Bogavanian Incursion Into Beerstein Hex 163 Repelled

 Mathew launched a small invasion force over Beerstein's Southern border. It found itself facing a larger Beersteiner force stiffened by artillery.

BOGAVANIAN FORCE

Commander: Mamdooh el Hag

UNITS                                               SURVIVORS (Includes recovered casualties)

24 Plate Knights                                4 captives of Beerstein

24 Heavy Infantry                             6

24 Heavy Infantry                             13

24 Longbow                                      12
24 Longbow                                      19

12 heavy Cavalry                                0

5 Supply Wagons                                5

BEERSTEIN                                    SURVIVORS

Commander Tobias                          1

Hero, Claude Munster                      1

Hero, Jonis Munster                         1

Wizard, Costrom, Lore of Metal

UNITS

24 Plate Knights with halberds        22           

24 Pike Heavies                               19

24 Pike heavies                                23

24 Muskets      Red                          24

24 Muskets     Yellow                      18

24 Muskets     Red                           22

24 Longbow                                      0

2 Siege guns                                     2

2 guns                                               2

2 guns                                               2

8 Supply Wagons                             8

Interestingly, the Bogavanian commander was, uncharacteristically, a Fezian, which just goes to show how close have become the links between Fezia and Bogavania.

  Commander Mamdooh was well informed of the enemy positions: (Translation - despite the Beersteiner commander Ben's superior battlefield intelligence mat won the roll off to see which army set up first). This allowed Mat to concentrate an attack on the weaker right flank of the Beersteiners.

   The Beersteiners opened up with the four cannons that had range and line of sight on Bogavanian positions. Damage was negligible. Then they had to spend a move reloading the cannons. The Bogavanians took advantage of this pause to charge forward the foot knights and mounted Heavy cavalry. The casualties from Beersteiner missile fire was insufficient to stop the onslaught. Both cavalry and knights ploughed into the archers.

  The wizard Costrom had been captured by Beerstein in the last campaign and he was turned to Beersteiner service. He cast magic to enhance the archers' shooting accuracy and then their prowess in melee. This was insufficient to prevent their inevitable fate.

  Even as the archers were being massacred the artillery crews of four cannons turned to focus on the enemy survivors of the melee.

BELOW: Bogavanian archers on the weaker Bogavanian right flank face overwhelming advancing Beersteiner numbers.

  Both the advancing Beersteiner matchlock men and the defending Bogavanian archers make use of the cover of treelines.

              The Bogavanians' charge from their left flank massacres the Beersteiner archers.

  The Bogavanian heavy infantry fails to charge and is in turn, charged by the Beersteiner knights column.

                       The beersteiner right before the charge by the enemy knights and cavalry.

                     The Pike later were engaged by the remnants of the Bogavanian knights. The knights were too few but caused some casualties.

                                              Bogavanian positions at the start of the battle.

CONCLUSION

The Bogavanians had initial success in their assault on the Beersteiner right wing. However, the two assaults from Bogavanian heavies were stymied. My knights stopped, mauled and pushed back one unit. One of my musket units had inflicted sufficient casualties on the other heavy infantry to weaken its assault and then pushed them back, blocking the Bogavanian archers' line of sight.

   The Bogavanian cavalry were shot to pieces by my artillery and the Bogavanian knights were severely reduced in numbers.

  My left flank were overwhelming the Bogavanian right wing which consisted of a single unit of archers.

   Having lost over half their army the Bogavanians made a leadership test which resulted in a general retreat. All remnants were able to retreat, except for the knights who were to close to Beersteiner forces.

   The Bogavanian retreat was actually not a bad result as they would live to fight another day and to defend the Bogavanian capital. I didn't have cavalry to cut off their retreat. However, as they abandoned the battlefield they got only a quarter of casualties back.

   That was the end of Campaign Move 6. later this week Mat and I will do our hidden map moves. It is expected that multiple battles will eventuate. We have been averaging two tabletop battles a month.

  The battle was less unbalanced than I expected it to be and Mat put up a good fight.