Festival of Pike, a small late medieval tournament

[stockwellpete]

Challenge for Fedem is ready: password is "Fedem".

[the_iron_duke]

We have the first result of the Festival of Pike - and what an epic, glorious battle! It was my Venetians against solly's Castilians.

We started evenly but solly soon edged ahead, building up a lead of about ten points. By the time we got to its middle stages I really felt the battle was likely lost. However, there was a lot of tough fighting still to go and I started to slowly claw back the points deficit. Just as the score evened out, disaster struck for solly and his c-in-c was killed. With just a few points left to try and scrape up, this was a boost to my momentum and pushed me over the finishing line.

My c-in-c was also killed in the final turn and I almost turned victory into a draw with a cohesion loss chain. The game ended 40/42 vs 42/41, so I'm sure you can appreciate how finely-balanced the contest was!

Thanks for the game, solly - you were a valourous and admirable opponent and I wish you better luck in your next two matches!

[ericdoman1]

My game vs the Fogman is on it's 6th turn and no fighting yet.

I won initiative and chose the map, with numerous marshes and woods on my left (prob from centre and left, all the way up to the Fogman's deployemnt area). Hoped to nullify the Swiss but it has also nullified my hf.

A bit of a standoff is now occurring as I redeploy my troops. Casualties are from missile fire, which is quite limited.

There is a distinct possibility this will be either a very long game (Fogman can only move 1 turn a day mid week but we'll pick up speed on the weekends and or a draw.

[the_iron_duke]

Sounds like a tactical contest. A draw would surely be a bigger prize for fogman so you'll have to pull your socks up, or whatever medieval stockings you're wearing, to beat the unseeded player.

Did you know that the King of Denmark in the early part of the 15th century was Eric of Pomerania? Spooky...

I have a bit of time to rest on my laurels then and will patiently await heralds bearing news of other battles between the royal houses of Europe.

[ericdoman1]

Eric of Pomerania, yes very spooky

Will attempt to pull my stockings up (no suspenders) and stop crushing your laurels

[the_iron_duke]

The Swedes actually had a House of Eric - which is presumably where you live now. Here is the Coat of Arms of Stockholm, depicting Eric the Saint of Sweden and based on the medieval seal: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Stockholm_vapen.svg

I should imagine the resemblance is uncanny.

[ericdoman1]

It's only my Christian name (first name).

No idea where my descendants are from.

I was born in Wales, UK.

And yes the resemblance is quite similar

[fogman]

there is some movement. my medium foot is getting pulled into losing fights. but my heavy foot including the prized swiss are intact. it won't be a draw though.

[stockwellpete]

I think my game with Fedem is going to be a long one. We have had 5-6 turns of shooting so far and just one of my skirmishers is currently "fragmented".

[the_iron_duke]

The sprinters have run their course - bring on the marathon men!

[ericdoman1]

Medieval Danish (later)/ericdoman1, 17/39 vs 41/40 Medieval German (later)/fogman

This was a very tough game and the score doesn't do fogman any justice.

We finished on turn 15 so it was a long and hard game.

[fogman]

thanks eric. it was a very frustrating game for me. the failure of the medium foot to take out that cavalry unit in the woods was particularly annoying. not to mention the part where i forgot to turn my swiss pike and got hacked from behind. i'm pumped for a rematch down the road though.

[stockwellpete]

Me and Fedem are at halfway (turn 12) . . . current score is 0/33 to 6/36 in my favour. Lots of shooting and some very shaky looking archer units on the battlefield. This will probably go past 20 turns.

[the_iron_duke]

King Eric demonstrates his battlefield prowess again then. Don't be dismayed, Baron Fogman, for Eric has supernatural powers granted to him by the pixie king in return for his 1970s Welsh football Panini sticker album.

I'm not surprised the French and Burgundians are fighting a slow war of attrition, since they are both more shooty than some of the other armies.

[fogman]

i'm hardly dismayed. it was the most encouraging defeat i suffered. i may have come out down 0-3 but i hit a few crossbars along the way. eric is beatable, barcelona may he be.

the sky is red. the plain echoes
with the silence of young warriors.
the moon rises, casts torn shadows
on the grim face of their reaper.

[ericdoman1]

fogman

Noticed your previous post about being "pumped".

Good to hear and that was exactly how I felt when I was being beaten by x players, until I was able to beat them.

That is the type of motivation you need to improve.

Thing is I think players are improving. have had a number of games where I have been beaten recently and on a few ocassions pretty convincingly as well.

I have decided not to give advice to players anymore LOL.

If you like we could have a mirror match. I will use the Med Germans Later, (had thought about using them in a tabletop comp) and you can use the Danes, just pm me with a pw.

[FedeM]

Fedem Ord Burgundian 35/36 vs stockwellpete Ord French (later) 26/33.

A DRAW!

Men that was close!! 24 or 25 turns really don't know...lol. It was like it never ended!!
My first time I reach the turns limit.
Thank god we have a river where we were able to more or less set a defensice position :/. The enemy longbowmen and crossbowmen were able to do more damage than us with the arrows.

I think 4 or 5 of my men ended with 55-59% of their strength only.
Bad luck Pete....if those Longbowmen which ended at 55% (166 men) had routed on the last turn it should have been your battle. One more corpse....

I really like this army but you really need the help of the terrain if not....you can have a bad time.
Pitty all the arty this guys have and it's almost useless to buy it....

Amazing battle anyway.

cheers!

[stockwellpete]

I think 4 or 5 of my men ended with 55-59% of their strength only.

3 on 55% all steady
1 on 56% disrupted
2 on 59% steady
1 on 60% disrupted

On the next turn I could have got about 8 or 9pts. This game makes you pull your hair out at times!

[FedeM]

Yup, tell me about it....

2 Of your longbowmen engaged on the river with one of my own Longbowmen and the other with the Yorkist dismiunted men-at arms, were on a real bad shape too.

Im tired of loosing my camp

One more turn and maybe I could pull 4 more pts, 5 with some luck, and probably yu will get the one yu need it as only one of my ord men at arms could maybe rally (with more than luck).

Would you like a rematch? Out of the tournament of course.

Cheers!

[Turk1964]

Battle Report Round 1 Game 1

Turk1964(Swiss Burgundian War) 18/40 def Tivials(Low Countries) 40/40

Swiss were a bit too strong for the Low counties Average Pike but it was a good fight despite the final score.Thanks for a great game Tivials. Cheers Turk