A Plethora of Pechenegs

A Headless Body Production
Venue: An Undisclosed Living room
Event: Monday Night, Nov 3rd
Players: Phil running Nikephorian Byzantine
               John Doe running Pecthneg, Pechneg, Pecheneg, whatever...
Game System: L'Art de la Guerre, 200 points per side.

A scratch put together game. John decided to run something he never ran before, and I have never seen a Pecheneg Army on the table either, though they dominate my eastern allied forces lists.

The Forces:
Pecheneg (list 159)
Commanders, all Competent
2 Nobles, Heavy Cavalry Bow, Included Commanders
14 Horse Archers, Medium Cavalry Bow
2 Horse Archers, Light Cavalry Bow
3 War Wagons, Bow
Breakpoint of 21

Nikephorian Byzantine (list 127)
Nikephoros, the Brilliant, Adidasphoros, the Brilliant and Pumaphoros, the ordinary, and somewhat unreliable.
4 Tagmatic Kataphractoi, Heavy Cavalry Impact Bow
4 Prokoursatores, Light Cavalry, Bow
5 Varangians and Menavlatoi, Heavy Swordsmen 2HW
5 Skutatoi, ½ Heavy Spearmen ½ Bowmen
4 Light Infantry, Bows and Javelins
Breakpoint of 22

The Board:
The Pechenegs win the initiative and elect to defend in the steppes. They select a hill and 2 brush, the Byzantines a river and a road. The hill disappeared in the adjustment phase, while the river was just a dry creek bed.

Deployment:

The Pechenegs have anchored their flank against a large number of wagons. 21 shooters in the army. That is a lot of missile fire.

The Byzantines hoped for a weak right flank for the Pechenegs and expected to take it with their elite Tagmata, while their Varangian foot hold the center. This plan went onto the trash heap as soon as the war wagons were visible.
 

New plan. Lets race for the Pecheneg camp with close order foot, ignoring the masses of horse bow. Yeah, that could work...

The wiley horsemen like the Byzantine plan. They send some troops to cut off the Byzantine lights. Many, many horsemen to shoot up the Byzantine main foot line, and another huge force to engage and surround the Byzantine right flank.

Fortune seems to favor Nikephoros. With 21 potential shooters in the Pecheneg army, but it is the Byzantines that draw first blood.

The fierce men of the north continue their advance under a hail of arrows. The Byzantines return a few of their own.

The Pecheneg continue to maneuver for position. So far, less than half of their archers have been able to participate in the missile duel.

With a wild exultation, the Varangians charge! They expect the Pechenegs to flee, and are surprised when they stand.  Man and horse scream with the hacking of cruel axes.

As the Pecheneg "red" force has the main Byzantine battle line engaged, the "blue" force closes. Trading hit against the Skutatoi guarding the flanks.

At this point, John surrendered.  The score was 16 (of 21) to 4 (of 22), and he wanted to save the world from any more"Yellow Submarine"pop culture references.

 

Setting up TTS

 

Open simulator

 

Play

                Create 

                Multiplayer

                Server Name:  something

                Password tuesday

        Push Create Server

                Workshop

 

                       Select the Icon L'Art de la Guerre FIW

 

If you do not see all the choices above then I have incomplete instructions on how to address this problem.  Per another player, "You need to go to the workshop on steam, search for TTS, then search for ADLG, once found, click on it and select all the ADLG mods."  

 

Other player

Open simulator

                Join       

                Multiplayer

                Server Name:  something

                Password tuesday

Give your opponent the servername and password

Upper right when he joins

 

    

Upper right: Promote

To remove FOG  (grey boxes)

Left, 3 down, “Zone”: Hidden

 

Letter P to change camera angle.

 

What if they had a war, and a rugby game broke out?

A Headless Body Production

Answer: Probably more blood letting.

Location: An Undisclosed Living Room
Event: Monday, Oct 29th.
Players: Phil Gardocki, playing the Anglo Irish 
              John Doe, playing Medieval Irish
Game System: L'Art de la Guerre, 200 points per side.

The Forces:

The gleeking rump-fed mildewed-eared Anglo Irish, circa 1299 AD

Larry (Competent), his brother Darryl (Competent) and his other brother Darryl (also Competent)

4 Longbowmen, stakes

2 Javelinmen

4 Galloglaich, Heavy Swordsmen, 2HW, Elite

2 Irish Lairds, Heavy Swordsmen, Armor, Elite

5 Kerns, Light Infantry, Javelins

4 Irish Nobles, Heavy Cavalry

2 Irish Cavalry, Light Cavalry, Javelins

Breakpoint of 23

 

For the Medieval Irish, 3 unnamed commanders, all competent.

8 Javelinmen

8 Galloglaich, Heavy Swordsmen, 2HW

7 Kerns, Light Infantry, Javelins

1 Irish Nobles, Heavy Cavalry, Impetuous, elite

4 Irish Cavalry, Light Cavalry, Javelins

Breakpoint 28

 

The Scenario:

It all started with Farmer O'Brian's boundary stones. Which seemed to have been moving about 6 paces a fortnight. Well enough is enough with Bessie's pasture reduced to a tithe of its former size, and it was obvious who the villain was. So a moot was called to settle the issue. Of course you can't have a moot without an inter village rugby game. So the teams were called, and at the first scrum McGooruough called "Skawmish!", those lying thieving bastards have 42 men on their side, to which Sheamus replied, "Tis true"! "But our team is by weight not volume, and some settling has occurred!" And then Kenneth Brannach said something about our little Cindy, which 8 months later turned out to be true, and that got the blood up, and with the happenings with their pin boy Cork, getting so drunk at the 9 pin finals he couldn't stand himself up much less the pins. Twice he fell over taking the pins with him and his team counting it as a strike. And only 8 years old! Well that was too much.

 

And the Anna Livia, when the old cheb went futt and did what you know. Yes, I know, it was they threed to make out he thried to two in the Fiendish park. He's an awful old reppe. Look at the shirt of him! Look at the dirt of it! He has all my water black on me. And it steeping and stuping since this time last wik. Minxing marrage and making loof. Reeve Gootch was right and Reeve Drughad was sinistrous! And the cut of him! And the strut of him! How he used to hold his head as high as a howeth, the famous eld duke alien, with a hump of grandeur on him like a walking wiesel rat.*

And with that, the battle lines were drawn. 

 

The Board:

Larry wins the coin toss and elects to receive in the plains. He selects 2 fields, a fielded hill and a gully. The absolutely medieval Irish select a field and a plantation.

Deployment:

The terrain is thicker than something that is very thick.

Most of the Medieval Irish Foot is positioned to the left of a gully. 8 clans o' Galloglaich supported by 8 units of Javelinmen. Enough troops to handle both open areas and the rough.

But wait, there's more? At 20 units, this army is a bit short. Could they all be in ambush? 

 Turn 1:

The Medievals march straight ahead. Not subtle at all. But they outnumber the Anglo-Irish 8-6 in heavy foot, 8-6 in rough terrain troops, so subtly is not required.

The missing command rolls a 6, a flank march is running on the Anglo-Irish Left.

Darryl has his brown pants moment. Rolls a 1 for command points. So reveals his kerns in ambush to face the flank march.

Larry (center command) is ok with the situation, and is awaiting development on the right.

The other brother Darryl, carefully adjusts his foot commands and sends his mounted noblemen to run off the Medievals lights. 

Turn 2:

The flank march arrives.  It is large, but all lights. 

The vast line of foot splits in twain!  Half to provide the anvil for the flank march's hammer, half to swarm Darryls smaller, and more separated command on the right.

On the left, Darryl orders his light horse to disengage, and position his Longbow to shoot enfilade, should the flank march decide to bypass him.  His noble horsemen charge, then pull up short.

Larry sees the opportunity to defeat the Medievals in detail.  His heavy foot marches forward to 4UD's.

On the right, Darryl's noble horsemen destroy a unit of Irish Javelinmen. A charge by light horse on disordered Kerns begets another hit.

Turn 3:

On the left, crafty charges run both of Darryl's light units off of the board.

 In the center, the Medieval commander accepts Larry's challenge, and marches 4 Galloglaich clans to charge reach, his Javelinmen positioning for flank charges.   

On the right, Darryl's exuberance may prove his undoing.   After uselessly loosing a volley of arrows, his longbowmen are engaged.  On takes two hits, but the other rolls well and returns two hits.

The Score is Anglo-Irish 3 (of 23), Medieval Irish 4 (of 28)

Lethal missiles fall from the sky, disordering units on both sides.  But scrums begin to form in the center, the Medievals losing 3 of 3.  On the right, Irish Nobles run off 2 Kerns.  Javelinmen are destroyed

On the right, Irish Nobles run off 2 Kerns. 2 more Medieval Javelinmen are destroyed, trading fornan Anglo Longbowmen.

The Score is Anglo-Irish 5 (of 23), Medieval Irish 12 (of 28)

Turn 4: 

I missed a copy paste for the top of the turn, so this image is for both.  Arrows show moves made either the top of the turn, with a 3, and bottom of the turn 4.  I should have thought of a more intuitive annotation.

From the left to right.  Medieval Irish Kerns swarm the flank guards, destroying 2 Longbowmen and the Irish Lairds(HI, Armor, Sword, Elite)  The flank charging Medieval Irish Javelinmen are in turn flank charged by Darryl's noble horsemen.

In the center Anglo-Irish Galloglaich clan Ramsay and O'Lyre destroy the opposing Galloglaich clans Gutless an' Rin Awa'.  

Right of center, the Medieval Galloglaich clans split in twain to face the undefeated longbow and light horse, only to be routed through then surrounded by Anglo-Irish Noble horse, Irish lairds and Galloglaich Clan Jordan.

It was getting late and we called it here with the final score  Anglo-Irish 10 (of 23), Medieval Irish 21 (of 28)

 

A Krush of Koreans

A Headless Body Production
Venue: An Undisclosed Basement
Event: Playing a game for the camera  
Players: Phil Gardocki running Korean               
              Tom Worden running Samurai
Game System: L'Art de la Guerre, 15mm, 200 points per side.

The Forces:
Samurai (list 210)
The Samurai are commanded by Larry-San, a Strategist, his brother Darryl-San the Ordinary and his other brother Darryl-San, also Ordinary.
9 Samurai, Medium Swordsmen, Bow, Elite
4 Yari, Medium Spearmen, Mediocre
4 Mounted Samurai, Heavy Cavalry, Bow, Elite
2 Followers with Bow, Bowmen, Mediocre
Breakpoint of 19

Koryo Korean (list 212)
The Koreans are commanded by Rarri, the Competent, his brother Darrir, the Competent, and his other brother Darrir, also Competent.
4 Guardsmen, Cataphract, Elite
2 Horsemen, Heavy Cavalry Impact
2 Militia Horsemen, Medium Cavalry Impact, Mediocre.
5 Spearmen, 1/2 Heavy Spearmen, 1/2 Crossbow 3 Light Cavalry, Bow 2 War Wagons, Bow
3 Light Infantry, Bow
Breakpoint of 22

The Board:
The Samurai win the initiative and elect to defend in the plains.

Normally, when there is a coastal area, the defender sets up on it, but not this time.

It could be a setup, the Samurai offering his camp to tempt a flank march. Last game, titled A Seppuku of Samurai, I did just that and got crushed.

The main body occupies barely 1/3rd of the board.  13 elites ready to fight, 6 mediocres deployed in the rear.

Rarri deploys on the left, with Cataphracts and Impact Cavalry.

Darrir with 5 Heavy Spear/Bow

Their other brother Darrir with 2 War Wagons are there to prevent a cavalry sweep of the flank.

A note on annotations. When you see a jagged word bubble "Ouch", that unit has received a missile hit.

Letters in parenthesis represent some value change for the specific unit. For commanders it is b for Brilliant, c for Competent and o for Ordinary, u for unreliable. For troops it is e for Elite, and m for Mediocre. Other abbreviations, Hvy Heavy, XB Crossbow, LB, Longbow, Jav Javelin, 2HW 2 Handed Weapons, B Bow, Kn Knight, HKn Heavy Knight, HC Heavy Cavalry, Md Medium, Sgt Sergeants, LC Light Cavalry, Chr Chariot, Cat Cataphract, Pa Pavise, LI, Light Infantry, HG Hand Gun, FKn Foot Knight, Hvy Spear, Heavy Spearmen.

"XX" marks a unit killed in that location on that turn.

"????" is an ambush marker, and so it is unknown at this time. 

Turn 1:

I was expecting the Cataphract line to run head long into the Samurai, but now it looks like a flank attack instead.  That's ok, except that Cataphracts don't turn very well

The foot bow advance just a bit, to be in support range, of the cavalry, but I don't want to engage them to early.

When you think about it, the Samurai, elite sword bow, at 12 points, beat 1/2 spear bow quite handily.  Either elite vs ordinary in shooting, or elite vs mediocre in hand to hand. 

Meanwhile, other brother Darrir, hasn't had his morning tea yet.

The Samurai commander parses off the end to cover the flanks from the Korean lights.

The rest advance to overwhelm the Korean foot.

It's a race then.  Who can collapse the others right flank first?

Samurai cavalry advance in a column.

Turn 2:

Early missiles fly.  Both sides take hits

Koryo Korean have a wide variety of cavalry available to them.  Cataphracts, Heavies, Mediums, Elite and Mediocre.  I have a mixture here.  Cataphracts for the main charge, Heavies to support them.  Mediums to cover their flanks.  The white '6's on the stands are elites, the red '1's for the mediocres.

The Cataphracts should charge next turn, so the main Korean foot line advances to missile range.  They should be close enough to prevent the Cataphracts from getting flanked on turn 4.  I am willing to lose a couple of them to keep the main attack going.

Darrir's Light Horse is not willing to trade shots with the Samurai horse

To avoid being flanked by Korean Light Horse, Samurai foot charge!  But the Lights do not flee, and survive the hit, pinning the Samurai foot.

Arrows continue to fly, and the Korean foot line is becoming more disordered.

Free from interference in the terrain, Samurai Cavalry turn the flank of the Korean main line

Totally my fault.  To bolster the cavalry with cataphracts, I traded out a unit of "Guardsmen", LMI, Crossbow, Elite, Pavise from the War Wagon Command.  Having them in the field right now would have delayed the flanking by the Samurai horse for a turn.

At the Tree of Woe, quality missile fire is showing it's edge.  The score is 4 hits on the Koreans to 1 hit on the Samurai.

Turn 3:

First charge, and first blood.  Damaged lights break off, while mounted lancers hit the flank of the right most Samurai.

Cataphracts charge as well.  Destroying one Samurai, and putting 2 hits on another.

Korean foot adjust their line to face the inevitable charge.  But arrows continue to score hits.

The score is now 5-4 in favor of the Koreans.

The Samurai right flank is damaged and flanked.  Time to advance!

Charging the Korean right flank, which holds, if only barely.

Samurai horse is looking to score some points.  They don't fight well in the rough, but shoot just fine.

There is a lot of fighting, but the score doesn't change much.

Turn 4:

The Samurai "Forlorn Hope" on their far right continues to hold.  The remaining line continues to collapse to cavalry flank charges.

And, the Samurai "reserves", IE the mediocre troops and now in charge reach by elite Cataphracts.  Talk about a fox in the hen house.

One Korean Spear unit falls, a fresh one takes it's place as flank guard.

Every point matters, the Korean lights retreat out of range.

It has been 4 battle rounds since the Samurai far right was flank charged, and they are still fighting!  In the middle, an opportunity, as a Cataphract is flank charged. But Armor and Elite proves "proof" against katana and wakizashi

Korean right flank continues to hold.

Samurai horse archery proves still effective

The view from the Fuji Blimp

Rarri thinks he is winning, the Tree of Woe says otherwise.

Turn 5:
You would think with all the flank charges the Koreans managed the score would be better.  But all those Elite bowmen the Samurai have, 13, adds up with the "death of a thousand paper cuts."

Eventually, the Samurai far right will fall, its just a matter of rolling even dice or better.  But not this turn, or the next either.

Cataphracts and Heavy Cavalry charge into the soft part of the Samurai army. One is destroyed, another gravely disordered.  And better yet, they are out of command reach as their commanders are both Ordinary.

A second Korean Spearmen is destroyed, but another Samurai foot falls as well.

Darrir has his wagons in position to protect the camp, as his last lights are scattered by arrows.

Chickens flee the hen house

Samurai horse spread out, one supporting the attack on the main Korean infantry line, another threatening the camp.

And two heading to support the collapsing Samurai center.

Samurai 11 of 19, Korean 15 of 22. 

Turn 6:

The fleeing Yari and Followers with a Bow are easily caught by horsemen and run down. 

But the last Korean spearmen are about to be engaged.

The view from the Fuji Blimp.

Casualties add up.  The Samurai are only 2 away from demoralization, the Koreans 4.

I am going to have to kill this guy before he dies...

The scene is total chaos,the last Korean spearmen fall, and the Samurai are beginning to put order back in their lines.

War Wagons have no ZOC, so the Samurai horse just races on by.

At this point there was an embarrassing moment.  Tommy declared the game over, but I replied, "No, I only scored one more point and needed two".  Then the reality set in. He had met his reach goal of 4 for the win.