A Headless Body Production
Venue: Lancaster Convention Center
Event: Historicon 2025
Theme: Saturday's Open Tourney, Round 2
Players: Phil running Hindu Indian, list 170
Andrew Wilson running Medieval German, list 238
Game System: L'Art de la Guerre, 15mm, 200 points per side.
The Hindus are commanded by Gujara II*, Rashtrakuta, and Bharath, all Competent. And as an experiment, all are Included.
4 Elephants, Elite
2 Horsemen, Medium Cavalry
2 Scouts, Light Cavalry, Bow
2 Guardsmen, Medium Sword, Impact, Elite
6 Warriors, Medium Sword, Impetuous
4 Bowmen, 2 are Mediocre
8 Light Infantry, Bows and Javelins
Breakpoint of 28
5 Men at Arms, Heavy Knight, Impact
2 Hungarians, Light Cavalry, Bow
3 Mounted Hand Gunners, Medium Cavalry, Firearm
6 Low Country Pike, Mediocre
2 Halberdiers, Heavy Sword, Polearm, Armor
2 Hand Gunners, Light Infantry Firearm
1 Hand Gunner, Firearm
Breakpoint of 21
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.
Any ambiguity as to what was moved or who is being referred to is to be considered Fog of War and part of the fun.
"XX" implies a unit killed in that location on that turn.
Deployment:
A typical deployment for medieval armies. Pike on the right... |
... a couple thousand metric tons of knights in the center... |
...followed by more pike on the left. |
So what did I learn from the last game.
Have the Cavalry/Bow command deployed where the cavalry can maneuver. Check. |
Have the elephant commands operate together so they can have one impressive front. Well shazbot! |
Well that didn't work out... |
Turn 1:
All in all, the terrain is extremely favorable for the Hindu.
The Germans are the attackers... |
...and move forward... |
... in perfect sync. |
Bharath advances to set himself up to gain the flank of the advancing Germans. |
Gujara ascends to the top of the Hill. |
Rashtrakuta's command does his best to fit in the Field. |
On the far left, shots are traded. |
The main battle-lines are forming up at the base of the hill |
And at the edge off the field. |
Hindi horsemen run down German hand gunners. But have their flanks exposed to halberdiers. |
Not to be outdone, Rashtrakuta also orders a general charge. His personal elephant,"Fluffy", does well. But one of is warriors are rebuffed by the low country pikemen. |
And Rashtrakuta's guardsmen, who were supported for a total of +3, only broke even against the hand gunners who were a +zero.
Turn 4:
OK, the battle is about to get real interesting. Time for a bio-break and take pictures of other doings.From one of the Warrior(tm) tables. A massive foot battle is raging. |
A halberdier runs off a horsemen. |
At the base of the hill, two low country pike have been routed. |
Their brother knights advance behind Rashtrakuta's line. |
Bharath's bowmen advance. While he pushes his horse forward to exploit the gap twixt the halberdiers. |
The center battle of low country pike have been defeated. |
Rashtrakuta's elephantry picks up another brace of pike. |
The Hindu's score is 6 of 28. The Germans are at 18 of 21. |
Halberdiers charge the Hindu bowmen, and are repulsed. |
Morgan Freeman notes: "Gujara II was reborn in a nearby village, and because of the laziness of the writer, he was also named Gujara. He was bright boy of a good family, and rose to command an army of his own."
The Germans surround the remnants of Rashtrakuta's command. |
The Hindu score is now 15 of 28. The Germans score is holding at 18. |
The Hindu center command is now leaderless. Bharath tries to pick up the slack by sending his bowmen onto the hill. |
Rashtrakuta is slain, leaving the Hindu right side command leaderless as well. |
Morgan Freeman notes: A joyful exclaim from the birthing hut, "Twins! It was declared." The new arrival is named Rashtrakuta II."
The Hindu score is 23, to the German score of 19. |
German knights continue down the line, routing all before them. |
Low Country pike take out the fourth elephant. |
Morgan Freeman interjects: "I told you."
The Hindu score is at 27 to the German score of 20. Both are just one point from defeat. |
Bharath turns his horse and routs a Halberdier for the last point. |
The last of Rashtrakuta's warriors charge the flank of a troop of mounted hand gunners. Rolling well and avoiding defeat that would have made this game a mutual destruction. |
What went wrong?
That is as close as it gets. At one point, the battle was well in hand, at the bottom of the 3rd with a score of 6-18. Only needing 3 to win the game, and then the Germans wound up their troops with multiple flank charges, taking out two commanders before just being edged out by one for the win.
What makes this worse, is that only 3 of the 5 knights fought. and one of them only in support!
I don't know what I could have done to have made this less close a game.
Full credit goes to Andrew. When down 12 points and just 3 away from breaking, he did not quit. Slamming my Hindus time and again. Killing two commanders, 4 elephants, and was only a missile caused disorder away from demoralizing the Hindus.