A Taboo of Tuaregs

A Headless Body Production
Venue: Wyndom Lancaster Resort, nee' Lancaster Host
Event: HMGSs' Fall In(tm) Open 15mm tournament, Round 1
Players: Dennis Shorthouse, running Tuaregs, list 210
               Phil Gardocki, running Samurai, list 221
Game System: L'Art de la Guerre, 15mm, 200 points per side.

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 Tuareg, are commanded by commanders of unknown, but probably dubious, quality
16 Medium Camel, Impetuous, some elite
4 Light Camel, Impact or Bow
6 Light Infantry, Javelin
Breakpoint of 26

Display Conventions: When you see a word bubble like "Ouch!", "ああ！" or "أوتش!",,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 calm before the storm.

The Board:

The Samurai win the initiative and elect to defend in the plains.

The terrain is almost entirely in the 3rd sextant on the samurai right. One plantation was adjusted to near the center, and a hill on the Tuareg side was removed.

The Tuareg right with 6 warriors on camels, and 5 units of support

On an unnamed desert track, 6 more warriors on camels, and 4 units in support

On the Tuareg left just 4 units of warriors and one scout.

What is a Tuareg?

A Tuareg is a VW "Luxury" car known for its sudden acceleration and a difficult to work on, 8 speed transmission.

By shear coincidence, the Tuareg's were mentioned in a podcast I was listening to today. The Man from Taured on Skeptoid.  Skeptoid looks into various urban legends and inaccurately reported sightings debunking commonly "known" myths.  It runs weekly and is about 10 minutes long.  For me, it is a perfect length for a trip to the grocery store and back.

Yoshitune forms up his heavies between the edge of the board and a plantation.

Darryl-san is with his body guard of heavy cavalry driving a herd of cattle.

The other Darryl-san is with his heavy swordsmen. There is an unknown number of units hiding in wait.

Turn 1:

The swarm of camelry advances. Early exchanges of arrows go poorly for the Japanese scouts.

Camel scouts reveal an ambush, and are disordered for their trouble.

Yoshitune opens a lane for his scouts to escape to.

Darryl-san orders his scouts closer to tempt the Tuareg warriors to charge.

Turn 2:

The Tuareg right wing obliques left.

Their scouts advance to provide cover.

Darryl-san's trap was just too obvious. And the Tuareg commander will have none of it.

Samurai heavies run off a Tuareg scout. Freeing up the Japanese scout to retreat towards the camp.

The rest of Yositune's forces hold their position.

Darryl-san sees an opportunity to trap a few lights.

I arrived the day before and participated in the game, "They come mostly at night, mostly." Aliens v Colonial Marines.

A very nice layout.

Excellent Alien figures.

The Marines are getting ready to run.

The Doctor wisely does not leave his Tardis.

And now we know where the Arc of the Covenant wound up.

 

No Jabba, but we have some of his art collection.

 Turn 3:

The Tuaregs close in for the charge

Their left turns back around.

Samurai emerge from the plantation for some premium shots.

The center and left Tuareg commands are being taunted to charge again.

The rest of Darryl-san's command just waits.

Turn 4:

Soft hooves charge on grassy ground. One Samurai heavy is disordered, the others hold.

However, one of the Samurai mediums is routed.

Not to be held back, a block of warriors charge.

A unit of camel warriors is routed.

Medium Samurai destroy an engaged Tuareg scout, then pursue into a warrior unit.

Darryl-san breaks out his flint and steel to start the stampede. Other Darryl-san orders his naganita men onto the flank of the main line of camelry.

Turn 5:

A camel warrior is traded

for a Samurai.

Camels charge, Naganinta's hold.

The score is 7 of 23 for the Samurai, 9 of 26 for the Tuareg.

Heavy swordsmen line up, another camel warrior is routed.

And a Tuareg scout is taken in the flank

Their tails set alight the cattle stampede across the field, only to be dispersed before hitting their target.

Turn 6:

Tuareg scouts slip past the Samurai heavies, threatening the Japanese horse and camp.

Another camel charge on samurai heavies, but to no effect.

The last Tuareg scout slips away down the board edge.

We called it here ahead of time. Neither of us was going to pull a win, and as the tournament umpire, I could use time to enter data into the spreadsheet.

The final score was 7 of 23 for the Samurai, and 17 of 26 for the Tuareg.