Battle For Castle Thorndale, Beersteiner Fortress Besieged

 Now is the time for the upstart nations. In the East Patra has destroyed two Fezian armies. Meanwhile Fritzerland has launched a sneak attack on Thorndale. The army is four times as large as the garrison.

One units of  musketeers, two cannons, a unit of plate armored foot knights, one of heavy infantry and a unit of mounted chainmail are defending. They are under the command of Prince Leon.

The Fezians have two units of  foot plate knights, two of mounted plate knights, two units of pike, one of muskets, one of crossbows and two of long bows. They also have two siege cannons and one regular cannon. Their unofficial commander is the hero, They also have a sorcerer.

                                               Below: the diminished Fezian crossbow unit.

                                                             Fritz forces surround the castle.

       The Fezians finally manage to get a portable bridge across the moat and the knights ascend a ladder to battle the Beersteiner knights on the battlement.

                          Fezian cannons arrive from reserve and begin pounding the walls.

                                                 Inside the castle, Beersteiner forces

             Fritz archers, muskets and artillery sweep the Beersteiner cannons clear of their crews.

                                                     PROGRESS OF THE BATTLE

Fritz forces arrived from the South. The Beersteiner tactic was to place the musketeers in the two towers facing the enemy. They used the narrow windows to shoot from and to minimalize their casualties. The musketeers received incoming from four enemy units of missile troops and the enemy cannons. The artillery crews were destroyed.

   The Beersteiners caused casualties in the enemy missile troops but their biggest achievement was to kill the Fritz sorcerer. (As he has two lives he can 'come back' in two map moves with one life left. In other words, he was seriously wounded but will recover).

  For most of the battle non missile troops remained off the battlements and in the courtyard.

       The fight on the battlement had some back and forward results with one-on-one combat. Some Fritz knights managed to get on to the walkway only to be killed by the Beersteiner knights to either side of them.

Beersteiner casualties were slightly higher than Fritz ones but they still held the castle.  The battle has been declared a draw, After the wounded were treated and returned to their units the following were the strengths at the end of battle:

BEERSTEIN:  12 musketeers

                          22 foot plate knights

                         24 heavy infantry

                         12 mounted chainmail

                        (The two cannons are still in possession but no longer have crew)

                         Commander

FRTZERLAND: Hero, Vigo Olander (Unofficial leader)

                          Plate knight Infantry       18 men

                           Plate knight infantry      24
                           Heavy Pike                    24

                           Heavy Pike                    24
                           Mounted Plate Knights 12

                           Mounted Plate Knights 12
                           Longbow                       18
                           Longbow                       24

                           Musketeers                    20

                           Crossbows                     17
                           Siege Cannon

                           Siege Cannon

                           Cannon

                            Sorcerer (Unconscious)

NEXT BATTLES, MAP MOVE 2

The siege of Thorndale will continue but a Beersteiner cavalry force and a cannon will arrive.

Meanwhile, the Fritz have done it again and infiltrated Beerstein to attack another castle. This one lacks a moat and has a smaller garrison so it is unlikely to remain in Beersteiner hands.