The Sultan And His Army Are Driven Off As Beerstein Retains Its Conquest

           The Fezian Sultan was not prepared to give up the fight to regain his border castle.   However, the Beersteiners were now using different tactics. Instead of first meeting the Sultan's army in the open nearly all the forces took position in the castle. The exception were the two mounted forces. A strong force of crusader cavalry threatened first the fezians left flank and, towards the en, their right flank. The mercenary bowmen who had fled last battle had returned to threaten the Fezian artillery.                              

                                             BELOW: The Fezian host attacks the castle.

Umanara wounds himself as his Throne of Vines spell misfires. Later he is successful.

Below: The Fezian host prepares to assault the castle.

The Fezian artillery destroys the unmanned Southern wall. The Beersteiner crusaders menaced then and then with drew. They had been guarded by the war elephant which deterred the crusaders who withdrew. however, once the elephant left to enter the damaged castle the enemy mercenary mounted bow moved in from the flank and peppered the artillery men with arrows.

   The Sultan and the remnants of his force fleeing after their casualties were too great and the crusaders advanced on them.

    Earlier the Fezians attempted to climb the eastern wall but they suffered from longbow arrows. The wizard, Umanara also caused roots and thorns to emerge from the ground and to deter the climbers from reaching the bowmen. He also passed a spell to make the archers armored in chainmail. No sooner was this spell dispeleled than Umanara would cast it again.

                                                                     Fleeing Fezians

  King James urges the defenders on. Musketeers in the courtyard and on the battlements threw hot lead at those coming across the ruin of the eastern wall. They killed the war elephant and those Fezian archers firing from behind the rubble.

                                            Most of these Fezians had fallen by the end of the battle.

SUMMARY

The Beersteiners had abandoned their Southern wall. They knew the enemy artillery would target it/ The Beersteiners had only one captured cannon manned by inexperienced matchlock men. This was held back in the North-Eastern tower to help protect the Eastern gate. The expectation was that the Fezians would attempt to force through with its war elephant.

  The wall was successfully defended by Fezian longbow men, strengthened by the wizard, Umanara's magic. After failure there the diminished forces withdrew.

   The Fezians' two cannons gradually weakened the South wall until it collapsed after two breeches. The war elephant charged through over the rubble and smashed wagons. However, it's master was first killed and then the elephant itself succumbed to multiple musket balls, and then arrows, as the bowmen turned to face the courtyard. The Fezian archers, who had moved up to shoot over the rubble, killed some musket men until the Fezians also succumbed to Beerstein firepower and withdrew.

   At this stage the Fezian artillerymen were falling to mercenary horse archers and the crusader cavalry were moving forward to threaten capture of the Sultan. mat decided it was time to retreat off the battlefield.

NOTES ON RULES

For the elephant we used Warhammer ancient rules. Otherwise, we used our own rule set (which is a modification of chainmail rules) with mostly 12 sided dice and 6 sided for cover saves and artillery fire.

THE CAMPAIGN

As the campaign dragged on into move 15 it is likely that both sides are running out of supply credits. King James was well supplied from captured enemy wagons but other armies are probably running out. However, each time we have rolled to see if the game continues the dice have told us to keep going.

  To capture territory one's forces must occupy enemy ground with at least two units and still be there at the end of the campaign. My Beersteiners have captured ground and castles and held them. The current battle ended with Beerstein in uncontested possession of that castle but to retain it would have to do so another map move.

NEXT BATTLE

The next battle is also part of last map move. Two fleeing Fezian depleted light units have entered by South/East Beersteiner territory and have been detected by two full units of Beersteiner crossbows that were moving South through Fezian territory and entered the hex from North/East. The hex has a village at its center and also a lake.

  Crossbowmen are not the best units for pursuit as they can only shoot or move. The Fezians could try to fight it out, but they lack missile weapons. They could also try to flee South to enter Bogavanian territory, risky as some of it is occupied by Beersteiners. They could also try to get to Fezia by getting through the Beerstiners or they could go deeper into Beertsteiner territory. Going back the way they came would most likely result in capture as the Beerstiners now hold the town.

   This will be a fairly small game but I'll need to move the heavy wooden castle or clear my other wargame table of assorted projects and STUFF, or mow the grass and play this outside.

  

ARMIES

BEERSTEIN                                                                                  End of battle

King James                                                                                                   1

Prince Frederick                                                                                           1  

Umanara                                                                                                       1

10 Musket                                                                                                     1

15 Musket                                                                                                     8
24 Musket                                                                                                    24

22 Longbows                                                                                               22
5 Mounted Mercenary Bow                                                                          5

11 Mounted crusaders Knights (plate)                                                         11

1 Captured cannon manned by musket men                                             intact

FEZIA

Lights                                                                                                            11 captured

Lights                                                                                                              8

Lights                                                                                                             15

12 Plate                                                                                                            6

Archers                                                                                                            6

Archers                                                                                                            0
2 Guns                                                                                                              4  crew and guns captured

Fezian units began depleted but I have lost the record of exact numbers.