Age Of Penda, The third Game

So far honours have been even between the West Angles and the North Saxons.

The North Saxons of Saexred of the Nine Blows.

1 Armoured Warriors with Leader (BR6)

5 Armoured Warriors (BR5) 

8 Unarmoured Warriors (BR3) 

1 Skirmishers (BR2) 

4 Tactics tokens

The West Angles of Ossiebehrt the Acute. 

1 Armoured Warriors with Leader (BR6) @10 points

5 Armoured Warriors (BR5) 

7 Unarmoured Warriors (BR3) 

2 Skirmishers (BR2) 

4 Tactics tokens

With his additional Skirmishers Ossiebehrt would take the initiative, claiming the first action.

The Day of Battle

I'm in the process of rebasing... again, this time to 40 by 30mms rectangles.

I randomly deployed Ossie today, but it pretty much mirrors Seaxred.

The shieldwalls creep together today.

Battle in the woods

And Seaxred is struggling to win any combats.

And Ossie's Armoured Infantry are killing it.

Saexred's bodyguard fights well

And finally push through Ossie's lines.

And on either flank a battle in the woods is going on.

Really enjoyed the battle, as the fighting went back and forward.

Ossie leads a devastating charge.

But in the end Ossie is surrounded and cut down.The
A sad end for our ill fated West Angle King.

Mollwitz, Might and Reason

Mollwitz 10th of April 1741

Frederick’s invasion of Silesia in late 1740 caught the Hapsburg monarchy by surprise and it was not until 1741 that an army was assembled to deal with the upstart Prussians. The Austrian commander Count Neipperg was confident of success against Frederick’s inexperienced army. 

On the Prussian side, Frederick followed the guidance of Field Marshal Schwerin, who for all intents and purposes commanded his army. 

The Scenario:

The weather is sunny Start on Turn 2. Basic Length is 6 turns.

Terrain notes:

• The stream is treated as an obstacle by all troops

• Wood and Marsh are treated as rough terrain

Free Deployment Rules

For Free Deployment place Austrian units anywhere above the line indicated and place the 

Prussian units anywhere below the line indicated.

Historical Deployment Rules

For Historical Deployment set up the units for each force within the area indicated. 

Special Scenario Rules

1. To reflect the fact that the Austria n infantry units were largely made up of recruits treat 

all Austrian musketeer brigades as having 5SP.

2. Prussian cavalry must pass an Attack Test in order to charge.

3. Leader’s ratings have been adjusted to reflect their performance in the actual battle.

The lines go down.

And gradually the lines close in.

The Austrians get three units into those woods.

On the other flank the Austrian Hussars try to get around the Prussian line.

The Austrian Cuirassiers attack across the stream. 

And in the centre it's all going slower.

Clash of hussars on the far flank

And the Infantry clash kicks off.

And bad dice rolling means the Prussians are getting thumped.

It's just not the Prussian 's day.

Some success across the stream but the Prussians are in retreat.  It's pretty much day over for young Frederick.

Good game, I really enjoyed it, but Frederick needs to work on his Prussian Infantry.  So much for my dice luck.

Carrhae, 53 BC

CARRHAE, 53 BC, Lost Battles

M: x4. AL: 5.

Romans: 14 ALE (7 Legions), 1 LLI (Archers and Slingers), UL + VHC (Publius + Gauls), 1 VHC (Gallic), 1 ALC (Mercenary), 1 LHC (Allied), AC (Crassus). FV: 80.

Parthians: 2 VCA (Cataphracts), 10 VLC (Horse Archers), 4 ALC (Horse Archers), IC (Surena). FV: 72.

Marcus Licinius Crassus deploys his baggage in the centre.

Crassus has deployed first in my Solo game using the newly painted Parthians, fair enough I think, given the circumstances.  We know the Romans are formed up in a box, so it seems straight-forward.

Opposite are the Parthians.  Limited armoured cavalry, and Veteran light horse.

Lost Battles Notes:
Activity & Command cost
• Single unit activated for normal movement/attack
• Group of 2 veteran units activated for normal movement/attack
Light infantry or elephant unit activated for a double deployment move with no free facing change
• Attack bonus for an activated light cavalry unit
• Attack bonus for an activated lead unit of veterans or Indian elephants
1 Command
• Any other group activated for normal movement/attack
• Average, levy or elephant unit activated for double movement
• Veteran legionary unit activated for treble movement
• Attack bonus for any other activated unit
Veteran legionary unit activated for treble movement
• Attack bonus for any other activated unit 2 Commands

The Surena of Parthia vs Marcus Licinius Crassus

Crassus gets his Legionaries boxed in.

Publius Crassus charges out with his Gallic Cavalry, supported by three legions

The Surena closes in With a Cataphract charge

The end of Publius, and the Roman formation is broken

Parthian light horse run amok among the baggage

And it's pretty much a lost game from now on.  

An enjoyable game but it has an inevitability to it.  It only occurred to me afterwards that I was using the wrong grid, but the game ran just as well!

King John in Ireland

 

King John has retreated back to England, lucky to escape in the defeat by his nephew, Arthur Duke of Brittany.   The unrest roll for Normandy is a 5.  That turns the Duchy over to Arthur.  I dice for Anjou and Maine, and these are taken by King Louis as payment for his assistance, but he will probably not help Arthur again so John gets a breathing space.   English unrest -2.

John draws Theobald, Butler of Ireland as an active character and decides to campaign there for the rest of the year in the hopes of recovering his finances and reducing the unrest in England.

The Irish have average warriors and cavalry, and will abandon the battle if they fall below six units still in play.

John is supported by the Anglo Irish Lords, lead by the Butler.

The woods and bogs of Ireland

And a settlement, containing the Irish King Connar, who has risen in rebellion against the Crown.

The armies go down

So these Celts are actually Gauls, but here they make passable Irish.

The action tokens for today, slightly changed from normal because of the almost colonial nature of the game.

The Irish are tentative, using cover to avoid those bowmen. 

And behind John's advance the Irish jump on his following foot.

The Big Infantry fight continues.

The Infantry fight continues.

It goes back and forward but the Irish are winning.

The Irish even manage a rally.

Mid way point

King John throws in more Infantry.

Some desperate fighting

John's Anglo-Irish allies get stuck into the Irish cavalry

But the Irish have win the second phase if the Infantry battle too. John's army is near breaking.

John charges his Knights into the Irish Town.  All hits are 5 or 6 in here.

And it's a big fight.

And in a second battle action he wipes out the Irish King and his household, clearing the town.

And the Anglo Irish also win.  
The numbers tip over for the Irish to rout, since part of my set up was to give the Irish a "less than 6 units" morale rule.

The remaining Irish warbands flee the battlefield.

John has repaired the Engish Unrest by +2.  He has also regained 4000 marks.

Back in England however William Longsword, Earl of Shrewsbury, a bastard son of King Henry II, John's half brother, has declared his total support for the King.  Why should John be worried?