Beersteiner Defeat at the battle of Swift Stream
The Beersteiners had received message of the flight of the Bogavanian king from a battle in the South in Bogavanian territory so they were confident when their Northern ary was called on to stop a Bogavanian army entering Beersteiner territory. Swift Stream had bbe flooded by recent rains, taking on the form of a river. One narrow bridge crossed it. Half the Beersteiner army had previously taken positions on the Eastern side. The rise in the river now separated the other half of the army. A large force of Hill Men mercenaries were assigned to cross the river in the Northern part of the impending battlefield. The strategy was sound but no one had bothered to check the stream's depth and speed as it was here crossable by cavalry only. Elsewhere it was either impassable or very difficult to cross. A large unit of knights tried to cross the bridge and was hopelessly strung out in single file.
On the Western side of the stream become river were the mercenary Great Swords, the crusaders and a unit of foot knights and another of Men at Arms. The cannon and catapults were also established there.
Initially the Beersteiners had some success as crusader orders surged forward, enduring arrow fire and slamming into the enemy, supported by the Geat Swords who easily dealt with a unit of enemy Hillmen. However a portent for disaster occurred when a unit of wolf skin clad Hill Men in Beersteiner service mercenaries marched off the field, obviously not yet filled with battle rage and frustrated by the stream.
As the Bogavanians surged forward, eager to avenge their earlier defeats and urged on by Commander Westfrond it soon became apparent that the Beersteiners on the Western side of Swift Stream would be overwhelmed. The catapults limbered and attempted to cross the stream and the men at arms crossed back even as the archers were slaughtered by a charge of the Fezian heavy mounted archers. Prince Zelton, the Beersteiner commander also crossed back and briefly considered sending the remaining Hill men, who had macrhed to the Southern part of the stream, to cross and save the artillery. However, at this point a unit of these sell swords saw where their bread was buttered and began crossing the stream to change sides! Seeing the closeness of the Bogavanian army, including a ravening horde pf peasants descending on the pieces he had second thoughts and ordered the retreat be sounded. The large unit of knights that had crossed the bridge were surrounded and surrendered to the Beersteiners.
The Beersteiner force still possessed numbers of crossbowmen and a few bowmen and hand gunners to cover the retreat back towards the capital. The hero, Jessie Swiftsword was among the fallen. The Bogvanian hero, The Hound, so named for his dog styled helmet, was a traveler who had made Bogavania his home. he aquitted himself well against the crusaders by standing with the Bogavanian archers when they were charged by crusaders and the bridge crossers.. The archers died to a man but The Hound saw off the attack, finishing of the fanatics and then holding off the other unit as help arrived from other Bogavanian units.
MECHANICS
I decided to use my newly acquired terrain cards from the Armchair General. They proved interesting although they worked against my Beersteiner army. I also accidentally included a river card with the 'wide stream" cards which contributed to the difficulty of the crossing. A number of possible results come from drawing a card which adds to the uncertainty of a game.
Battle victory result depended on inflicting the most unit destroyed and the most territory aquired. On reflection, the stream would have afforded an excellent defensive position which i should have sayed behind, even though this would have precluded Prince Zelton from acquiring territory and possibly not 'winning' the game but it would have left the army intact.
When a battle is lost the loser gets 25% of casualties back and the winner 50%. The loser withdraws to the next hexagon. So far in the campaign the Bogavanians have had great losses in the South with one minor victory of an army followed by the same army being defeated. Now, in the North the Beersteiners must withdraw with a much depleted army and do so along a sea front with mountains hemming them in on the other side. The Bogavanians have captured the Beersteiner siege weapons to add to their own and will come in handy if they besiege the enemy castle. However, they are short of foot knights which would mean mat would have to dismount his mounted knights to scale ladders and siege tower. He may try to starve them out, assuming he is not beaten on the filed prior to that. His king is still in a precarious position in the South and his capture could lead to the withdrawal of his forces.
Matt organizes his forces. The Beersteiners have a foothold on Matt's side of the Stream. The Beersteiner archers are on the hill and the crusaders prepare to charge.
The Beersteiner's Hill Men, frustrated by the stream prepare to march off.
Crusaders attack and defeat enemy knights only to face a wall of Bogavanians.
The Bogavanians with Fezian allies
The Beersteiner's Hill Men deserting!
Fishtank Bridge - curse it.
Beersteiner archers wait a targ Bogavanians overwhelm the Beersteiners and pass over the hill, ever after known as Slaughter Hill.
On the Western side of the stream become river were the mercenary Great Swords, the crusaders and a unit of foot knights and another of Men at Arms. The cannon and catapults were also established there.
Initially the Beersteiners had some success as crusader orders surged forward, enduring arrow fire and slamming into the enemy, supported by the Geat Swords who easily dealt with a unit of enemy Hillmen. However a portent for disaster occurred when a unit of wolf skin clad Hill Men in Beersteiner service mercenaries marched off the field, obviously not yet filled with battle rage and frustrated by the stream.
As the Bogavanians surged forward, eager to avenge their earlier defeats and urged on by Commander Westfrond it soon became apparent that the Beersteiners on the Western side of Swift Stream would be overwhelmed. The catapults limbered and attempted to cross the stream and the men at arms crossed back even as the archers were slaughtered by a charge of the Fezian heavy mounted archers. Prince Zelton, the Beersteiner commander also crossed back and briefly considered sending the remaining Hill men, who had macrhed to the Southern part of the stream, to cross and save the artillery. However, at this point a unit of these sell swords saw where their bread was buttered and began crossing the stream to change sides! Seeing the closeness of the Bogavanian army, including a ravening horde pf peasants descending on the pieces he had second thoughts and ordered the retreat be sounded. The large unit of knights that had crossed the bridge were surrounded and surrendered to the Beersteiners.
The Beersteiner force still possessed numbers of crossbowmen and a few bowmen and hand gunners to cover the retreat back towards the capital. The hero, Jessie Swiftsword was among the fallen. The Bogvanian hero, The Hound, so named for his dog styled helmet, was a traveler who had made Bogavania his home. he aquitted himself well against the crusaders by standing with the Bogavanian archers when they were charged by crusaders and the bridge crossers.. The archers died to a man but The Hound saw off the attack, finishing of the fanatics and then holding off the other unit as help arrived from other Bogavanian units.
MECHANICS
I decided to use my newly acquired terrain cards from the Armchair General. They proved interesting although they worked against my Beersteiner army. I also accidentally included a river card with the 'wide stream" cards which contributed to the difficulty of the crossing. A number of possible results come from drawing a card which adds to the uncertainty of a game.
Battle victory result depended on inflicting the most unit destroyed and the most territory aquired. On reflection, the stream would have afforded an excellent defensive position which i should have sayed behind, even though this would have precluded Prince Zelton from acquiring territory and possibly not 'winning' the game but it would have left the army intact.
When a battle is lost the loser gets 25% of casualties back and the winner 50%. The loser withdraws to the next hexagon. So far in the campaign the Bogavanians have had great losses in the South with one minor victory of an army followed by the same army being defeated. Now, in the North the Beersteiners must withdraw with a much depleted army and do so along a sea front with mountains hemming them in on the other side. The Bogavanians have captured the Beersteiner siege weapons to add to their own and will come in handy if they besiege the enemy castle. However, they are short of foot knights which would mean mat would have to dismount his mounted knights to scale ladders and siege tower. He may try to starve them out, assuming he is not beaten on the filed prior to that. His king is still in a precarious position in the South and his capture could lead to the withdrawal of his forces.
Matt organizes his forces. The Beersteiners have a foothold on Matt's side of the Stream. The Beersteiner archers are on the hill and the crusaders prepare to charge.
Comments
Post a Comment