A Citadel of Communal Italians

A Headless Body Production

Venue: Lancaster County Convention Center.
Event: Day 3, Historicon 2024
Theme: Open Tournament, Round 1
Players: Phil Gardocki running Kingdom of Sicily, list 188, circa 1300
               Steve Roper running Communal Italian, list 189, circa 1200
Game System: L'Art de la Guerre, 15mm, 200 points per side.

Having lost the last 6 games, at Historicon, and about another 5 other loses I can think of, I am on a serious losing streak.  But this is a new day, and I can adjust the army just a bit with the figures on hand.  I'll trade an Almughavar for a brace of light crossbowmen. 

Note, this was written several weeks ago, before the International ADLG tournament of the Lusitania Challenge, in Lispon.  Those I have not yet started yet and you'll have to wait a couple of weeks for them.

 

The Forces:
The Kingdom of Sicily are led by King Frederick Tertius, Darrell and Darrell (no relation). All are Competent
10 Medium Knights, 8 Impetuous, 6 Elite
5 Almughavars, Medium spearmen, Impact, 2 Elite
5 Crossbowmen, Light Infantry, Crossbow
2 Jintes, Light Cavalry, Javelin
Breakpoint of 22
 

Communal Italian scouting report.
It is the year 1201, the Italian commander's names and qualities are lost to posterity. 
8 Medium Knights, Impact
2 Plaustrella, War Wagon with blades
2 Light Horse
4 Heavy Spearmen, half Crossbow
4 Heavy Spearmen, Mediocre
2 Levy
2  Light Infantry, various
Breakpoint...24

Another knight army that almost matches my knights, 8 to 10, but with substantially more and better foot units. 

Display Conventions: When you see a word bubble like "Ouch!", 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 Spr, 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.

Any inaccuracies and vagueness as to specific units is to be regarded as fog of war and part of the fun.

Deployment:

 

On the Italian right, 4 knights supported by spear armed crossbowmen and a war wagon.

Their center is an identical command.

Their left is Mediocre spear and Levy

With the benefit of terrain, the Almughavars deploy on the left.

Frederick orders some of his knights to dismount.

Darryl orders all his knights to dismount.

When your opponent has war-wagons, you are allowed to dismount any and all of your men on horse.

Medium Knights can dismount as either Heavy Spear, Armor, or Heavy Sword, 2 Handed Weapon, Armor. With Armor, and winning ties, Darryl's foot should do quite well against Mediocre spear.

Turn 1:

Of course Steve knows this and he will hold his foot back.  Especially now that he has an 8 to 3 advantage in knights.  Also, by moving first, he has the advantage of the hill.

It also helped a lot that he rolled 3 ones in a row for command points.

An ambush is revealed.  A Light Infantry emerges from the left most field, which will delay the Italian knight command from engaging the Almughavar command. 

While the Italians have the crest of the hill with their lights, their knights may not make it there.  And even if they do, their flank is hanging out as their spear did not advance. 

Both Frederick and Darryl manage to march in sync this time.

Turn 2:

I do not have a good eyeball for distances.  The Italian knights hold the high ground

Their foot manage a double move.

Note on damage marker conventions.  Steve's yellow blocks do not indicate 2 hits. 

The Sicilian knights charge.  Winning 1, losing 2 and tying one.

Darryl's foot knights advance, turning the flank of the Italians on the hill.

Turn 3:

Italian knights advance to charge reach of the Almughavars.

It's not a good match up for the Almughavars, but not too bad.  They should hold out for a while.

The battle on the hill is not going so well.  The Jintes on the far left decide to evade the Plaustrella rolling down the hill. 

A dismounted Sicilian knight is routed, but his attacker is flanked by another.

Darryl, no relation, offers soothing words to no effect

An Italian knight is flanked, disordered, but holds

Darryl's knights-now-on-foot approach to charge range

Turn 4:

Italian knights charge.  The Almughavars hold them in 3 of 4 battles

It is the Italian's turn to flank a Sicilian knight.  Routing it, and pursuing into another.

The Italians bring up their levy to reinforce their line of Mediocre foot.  One foot, charges the Jintes in an attempt to run it off, but the Jintes stood firm

But the game is not looking good, the Sicilians have 12 points towards their demoralization level of 22

While the Italians are at 9 of 24

Almughavars are good troops.  As evidenced that they are still fighting on despite their disadvantages against knights

Sicilian knights on the hill get reinforcements.  One of their crossbow units rolls lucky and disorders an Italian knight.

Darryl has been lining up this shot all game.  But by the time push comes to shove, only 3 of his dismounted knights are in contact.

Turn 5:

The Italians bring up reinforcements in the form of their half spear/crossbow

Another Sicilian knight is routed

An Italian Spearman is routed, but the Plaustrella hold without damage.

The score is 17 of 22

To just 13 of 25 for the Italians

The Almughavars continue to hold.

Frederick's last knight on foot positions for a flank charge

Darryl continues to put pressure on the Italian spear line.

The Sicilians are at 19 of 22

The Italians just 14 of 24

Turn 7:

Darryl's command is down to his last effective

The Italian charge to clear the hill hits a road block

But the Italians have freed up a knight to attack the rear of Darryl's dismounted knights to great effect.

Scoring the win for the Italians

What went wrong?

Easily the hill.  If your opponent is the attacker, he is going to have the terrain in the center.  And trying to finagle it with flanking and other tactics, while he has a constant +1 is a loser bet.  The only reason I lasted as long as I did was because I had an advantage in elites.  But elites will only cover tactical mistakes for so long.