A Monopoly of Mongols

 A Headless Body Production

Venue: Undisclosed Basements around the Tri-State-Area
Event: Round 5 of the The Great Semi-Annual-Mini-Tournament-Of-2020/1
Players: Phil Gardocki running Samurai
               Lee Sowers running Mongol Empire
Game System: L'Art de la Guerre, 15mm, 120 points per side.

Dennis Shorthouse, Proprietor of On Military Matters book service., has organized an impromptu tournament using a battle grid system of his devising. All figures are place on a grid so players can play over a telephone without a video component.

The board is 15 by 20 UD's. The rows are labeled H - A. Each side has their own H-B, and the A row is divided in half. The columns are numbered 1-20. Terrain sizes are 2x3.

The Forces:
Samurai (List 210)
The Samurai are commanded by Rarry and Darryr, both Competent.
6 Samurai, Medium Swordsmen, Bow, Elite
4 Yari, Medium Spearmen, Mediocre
2 Mounted Samurai, Heavy Cavalry, Bow, Elite
Breakpoint of 12

Mongols (List 218)
Command 1
Ghenghis Khan, Strategist
2 Khan's Guard, Heavy Cavalry, Bow, Elite
4 Medium Cavalry, Bow
2 Light Cavalry Bow, Elite
2 Hostages, Levy Mediocre, Expendable

Command 2:
Borokhula, Competent, Included
2 Medium Cavalry, Bow
2 Light Cavalry Bow, Elite
Breakpoint of 13

Special rules for 120 points: 

(2) generals
Min and Max divide by two and round up

Normal initiative calculations, command points spent divide by two rounded down, plus
1-2 LH +1 initiative die roll
3+ LH +2 initiative die roll
Strategist +1 initiative die roll

6 zones
Zones 1,3 an 4,6 are 7UD wide
Zones 2 and 5 are 6UD wide

1-3 terrain pieces plus compulsory
Take 1...(2) adjustments
Take 2...(1) adjustments
Take 3...(0) adjustments

Conventions:

When you see a word bubble "Ouch!", this implies a disorder from missiles. Letters in parenthesis represent some value change for the specific unit. For commanders it is s for strategist, 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" implies a unit killed in that location on that turn.

Haikus are an attempt for a commander (Japanese) to rally the troops.

The Mongols morale is such that they require no such trickery to motivate the horde.

The Board:

Ghengis wins the initiative, plus 5, vs plus 1, so go figure, and elects to attack in the plains. All the pieces of terrain were subsequently deleted or shoved to a nearby corner and brook no further comment.

Deployment:

My commands are unbalanced, so it is important I guess right.

Ghenghis's command takes the point of honor on the right.

The Mongols will be impersonated by an assortment of Persians, Sarmations and Palmyrans.

The Mongol fortified camp is also protected by 2, 1 point Levy units. As if I have time to run over there and take it....

The Mongol short command is on their left.

The Samurai weaker command deploys across from Ghengis's horde.

While my strong command is facing mostly air.

So I guessed wrong. This is going to be bad. The Mongols are going to gobble up my Yari for 8 points and the camp for 4 for the win.

Turn 1:

Ghengis's horsemen race across the board.

So to Borokhula's command.

He is going for a double envelopment. With his superior command points, he could pull that off.

Darryr orders his Heavies back as far as the board allows, but pushes half of his Yari forward.

Rarry is blessed with great command points. He splits his command into many parts and tries to control the right flank, while reinforcing the left.

Arrows fly, and both sides are disordered.

Turn 2:

Ghengis takes the bait. Most of the Yari are out of reach so he goes for the one spearmen he can reach.

Borokhula orders his charge as well, It's a disordered, but supported General vs a disordered elite heavy. And the result is a tie. But the lights have turned the flank and are bearing down on the unfortified camp.

The first Yari falls, but help arrives in time.

Borokhula is charged in the flank and pays the ultimate price.

Turn 3:

The Khans Guard reinforces the attack on the beleaguered Samurai horse.

One Mongol horse, heavily disordered, breaks off, but is dispersed by superb archery, and thus dies in the shade.

The other Samurai horse is surrounded and flank charged by Mongol lights. But fortune is not kind to the Mongols.

At the Tree of Woe, the story is being told. Samurai are at 4 (of 12) while the Mongols are at 9 (of 13)

Darryr's horse and foot hold, while Rarry's foot rolls up the flank.

On the right flank, the Mongol forces take to their heals and run.

Bringing an end to this adventure.