Still Another Engagement With The English

A Headless Body Production

But Not The Same English....

Venue: An Undisclosed Basement
Event: The Semi-Annual, International, Invitational, Round Robin Tournament
Round: 2
Theme: Medieval
Players: Phil Gardocki running Condottieri
               Al Kaplan running Hundred Years War English
Game System: L'Art de la Guerre v3, 15mm, 120 points per side.

The Forces:
Italian Condottieri
Commanded by Larry, the Competent and Darryl, the Ordinary
6 Men-at-Arms, Heavy Knight, Impact
2 Light Cavalry, Crossbow
1 Light Infantry. Crossbowmen
1 Light Infantry, Handgunner
1 Mercenary Pike
1 Halberdier, Heavy Swordsmen, 2HW
Breakpoint, 12

Hundred Years War English
2 Commanders, both Ordinary, one included
6 Longbowmen, Elite, Stakes
2 Foot Knights, 2 Elite
2 Heavy Spearmen
1 Bretons, LI, Javelin, Elite
Breakpoint of 11

A note on annotations. When you see a word bubble "Ouch!", ("Ahia!", "Aie!", "Merde!") this implies 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.

Scores are presented in a confusing manner. This is because it is measured in number of points towards the demoralization. If I say the score is 15-8 in favor of Milan, that means the Burgundians are have 15 points towards their demoralization level of 19, while Milan has 8 points towards their demoralization level of 20. But saying 15-8 is just more intuitive. 

Dennis Shorthouse, Proprietor of On Military Matters book service., has organized an another 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. 

Deployment:

On a nameless field in English held France, the mist begins to rise.

Revealing a force of English knights backed by their Yeomanry of legend.

Darryl knows the uselessness of charging them on horseback, and orders his knights to dismount.

Larry imitates his brother.

Turn 1:

I believe, this is the first time I have ever dismounted my troops in L' Art de la Guerre.

Darryl is full of confidence, but not very good with command points.

Larry has command points to spare.  He will attack the corner of the hill and turn the flank of the English line.

But the English are not content to just stand and receive.

Nor are they going to let the hill be flanked without resistance.

Turn 2:

The Italian light horse withdraws

While the Italian lines continue to close in.

The English longbow march well and take a position to provide enfilade fire.

This is when I should have ordered Darryl to pull back.  

Going forward would only meet knights and near equal spearmen.  While the Longbow hang on the flank.

Vectoring to the Longbow would offer flanks to the English Foot Knights.

Neither decision has an upside.

Retreating only means getting shot in the back, and I can survive that.

But the English bowmen have divided targets, so Larry's command continues to advance.

Turn 3:

Darryl continues to advance

So to, Larry

Turn 4:

I think I missed a set of photos for the English turn 3.

Darryl splits his force, sending a supported knight to attack the longbow, and the rest to face the English knights.  The Longbow scoff at the Italian efforts and hold their ground.

The assault on the hill begins.  To the Italians dismay.

It's a fielded hill.  I forgot.  So the knights went in with a 2 (vs LMI) - 1 for terrain + 1 support for a 2, and have armor.

The Longbow start at 0, +1 for the hill, + 1 for support for a 2 also.

Then the Longbow roll a 6 to my 1, 8 to 3 after modifiers, for 2 hits on the knights.

The longbow on the road rolls well enough to survive as well.

The Italians are taking a drubbing.  Only 3 points till they are demoralized.

English spearmen charge the Italian supporting lights in C16.  The Lights roll short and wind up in B15.  The Spearmen roll long and hit the Italian Knights in B16 in the flank, destroying them, the rout destroying the Lights.

The English play cautious, and pin the remaining Italian Foot Knights.  They can afford to wait until the Longbow on their right can make more flank charges.

Turn 5:

At the Tree of Woe, the score is 11 to 1

Darryl only has one choice now, Charge!  But it is futile.  Another knight falls to cruel axes.

Too little, too late, as the hill corner is taken, two more units of Longbow fall.

Making the score a solid win for the English, 12-5