights in check when needed.  He paid for that in the center, stripping needed forces, and giving me the chance to win, but when push came to shove, I couldn't kill the center fast enough.

So, give full marks to Hilton, who, when faced with extreme adversity, down 7 points and only 6 from losing, clutched victory from the jaws of defeat, by putting on a performance of tactical mastery that should be studied L' Art de la Guerre masters for as long as Google Blogs shall live.