A Hungover of Hungarians

A Headless Body Production

Venue: Walts Man Cave
Event: Practice for Kozcon
Players: Phil Gardocki running Medieval Polish (254)
              Walt Leach running Medieval Hungarian (249)

Game System: L'Art de la Guerre, 200 points per side.
Scale: 25mm

The Forces:

Medieval Polish: Commanders Larry'ego (Brilliant ), Darrellem (Competent), and Darrellem (Competent and Unreliable).
4 Winged Hussars, Medium Knight, Impact, elite
2 Followers, Heavy Cavalry, Impact.
4 Medium Cavalry, Crossbow
2 Tartars, Light Cavalry, Bow elite.
2 Lithuanians, Light Cavalry, Javelin
2 Serbian Hussars, Light Cavalry, Impact, elite
2 War Wagons, Crossbow
1 Heavy Spearmen, 1/2 Crossbow
2 Light Infantry, Firearm, 1 elite
Breakpoint...21

Medieval Hungarians
This is all guess work from the pictures. Besides, Walt may not want a total reveal of his forces before Kozcon.

6 Heavy Knight, Impact, elite
3 Heavy Cavalry, ???
6 Light Cavalry, ???
5 Light Infantry, Crossbow
Breakpoint around 21

Display Conventions: When you see a word bubble like "Ouch!" or "Auć!" or "Jaj!", 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.

Inappropriately capitalized words are used to highlight terms that are specific to the game. For example Brilliant, Competent and Ordinary have specific game values for the commanders.

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

The Board:

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

Deployment: 
This battle is already in progress, we'll pick it up in the bottom of turn 1.

On the Polish left, we have Larry'ego' s brother Darrellem(c) with 4 units of lights, 2 with Javelins, 2 with Impact. They are supporting 4 units of mounted crossbow.

The Hungarians had deployed 2 light and 2 heavy cavalry units on this side, and decided they did not want to face such daunting odds and are redeploying.

Ignore the camels in the distance. That is another, and probably more interesting, battle.

In the center, the Hungarians have 4 elite heavy knights, and they are more than happy to tilt against the Polish knights, which are less well armored.

In the center,Larry'ego(b) orders his battle to advance.

The Polish right is commanded by Larry'ego' s other brother Darrellem (c,u) with two war wagons and unit of heavy spearmen, 1/2 crossbow.

Not seeing any percentages against the war wagons, the Hungarian left starts to redeploy.

Turn 2:

Darrellem's forces follow up on their retreating foes.

Larry'ego backs up his line, leaving his Tatars (LC, Bow, Elite) behind and at 4 UD's from the Hungarian knights, preventing them from double moving in response.

He wants to give Darrellem's crossbow cavalry an opportunity to turn the flank of the Hungarian knights.

Darrellem's war wagons advance to cover Larry'ego's flank.

The Hungarians turn on their pursuers.

Missiles fly, disordering a Polish mounted crossbow.

Hungarian horse advance.  Vectoring in on the main Polish battle.  Their lights continue to redeploy in the rear.

Turn 3:

The Serbian light horse (impact, elite) charges!  The Hungarian lights, decide to flee.  Then the Polish mounted crossbow charge, winning one of two impacts against Hungarian mediums.

The remaining Polish horse, distracted by all the frenetic activity, shoot poorly.

Larry'ego holds his knights in check.

Other Brother Darrellem, brings one wagon for flank support, and sends his gunners to harass the flanks of the Hungarian left.

Hungarian reinforcements arrive.  Just in time to check the attack of the Polish swarm of lights.

The remaining Hungarian heavy horse continue to advance.

If the Hungarians straighten out their line, it will be 7 on 6 against Larry'ego's line of battle.

Turn 4:

The Lithuanians put pressure on the newly arrived Hungarians, and pay a price in arrow fire.

On the Hungarian right, by the green chip, is probably the MVP of the army.  He was attacked while disordered, and unsupported, but continues to win his fights.

The Tatars take a hit from gunfire.

Larry'ego continues to hold his knights.  Darrellem is now holding his flank.

The missile exchange on the left goes poorly for the Poles.

But it is the center where this game will be won or lost. 

Trapped by Hungarian Lights, the Tatars are run down.

Darrellem's second war wagon is advancing for enfilade fire.

Turn 5:  

Both sides have a break point of 21.  The Poles have 8 points towards their break point, the Hungarians are at 5. 

 

 

 

Darrellem has two flank charges to make, but only rolls only a one for command points, and has to make a decision as to flanking a knight, or the stubborn Hungarian bow cavalry.  He decides on the Hungarian mounted bow as that frees up 2 of his units for next turn, and the other flank charge will still go off next turn regardless of the outcome.

Larry'ego advances, This is to keep the Hungarians from forming a complete line and mitigating their numbers somewhat. Darrellem's War wagons continue to disorder the Hungarian left most horse with crossbows.

The last Lithuanian has been dispersed by arrows.

Larry'ego's plan was to not to engage the center until the Hungarians were flanked.  As the Hungarian knights have an armor and numbers advantage.  That did not work out as well as he hoped.  So when strategy fails, luck must serve.  The knights Zielony i Czerwony succeed on impact, and so too the knights Biały i Czerwony. 

6 charges, and the results are tied, at 2 wins, 2 loses and 2 ties apiece. Better luck than I deserved.  The Hungarians had one fight that is supported, and another has an included general fighting, and armor advantage down the whole line. Only the Polish flanks, both Followers, heavy cavalry, are disordered on contact.

 

Darrellem is now somewhat at a loss as to what to do.

War wagons cannot charge, have no ZOC, and shoot only off their sides.  So except for the Heavy Spear, which is way  following up the right most war wagon, and maybe 3 turns away from anything.  So Darrellem he has nothing that can intervene here.   

Turn 6:

The Poles have 11 points towards their break point, the Hungarians are at 7.

 

The Serbians have rested their horses and return to the fray, they should be able to keep 4 Hungarian light horse occupied.

The dice heavily favor the Poles.  Their knights Zielony i Czerwony and Żółty i Zielony win through their opponents by might of arms.  A Hungarian commander falls after being flanked.   A Polish mounted crossbow is threatening the rear of another Hungarian commander.

 

But the knights Krzyż Rycerski and Biały i Czerwony are both disordered, and a Follower is destroyed.

 

The score now is the Poles with  14 points towards their break point, the Hungarians are at 11.

Darrellem continues to put pressure on the Hungarian left flank.

The score now is a tie at with 15 points.

Hungarians enter arrow range of the Serbians.

Hungarian lights charge a mounted crossbow.  The knights Krzyż Rycerski are routed.

Having successfully defeated their foes, a Hungarian knight "conforms" onto the knights Żółty i Zielony

Turn 7:

Lower right.  A Polish Follower charges a Light Horse, which elects to stand and is destroyed, disordering the unit behind it, taking the Hungarians to 20.

Darrelem joins his mounted crossbow, and throws back the Hungarian lights, taking the Hungarians to their break point of 21.

And for the extra credit, on the left, the opponents of the knights Zielony i Czerwony receive a supporting flank charge, disorder the Hungarian horse +1.

The final score is 15 to 21.

Overall a satisfying game.  All our knights fought, and that is always a good thing.  

The war wagons didn't seem to accomplish much, but their purpose is to throw a kibosh on your opponents planning, and they did that just fine.  Any actual damage they do is to be considered a bonus..