The Castle Hounding Falls (hex 50)

 The Bogavanian Castle Hounding has long held out against Beersteiner assaults. Last campaign the Beersteiners failed to capture it. This campaign there was another long siege which lasted a number of map moves.

INITIAL FORCES (Already depleted by previous battles).

Beerstein Besiegers
                                                          Forces after the battle with restored wounded.

Commander Prince Sigel                       intact

24 Musketeers (yellow uniform)              23

13 Muskets (red)                                      10
16 Muskets (red)                                      15
14 Pike                                                     12

20 Pike                                                     16

20 Longbow                                               0

22 Great Swords                                       13
3 cannons 10 crew                        2 cannons 8 crew

Priest                                                            0
Supply Wagons                                           intact

 TOTAL DEAD                                            45

Bogavanian defenders

Commander Bishop Rembert                   POW
Wizard Erhard                                             0

Hero Agneto                                              POW

12 Crossbows                                            1 POWs

21 Crossbows                                            4 POWs

24 Plate knights                                         3 POWs
11 Hillmen mercs                                       8 fled

1 cannon to be crewed by crossbow men)  gun captured (crew dead)

TOTAL DEAD                                             51
Taken Prisoner                                              10                             

SETUP

The Bogavanians were confined to the castle but manned only the Northern wall with the gate, the North Eastern tower and the courtyard. The Cannon was in the tower. The crossbows on the Northern wall and in the courtyard. The knights and Hillmen were in the courtyard.
Beersteiner artillery and bowmen faced the North wall.

The majority of the rest of the Beersteiner force faced the fallen Western wall. A unit of muskets faced the Southern wall, and another faced the Eastern wall.

  The Beersteiners had to set up first and also went second in the first move.

PROGRESS OF THE BATTLE

Finding they had no target the Beersteiner musketeers moved from the Southern wall to the Eastern wall and eventually shot down the enemy artillery crew. However, before that the amateur cannoneers managed to score hits on the enemy facing he Northern wall. The crossbows were also deadly. The Beersteiner longbows were eventually wiped out and the Beersteiner battery crew seriously reduced. Then one of the guns misfired and blew up killing the Beersteiner crew!

  Prince Sigel had, in keeping with his nature, adopted bold tactics, sending his Great Swords with portable bridge to cross the moat and to assault the ruined wall. Wizard Erhard cast a spell of rust which reduced their armor effectiveness. But the spell although passed also misfired, wounding the wizard. Then he cast another spell which also passed with over whelming force to make the crossbowmen shoot even more accurately, but he suffered a cataclysmic misfire which killed himself and a number of Hillmen and crossbowmen. 

   The Bogavanian knights charged the Great Swords and pushed them back from the wall but then they were exposed to an attack by pikemen who pushed the knights back into the castle.

  Meanwhile the Hillmen, after suffering casualties from the spell is fire and facing a determined enemy assault left the castle. In the process they left the drawbridge down. The Beersteiner muskets fired at them as they left the filed, causing more casualties. Then Sigel directed the musketeers towards the gate.

  Their numbers down to a handful, the Bogavanians surrendered.

Beersteiner pikemen arrive from reserve as it had fled last battle.

    Beersteiner longbows target the Northern wall. The cleric is present to protect them from magic but he could do nothing to stop crossbow bolts.

                                   Battlement on the Northern wall and forces in the courtyard

The hero, Agneto prepares his pistol. Hillmen and knights get ready to face the assault.

             The Hillmen mercenaries decide it is time to exit the castle and make a run for it.

  Beersteiner pikemen drive the Bogavanian knights at the Western wall back into the castle and then gain a foothold. (The wall is not there. The stones represent the rubble.

            Erhard's misfired spell destroyed two supply wagons. (The drivers are Fezians). The remaining crossbowmen make a last stand.

                                                Beersteiner matchlock men fire into the castle.

                                     Beersteiner musket men at the North wall prepare to enter via the drawbridge.

  CONCLUSION

The Beersteiners won a costly victory after a brave defence by the outnumbered Bogavanians. Prince Sigel demonstrated his typical kindness by sparing all prisoners, a refreshing change contrasted to the usual behavior of Beersteiner commanders. About seven credits of enemy supplies and some wagons also came under Beersteiner control.

  Next battle will be a continued siege of the Bogavanian capital. Then we will be up to map move 10.