Fezia Invades the Duchy of Grand Fenwick.

 Mat and I had not gamed for a couple of months, but I set up a small game today. Fezia (pseudo Ottomans circa 1900) has invaded the Duchy of Grand Fenwick. The Duchess has sent her best general and elite troops to stop them. We rolled a dice for it and it said that I would lead the Fezians.

  The Fenwickers have been receiving Redian training. As the Duchy was founded long ago by a Redian knight there has been a long affinity between the two nations. The uniforms also reflect the link.

  The Grand Fenwick force consisted of five regiments: The Guards, naval personnel (marines and sailors), cavalry, infantry, long bowmen. The last hark to a sentimental attachment to the past. However, they are highly competent with the longbow and with infiltration. Also present is a machine gun with four crew, a heavy artillery piece and a light gun. The first two regiments are elite.

  The Fezian force consisted of General Faruk Erdogan mounted on a horse, a unit of lancers and a unit of cavalry, four units of infantry and a unit of irregular Bashi Bazooks. Two medium cannons were present.

  For rules we used Paul Wright's Funny Little Wars with some of our own adaptations. We used firing cannons for artillery. The object was not to knock over figures but to land a cut down ear bud stick and check the burst radius.

  Victory conditions were determined by one point for each enemy unit vanquished or destroyed and three points for each quarter of the field held with no contest.

Fezian troops advance from their left flank

                      A cow is a sad casualty of war and was repeatedly hit by artillery shells.

The heavy cannon was slow to load so could fire every second shot. It was manned by sailors.

                   The Fenwich infantry moved into this building but it received two cannon shells, one from my Fezia artillery and one from Mat's large gun. It collapsed and the unit was greatly reduced in numbers. (The building is meant to be now a rubble ruin).

    Machine gunner crew awaiting the Fezian approach are befriended by the cat, Dixie, who is the general's pet. 

                                                     A view of the church and graveyard.

                                        Fezian cavalry threaten the Fenwick guards' flank.

                             Fezians change to skirmish formation to lessen casualties.

  A mixed force of regular skirmish force of dismounted Fezian cavalry and Bashi-bazouks take potshots at the enemy guards.

                      After their success against to enemy regiments of cavalry but then caught in a Fezian crossfire the guards retreat.

 The Fenwick naval force which had been quickly brought from Lake Sellers and performed admirably.

                                                       General Bloonkers in his motor.

                                                                    Exchanging fire

                                                                               Meow!

                                  The machine-gunners were a small target which artillery failed to dislodge but a Fezian infantry regiment eventually shot them up.

              It is surprising that the cow remained intact as so many shells hit it or the felled tree.

                                                                         Fezian artillery

            Grand Fenwick archers arrived on the Fezians' right flank on about move five. The archers joined a cavalry charge to wipe out a regiment of enemy infantry.

                                                       A Fezian cannon blasts them.

                                                  Diminished Fezian infantry regiments

                                                 Fenwick light gun. An indication of the ad hoc nature of the army is seen where one of the crew utilized the Grand Fenwick Museum to obtain his antiquated uniform.

    There had been a Fezian infantry regiment between these two Grand Fenwick units.

  Two units, one after the other of Fezian cavalry charge the guards. Even when attacked in the rear the guards gave better than they received.

  Here is the scene on the Fezian right flank before this unit of Fezians was wiped out by cavalry and archers wielding daggers and swords.

                                                            General Faruk Erdogan (conveted general Grant)

                                                                       Fezian guns

CONCLUSION

The battle swung to one side and then the other. But at the end of 12 moves we rolled the dice to see if battle would continue and it did not. Tactically I was well placed with a largely intact infantry regiment on Mat's right flank causing the guards to retreat. They were also supported by firing from the Bashi-bazouks. The archers had also retreated off the board as they had been suffering casualties from my artillery and infantry. The grand Fenwick cavalry was also gone.

  On the other hand, my Fezian force had lost three regiments. Each side contested a table quarter and t each had a table quarter in possession. Mat's grand Fenwick army won by one point.

 We will have a rematch next week.