A Stone of Gauls

A Headless Body Production

Venue: Wyndom Lancaster Resort, nee' Lancaster Host
Event: HMGSs' Fall In(tm) Open 15mm tournament, Round 3
Players: Chris Cline running Gauls
               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 Gauls, are commanded by commanders unknown.  Probably a Brilliant and 2 Ordinaries.
12 Horsemen, Medium Cavalry, some Elite
12 Warriors, Medium Infantry, Impetuous
6 Light Infantry, Javelin
2 Light Horse, Javelin
Breakpoint of 32

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

The way the Gauls deployed was deceptive.  First was the right flank with 6 units of horse, then the left with 8 units of horse.

Then the center with 12 units of warriors.  Of course, they had to be there.

Yoshitune deploys with his heavies to the left, mediums to the right.

Darryl-san is with his herd of cattle in the center.  The other Darryl-san takes a position on the right.

Turn 1:

The Gallic horse runs around the plantation.  The mass of warriors just advance on through

The other command of Gallic horse starts for a redeploy

Seeing the Gallic horse probing the flank, Yoshitune orders his heavies to pull back

Darryl-san pulls his hanging mediums into the field.

Turn 2:

The Gauls charge, running off the Samurai light foot.

On the far right, missiles are exchanged.

Yoshitune's heavies retreat, then turn.

His archery begins to shred the Gallic skirmishers

Darryl-san pivots his line in anticipation of flanking the charging Gauls

Turn 3:

One reason for the Samurai deployment is that there are two units in ambush on the hill.  

But there are just too many Gallic horse to be trapped.  One is parsed off to peak into the plantation on the hill

Gallic foot continue to advance.  Their scouts step into the field, probably to screen the foot from excessive arrow fire.

Yoshitune's line patiently awaits the charge.

On the far right, disaster for the Gauls with 3 units destroyed. 

The cattle also charged, but dispersed before contact.

Turn 4:

On the hill, an ambush is revealed. 

A massive charge of Gallic mounted and foot.

The Japanese peasantry rout on contact.

Darryl-san engages another warrior.  But most of his troops are woefully out of position to help Yoshitune.

The score is 17 of 32 for the Gauls...

to 11 of 23 for the Samurai

Another horsemen is routed to katana wielding Samurai

Yoshitune's mediums hold, but are flanked.

Darryl-san's Samurai foot charge the flanks of two warriors.  One routs immediately.

The score is now 12 of 23 for the Samurai...

to 19 of 32 for the Gauls.

Turn 6:

Gallic warriors pour into the gaps left by their fleeing horsemen.  Both roll well, disordering Yoshitune's heavies.

And he loses 2 of his mediums as well

Taking his score to 20 of 23.

To 24 of 32 for the Gauls.

I am sorry.  Just like the last game, I forgot to take final snapshots.  The Gauls sacked the Samurai camp for the win.  The Samurai managed to pick up 2 more points for a final score of 26 of the needed 32.

What went wrong?

I first was going to say terrain, because most of the Gauls don't care.  But that isn't true.  This army relied on a large cavalry force, that was largely negated by the terrain.

But I did suffer that my heavy foot was not in position to intercept the Gallic warriors.  On Darryl-san's side, they did well, killing 3 units while taking no steps of disorder.  But on Yoshitune's side, they were dealing with Medium Cavalry, while the Samurai Medium Sword held, but was overwhelmed.