THE FINAL BATTLE
Fezia/Bogavania and Beerstein have all virtually exhausted their ammunition and supplies so end any further expansion but Fezia has just enough to continue one last battle on Stellar Island.
THE FORCES
Stellar
General, mounted, in heavy armor with sword and pistol, Jacob Van Dyke
Hero, Peter Van Vorster, sword and pistol
Matchlock Militia 16 men (Two men have been left behind in an adjoining map hex to guard POWs).
Regular Matchlock 15 men
Elite Matchlock 15 men
Heavy Cavalry:
Blue Plumes - 8 men
Red Plumes - 9 men
Black Plumes - 7 men
Green Plumes - 8 men
FEZIAN FORCES
ARMY 1 (This is the larger army which had previously fought the Stellans).
Two heroes, one who has taken over command (I have to confirm the names)
Bowmen 24 men (short bows)
Bowmen 24 men (short bows)
Flintlock muskets 24 men (purple uniform with yellow gnome hats)
Plate infantry 19 men with Flag
Light infantry with spears, 9 men
Siege gun with four man crew arriving from reserve
8 wagons
ARMY 2
(This is the army the Stellans attacked).
Hero Magrib Mani commanding
Wizard Dunefang (Lore of Beasts, level 2)
Heavy Infantry 24 men with Flag
Short bow unit, 24 men
Short bow unit 24 men
Wagons
SCENARIO
The Stellan army has been playing a cat and mouse game but its actions in leaving the capital and its return placed it between two Fezian armies. The Fezian army it originally drove off, after downing its general, has returned but a second Fezian army has travelled from the other side of the island to emerge at the capital. The new army consists of two units of archers with short bows, a unit of heavy infantry and a wizard. It is led by a hero. The Stellan army consists of depleted musket units of militia, regulars and elites as well as four units of slightly depleted heavy cavalry.
The initial Fezian army consisted of two full units of archers and a musket unit as well as a slightly depleted plate infantry unit and a much depleted light spear unit.
We continued our usual practice of one of us organising the 'third party', in this case, me playing the Stellans. (My Beerstein was not at war with Fezia and Bogavania).
The Stellans were heavily outnumbered, so my plan was to concentrate all Stellan forces, initially, on the smaller new Fezian force. The heavy cavalry would should fare well, in close combat, against light bowmen and there was not much distance to cover as my forces charged from the Fezian's right flank.
Meanwhile, the other Fezian army had a fair amount of ground to cover before it could enter the battle.
The following photos, unintentionally, follow the battle from the closing stages first and the initial ones last.
The Fezian heavy infantry refuses to budge and joins the melee of Stellan heavy cavalry versus Fezian archers. (Incidentally, the flag bearer started off as a BMC Davy Crocket figure).
The archers from the original invasion force move up.
Fezian plate and hero move in for the kill.
Depleted Stellan musketeers prepare for alast stand.
The musketeers initially force back the Fezian plate.
Stellan General Van Dyke urges his men to sell their lives dearly.
Stellan militia drive off Fezian spearmen.
The closest to the foreground building was made from a cardboard chocolate box.
The Fezian hydra transformed wizard is finally killed.
The Stellan cavalry slaughtered the enemy light archers before being charged by Fezian heavy infantry and hydra.
The hydra was a big target.
The hydra had an ability to regenerate.
The Fezian light archers (from its Aztec provinces) about to be destroyed, the Fezian heavies arriving too late to prevent this.
Earlier in the battle, the Fezian light archers intact before being charged by stellar cavalry.
Stellar forces at the beginning of the battle.
The Fezian siege gun did not see action.
COURSE OF THE BATTLE
My plan work, initially. The archers were unable to get off many volleys before the cavalry crashed into them, pushing them back and reducing their numbers. Two things hundred my attempt to wipe out this army before the stronger enemy force could arrive; the Fezian heavies joined the melee, and then, even more catastrophic, the Fezian wizard, with his Lore of beasts, cast a spell which changed him into a hydra! We followed the Warhammer Fantasy rules for magic and beasts. mat rolled a double six among his dice which meant the spell was automatically cast but thee was a misspell. Mat rolled on the mishap table and the result was the wizard could cast no more spells, which did not matter as he was now a beast and could not cast spells any more anyway. His advantage now was brute strength with multiple wounds, strong attacks, saves of 4+ and then regeneration saves. The most effective thing was to shoot it when I could. Muskets reduced his saves to 5+ and also wounded it on 5+ instead of 6+. In melee it was harder to wound. After it had chewed up my cavalry it was shot down by my musketeers.
The wizard-hydra and the heavy infantry did not stop the destruction of the two units of Fezian archers but it stopped the Stellan cavalry from focussing all its strength on the enemy heavy infantry. Then the other Fezian army arrived and began pouring arrows and musket balls into my troops.
In the end the much depleted militia fled off the field. No Stellan was left standing on the table except the Stellan commander who decided discretion was the wiser choice and fled.
POSTSCRIPT
The Stellans still had Fezian light infantry POWs from the earlier battle. As per the commander's instructions, these had been treated well. (His kindness percentage was quite high). having fought well the Stellans had retained their honor but the cause now appeared hopeless. negotiations were conducted with the Fezians. The Stellans returned the Fezian general and the POWs. The Stellans would retain some control over their towns and villages whilst accepting Fezian suzerainty. The Stellans would also retain three infantry units for island defence and to be available for integration into Fezian expeditions to other islands. (The status of the regiments was one militia and two regular). Very untypically, the Fezians have allowed the inhabitants of Stellar to continue worshipping their own religion should they refrain from accepting the Moon god. (This was probably influenced by the limited numbers of Fezian forces currently on the island).
FIGURES & CHARACTERS
Characters are randomly generated using D6 and percentage dice. Those designated as commanders get a bonus on their Battlefield Intelligence rolls but with the chance of still getting low rolls. (Higher Battlefield Intelligence means a player can make the other re-roll the higher dice roll for who sets up first and moves first). Heroes do not but get a boost on their combat skills. If a commander is killed or captured a hero may take over the army. In some rare instances armies have been commanded by wizards. Usually the character stats are written under his base. Characters normally get between two and three lives (and, very rarely just one or four) so if they die they get to come back in a future battle but not if it follows immediately after the previous one. If he 'dies' (knocked unconscious) on enemy held land he may be taken prisoner).
The forces of Stellar Island are composed of 17th century Dutch, Patran heavy cavalry (ancient Greeks but with stirrups) and a few Aztecs that have been partially assimilated but retain some cultural artefacts such as animal helmets. The actual figures included A Call to Arms ECW musketeers with a number converted to have Aztec or American Indian traits, Supreme ancient Greek cavalry and a commander converted from a crescent knight.
The Fezians included Supreme Saracens and Russians, and a few Technolog Russians for the heavy infantry, converted Bible set archers, home castings of Reamsa Saracen archers, Britains Detail and HK copies of the Turks/Saracens. I ran out of Turkish or Arab looking archers so used two units of Aztec ones as the Fezians do have some Aztec land in their empire.
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