A Skaapsteker of Skandinavians

A Headless Body Production

Venue: Harve de Grace's Community Center, in the land of the HAWKS.
Event: Barrage 2024, Round 3
Players: Ethan Zorick, ᛗᛖᛞᛁᛖᚢᚨᛚ ᛊᚲᚨᚾᛞᛁᚾᚨᚢᛟᚾ*, list 251
               Phil Gardocki running Samurai, list 221
Game System: L'Art de la Guerre, 15mm, 200 points per side.

*That settles the 'K' vs 'C' argument

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The Forces:
Samurai commanders include the Strategist Yoshitune, Darryl-san, the Competent, and Darryl-san, the Ordinary and Included
2 Heavy Cavalry, Bow, Elite
2 Light Cavalry, Bow, one 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
Breakpoint...23

The ᛊᚲᚨᚾᛞᛁᚾᚨᚢᛟᚾ commanders include a Brilliant and 2 Ordinaries, one is Included**
2 German Knights, Impact
5 Leidang, Heavy Sword, Polearm, Support
4 Mixed Heavy Sword, Crossbow, Pavise
4 Light Infantry, Crossbow
2 Obudshaer, Medium Sword, Polearm
1 Obudshaer, Crossbow
2 Handgunners
2 Men-at-arms**, Heavy Knight, Impetuous, Elite
Breakpoint 23

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

The ᛊᚲᚨᚾᛞᛁᚾᚨᚢᛟᚾ flank is secured by a river, a strong force of foot defends their Fortified camp

The ᛊᚲᚨᚾᛞᛁᚾᚨᚢᛟᚾ center has 4 Heavy Knights.  Their left another strong force of foot.

In the marshlands near the river, Yoshitune deploys a few peasants. 

In the center is the main group of Samurai.

Darryl-san holds the right.  He has good terrain ahead of him to defend.

The plan is to allow the ᛊᚲᚨᚾᛞᛁᚾᚨᚢᛟᚾ to enter the gap, while holding the shoulders for flank attacks.

But Ethan is an excellent player, and has decent terrain troops.  So we will see.

A side note, if the Samurai deployment looks the same as the previous two games, and the plan seems the same, it's because it is.  In the three games this tournament, the battle plan reads 1,2,3.  Some variations on the Ambushes, but pretty much identical.

Deciding the Marsh was pretty much a no-go zone, the ᛊᚲᚨᚾᛞᛁᚾᚨᚢᛟᚾ foot begins to shift left.  Probably to clear the Plantation zone and turn the Samurai flank.

Their center and left adjust a bit to the left as well.

Yoshitune issues no orders to his left.

His lights he orders forward to taunt the Impetuous troops.

Darryl-san is pretty sure he will make it to the hill ahead of the ᛊᚲᚨᚾᛞᛁᚾᚨᚢᛟᚾ, and adjusts his line left ward to occupy more of the ᛊᚲᚨᚾᛞᛁᚾᚨᚢᛟᚾ line.

Turn 2:

The ᛊᚲᚨᚾᛞᛁᚾᚨᚢᛟᚾ accelerates their advance

Their knights and remaining foot advance a pace.

If you are wondering about the two heavy foot in the rear not advancing, it has to do with command point limits.  They are under the command of the Brilliant, but nameless, commander on the far left, and even Brilliants have limits.

The ᛊᚲᚨᚾᛞᛁᚾᚨᚢᛟᚾ left has embedded crossbowmen.  The poor light foot of the Japanese are just sorely out matched.

There is no point to defending the marsh at this point. 

The Samurai lights pull back to avoid being trapped.

Darryl-san has an abundance of command points.  Ordering his disordered lights back, and bring forward his archers.

In the main hall, WWII is about to break out.

Another Arab town is laid out. Many of the buildings are made from printed and folded postcard stock. They can be found here...

Another picture from the Oz table.  The Witch of the East's own Heavy Oxen Guard.

WWI ariel action

Various heroes looking for the lost McGuffin.

Turn 3:

The ᛊᚲᚨᚾᛞᛁᚾᚨᚢᛟᚾ really do not want Yoshitune's peasants to leave the Marsh.

Their center readjusts their line.

An Ambush is revealed.  Arrows fly from the plantation to good effect.

Arrows and bolts rake both lines.

Turn 4:

ᛊᚲᚨᚾᛞᛁᚾᚨᚢᛟᚾ lights split to harass both lines of Samurai.

I learned something new.  If any part of a unit is in terrain that causes a combat penalty, none of the unit projects a ZOC.  I thought the part in the clear did.  I was wrong.

The center of the ᛊᚲᚨᚾᛞᛁᚾᚨᚢᛟᚾ change the focus of their attack to their left.  Which is clearly the weaker half of the Samurai line.

A weakness somewhat mitigated by terrain.

Peasant bowmen charge the ᛊᚲᚨᚾᛞᛁᚾᚨᚢᛟᚾ lights, who opt to flee the plantation.

The Samurai in the plantation charge into the disordered ᛊᚲᚨᚾᛞᛁᚾᚨᚢᛟᚾ mixed foot.  They second Samurai unit moves to protect their flank and rear.

The fight is +1 to +1, but also it is Elite to Mediocre.  The Samurai cause two hits.

I learned another thing about Impetuous troops, they are not required to make Uncontrolled Charges if they Interpenetrate their own lights, to charge lights.  I thought that exception was to Burst Through, and since they can interpenetrate lights, it was not a Burst Through. 

So Darryl-san advances his heavy horse to make it very, very clear the Impetuous knights are going to charge now.

Darryl-san holds his line. 

Turn 5:

A lot of turns, but not a lot of time has gone by.  And the action is just starting!

ᛊᚲᚨᚾᛞᛁᚾᚨᚢᛟᚾ foot begin their assault on the Plantation.  The Samurai are outnumbered badly, but have the home field (i.e. dice) advantage.

ᛊᚲᚨᚾᛞᛁᚾᚨᚢᛟᚾ knights charge.  The Impetuous pull up to support their commander vs Samurai heavies.

Their German mercenaries blithely dismiss their opponents.

Peasant bowmen charge, routing the ᛊᚲᚨᚾᛞᛁᚾᚨᚢᛟᚾ mixed unit.  Other Samurai show their skill and rout another.

Yoshitune's light horse take a position to harass a knights rear.

The double disordered Samurai has a choice, attack a mixed sword/crossbow, or conform on the victorious heavy knights.

In the River Styx, the score is tallied (however incorrectly).  The ᛊᚲᚨᚾᛞᛁᚾᚨᚢᛟᚾ have 8, not 6, points towards their demoralization level of 23.

The Samurai are at 6 of 23

One Samurai is attacked in the flank, another is conformed to.  Again they show their skills.  Or luck.

One Impetuous knight charges to his rear, another pursues his broken foe.

Long in coming, but on the far end of the line.  Pole-armed heavy swordsmen assault peasant troops.

Taking the Samurai to 9 of 23

to 10 for the ᛊᚲᚨᚾᛞᛁᚾᚨᚢᛟᚾ

Samurai heavies join the fray.

Yoshitune leads a charge with his samurai.  A knight is caught in both rear and front and routed.  A ᛊᚲᚨᚾᛞᛁᚾᚨᚢᛟᚾ mixed unit is similarly flanked and destroyed.

Turn 6:

ᛊᚲᚨᚾᛞᛁᚾᚨᚢᛟᚾ form up for a counter attack

 

The ᛊᚲᚨᚾᛞᛁᚾᚨᚢᛟᚾ center is wide open.  Their commander orders their remaining mixed unit to support the attack near the hill.

The German mercenaries prove they are worth what they are paid for.  A samurai heavy is routed on contact.

Their brother knights also take out a samurai foot.  This would be their second unit routed.

On the far end, the peasant foot continue to hold the line.  Considering they are Mediocre, and one is LMI, this is an amazing feet of skill with the die rolling.

At 17, the Samurai are only 6 away from demoralization.

When did I lose that heavy cavalry unit? 

The ᛊᚲᚨᚾᛞᛁᚾᚨᚢᛟᚾ are also at 17, and also 6 away from demoralization.

Yoshitune's foot bear down on the remaining ᛊᚲᚨᚾᛞᛁᚾᚨᚢᛟᚾ on the left.

Darryl-san's personal guard flank a knight.

Both the Samurai and the ᛊᚲᚨᚾᛞᛁᚾᚨᚢᛟᚾ horse here have Included, Ordinary commanders here.

Japanese light horse make a rear charge on a mixed unit.  The numbers are +1 (for rear) to +2 Mediocre, because lights do not negate the basic factor in the rear.  But the lights still prevail for a single hit.  On the far right, the peasant archers finally have had enough.  But other archers have scored hits.

Turn 7:

The picture below shows some movement by the ᛊᚲᚨᚾᛞᛁᚾᚨᚢᛟᚾ.  But I was counting the dead in the river, at 18, and then the white blocks, +5.  "Ethan, I think you are done."  

About 10 seconds later, "I think you are right." 

Those last two missile and the lights charge gave me the final 3 points for the win.

The lines show a very chaotic battle.

Even though the game went 7 turns, we finished with about 45 minutes ahead of time.

What went wrong?

I was unable to lure the Impetuous knights as quickly as I would have liked.  Giving the ᛊᚲᚨᚾᛞᛁᚾᚨᚢᛟᚾ a chance to defeat my right wing.  I also wasn't aggressive enough to secure the hill.  In this case, it worked out for me, but that was because the ᛊᚲᚨᚾᛞᛁᚾᚨᚢᛟᚾ commanders were Ordinary in their center and left and didn't have the command points to rush it.

I benefited from a bad deployment of my opponent.  He had a strong foot command facing the Marsh and Plantation.  Where they then had to go around them.  Allowing my Samurai in the Plantation to engage them with a parity in numbers.

He also had a lot of bad luck at opportune times.  He flanked attacked one Samurai near the Plantation, which bounced with a disorder.  I had an Mediocre, LMI stand and disorder a Heavy Swordsmen on contact, which allowed them to hold the flank till turn 6.  Then in that final turn, a LC attacked another Mixed Heavy sword for a point, and a disordered Mediocre bow shot another heavy sword for another hit.  And a heavy knight also took a hit from arrows for the win.  Most of those should not have happened.  If Ethan had gotten his turn, I would have been at 19,  and I could have easily taken 4 points for a mutual destruction or loss.