Polishing the Polish

A Headless Body Production
Venue: On Military Matters Book Store, Hopewell, NJ
Event: Prep for Kozcon
Players: Phil Gardocki running Medieval Polish
               Dennis Shorthouse running Tuareg
Game System: L'Art de la Guerre, 25mm, 200 points per side.

The Forces:
Medieval Polish: Commanders Larry'ego (Brilliant ), Brother Darrell-em (Competent), and Other Brother Darrell-em (Competent and Unreliable).
4 Winged Hussars, Medium Knight, Impact, elite
2 Followers, Heavy Cavalry, Impact.
4 Strzecly, "Followers", 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 Militia, Heavy Spearmen, 1/2 Crossbow
2 Light Infantry, Firearm, 1 elite
Breakpoint...21

Tuareg
This is all bare recollections with reminders from the pictures.
3 commanders of uncertain quality
16 Medium Camels, all impetuous, some elite.
4 Light Camels
6 Light Infantry, Javelins
Breakpoint around 26

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 defend in the plains.  The Tuareg only have desert as their environment.  And giving sand to the camels is just a bad idea.

Deployment:

With their aroma preceding them, the right wing of the Tuareg camels advance through the dust.

Their center is held by light troops

Their left even more camelry, supported by lights.

The Polish left is taken by a strong group of lights.

Supporting massive mounted crossbowmen

The center has their main punch, 6 troops of lancers.

The Polish right will be held by a pair of war-wagons.

The Tuareg employ their unimaginative but mostly successful tactic of moving forward in a straight line.

Their center lights, not burdened with the rules regarding impetuous troops, advance to just out of bow range and stop.

Their left dismounts a substantial number of their troops and advance.

 An ADLG, War-Wagons is a trigger to allow your opponent to dismount any and all horsemen.

Updating the Tuareg list:
3 commanders of uncertain quality
11 Medium Camels, all impetuous, some elite.
5 Medium Swordsmen, Impetuous
4 Light Camels
6 Light Infantry, Javelins
Breakpoint around 26

The Lithuanians pull a clever dressage like maneuver into the field, seeking a flank against the advancing camelry.

The Tatars advance, scoring the first hit of the game.

The Polish fire arms-men decide they are not even going to try to slow down the advancing horde.

Turn 2:

The Tuareg are not going to allow the Lithuanians to get behind their flanks.

Their remaining mounted advance at a trot.

The Tatars spend their arrows, dispersing a Tuareg light troop.

A single Taureg light camel charges.  One Polish Firearmsmen flees, the other holds just out of charge reach.  Shots are fired, and the Camels take a hit.

The Lithuanians Extend and throw their Javelins, to no avail.

Down the line, crossbow bolts are expended, also to no avail.

The main line of Polish lancers stutter-charge, causing the light camels to flee.

War-wagons advance to receive the force of screaming swordsmen.

Turn 3:

Lithuanians flee before a camel charge.

Serbians and Followers receive the charge.  Which does not go well.

The center goes better for the Poles.  One tribe of Bedouins are dispersed before armored lance.

On the right, Javelin armed lights run off the Polish gunners.

The Lithuanians try again to disorder the camels with their javelins. 

The Polish Followers with Crossbow have had a disastrous outing. 

Somewhat made up for in the center with the lancers trouncing their opponents.

Darryl is doing his part, holding up a command with his wagons.

The problem with trading the left for the center is that there are too many Tuaregs.  I can't go 1 for 1 as I'll hit my break point of 21 before they hit theirs of 26

The Poles have 11 points towards their break-point of 21.  The Taureg are also at 11, but their break-point is 26.

Camels charge.  Lithuanians stand.  One Lithuanian troop is plowed under by camel hoofs.

A Polish knight is taken in the flank.

With a great uulation, Tuareg warriors on foot charge.

The Poles are nearing their break point with 19.

The Tuareg are at 13.

The last Lithuanian troop sees the writing on the wall and disengages.

In the center, the Knights acquire support.  While Polish followers with lance, flank charge a tribe of camels, sending them fleeing.

The War-wagons are getting hammered, but help is on the way.

The Polish Followers pay for their hubris, and are killed to a man.  Adding 2 more points to the demoralization level for the Poles.  Taking it to 21 for the game.

In the center, options abound for a Polish turn around. 

But it was not to be.

What went wrong?  There was a hope, that the Followers with crossbow would last longer than they did, allowing for flank charges on the unmaneuverable camelry.  But that was just a stupid idea from the beginning. In business parlance, an "unrealistic expectation."  In reality, a bone-head call.  They should have evaded, even off the board if need be.  That would have changed that score from 8-1 to 4-zero.  

Between the Tuareg command limits of 2, and the Impetuous Camels unmaneuverable status, that would have kept their right wing out of the game for a long while after that.  Allowing the knights to pick up the medium sword command for the win.

War Wagon Rules
Protection: 2, not reduced by LB, CB or Firearms
        0 against Incendiaries
Cohesion:   4
Speed:      2, 1 in rough
+0 in hand to hand except:
    +2 v Mounted except Ele
    +1 v LI
    +1 bonus if Battle-Ready
    Counts as supported if engaged on it's side by only one enemy unit
    -1 if in rough.  
+0 shooting.  Can only shoot from it's side.  Range of 4

Move 2UD
WWG are not on the list of Unmanoeuvrable units.  But have their own restrictions.
Wheels are limited to 45 degrees (apologies to all those I have cheated in the past)
When making a quarter turn, a WWG may make a 1 UD move sideways.  See page 32 for a diagram.
Becomes Battle-Ready at a cost of 1 CP
    On the same turn as going Battle-Ready,
    can make a half or quarter turn at a cost of 1 additional CP
Cancels Impact, Javelin and Furious Charge of all except Elephants
Impetuous troops are not required to make an Uncontrolled Charge against WWG
All edges are considered "Front"  
WWG are never subject to "Multiple attack"
Corner to Corner enemy units do NOT provide support.
WWG only provides simple support if in position to do so.  Never Melee support
Enemy LI can contact WWG frontally, only if it can provide support.  Never alone.
WWG cannot be routed as they are destroyed in place, or pursue.  
WWG does not exert a ZOC, but are restricted by ZOC
WWG cannot charge.  Exception for WWG with blades.