A Pummeling of Sixes

A Headless Body Production

Venue:  Virtual Table via Table Top Simulator
Players: Phil Gardocki running 100 Years War French
                  David Ray running 100 Years War English
Game System: L'Art de la Guerre, 15mm, 200 points per side.
 The Battle to take place somewhere between Harfleur and Agincourt.

The Forces:

100 Years War French, 1415 AD

The Dauphin, played by Larry d' Arc (Brilliant), The Dukes of Berri and  Bretagne, played by his brother Darrel (competent) and his other brother Darryl (ordinary).

      4 Nobles, Heavy Knight, Impetuous

      2 Mercenaries, Heavy Knight, Impact

      2 Pavisiers, Heavy Spearmen, Pavise

      2 Foot Knights, Heavy Swordsmen 2HW, Heavy Armor, Elite

      6 French Crossbowmen, Light Infantry, Crossbow 
      3 Genoese Crossbowmen, Elite, Pavise

      2 Brigands, Medium Swordsmen, 2HW, Mediocre

Breakpoint of 22

100 Years War England, 1415 AD
Poor Harry of England, Brilliant and included,   Brian Blessed plays Exeter, is Harry's uncle and also included, and Salisbury, ordinary.
      8 Longbowmen, Elite 
      2 Gascons, Foot Knights,  2HW, Heavy Armor, Elite

      4 Men at Arms, Heavy Spearmen 
      2 Gascons, Crossbowmen

      2 Bidets, Light Infantry, Bows

      1 Hobilars, Medium Cavalry, Impact

      1 Irish Cavalry, Light Cavalry, Javelins

      1 Welsh Spearmen, Medium Spearmen

Breakpoint of 21 

So, what led to this titanic struggle between neighbors?  We have it the highest authority it was about tennis balls:

He therefore sends you, meeter for your spirit,
This tun of treasure; and, in lieu of this,
Desires you let the dukedoms that you claim
Hear no more of you. This the Dauphin speaks.

KING HENRY V
    What treasure, uncle?

EXETER
    Tennis-balls, my liege.

KING HENRY V 
We are glad the Dauphin is so pleasant with us;
His present and your pains we thank you for:
When we have march'd our rackets to these balls,
We will, in France, by God's grace, play a set
Shall strike his father's crown into the hazard.
Tell him he hath made a match with such a wrangler
That all the courts of France will be disturb'd

For the Reader:
The fog of war is a confusing place.  Each soldier in the field is the center of his world.  And his opinion is absolute, regardless of what the historians may glean later. So refering to this troop as a Men-At-Arms when he may only be a Sergeant, that his commander is named Henry, King, or Harry, Prince, or the pair of Darrels playing French nobility, is only certain of that instance, for those involved.

Any confusion should be regarded as part of the fun.

Deployment:

The English are at the top.  They deploy 15 units in two commands.
The French are at the bottom, they deploy 17 units in two commands. 

Who is in ambush, and who is running on the flank?

Both sides are missing a command.  Who is in ambush, and who is running on the flank?

Turn 1:

As the attacker, It is up to me to vanquish my foes before extra strength doth summon fortwith! 

The Duke of Bretagne, played by brother Darryl, emerges with his forces from where they did hid.  "O, prenez misericorde! ayez pitie de moi!"  and with vigorous thews, out pace the knights on horse, Five hundred were but yesterday dubb'd knights.

Harry's troops charge down hill towards the French footmen.  Exeter's archers take up position in the rough field, while he takes his men at arms for interception.

Off in the distance, to the north, dust clouds are seen.  The English have arrived, far sooner then the Dauphin would have liked.

Turn 2:

The Dauphin remembers his fathers words, "When Cressy battle fatally was struck" and decides that this is not the field to die upon, and recalls his brave knights. 

Duke Berri, Played by the other brother Darryl, pulls back to the Rue d' Ruin, sending his crossbowmen jogging down the road to slow the English arrivals.

Too eager the French were, as the arriving English loose arrows, slaughter'd the French.

Turn 3:

Duke Berri ignores the plight of his advanced screen, and continues to receive them in good order.  (he only had two command points anyway)

The Dauphin redeploys his knights.  This looks like an excellent combined arms operation.  The spearmen to absorb the arrows, the knights to slaughter the archers.

The Duke Bretagne, seeing only two horsemen afield elects to run them down with his elite Genoese Crossbowmen.

But the Exeter's men are made of high fiber.  Their horsemen swearing and stern looks, diffused attire, turn on their heels, and charge.  Exeter's knights approach rapidly, as well as his archers.

And on the left side of the board. Harry and Salisbury close in on Berri's forces.  This is not favorable geometry for the French.  They have not finished reforming their lines, and their knights are too far back.

Turn 4:

Once again, Duke Berri reinforces the opinion of his fat brained focus.  Offering the right flank of his mighty men to immediate rebuke.

The Dauphin moves as fast as he is able, but not fast enough.
Duke Bretagne decides that winning is not an option on his side of the board, but living may be, and orders a retreat.  He is heartened by the Dauphin dispatching the two bands of mercenary knights (impact, not impetuous) back to the field.

The English horsemen continue their pursuit, striking the Brigand (Medium sword, 2HW, Mediocre) in the rear. 

Harry's forces attack the French flank, but the French prove worthy opponents, and repulse the initial charge.  (1-5 roll, first of many battles that the French should not have won)
Salisbury's archers, bottom of the screen, stop at maximum range and loose arrows.

The score is 8-1 in favor of the English

Turn  5:

Duke Bretagne forces disappear into the plantation.

Duke Berri advances some of his forces to charge reach of Salisbury's archers.
His flanked spearmen, not only resist their foes, but start digging into their formations. 1-4 roll. 
The Dauphin orders his knights to spitting range.  But the English archers find them not.
His mercenaries, looking at 3 longbowmen, and approaching Exeter's Foot Knights, elect to retreat.

Authors note.  It had not yet occurred to me that these longbow did not have stakes.  Yes, they were not declared as having them, but my preconceived notions did not allow me to consider the truth of the matter.

The situation is bad for the French.

The French right hand command has lost two units to nought, and was trapped by inferior forces.
The pair of knights sent to contain Exeter's command had lost their screen, was disordered, and was in retreat.
The main battle line was half disordered and flanked.

My tactics were poor, my knights dispersed, and my main battle troops have yet to be committed.
No wonder the score was 1 (of 21) to 13 (of 22)!

Turn 6: 

Time to go down fighting. 

Horse knights charge, disordering a spearmen, but held up by the longbow.
4 foot units charge.  Including a foot knights engaging King Henry's body guard.  A 6-1 roll disperses a Longbow unit.
On the flank, another 6-1 leads to near destruction of the English spearmen.
Duke Bretagne's forces exit the plantation, and rakes the English Cavalry.

A good turn, the score is now just 6-13

An error in the double arrows on the left.  Those forces have already been engaged.

The Scrum continues.  Another 6-1 in favor of the French destroys a longbow.  Another 6-1 causes Henry's body guard, with a +2 advantage to take a hit.  The French then roll a 1, slaying him. So Henry V, King of England, with his Foot Knights as guards, becomes just a Footnote into history.

Suddenly the score is 12-13

Turn 7:

The scrum continues, both sides losing a unit. 

Superior English tactics takes the French Foot Knights in the flank!  But French Elan resists their efforts, scattering Henry's bodyguard knights!  (another 1-6 roll)

The score is now 18-16 in favor of the French.

Turn 8:

The French need 3 points.  But they must be careful  There is force enough in the English to turn this arround. 

They contiue to retreat some units before Exeters advance.  Two knights advance, accepting his challange.

In the end, it was Salisbury that costs the battle, with his last unit destroyed, he was last seen defending his standard before being pummled to the ground.  

Exeter's path looks like Billy's from Family Circus.

So, what went right?  Leaving luck out of it, and there was a lot in favor of the French.  Recognizing the trap in upper field with the longbow, and getting the horse knights out of there.

Redeploying the knights was fraught with problems.  Not just dealing with unmaneuverable impetuous troops, but also just making a decision.  Going for the flank march was a good idea, but the execution was poor.

In the end, the most expensive troops I had wound up fighting two battles, and supporting a third.

Also, the long path of Exeter's troops helped a lot.  If they had just moved straight forward, it would have been a different fight.


What went wrong?  Over committing the right hand command, and getting a bloody nose from a single Medium Cavalry.