Napoleon's Battles - Testing Out New Casualty Markers

Time for my new Brunswick troops to take to the table.  It is also a chance to see how my new casualty markers go.  Unfortunately or fortunately they didn't get much use.  Stefan had command of Ney's forces from Quatre Bras and had rotten luck.  I had the Anglo-Allied troops from the same battle.

The Anglo-Allied army out numbers the French, 

although the latter have cavalry and artillery superiority.

First action forces Dutch-Belgian jaegers to form square to beat off the French lancers.

(Austrian Grenz standing in for the Dutch-Belgians)

French Dragoons charged the Brunswick infantry,

but the Brunswick cavalry come to their rescue.

Casualty markers on full display, ready to be used in a twist.

The Anglo-Allies have been advancing and getting the better of the long-distance shooting.

The French decide to commit their cavalry to break the centre of the Allied line,

in reaction to the Allies surging forward.

The last hurrah when the Dutch Belgian light cavalry vanquishes the French Cuirassiers.

Note the riderless horse with blue saddle cloth representing disorder,

and my previous attempt at casualty markers.

Stefan has graciously accepted a rematch, and I am busy making a few more of my new model casualty markers.  In next week's game I will be the French commander.

Kingdom of Heaven - Audita Tremendu

The Third Crusade, the fourth scenario in the Kingdom of Heaven. Richard took the role of the Muslim, while I went Christian.  Six turns with the Crusaders arriving at turn 4 if the Muslims have achieved a certain level of VPs (otherwise Christian victory).

1187 AD

Raymond II goes to Acre, boosting its garrison and more Crusaders arrive under the command of Sigurd, heading to reinforce Antioch and Tripoli.

Saladin advances to Damascus and then to besiege Jerusalem after his call for it to surrender was ignored. The Resistance Factor (RF) is 6.

The Crusaders call a truce. This halts aggressive activities, but the Muslims are still able to use diplomacy to persuade Antioch to go neutral.  However, the Christians quickly get them to change their minds. (the joys of diplomacy, but there are 5 VPs resting with them and, as we shall see, the fate of the game).

Saladin is delayed by a poor harvest, but he is determined to carry on his siege, successfully intercepting a Jerusalem foraging party (RF-1).  He calls on Fortunes of War to no effect, but he is able to maintain the siege over winter.

1188 AD

Saladin deploys sappers and miners to drastically weaken Jerusalem's defences (RF-3).  They counter with a brief sortie (RF+1).  Saladin builds a siege tower (RF-2) and then deploys further sappers and miners reducing the RF to 0.  He is about to order an assault when heavy rains call an end to activities.

But it was only a temporary reprieve.  The Muslims assault the holy city but fail with a 3:2 result (needs to be double or to wipe out the garrison).  RF increases by 1.

They launch a second assault and succeeded 2:0. Guy dies and Raymond is taken prisoner.  Jerusalem falls.  The Pope is not impressed.

The Muslims try some diplomacy on the Assassins, but it fails.  However, Saladin gets Kerak and Krak de Montreal to surrender.

The Crusaders try some diplomacy on Armenia and the Muslims try to charm Cyprus.  Both fail.

1189 AD

Al-Adil moves reinforcements from Mosul to Damascus while Saladin tries to get Acre (RF 6 or 7) to surrender.  It doesn't.  The Egyptian fleet helps to blockade Acre (RF-1), but the blockade is broken by the garrison.  Saladin deploys ladders (RF -1) but is running low on supplies (RF+1).  An epidemic then breaks out in the besiegers camp and Saladin falls ill.  The plague doesn't spread, but the besiegers are much denuded, and Al-Adil has to come and pick them up and take them to Jerusalem. Siege broken.

Sigurd swaps with Raymond II (who belongs in Tripoli) to take command of Acre.

1190 AD

Richard, Philip and Barbarossa arrive.  The Genoese fleet lands Richard and Philip and their Crusaders (9 units) in Acre.

However, trouble in Europe sees Philip immediately head for home with 2 units.

Barbarossa advances to the coast at Attaleia carefully avoiding attrition.  But being careful doesn't suit him at all and he promptly dies and 5 of his 7 units return home.  Duke Leopold takes over the remains of Barbarossa's army (2 units) and they are ferried to Rosetta by the Venetians. (Very handy having both fleets available, very unlucky that Barbarossa died so soon, and that Philip went home as well).

Duke Leopold moves to Cairo and tries to storm the city but fails and is unable to maintain the siege.

Saladin moves to besiege Tripoli.  He fills in the moat and calls on Fortunes of Watr and is royally rewarded with trebuchets which smash the place up (RF-3).  The subsequent assault fails 3:2.    He maintains the siege over winter.

1191 AD

Richard and the Crusaders march to Tripoli and attack Saladin (who had failed to intercept them).  There are 35 factors to 19 with Richard having a +2 to the dice, while Saladin has a -1.  The battle produces a Major Victory for the Christians (8:4) and the following pursuit inflicts a further 10 step losses (a unit has two steps).  Saladin flees and the siege of Tripoli is broken.

Richard returns to Acre to adjust his forces before heading to Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is blockaded (RF 6) and Richard constructs siege towers (RF-2).  His supplies are running low (RF+1), but more siege towers are built (RF-2).  There is a raid on Crusader foragers (RF+1) but Richard hires an Italian engineer.  Battering rams are used (RF-3 thanks to the engineer) and the assault is 8:4, a major victory.  Jerusalem is back in Christian hands and the Pope holds a special mass and Crusader fervour sees Richard receive some much-needed reinforcements.

Richard calls on Kerak to surrender.

1192 AD

More Crusaders are scheduled to arrive, but in a blow to the cause, they are delayed.

Saladin moves to Gaston and attempts to siege it.

Richard moves to Acre and Saladin breaks off his siege.  Heavy rains slow his movement, but he makes it to Hama.

It looks like a sound Christian victory, but last-minute Muslim diplomacy has Antioch go neutral producing a draw.

The situation at the end.

Crusader force displayed at Acre.

Kingdom of Heaven - The Fall of the Caliphate

This third scenario was a challenge, or to use Richard's words it "was just weird if you ask me. We
spent most of the game trying to work out what we could do, (usually nothing) and then just passing."  He was the Muslim play while I was the Crusader.

The aim was to get to Egypt to influence the Fatimid civil war.  Very hard for the Muslim player to get there, hard enough for the Christian.  It would take at least three cards to get there which, with only seven cards in total, left precious little to conduct a siege given the forces were roughly equal.

That said we did have two exciting battles and two or three lengthy sieges,

1163 AD 

After receiving Turcopole reinforcements, Amalric I marches to Cairo to support Dirgham's Fatimid faction. 

Shirkuh moves to besiege Tripoli and suffers an epidemic, but it doesn't stop him from constructing a siege tower.

Amalric advances on the Fatimid rebels at Minya, but without Dirgham who has decided to stay in Cairo.  Half of the rebels are routed but the rest take refuge in the castle.  Amalric doesn't have enough strength to conduct a siege and so returns to Cario before going home to Jerusalem.

At Tripoli Shirkuh fills in the moat and conducts two assaults, but Raymond III defeats them both and the siege is broken.

1164 AD

The defences of Tripoli and Kerak are improved.  

Amalric wins a major victory over Shaizar who is attempting to conduct another siege of Tripoli.  His army is obliterated, and he is killed.

After that Amalric goes to Jaffa but nothing else happens.

1165 AD

Amalric decides to go to Egypt again, but the Barons advise against it.

The Muslims try diplomacy with Antioch.  It fails.  They later try with Tripoli and that fails as well.

Ignoring the Barons Amalric goes to Egypt.  It is a long way and he has been delayed so he is not very hopeful.

Nur ad-Din besieges Kerak and an epidemic breaks out in his camp.  With the use of battering rams he conducts an assault, but it fails.

Amalric gets to Minya, but some of his vassals desert on the way. Undaunted he conducts a siege.  He fills in the moat and deploys catapults.  An assault does just enough to get the castle to surrender and the Fatimid civil war is over.  It's not totally clear, but this gives the Christians control of the Fatimids (for the time being - there are events that can change their allegiance).

1166 AD

More Crusaders arrive and the Christians call a truce.

1167 AD

Papal supports increases the forces at Jerusalem.  

Nur ad-Din advances on the holy city and Amalric decides to do battle.  Christian fanatics hold the battle to a 6:4 win in the Muslim's favour, but not Major Victory.  BUT a feigned flight sees the losses shift to 7:3 which gives the Muslims a Major Victory and a devastating pursuit.  Only Amalric escapes to defend Jerusalem.

Card play during the Battle of Jerusalem.

A siege commences, but the besiegers supplies run low.  Nur ad-Din appeals to the fortunes of war and builds siege towers.  He assaults, any result will do, but he rolls a 1.  His supplies continue to run low and then an epidemic breaks out.

1168 AD

After the disappointment of the previous year, the Muslims stay in their camps.

Further commentary by Richard:

This game would have to take the cake in terms of you have absolutely no idea what is going to happen. Today's play was yet another example. I suppose there might have been a lucky die roll to make Antioch neutral and play out for a draw in the last turn if we'd played on. It just doesn't seem to be very satisfying though.

I find the game exasperating. The elements seem well worked out, it is thematically excellent, the siege rules are great, the map, cards and counters are nice ,but somehow it just manages to come down far too much in favour of lucky card draws and/or.... die rolls. Strangely, I don't mind it, just find it very frustrating. At least it's over quickly.

The Battle of Jerusalem

With the accursed Fatimids making treaty with the infidels and handing them control of Cairo and Egypt, only a bold move would alter the outcome of the campaign for the Seljuks.

Sultan Nur Ad Din and his unfortunately named subordinate, Shirkah, sizing up the substantial forces of the Amalric in Jerusalem, hatched a plan to bait the Christians to fight them in a field battle. Guessing
that with a substantial force at Jerusalem and the city available to them as a refuge in the event that things did not go to plan, the Christians would indeed risk coming out to put up a fight. The Sultan's
forces left Damascus and swept across the desert and sure enough, out came the Christians!

...and what a battle it was! Evenly matched, it was all down to the die rolls. Both sides had +2 DRMs thanks to Qadis Motivates Troops in the case of the Muslims and Religious Fanaticism in the case of the
Christians. The Seljuks roll higher and inflicted a serious blow on the Christians with 6 losses to four, not enough for a major victory. The Christians thought they had done enough to stave off the Seljuk horde, but play of Feigned Flight (one less loss to the Muslims and one more loss to the Christians) tipped the battle in favour of  the Sultan Nur Ad Din. The Christians were slaughtered to a man as the Seljuk horsemen pursued the fleeing Christians, cutting them down. Only Amalric managed to escape, in a shameful decampment, leaving his men to their fate. (he is rumoured to have dressed as a slave woman and made his escape on the back of a donkey to Acre).

Without a garrison, it would take but a single hit for Jerusalem to fall to the Seljuks. With cards running low, only a roll of 1 on a D6 would deny the Sultan the crowning glory to this already famous victory. Alas, his men, wearied from severing the heads of the infidels, had lost their heart, stumbling forlornly amongst the parapets of the seemingly doomed city, they failed it inflict a single loss (they couldn't find anyone left to kill, not even the cooks and stable boys were left behind by the Christians). So with that, the campaigning season over the Seljuks melted away into the desert from whence they had come. 

So ended the Battle of Jerusalem - The Seljuks honour as sweet as the cursed name of the fickle Fatimids is bitter.

BZ13 10-11TH C. BYZANTINE THEMATIC KATAPHRAKTOS

For last Xmas my daughter gave me a gift voucher for Tactics and I found some bargains.

Better still I got my act together and painted and based them.  The 20 figures providing a medium and a light cavalry unit for my Basic Impetus Byzantine armies.

The figures are a tad too large to fit 12 to a base (and that equates to four 3 figure standard WRG format bases).

Worse are the bendy spears.  None were actually broken so I didn't need to replace any (as if this had been the case I probably would have done them all). They seem to have straightened out okay, mostly.

Maurikian Byzantine versus Arab Conquest

An historical matched pair of armies from my collection in order to introduce my friend Bruce to the Basic Impetus 2.0 set of rules.  This was very much a training/learning game.

Arabs out scouted, but blessed with good defensive terrain protecting their flanks.

The best thing seemed to be for both sides to use the speed of their light troops

and rapidly engage on the flanks.

Unfortunately, the Byzantine didn't benefit from any beginner's luck

or the magic of the dice we shared.

However, their cavalry charged in!

The centre then largely became a battle of attrition,

the advantage with the Arabs' large units.

Both generals are involved in the heavy fighting in the centre.

But luck was with the Arabs.

Their use of Betrayal swung one combat 

and the Byzantine attempt to use Decisive Initiative was an epic fail.

The Arabs have been mauled but are victorious.

Long Spear in Basic Impetus

In my last game we decided long spear negating mounted impetus bonus did not apply if they were hit in the flank or rear.  At the time I couldn't readily find the relevant rule.

Subsequently I did a search in Edge which invoked Bing and provided the following:

The search results didn't help, but the AI response, seemed definitive.  It just didn't give a reference.

I asked the same question in Google and got unhelpful results.

However, having now read the rules carefully I still couldn't find it.  So, ignoring the search results I went to the forum.

https://impetus.darkbb.com/t1753-unit-with-long-spear-etc-contacted-flank-or-rear#12158

Putting aside any issues with how I constructed the question, what impresses me is how AI got it wrong while sounding so authoritative.  Rather annoying me thinks.

I am so glad that Phil confirmed my reading, and that site administrator/rule's author(s) provided a truly definitive response.

Barbarossa Revisited - GT 8

The turn starts with dry weather everywhere.

Army Group North investing Riga and heading to Daugavpils.

Red line is the Army Group border.

Army Group Centre trying to surround Minsk.