A Headless Body Production
Venue: Wyndom Lancaster Resort, nee' Lancaster Host
Event: HMGSs' Fall In(tm) Medieval Theme 15mm tournament, Round 1
Players: Steve Roper running French Ordnance
Phil Gardocki, running Samurai, list 221
Game System: L'Art de la Guerre, 15mm, 200 points per side.
The Forces:
The Samurai commanders the Brilliant Larry-san, his Competent brother Darryl-san, and their other brother Darryl-san, who is Ordinary, Unreliable, and Included.
2 Heavy Cavalry, Bow, Elite
2 Light Cavalry, Bow, Elite
5 Samurai, Heavy Sword, 2HW, Elite
6 Samurai, Medium Sword, bow, 2 Elite
3 Peasant Bowmen, Mediocre
2 Peasants armed with Naginata, Medium sword, Mediocre
3 Light Infantry, Bow
1 Stampeding Cattle, played as a Scythed Chariot
2 Levy
Breakpoint...25
The French are commanded by unnamed generals, one is Brilliant, one is Competent, and the last is Ordinary.
2 Gendarmes, Heavy Knight, Impact, Elite
2 Italians, Heavy Knight, Impact
2 Mounted Crossbow, Light Cavalry, Crossbow
6 Ordinance Archers, Medium Sword, Longbow, Stakes
5 French Archers, Longbow, Mediocre
4 Gascons, Light Infantry, Crossbow
2 Bidet, Light Infantry, Javelin
Breakpoint of 24
Display Conventions: When you see a jagged word bubble like "Merde!", "ああ！", 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.
Inappropriate capitalization is for words that have a specific meaning in the game.
Any inaccuracies and vagueness as to specific units is to be regarded as fog of war and should be considered as part of the fun.
The Board:
The Samurai win the initiative and elect to defend in the plains.
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The French decide to abandon their right side of the field.
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And cram their 23 units, not all visible, in the center and left.
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Which makes brother Darryl-san happy, to not have to face all those dreaded knights and longbow.
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The other brother Darryl-san, not so much.
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Larry-san is facing most of the French army. But he has the benefit of terrain.
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Once again I am across the table with Steve Roper. We faced each other at Historicon, and then again in Portugal. It's not like he lives anywhere near me. I wouldn't complain, if only he wasn't such a damn good player.
Turn 1:
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The French send a single light foot to slow down Darryl-san's left flank forces.
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Their center advances boldly. That is a lot of longbow
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Darryl-san orders is block of Mediocre troops on a double march.
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His brother Darryl-san pushes his lights to slow down the French center.
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Larry-san reveals his troops in ambush. Lots of bow sitting on a hill.
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They also occupy a plantation. Which reduces their bow fire effectiveness, but grants them cover from the French return fire.
Turn 2:
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Surprise, Italian Men-at-Arms exit the plantation on the double. With them is a supporting light horse.
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This actually works for me. I don't have to worry so much about getting the far left wing engaged as the knights will be running me down.
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The longbow break up in 3's and line up their targets.
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Another surprise! Darryl-san reveals his ambush. Samurai archers with swords.
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The skies darken, but only a few arrows find their target.
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Larry-san's right wing are not ever leaving that hill.
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Turn 3: |
The French lights rudely cut off the retreat of the Japanese scouts. Which are then run down by the the Italian knights.
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The Ordinance Longbow find their range.
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More Ordinance Longbow advance on the hill.
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Darryl-san has a surplus of command points. He advances setting a trap for the Italian knights. His samurai archery proves effective as well.
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Samurai heavy foot approach to charge reach of the French longbow.
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Turn 4:
3 full turns and so far only 1 unit killed. We are both playing cagey.
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The disordered Italian knights run over a peasant archer. Their flanks covered by the ZOC of their rear brothers in arms.
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Japanese skirmishers have done their duty. Dying to allow most of their Samurai get in close undamaged (mostly).
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Ordinance Longbow advance and prepare to assault the hill. Their shooting finding holes in the trees and armor.
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Samurai heavies run off the Gascons. In the field, peasants with naginata turn and ZOC the disordered knights.
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The herd of cattle is stampeded, trampling an longbow unit. The Samurai heavies charge, destroying another and turning the flank of the Ordinance Longbowmen
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The Samurai are at 13 of 25. The French are just at 7 of 24.
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Turn 5: |
In the field, the French pull a trick, and manage to put their Gascons between the Italian Men-at-Arms and the Peasants with Naginata. Freeing up the disordered knights to charge the Samurai mediums. Fortune did not favor the bold though, and the Italians were routed.
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Their brother knights also charged the disordered Samurai, which held their ground.
A lull on the battle field as both Steve and me were making a quick check on the rules. Both to the same page, When routed the Stampeding Cattle, as Scythed Chariots, do not cause a cohesion hit on friendlies.
Deciding that there is good eating there, the last of the French longbow herd the cattle towards their camp.
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A French knight flanks and routs a Samurai foot. Another runs off a Mounted Samurai.
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Amazingly, the elite Samurai in cover is shot away.
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The score is not looking good. The Samurai are at 16 of 25. The French are just at 11.
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The supporting French Light Cavalry bravely stand their ground when charged. The last Italian brother knight is held in place and now flanked.
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In the middle left of the picture, Darry-san charges the last French Longbow, routing it.
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In the center, Samurai foot turn and destroy another Ordinance archer.
The other heavy Samurai "Pursues", but turning and facing the French
knights on it's flank.
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The Samurai are at 16 of 25.
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But the French have taken heavy casualties this turn, and are at 17 of 24!
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Turn 6
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The last Italian knight is routed, so to the Gascons in the field.
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The battle in the center is still largely stalemated. The French Ordinance archers have turned the Samurai position on the hill and is beginning their assult.
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Both of the Darryl-san's have cleared their opponents. Larry-san's command is in dire straights and calls up the levy to face the French knights.
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Time has run out however. A couple of additional casualties on the board, but not enough for a win.
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The final score is 20 for the Samurai...
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| to 23 (of 24) for the French. |
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A "winning draw" for the Samurai, but the tournament score is 50 for the Samurai to 47 for the French. So a virtual tie as far as scoring goes.
