A Bureaucracy of Burgundians

A Headless Body Production

Venue: An Undisclosed Basement
Event: The Great Semi-Annual, International, Invitational, Round Robin Tournament
Round: 4
Theme: Medieval
Players: Phil Gardocki running Italian Condottieri
               Kevin Hatch running Burgundian Ordinance
Game System: L'Art de la Guerre v3, 15mm, 120 points per side.

The Forces:
Italian Condottieri
Commanded by Larry, the Competent and Darryl, the Ordinary
6 Men-at-Arms, Heavy Knight, Impact
2 Light Cavalry, Crossbow
1 Light Infantry. Crossbowmen
1 Light Infantry, Handgunner
1 Mercenary Pike
1 Halberdier, Heavy Swordsmen, 2HW
Breakpoint, 12

Burgundian Ordinance
2 Commanders, both Competent, one Included, one Unreliable
5 Men-at-Arms, Heavy Knight Impact, one Elite
1 Demilancer, Heavy Cavalry, Impact
1 Longbowmen, Stakes
3 Low Country Pike, Mediocre
1 Italian Mercenaries, Light Cavalry, Crossbow
Breakpoint of 12

A note on annotations. When you see a word bubble "Ouch!", ("Ahia!", "Aie!", "Merde!") this implies a missile hit.

Letters in parenthesis represent some value change for the specific unit. For commanders it is 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" marks a unit killed in that location on that turn.
"????" is an ambush marker, and so it is unknown at this time.

Scores are presented in a confusing manner. This is because it is measured in number of points towards the demoralization. If I say the score is 15-8 in favor of Milan, that means the Burgundians are have 15 points towards their demoralization level of 19, while Milan has 8 points towards their demoralization level of 20. But saying 15-8 is just more intuitive. 

Dennis Shorthouse, Proprietor of On Military Matters book service., has organized an another tournament using a battle grid system of his devising. All figures are place on a grid so players can play over a telephone without a video component.

The board is 15 by 20 UD's. The rows are labeled H - A. Each side has their own H-B, and the A row is divided in half. The columns are numbered 1-20. Terrain sizes are 2x3. 

Deployment:

This game is played on two different boards, and I don't have enough knights for knight on knight clashes.  So Byzantines will have to sub in.  The Commander behind the HK(e) is actually included, but I have a disk out for him to keep things straight

120 point armies do not have a lot of breath.  The main battle line of 10 units is about standard.

Darryl is clearly out numbered 6 Impact Knights and Cavalry vs 3.  And will have to delay contact as long as possible.

Larry will be on the attack.  He dismounts his knights for the effort.  His pikemen will serve as flank guard.

Turn 1:

The Burgundians advance at full speed.  A single Italian light horse keeps them from double marching.

But the Burgundians do hold the high ground.  I am lucky they only have one unit of Longbow.

Darryl advance a bit, just enough to keep the interest of the Burgundian knights, but not close enough to prompt a charge just yet.

Larry advances at full speed!  Which of course, is not very fast.

Turn 2:

The Burgundian knights advance full tilt, steel tipped lances pinioned in the wind.

Ineffective missiles dart across the field.

But what is this? The Burgundians have left the hill?  They hope to keep the Italian foot engaged while their mounted knights destroy Darryl's command.

Larry orders a general charge.  On the left, his pike engage unsupported, but it's against bowmen.  A bit of luck though as the knight that could flank charge the pike next turn is disordered by hand gunners.

But Darryl holds back.  The longer he delays the charge, the longer his command gets to live.

Turn 3:

The flower of Burgundy charge.  With predictable results.  Even the disordered knights run rampant against the Italian halberdiers. 

The clash of foot continues.  They are being reinforced by a unit of Demilancers.

At the Tree of Woe, the score is a tie!

A question for the audience.  Would you prefer disordered or dead units?  In this case, I have 5 units that are sub par, while my opponent only has 3.  

Bodies are falling every where.  Two knights here, and a longbowman

And continuing down the line, from left to right, a foot knight and a pike.

The Italian far right flank has been too successful, having a foot knight that cannot see action, but the Burgundians have sent in the reserves, so the foot advance and slide, offering themselves to a mounted charge. 

Leaving the pike and other knight to deal with the last Low Country pikemen.

For all the bodies, the you would think the score would be higher.  But all the kills were previously disordered.

Turn 4:

Burgundians attempt to run the Italian lights off the board, but the they roll short and instead flee around the camp.  Meanwhile the Burgundian Captain exits the line and puts the Halberdier in a ZOC, preventing them from flank charging the knights to their left.

If you are wondering why he took the pressure off of the Italian Knights, when he had a 4-2 advantage, he is looking to the next turn.  One knight will have a rear charge on an Italian knight, and the path is clear for the light horse to sack the camp.  So 3 points there, possibly 4.  The commander knight will have an impact charge on the Halberdiers with 3 cohesion hits, and probably another point towards demoralization. 

The last Low Country Pike conforms on their Mercenary twin.

The score is 10 to 7 in favor of the Condottieri

The Burgundians need only one turn for a win.  But it is a turn they do not have.  Darryl joins the fray, and calls up his light horse for a win.  Then a lucky shot from the LI Firearm unit disorders a knight, giving the Burgundians the last 2 points of demoralization they need to break.

Larry also leads from the front, while summoning support of one of his knights.  He needed it all.  The Low Country rolls a 6, + 1 for disordered pike, -1 for mediocre.  Larry rolls a 4, + 1 for disordered pike, + 1 for Larry, and + 1 for support for a 7

Ending the game with a 12-8 win for the Italian Condottieri

 

I got lucky on this one.  I think only one mistake was made, and that was the Burgundian foot advancing off of the hill.  Not that the hill as terrain was decisive, but by leaving, the Condottieri foot knights were able to engage them a turn earlier.  And as noted earlier, that turn was decisive.  The Burgundians were almost guaranteed 4 points next turn, and 5 with a little bit of luck. 

Ambush in Vienna (reduex)

A Headless Body Production

Venue: Another Undisclosed Downstairs
Event: Anno Domini 1666
Players: Phil Gardocki running Polish Nobles and their friends
Steve Turn running the King's Musketeers
Game System: Anno Domini 1666 by Wargamer Games Studio, Warsaw, Poland

We decided to replay the scenario of the previous week. Apparently the Musketeers got the short shrift using their special abilities.

The Forces:

The King's Musketeers with Aramis, Athos, Porthos and D'Artagnan.

The Polish Nobles with Colonel Pan Wolodyjowski, Longinus, Zagloba and Skrzetuski.

While the Polish characters are virtually unknown in the west, they are house hold names in Poland, and since Anno Domini 1666 is made in Poland, they are dominant characters in this game.

It is the year of our Lord 1666. Emperor Leopold is dead. The election looms. European monarchs send their envoys to Vienna to participate. But the struggle for the Empire's future takes place not only at the noble courts. In Vienna's slums and alleys swashbucklers, musketeers and thugs wage a secret war on behalf of their powerful superiors.

Anno Domini 1666 is a swashbuckling adventure game set with characters based on real-world history and famous novels.

I cannot play this game without music from Robin Hood and Zorro playing out in my head. Everything plays out like the massive swordplay scenes wrapping up these movies. The only thing missing seems to be a chandelier.

The game starts with cards defining your characters skills and equipment. Most are taken from famous literature, like the Three Musketeers, and from lesser known, in the West, Polish literature, Pan Wołodyjowski. A lot of the skills are directly combat related, but some are not. The Polish character Zagloba, is a drunk and a scoundrel. But is so charismatic, everyone is his friend.

This scenario follows on from the previous scenario, where the Polish Envoy's have managed to acquire the MacGuffin, (aka the sigel ring) It starts with Zagloba and Skrzetuski lurking in a Vienna slum, trying to get the sigel ring to a back room of a bar to a waiting homing pigeon. The other heroes of the story are guarding the bar.

D'Artagnan and a nameless musketeer lie in wait in the shadows for an ambush. Their allies are covering all the other approaches to the bar.

I am following my previous plan, Steve has adjusted his.

For one, his two unnamed Musketeers are drunk. Last game he selected Porthos.

The Polish deployment at the bar was also unchanged.

Seeing movement in the shadows, Skrzetuski attacks. While Zagloba races for the bar.

D'Artagnan is the finest swordsman in France, seeing the armor only protects arms and body, goes high-guard, adding what will be an impressive new scar to Skrzetuski's face.

One of the newly discovered skills of D'Artagnan is "Frenzied Attack", which gives him an edge on offense, and a Defensive bonus as well. This figure is now truly the finest swordsmen in the game.

Aramis arrives, and is immediately shot.

So much for keeping things quiet.

Skretuski is forced back by D'Artagnan's onslaught.

Athos covers one of the bar's rear exit. He stabs the Dragoon on guard, who trips and falls. In typical swashbuckling action, Wolodyjowski ignores the door, and leaps through the window. He stabs at Athos forcing him back as well.

Longinus is a bit slower in his response, barely getting to the door. He cannot go through the convenient window, for he is too big. Seriously, it's in his description for "Huge"

Skretuski acquires another wound.

Porthos arrives and takes a shot at the fleeing Zagloba. Off in the distance, there is a responding call of police whistles. Longinus engages a Nameless Musketeer, critically wounding him.

Athos is also critically wounded, and retreats. He is supported by a newly arrived, but staggering Musketeer.

The wounded Aramis, charges. Lightly wounding the an equally nameless Polish Dragoon.

Though also wounded, Skrzetuski mounts a furious attack. D'Artagnan is taken aback and retreats before his opponents fury.

Longinus tries to finish off the nameless Musketeer, but only forces him back. Aramis gets to use his special ability "stab through the heart", and transfixes the Polish Dragoon. Longinus and Zagloba are now surrounded and out numbered!

With an instinct found in finely choreographed movies, Wolodyjowski runs to the rescue.

Skrzetuski is also surrounded. He attacks the nameless, and drunk and wounded musketeer, but only manages a minor hit, and knocking him to the ground.

Longinus charges Porthos. Their size related abilities largely cancel each other out and Longinus is forced back. Aramis steps over the the body of the fallen Dragoon, and dispatches Zagloba, who drops a box, which cracks open, revealing the ring!

The ring? What ring? I'll save you scrolling back to the top, ..."trying to get the sigel ring to a back room of a bar to a waiting homing pigeon. The other heroes of the story are guarding the bar."...

Just to raise the tension by an infinitesimal amount. The nameless Polish Dragoon, facing a Musketeer who is both drunk, and holding a loaded musket, decides to retreat into the bar, slamming the door behind him.

Well the action in this screen has already happened in approximately this order.

1) Aramis picks up the ring.

2) Wolodyjowski charges out the door and slams Aramis into the fence, disabling him.

3) The ring rolls away.

4) His pistol spent, Porthos knocks Longinus out with it's butt.

5) The fence, which now has four bodies either hanging on or against it (Longinus, Zagloba, Aramis and a nameless dragoon) can take no more and collapses, 

6) Local cat screams and runs away.

The dramatic standoff at the bar continues.

7) The local police arrive, and arrest the bodies that are not running away.

The end result. 3 Polish, 3 French Musketeers in the ICU. One Dragoon in the grave. And a busy day lays before the Austrian Magistrate.

A Monopoly of Mercenaries

A Headless Body Production

Venue: An Undisclosed Basement
Event:    Just messen around
Theme:  Medieval
Players: Phil Gardocki running Condottieri
               Dennis Shorthouse running Condottieri
Game System: L'Art de la Guerre v3, 15mm, 120 points per side.

The Forces:
Italian Condottieri
Commanded by Larry of Rimini, the Competent and Darryl, the Ordinary
6 Men-at-Arms, Heavy Knight, Impact
2 Light Cavalry, Crossbow
1 Light Infantry. Crossbowmen
1 Light Infantry, Handgunner
1 Mercenary Pike
1 Halberdier, Heavy Swordsmen, 2HW
Breakpoint, 12

Italian Condottieri
Commanded by Carmagnola of Venice, the Strategist and <insert a name here>, the Brilliant
6 Men-at-Arms, Heavy Knight, Impact
2 Turks, Light Cavalry, Bow
1 Stradiots, Medium Cavalry, Impact, Elite
2 Light Infantry, Handgunner
1 Levy
Breakpoint, 13

A note on annotations. When you see a word bubble "Ouch!", ("Ausch!", "Aie!") this implies a missile hit.

Letters in parenthesis represent some value change for the specific unit. For commanders it is 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" marks a unit killed in that location on that turn.
"????" is an ambush marker, and so it is unknown at this time.

Scores are presented in a confusing manner. This is because it is measured in number of points towards the demoralization. If I say the score is 15-8 in favor of Milan, that means the Burgundians are have 15 points towards their demoralization level of 19, while Milan has 8 points towards their demoralization level of 20. But saying 15-8 is just more intuitive. 

Dennis Shorthouse, Proprietor of On Military Matters book service., has organized an another tournament using a battle grid system of his devising. All figures are place on a grid so players can play over a telephone without a video component.

The board is 15 by 20 UD's. The rows are labeled H - A. Each side has their own H-B, and the A row is divided in half. The columns are numbered 1-20. Terrain sizes are 2x3.

The Board:

Along the Via Venezia to competing sets of contractors meet to discus establishing a monopoly of mercenaries.

Condotta literally means "Contract", so the Condottieri is plural meaning Contractors.

The great Carmagnola himself will be taking up the negotiations for his Condottieri

His position is wide, taking up most of the deployment area from Via Venezia to the lightly fielded hill.

Larry of Rimini has a much more focused position.

Mar's view from the sky.

Did you ever make a simple deployment error, that you know is wrong, but went with it anyway for convenience sake? I did here. The pike on the far right of the line. I put it there initially to challenge the elite Stradiots. But a minute or two later I realized it was a mistake. Any knight could beat the Stradiots so why use the pike? The pike are much better as a blocking force. But, this was a game played across the wire, and I didn't want to change things.

Turn 1:

Darryl rolls a 1 for command points and only moves his knights and halberdiers.

Larry rolls a 6 for command points and wastes a couple.

An ambush is revealed! <insert a name here> marches down the hill

The Venetian Condottieri are being represented by Byzantines. I don't have that many knights , and this keeps the figures straight in my mind.

<insert a name here> takes up a position on Carmagnola's right flank. It is now 6 knights on 6.

Off frame on the far right, the Larry's lights advanced too far. They are surrounded, caught and destroyed.

Turn 2:

Darryl rolls another 1 for command points. He sends hopeful words to his Halberdiers and they rejoice! Then advances his knights.

Larry rolls a 6 for command points and responds to the destruction of his skirmishers. Knights charge the Stradiots, with support from hand gunners. Meanwhile, the pike advance to finish the job if necessary.

The Venetian handgunners have their range and shoot again.

<insert a name here> is setting up a hammer and anvil attack should Darryl advance any more.

Carmagnola holds back his knights, setting the trap. His abundant command points spent rallying his Stradiots, and bringing back his light horse for support.

The Stradiots roll a 5 to the knights 1. The final score is 7 to 4 for two hits.

Looks like the pike are going to be needed.

Until this turn, I thought I was going to win this fight. I was going to sweep the right, hold the middle, and hammer and anvil his left most command.

The score is 4-0

Turn 3:

Darryl rolls his next 1 for command points. He retires his knights out of charge reach.

Larry rolls another 6 for command points and puts them to good use. He traps the Venetian light horse, then impales them on the pike. His Men at Arms, heavily disordered, manage to avoid defeat.

The Venetian light horse thread the needle, and enter the Rimini rear area. Threatening the Halberdiers and the camp.

The Venetian fireamsmen are on fire! Causing 4 hits in a row.

Carmagnola springs his trap. But is he not in one as well?

If Darryl turns around, he could rout the screening knight, which would rout through <insert a name here>'s body guard. The blue flag is the included general. Stay tuned!

Turn 4:

Darryl rolls something other than a 1 for command points. His light horse charges, sending a Fire Arms scurrying. The Halberdiers and supporting crossbow pin the Venetian light horse in place.

Darryl turns and charges. Causing devastating damage to the enemy knights.

I missed by 1 destroying them on contact. Which would have routed through the <insert name here>'s included element for a chance to kill him.

It is Larry's turn to roll a one for command points. He opts to finish the job, sending the pike in for a flank shot to kill the Stradiots.

Probably that was a mistake. Time will tell.

But it seemed like a good idea at the time. The score is now 4 to 5, in favor of the Rimini!

The Halberdier charge actually occurred at the top of the turn.

The air is full of thunders hoofs as charge followed charge. A Venetian knight falls to exhaustion, but another routs Darryl's knights and Darryl with them. <Insert a name here> hits a flank of a Rimini knight and tears them to shreds.

Turn 5:

Desperate times calls for desperate measures. Larry goes to the front. If he can survive, he will have a flank shot of his own.

The last knight in Darryl's command is surrounded.

It is a confusing melee. I put ovals around the Venetians. Larry destroys his opponent. But a knight slips through the gaps, taking the pike in the rear.

Bringing these negotiations to a close. The Venetians win, 12 - 10

What went wrong?

I mentioned earlier about the pike on the outer right. It's primary job is to serve as a joint for the knights to wheel on and a steady link to the other command. It was instead assigned to run down the Stradiots. So I wouldn't have to send a knight to do the job.

In the end, I had to send a knight to do the job anyway. So it was a tactical win on the right flank, but a strategic loss.

Also, the Stradiots performed well above their weight class, and get the MVP award for the game.