A KnickKnack of Knights

A Headless Body Production

Venue: An Undisclosed Basement
Event: Breaking in a newly painted army
Players: Phil Gardocki running Burgundian Ordinance
               Steve Turn running Teutonic Order
Game System: L'Art de la Guerre v4, 15mm, 200 points per side.

The Forces:
Teutonic Order
Commanded by Karl, Brilliant, his brother Karl, Competent , and his other brother, the predefenstrated Hans Gruber, Ordinary, Unreliable.
7 Men-at-Arms, Heavy Knight, Impact
2 Medium Cavalry, Crossbow
2 Light Infantry. Crossbowmen
3 Crossbowmen
4 Heavy Spearmen
2 Halberdier, Heavy Swordsmen, 2HW
1 Pike, Mediocre
Breakpoint, 21

Burgundian Ordinance Commanded by Lawrence, the Competent, his brother Darryl, the Competent, and his other brother Darryl, also Competent but unreliable.
3 Men-at-Arms, Heavy Knight Impact, one Elite
2 Demilancers, Heavy Cavalry, Impact
1 Light Horse, Impact
1 Light Horse, Crossbow
2 Foot Knights
5 Heavy Spearmen, 1/2 longbow
1 Low Country Pike, Mediocre
1 Italian Mercenaries, Light Cavalry, Crossbow
2 Croswbowmen, Pavise
2 Light Infantry, Handguns
Breakpoint of 20

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.

Deployment:

The Teutonic right is maned by a pair of heavy knights and 4 units of heavy foot.

The hill with more spearmen, polearms and crossbow.

Their left is their heaviest weight.  5 heavy knights, supported by medium horse and crossbowmen.

Darryl holds the center left.  His flank secured by terrain, and longbow shooting spearmen.

While spearmen are -2 in the rough, and in this case mediocre as well, so most everything on the Teutonic side, so it comes out even.

The other brother Darryl holds the remainder of the board, with foot knights, Pike and crossbow. 

But where is Larry?  In the double ambush in the gully?  Or a flank march?

Turn 1:

The Teutonic right advances as quickly as possible.

Faced with the uncertainty of a flank march, the foot units on the hill stay put.

The Teutonic left advances cautiously. 

Darryl sends one Heavyspear/longbow to hold off the knights.

The Heavyspear/longbow may be -2 in hand to hand in the rough, but they shoot just fine.

His remaining foot advance in sync.  They are willing to challenge just 4 knights.

Other brother Darryl goes unresponsive.

Of course Larry was hiding in the Gully.  He is commanding 77 points of the army.  That is a lot to send on a flank march.

Turn 2:

With the missing command resolved, the Teutonics try to vector their forces towards the Burgundian army.

Their heavy knights take the lead in the attack.

The command to loose arrows is given, but only sporadic fire was observed.

The Teutonic commander charges the Burgundian lights, sending them back into the gully. 

The Burgundian fire arms-men is scattered by Teutonic Crossbow.  Taking the score to 2 to 2.

Bad fletchings?  Bent arrows?  Lack of rudimentary training?  Superior Teutonic plate armor?  What ever the reason, none of the Burgundian shooters seem to score.

On the Burgundian right, Larry commits is elites to battle. 

The elites are repulsed, but a Teutonic mounted crossbow is run down by the Demilancers.

Which puts the score at 4 to 3, in favor of the Burgundians.

Turn 3:

Teutonic knights sweep past the Burgundian spear, sliding on the slick ground where the fire arms-men stood. 

The Knights charge.  Two falter on contact, but the others run over the Burgundian foot knights.

The Teutonics bring in more crossbow to support their engaged commander.

Other Brother Darryl finally gets off the privy and advances his troops, ever so slightly

While Darryl orders one of his spear to retreat, to avoid being flank charged.

Larry orders multiple charges.  His elite knights receiving support, and begin to push back their Teutonic commander.

Turn 4:

The story at the Tree of Woe.

Remember that comment I made that the fight in the field all evens out at -2?  That doesn't hold true when outnumbered 5-1.

The Teutonic foot units arrive in theater.  Their numbers will prove decisive

The Teutonic commander is lost, along with a crossbowman.

Other Brother Darryl kicks it in high gear.  He can afford a loss or two with friendly troops operating in the enemy rear.

Larry parses off a knight to head for the Teutonic main line's flank.

Turn 5:

The race begins.  The Teutonic knights have begun to flank the Burgundian main line of battle.

But can their front hold long enough against the Burgundians on the other side?

What can you say.  He tied up 4 units in death.

Another Teutonic Knight is flanked and destroyed.

Larry is trying to get his troops vectored to where they are useful.

At the Tree of Woe, the Teutonics are at 17 out of 21.

The Burgundians are at 10.

Turn 6:

That didn't last long.

With a bit of dressage, the Teutonics are now double wide attacking the Burgundian flank.

The last Teutonic Knight on their left is still fighting.

At the Tree of Woe, the Teutonics close the gap a bit.

Near the hill, a unit of Demilancers begin a long chase.  The others head for the Teutonic camp

Miraculously, the heavy spear with 3 hits (white beret's) survives.  Equally miraculously, so does the surrounded Teutonic knight. Pike +2, Disordered -1, Darryl +1, 3 simple supports, +3 for a total of +5 (mediocre) to zero (armor) for the Teutonic Knight.

The Teutonics continue to close the gap.  Giving up 1 point to 19, but costing the Burgundians 4 more, including Other Brother Darryl.

German reinforcements are almost in theater.

Their Teutonic right most knight has been rescued.

The Burgundian Demilancers win through to the camp!

Teutonic heavy spear charge Larry's knight.

Darryl's dying words has enough command points to turn the crossbow to face, while the 1/2 spear/longbow conform on the heavily damaged Teutonic knight for free.

With their camp in flames, the Teutonics order a withdrawal  But it was a narrow win, with the Burgundians at 19 of 20, to the Teutonics 21 of 21.

 

 *Post defenestrated Hans Gruber would have to be represented by a flat stand.