Andy brought Normans vs my Early Teutonics for
900ap each in 15mm. Andy played a sneaky move and used the
fully mounted version; I doubt he will again. Gordon elected to joni me so Andy was on his own.
We got the initiative and chose Forests as I suspected we'd out MF and LF him.
Andy's baseline was well wooded but enough space on the left flank for him
to deploy and rush to take the gentle hill in his half of the table to his
left. We had brush in our centre and woods to the left. We sent MF xbow and LF
along the woods on our left with Turcopole LH drivng off Andy's solitary LF. On our right
Gordon matched Andy's knight rush with LH and Armoured Cav with Xbow. Early
shooting saw the crossbow disrupt enemy knights but charges from other
knights drove us back and his knights rallied. Meantime the Teutonic knights
swung right to turn the battle 90degs. Andy matched this and concentreated
his left flank against our weaker right that had cav and LH.
Meanwhile the race was on as Andy's LF fled into the woods but were now
being charged by MF and LH (
) in the wood and driven back out the other side. Both Normans and Teutonics then fell foul of impulsive charges at
inopportune moments and started to hack at each other piecemeal. Normans
drew first blood but the valiant Teutons held. Gradually the knight line
clashed and it all got very bloody. Teutonic LF got caught in the rear when
some Teutonic knights broke but the LF held just long enough for the Serving
Brother Xbow to trash the Norman knights who got dragged into the Forest
when conforming to the Teutonic LF.
On the Teutonic right we performed outstanding battlefield manouvres to
pivot the line on our centre and then aboutface again. Sadly our undrilled
Crusader knights were mobbed and collapsed but equaly a Norman BG imploded
as the Teutons exacted revenge. Andy had to send a BG of knights into the
brush to take on our Cav and LH as he'd strayed too close and we'd have shot
him to bits had he stayed there, being undrilled he had no option really....
Had Andy rolled better dice that fight might have been an even obe... but he went
to frag'd and at game end was about to be charged by LH in the brush.
By the time we called it the cream of the Norman nobility were broken and
many of Germany's finest were mortally wounded, but with Turcopoles chasing
down the Norman camp it was looking bleak for the Norman army and a couple of
turns would have seen them well defeated.
Final score was Teutnics 6 attrition lost, Normans 8. A winning draw
to the Teutonics.
Luck swung wildly with Andy doing well at first then me holding against the
odds. Both sides had BGs that lasted only a couple of turns and both sides
lost a general early on. Gordon's lucky dice rolling struck just when needed again to
kill off an enemy BG even as his own died - 2 Norman BGs vs 1 Teutonic
Crusader, both 1 of the Normans and the Teutonic Crusaders both.
Andy felt we should have attacked harder on our right but Gordon and I both
thought our retreat and then about face was better as it meant our Cav and
LH were better used in the rough vs the knights making it an even fight. We
also had wanted to try to get through the woods and out behind Andy before
we committed to fighting, sadly Shock troops usually fail you with plans
like that and they did. Andy had the option of staying on the hill but had
to come off to support his knights once I'd started combat so his options
were also limited by events. Had Andy gone with the Hvy Off Spear it may
have been a different story.
Steve P
