A Noration of Normans

A Headless Body Production
Venue: An undisclosed, but local, Community Center
Event: Wednesday Game Knight
Armies: Sicilians vs Normans
Game System: L'Art de la Guerre, 15mm, 200 points per side.

The local group wanted to just have a clash of steel.  Garth's Normans had been gathering dust, and my Sicilians were still recovering from their severe bruising last year.  I think they ran 2-1-15. 

 

The Forces:

The Normans are commanded by the overwhelmingly Competent, Eustace of Balagne.  The equally Competent Count of Montain, Robert.  And Alan Fergent, Count of Brittany, who is Ordinary.
10 Impetuous Knights, Elite
6 Norman Heavy Spearmen
2 Norman Bowmen
2 Norman Light Infantry, Crossbow
1 Norman Light Infantry, Bow
Breakpoint of 21

The Sicilians are led by Frederick II, the third of his name, a Strategist, Darrell, the Competent, and Darrell, the Ordinary
8 Impetuous Knights, Elite
3 Knights, Impact
2 Saracen Light Cavalry, Bow
2 Saracen Light Cavalry, Javelin
3 Sicilian Crossbowmen
3 Saracen Bowmen, Bow
2 Saracen Medium Swordsmen
Breakpoint of 23

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

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.

"XX" implies a unit killed in that location on that turn.

The Board:

The Sicilians win the initiative and elect to attack in the plains.

Just an overhead shot of the field.  For Wed Knight, the game is more about just slamming together and rolling dice.  The Normans have an advantage in foot troops, while the Sicilians the advantage in knights and light horse.

Turn 1:

The first move is to send the Sicilian Crossbowmen into the plantation and see what is in there.

And surprise!  Norman Bowmen!

So the plan to send the Saracen light horse through and around the flanks of the spearmen just went pants.

Frederick's knights advance just one move.  He is looking for a gap between the Norman battles that can be exploited.

On the right, Darrel is hoping to exploit his numeric advantage in knights.

 

A note here.  The road is not a road, but a river, which no one brought.  It was rolled as "rough."

 

A plan went from bad to worse.  The Sicilians lights are caught while fleeing by the Norman bowmen.

The Norman main lines of battle advance cautiously. 

Turn 2:

Saracen Light Cavalry adroitly get out of the way of the Norman Bowmen.

Their Javelin armed peers advance to harass the Norman spear.

Frederick advances and slides his knights.  The Saracen swordsmen split to cover the flank of Darrel's battle.

Which lowers their lances and prepares to charge.

Spearmen run off the Saracen horsemen.

While the knights clash.  The results are dead even.  1 and 1 and tie.

Darrel's knights do not fare as well, losing 3 out of 5.

Typical for our Wed. Knight games.  Bottom of the second and all but 3 knights are hacking on each other.
 

Turn 3:

The underpaid Saracen horse are earning every oncia.  

To take the pressure off of the mercenary brother knights, Saracen swordsmen charge the hanging Norman knights. They were successful, but paid a heavy price.

The other Saracen swordsmen also have an assist with the Sicilian Knights.  

In the middle of the 3rd, the score is 12 of 23 for the Sicilians.

To just 9 of 21 for the Normans.  If the light crossbowmen had not been caught by the bowman in an evade, the Sicilians would be winning.

Speaking of bowman, one was dispersed by Saracen arrows.

 

The Bowmen are under the command of Alan Fergent, the Count of Brittany, who is rated as "Ordinary." They have been out of command once they left the Plantation, and have not gotten orders to turn and shoot back at the Saracen horse.

 

In the center, one of Frederick's impetuous knights is flanked and destroyed.  Most of the rest of his line of battle are cracking.

Even with supporting swordsmen, the green pinioned knights are being disordered.

On the right, Darrel's knights are slightly ahead in the casualty counts.

Turn 4:

The Sicilians are now only 5 away from demoralization.

The Normans are a more comfortable 13 away.

Saracen horse return with fresh javelins, and score a hit on a spear.

Frederick's personal knights rout a Norman knight.

On the right, a disaster for the Normans.  3 troops of knights are routed!

Taking the score to 19 of 23 to 16 of 21.  

 

Norman spear press on.

And in the center battle, the spear join the fray.  Frederick's mercenary knights are destroyed.

The remaining Norman knights take advantage of the exposed flanks of the victorious Sicilian knights.

Bringing the Sicilians to just 2 away from their break point.

With a successful rally, the Normans are now 6 away from their break point.

 

Turn 6:

The Saracen's do not give up.

Hoping for a flank shot, the green pinioned knights charge, but roll short on the chase.

The Saracen swordsmen are about 10 mm too short to hitting the Normans in the rear.

 

Another Sicilian knight is routed.  But a fresh troop is available.

The Sicilians are just one away from breaking.

The Normans are a comfortable 6 away.

Alan Fergent is not close enough to order his bowmen.  They turn and a lose arrows for the final point.

The harassing Saracen javelin armed horse is run off the board for 2 more points.

Norman knights take a Sicilian Knight in the flank for a 4th point.

While on the right hand battle, yet another Sicilian troop is routed for a 5th and the win!

 Superior Elan of the Normans truly won out on every battle.