A Hundred Weight of Wei

A Headless Body Production

Venue: Lancaster Convention Center
Event: Historicon 2025 
Theme: Mandate of Heaven, Round 2
Players: Phil  running Yi Korean, list 282
               Tom Hazlett running 3 Kingdoms Chinese
Game System: L'Art de la Guerre, 15mm, 200 points per side.

The Forces:
The Wei are commanded by挂低, 我也是 and 自动变速箱
5 Heavy Cavalry, Bow, 3 Elite
2 Light Cavalry, Bow
7 Heavy Sword, Polearm, some with Support, some Mediocre
2 Medium Sword, Polearm
2 Fanatics, Medium Sword, Impetuous 
3 Bow or Crossbow 
2 Light Infantry
Breakpoint of 23

Korean 
The Koreans are commanded by the Brilliant Kim-Lari, his Brilliant brother, Kim-Dari,  and his other brother Kim-Dari, who is somewhat Unreliable.
4 Heavy Cavalry, Impact, 3 Elite
5 Steppes Horsemen, Light Cavalry, Bow
4 Heavy Spearmen, 
2 Guardsmen, Heavy Swordsmen, Polearm, Elite
4 Hwacha's, Integrated Artillery
2 Crossbowmen
2 Light Infantry, bow
2 Light Infantry, Firearm, Elite
Breakpoint of 25 

 

Display Conventions: When you see a jagged word bubble like "Ouch!" or "젠장!" or "好糟糕了！",  this implies a disorder caused by missiles. Letters in parenthesis represent some up or downgrade 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.

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.

Round 1 was a disaster.  At least when you are at the bottom, there is only up to go.

Tom could be running the 3K as either the Wei, the Han, or the Hu, but not the rock band.  We'll go with the Wei.

Harken Yi all to the Weiback machine.  

"Beware my lordes, there is punnery afoot! "

Deployment:

挂低 takes the field with a strong force of horse.  The orange caps are Elite.

我也是 takes the left with a strong force of foot.  The black caps have Missile Support.  They may be spear or polearm and may be Mediocre.  Any ambiguity is to be considered Fog of War and part of the fun. 

 

The inscrutable 自动变速箱 cannot be seen.  He may be on a flank march, or hiding in the plantation.  

The Yi horse also takes the left flank.

Closely supported by Heavy spearmen, backed by Hwacha's

Unlike my previous game, the Hwacha's are accurately deployed.

An example of Hwacha's firing by Mythbusters.  Fast Forward to 1:15 for the shot.  

Kim-Darri, having been suitably been embarrassed by his previous performance, is deployed as far forward as he can be, and also, cannot be seen.

Turn 1:

 The Wei horse is bow armed, and are eager to get in range.

Ba Dum Tsh...

You knew there would be puns...

自动变速箱 with is fanatical warriors, stream off the hill.  我也是 is uncertain to what he is facing, and sends forward his skirmishers and bowmen.

The Yi horse advance and turn the flank of the Wei lights.  

My thoughts here is that even if charged and the battle is a dice off, I can afford to lose a trade of lights here.

The Yi main battle-line approaches. 

Kim-Darri, has his pants on, shoes tied (see previous battle) and orders his crossbowmen out to the far right flank.

Turn 2:

The Wei order a pair of charges, the Yi Tribal horse mostly holds.  The main force of Wei horse advance into a massive volley of rocket propelled arrows.

Darri and 我也是's archers trade arrows.

Larri prompts a charge against a Wei heavy horse.  With Impact vs Bow, the Wei decide to evade.  Then with a couple of fortuitous die rolls, the Yi Tribal horse disperse the Wei skirmishers.

More missiles exchanged.  Causing 2 hits on each side.

More exchange of missiles.

Turn 3:

Wei horse hold for rallies.  Their fanatics charging Impetuously.  

我也是 realizes he can ignore Darri's crossbowmen and vector his heavy foot at the Yi main battle-line.

We can probably follow 我也是's example and just ignore this side of the board.

Yi Tribal horse surge across the rough, and ZOC the rear of a Wei heavy horse.  Which is in turn charged by supported lancers.  One Wei heavy horse is routed by Hwacha arrows.

 The other Wei heavies read the writing on the wall and evade.

Other brother Darri's mission is largely done.  His job is to distract as many as he can, and survive.  He orders his crossbowmen to withdraw.

At the bottom of the 3rd, the score is 13 of 23 for the Wei, to 3 of 25 for the Yi.

Turn 4:

Wei heavy horse continue to withdraw. 

Leaving the fighting to their foot troops.

A Yi Crossbow is destroyed.

Larri keeps the pressure on.

Yi Guards flank a Wei Fanatic, then pursues into a halberdier. 

Darri continues to withdraw.  

Wei horsemen return with fresh arrows.  They cannot afford to abandon their foot to both Yi spear and cavalry.

Slipping around the flanks of the Yi battle line, a Wei foot takes out a Hwacha battery.

 Turn 5:

 Queue up the obscure pop culture reference.

Another charge by Yi horse.  The Wei, not wanting to risk evading off board, hold their ground.

Yi spearmen commit vengeance on the Hwacha battery killers.

Since this is a plantation providing cover, Darri decides to send his crossbowmen in to attack the Wei light foot.

At the bottom of the six, the Wei are at 21 of 23, to 6 of 25 for the Yi.

Turn 6:

The horsemen continue their engagement.

Fresh Wei halberdiers attack the Yi Guardsmen.

Larri leads the battle from the front, but the the enemy refuses to "give Wei."  Larri's horse is slain, and is nearly taken out by a sword stroke.

Don't forget to tip your waitresses...

Two units of heavy spear attack a disordered bowmen, and again, they refuse to give Wei.

Another Yi Spear turns to face a flanking Wei foot, and is routed.

The Wei light foot stands in the plantation against front and flank, and holds his ground.

There are 5 battles that could have settled the game, and none of them went my way.  On to Turn 7:

挂低 leads from the front, and is impaled on Larri's sword.

The 3 points that 挂低 is worth will decide the game.  Elsewhere, the brave Wei continue to fight.

Taking out another Hwacha battery, and burning the Yi Camp.

The Wei lights in the plantation continue to fight on.

The final score is 23 for the Wei, to 17 of 25 for the Yi.

What went wrong?

Once the main battle line was in contact, the skirmishers should have been sent to the field to prevent the Wei mediums from investing it, which eventually took out 2 Hwacha batteries, a heavy spear, and the camp.