Landsknechts and Prussians - Round One

[ahuyton]

1. Renaissance Period

The game will be: (from Age of Machiavelli) - German States 1543 - 1559 v Austrian 1543 - 1558

Match-ups (player on the left is German, and player on the right is Austrian)
Germans players can lauch the games, but if the opponent does it first do not worry just accept the game and play.

Kiwiwarlord v Gribol
AlexdeTrojan v Tomoegozen
Gdod v Snugglebunnies
GentlemanRanker v Marl-Boroman
Dang v Cromlechi
SMJohnso77 v Awesum4
ahuyton v Snooky51
Warrior230 v Pancalvus

2. 17th Century Period

The game will be: Dettingen 1743 (Odenathus scenario)

Treat this as a warm-up, no Prussians or Austrians but a 7 Years War battle anyway.
Allies players can lauch the games, but if the opponent does it first do not worry just accept the game and play.

Match-ups

Awesum4 (Allies) v Gdod (French)
Dang (Allies) v Cromlechi (French)
Snooky51 (Allies) v Tomoegozen (French)
SMJohnso77 (Allies) v Marl-Boroman (French)

[gribol]

Large funds?

[ahuyton]

Sorry, for the Renaissance games, large armies, wide and agricultural terrain

[GDod]

Welcome to my fellow Frenchmen Cromlechi, Tomoegozen and Marl-Boroman. Enjoy and good fortune follow you throughout the campaign.

Remember the Wars of the Austrian succession were really fought over an unguarded comment about the correct size of aristocratic nose, and King George's over-sized proboscis. Moreover, remember that at the Battle of Dettingen George II will be the last British sovereign to fight alongside his soldiers (probably due to his own troops derisive comments about his nose). So, DON'T MENTION THE NOSE . Lastly, keep the games good humoured

Hostilities begin over nose comment.jpg (30.65 KiB) Viewed 7136 times

Good luck at Dettingen, “Ecrasez les !”

[AlexDetrojan]

I'm assuming this is the thread where to place game results? If so,these are the results with my excellent opponent Tomoegozen: Germans 64 - Austrians 36. An absolutely tense battle with a lot of back and forth. Came down to lucky match-ups as opposed to any great plan or generalship on my part. Our soldiers limp off the battlefield searching for the nearest tavern to quench their thirsts. Thanks for the game Dave!

[awesum4]

Alex,

did you win or did Tomoegozen......the percentages you quote point to Austrian victory but your comments sound like your victorious but weary troops are off to celebrate.

Either way, I'm glad you enjoyed the game, these battles will all be tough as the armies are very similar,

thanks,

Andre

[TomoeGozen]

It will be the Germans enjoying a victory beer and bratwurst in the local inns.
Thanks to Alex for a great game.

[AlexDetrojan]

Oh, I guess I'm new to tournaments scoring. Yes, I was fortunate enough to win this one. Cheers...now back to the tavern.

[KiwiWarlord]

Oh, I guess I'm new to tournaments scoring. Yes, I was fortunate enough to win this one. Cheers...now back to the tavern.

Enjoy your well earned beer Alex, well done. You have been awarded the Iron Cross.

[PanCalvus]

Lord Gribol, I came to report a hard fought 61-43 victory over the cunning Count warrior230 in the Battle for Cannon Hill.

The battle was going to take place in an open field. Under the cover of the night our forces were deployed around one of the few notable geographic features present, a small hill. Our cannons took the hill itself for open lines of sight, while our regular infantry formed a main line in front of it. The cavalry and irregulars took up positions on the flank and in reserve. When the morning sun lit the battlefield it became clear the opposing forces hadn't nearly fielded as much artillery as we had, and their reaction was to adopt an aggressive approach. Their main line came forward to pressure ours while a mix of light and heavy cavalry came in on our left flank, supported by crossbow fire. We fell back a little and shifted our line leftwards a bit to better match theirs. A small contingent of our light cavalry performed a minor flanking maneuver on the right flank, which succeeded in tying up some pursuers and taking out the enemy's artillery unit, while on the left our cavalry dealt with the crossbow fire with a charge, but was consequently overrun by the enemy's cavalry assault itself. Their horses broke through and cleaned up Cannon Hill with little resistance. But thanks to the damage our bombardments had already done the main front looked good, and I knew the outcome of the battle would ride on whether the opposition on this front could be dealt with fast enough that our troops could defend from a cavalry charge from the rear. Luckily this turned out to be the case. The smaller enemy infantry formations started to rout, our own smaller formations turned around to protect against their cavalry and the outcome was decided when the keils on our right flank broke their direct opponents and started rolling up the main front from the side.



We salute warrior230 for their valiant charge and strong counter play in the face of our terrain advantage, and will gladly ransom them back to their family with only minor battlefield injuries.

[awesum4]

Well played Pancalvus,

thanks for the detailed account of the battle.

We will not offer trinkets like Iron Crosses, instead we will allow you to take a large slice of the lands you have captured, 3 of the finest horses from our stables, and a couple of the comeliest tavern wenches from the town of Ubermenchen,

Once again, you have our heartfelt thanks,

Andre of Habsburg,'
'
King of Hungary, soon to be King of all the Germanies.

[cromlechi]

Welcome to my fellow Frenchmen Cromlechi, Tomoegozen and Marl-Boroman. Enjoy and good fortune follow you throughout the campaign.

Remember the Wars of the Austrian succession were really fought over an unguarded comment about the correct size of aristocratic nose, and King George's over-sized proboscis. Moreover, remember that at the Battle of Dettingen George II will be the last British sovereign to fight alongside his soldiers (probably due to his own troops derisive comments about his nose). So, DON'T MENTION THE NOSE . Lastly, keep the games good humoured

Hostilities begin over nose comment.jpg

Good luck at Dettingen, “Ecrasez les !”

Thank you, sorry I got slaughtered and had my nose rubbed right in it.

[awesum4]

I had a cunning plan for my battle against the always tough Steve Johnson, buy lots of light horse and cavalry and destroy his flanks to get into his rear before our outnumbered pike blocks engaged his pike. As soon as we deployed I saw the flaw in my plan, we had the same number of pike and about the same number of light horse, we had a slight advantage in cavalry and gendarmes which was negated slightly by his extra light foot skirmishers who outflanked my right wing light horse. However I got to occupy the forest on my left centre which was the only notable terrain feature.

Both armies advanced and my cavalry and light horse did well to gain a good advantage, partly due to me have a later tercio to throw into the line. But 1 of my pike broke almost immediately. I was feeling confident up 41% to 21% when 3 of my pike broke in a single bound to tie us at 41% all.

But my extra cavalry and lighthorse ripped his wings to pieces and the final score was 65% to 46% to me. A great battle that could have gone either way, but fortune favoured the Austrians this time.

[snooky51]

Andre of Habsburg!

Rejoice! The rebellious princes of your Most Holy Roman Empire have been routed from the field of battle and in short time will pledge their fealty to Your Highness once more. We estimate a victory of 49% Germans routed to 20% Imperials.

This battle field was most unusual with a wooded and rough terrained hill in the center and a flat, open plain on our right flank. Although we had expected to use our superior cavalry to win the day, Prince-Elector Ahuyton, through cunning and trickery, got the best of many of our cavalry. It was the push of the pike that won us the day as it appears Your Majesty purchased the service of the best and most enthusiastic of the landsknechts in Europe. The poor Prince-Elector Ahuyton must of felt helpless as his supposedly equal pike blocks were routed by yours, My Lord.

[GDod]

The poor Prince-Elector Ahuyton must of felt helpless ...

Our Prince appears to have retired to the privy at Heidelberger Schloss and hasn't been seen since. We're dredging the moat but fear the worst.

The Privy Heidelburg Schloss.jpg (21.8 KiB) Viewed 6836 times

[awesum4]

Well done Lord Snooky,

the prime lands captured by you are yours to keep (subject to the usual Imperial taxes of course). Magnificent horses and very comely wenches are being dispatched to you even now in show of our appreciation,

Andre of Habsburg.

[snooky51]

The poor Prince-Elector Ahuyton must of felt helpless ...

Our Prince appears to have retired to the privy at Heidelberger Schloss and hasn't been seen since. We're dredging the moat but fear the worst.

The Privy Heidelburg Schloss.jpg

I hope he is well, despite being at arms against on another. He does host the best tournaments.

[Marl_Boroman]

Your imperial majesty,
Holy Virgin blessed us with victory. Sinister german army forced to retreat.

Enemy anchored his arquebuses in large rough ground on his left flank and easily dispersed our own by his superior shooting, even locked both of imperial tercios in deadly crossfire. But meanwhile, key to our succes, hungarians and their swift horses, managed to tire down german heavy lancers and began to weaken ladsknecht formations before main engagement.

When mercenaries locked in close combat, the fight was long time inconclusive. Althrough we got to charge a few flank attacks, enemy held firmly and men were taking heavy casualities. By that time, our last standing tercio managed to cross unfavorable terrain, paying heavy price for every step, and clashed with landsknechts fighting in close combat, proving themselves to be decisive tausend Männer. Thus, enemy will to keep fighting was broken. Thanks to the heavens, because any prolonged battle would favour germans, as their intact light foot would easily repel our decimated pikes.

GentlemanRanker: 61%
Marl_Boroman: 45%

edit: spelling

[GDod]

Sinister german army ...

I thought how unfair but then again I found this gem in Why German Soldiers Don’t Have to Obey Orders; The country's military is disobedient by design by ERIN BLAKEMORE

Military disobedience is actually baked into the German Bundeswehr, or armed forces. And the reasons why can be found in the country’s sinister past.

How did you guess? Clearly, they retreated without orders!

[ahuyton]

So time for a round-up on the Renaissance Games.

Wins for the German States

AlexdeTrojan
Dang

Wins for the Austrians

Pancalvus
Gribol
Marl-Boroman
Snooky51
Awesum4

Games still going

Gdod v Snugglebunnies

So Round One will be a triumph for the Emperor and his vastly superior Landsknechts. The poor peasants of the German principalities will reluctantly pay tribute to Holy Roman Emperor Andre I and turn their attention northwards, where the Polish cavalry await their attention.