Prince Lucas Is Hit By A magical Comet. His Army Surrenders or Flees!

 The Third battle of Biden's Wood was fought today as Fezian forces re-entered the Beerstein territory, The Beersteiners were ready, with four cannons in place (including a captured one). Two units of mounted mercenary archers guarded the right flank next to the artillery. Then an unbroken line of musket men and pike men extended to Biden's Wood where another unit of Musketeers hid in wait for the advancing enemy.

My Beersteiners won the roll off for deployment and made the enemy deploy first. Then Mathew won the roll for first move. he advanced nearly his whole army so that it would soon be in striking distance. He placed his light and heavy infantry in front to keep his plate armoured men intact for their part in the assault as their armour was of limited protection against muskets.

Mathew then tried some magic missiles but he was unable to roll the required dice roll. His bows were out of range except on his right where they tuned and shot at the quickly revealed hidden musket men in the forest. They managed to kill three but not more because the combined armour save of light cover and the fact that the shooters had moved gave the musket men a 4+ save on a D6.

Then it was the Beersteiner's turn. Lylith the Serpent cast a hex spell on the closest unit of Fezian lights; six were burnt to a frazzle and the rest of the unit was unable to move until next magic phase without risking further wounds. The mounted archers had moved forward and shot at the enemy mounted plate who proved to be out of range of effective shooting. The artillery opened up n bloody holes in the enemy archer ranks. Three regiments of musket men also opened up, making more holes in enemy ranks.

Below: Umonara, Fezian wizard, whose magic has repeatedly saved him from perils of the warp. Kambal the hero is in the middle and the sorcerer Costrom is on the right; Costrom is actually a refugee from political intrigues in Patra and as taken the Fezian side.

                                                                     Fezians advance

                                        Beerstein lines with mounted archers on their right.

    After Beerstein cannon devastate enemy archers the latter roly and kill three ginners. The Mercenary archers then ride forward and kill some more of the enemy archers.

      Fezian plate finally close in on the Beersteiners but the mounted archers charge them and wound the hero, Aneesh.

                                    Fezian casualties were very high and Beerstein ones light but at that moment the sorcerer, Umonara casts the comet spell which promptly goes off with such forc that not only does he kill Prince Lucas and three Beersteiner gunners but he himself is hurtled into the warp! Yet, such is his magical power that he will return from the dark realms to fight again! Prince Lucas is seen blow ,pments before a crater replaced where he lay from the heat preceding the impact.

                           For a short time the Beersteiners fought on. Here pike and muskets hold off the enemy heavy infantry.

                     Below the hidden regiment shoots at the enemy archers and then its plate infantry.

Then the news spreads - Prince Lucas is dead, killed by the enemies black magic. The entire army, the rumour goes, surrendered!

CASUALTIES

Fezia - 97

Beerstein -  26

PRISONERS

It appeared the Fezian army captured three almost intact musket units and a pike unit, four cannons and a handful of gunners, two half unit mounted archers, the hero Javron and Sylvia the Serpent. The Fezian commander Bapka, is known for his kindness but can he cope with guarding and feeding so many prisoners? Their supplies were left at Castle Desrick so will he feed them from his own supplies? Will a rescue operation to free the POWs eventuate. A rival rumour has it that the bulk of the army was able to flee and only the mounted archers surrendered (and possibly switched sides) with three cannons captured. We will know the truth soon. 

What we do know is that the king of Beerstein will crave vengeance for the death of his son!

The Treaty of Goonoova between Beerstein and Bogavania stipulate that POWs should be fed and supplied until paroled or exchanged. This has been irregularly observed, depending on the commander and no such treaty agreement exists between Fezia and Beerstein.