Venetians vs. Ottomans
Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2012 11:00 pm
I've been meaning to post this report...
This was an 'artillery battle' with several units on both sides being broken by artillery fire.
The 1st turn:
The Venetians mass their shooty cavalry and gendarmes in the center, with entrenched artillery on the flanks with supporting arqubusiers and stradiots as flankguards.
The Ottomans have entrenched artillery, but have moved their spahis and janissaries out to offer battle, it seems.
The Venetian center advances. Notice that the Venetian light cavalry has already suffered casualties due to artillery fire. I guess it was a sort of 'Charge of the light brigade'.
The Ottmans deploy to receive.
Meanwhile, the Venetian select militia starts working up the flank, covered by stradiots.
A unit of Spahis, deploying to skirmish with the Gendarmes, is shot at by the Venetian light cavalry on both flanks. The other Venetian Gendarmes have spied the Ottoman camp on the Ottoman right flank (not behind the Ottoman fortifications for some reason) and decide it will be easier pickings.
Artillery effects: Venetian light cavarly broken by artillery fire, with General in pursuit to rally them. They never did rally.
Spahis under pressure, losing casualties to fire.
The Venetians continue to advance, throwing the mounted arquebusiers toward the Ottoman camp, and withdrawing their mounted xbows, from infront of the Ottoman artillery, which is causing more casualties. The Gendarmes are about to charge the Spahis in the field.
Gendarmes charge, the Spahis try to evade uncovering the Janissaries, but don't make it. The Gendarmes hit both units.
The Janissaries and Spahis, however, show their stuff, and break the Gendarmes.
More artillery effects: Venetian infantry and artillery disrupted by Ottoman artillery fire. The infantry have taken heavy casualties.
The infantry are destroyed by artillery fire. The artillery has been fragged.
The Venetians keep doggedly advancing. But a unit of arquebusiers has been fragged in a fire fight with azabs, and another xbow light cavalry unit has also been fragged by artillery fire. The rest of the Gendarmes ride forward into the shot/arrow storm.
Gendarmes rally!! Unfortunately, they lose another base to Ottoman artillery and are auto-broken.
Spahis on the right take it on the chin.
Other gendarmes in the center charge into the Janisarries.
Spahis are broken and chased to destruction. The pursuit takes the Gendarmes into the azabs.
The remaining Gendarmes charge into the Janissaries and start a continuing melee, with some Spahis joining in, while another janissary orta and Spahi unit try to get positioned to charge the rear of the Gendarmes.
The Spahis in the rear are fragged by the remaining Venetian artillery!
And then are broken by the Venetian artillery! And rout through the Janissaries!
I guess we did good, eh Paulo?
Unfortunately the Gendarmes make a tactical mistake and break off from the Janissaries. Never should have done that...
The Spahi unit withdraws to deal with the Gendarmes who have finished murdering the azabs, and the Janissaries are able to deploy to shoot at the Gendarmes. the way is open to the Ottoman camp, and the Stradiots are chomping at the bit to get there.
The Gendarmes get fragged by shooting.
The Gendarmes get destroyed by shooting. Such a waste of ducats. The Doge is going to be pissed. The Janissaries advance on the already reduced light cavalry, although they take some casualties from the Venetian foot.
The light horse are broken by casualties, and that sends the Venetians over their break point.
Gunpowder decided this game, and was we thought, a very curious set up since both sides had lots of field fortifications. Which are useless against medium and heavy artillery, as the Venetians found out. The performance of the Venetian artillery was pretty dismal. The small Venetian mounted units, while quite handy, were very vulnerable to gunpowder weapons.
Venetian Army:
4 Generals, all TC's
3 units of 4 stands each, of Gendarmes, Fully armored, avg, heavy lance, swordsman
2 units of 4 stands each, of Stradiots, LH, unarmored, avg, light lance, swordsman
2 units of 4 stands each, of mounted xbows, LH, armored, avg, xbow
1 unit of 6 stands, mounted arquebusiers, LH, unarmored, avg, carbine
3 units of 6 stands each, of arquebusiers, MF, unarmored avg, arquebus
1 unit of 6 stands of militia xbow, LF, unarmored, poor, xbow
2 units of 2 stands each, Heavy artillery, avg
Fortifications to cover the front of artillery and infantry.
This was an 'artillery battle' with several units on both sides being broken by artillery fire.
The 1st turn:
The Venetians mass their shooty cavalry and gendarmes in the center, with entrenched artillery on the flanks with supporting arqubusiers and stradiots as flankguards.
The Ottomans have entrenched artillery, but have moved their spahis and janissaries out to offer battle, it seems.
The Venetian center advances. Notice that the Venetian light cavalry has already suffered casualties due to artillery fire. I guess it was a sort of 'Charge of the light brigade'.
The Ottmans deploy to receive.
Meanwhile, the Venetian select militia starts working up the flank, covered by stradiots.
A unit of Spahis, deploying to skirmish with the Gendarmes, is shot at by the Venetian light cavalry on both flanks. The other Venetian Gendarmes have spied the Ottoman camp on the Ottoman right flank (not behind the Ottoman fortifications for some reason) and decide it will be easier pickings.
Artillery effects: Venetian light cavarly broken by artillery fire, with General in pursuit to rally them. They never did rally.
Spahis under pressure, losing casualties to fire.
The Venetians continue to advance, throwing the mounted arquebusiers toward the Ottoman camp, and withdrawing their mounted xbows, from infront of the Ottoman artillery, which is causing more casualties. The Gendarmes are about to charge the Spahis in the field.
Gendarmes charge, the Spahis try to evade uncovering the Janissaries, but don't make it. The Gendarmes hit both units.
The Janissaries and Spahis, however, show their stuff, and break the Gendarmes.
More artillery effects: Venetian infantry and artillery disrupted by Ottoman artillery fire. The infantry have taken heavy casualties.
The infantry are destroyed by artillery fire. The artillery has been fragged.
The Venetians keep doggedly advancing. But a unit of arquebusiers has been fragged in a fire fight with azabs, and another xbow light cavalry unit has also been fragged by artillery fire. The rest of the Gendarmes ride forward into the shot/arrow storm.
Gendarmes rally!! Unfortunately, they lose another base to Ottoman artillery and are auto-broken.
Spahis on the right take it on the chin.
Other gendarmes in the center charge into the Janisarries.
Spahis are broken and chased to destruction. The pursuit takes the Gendarmes into the azabs.
The remaining Gendarmes charge into the Janissaries and start a continuing melee, with some Spahis joining in, while another janissary orta and Spahi unit try to get positioned to charge the rear of the Gendarmes.
The Spahis in the rear are fragged by the remaining Venetian artillery!
And then are broken by the Venetian artillery! And rout through the Janissaries!
I guess we did good, eh Paulo?
Unfortunately the Gendarmes make a tactical mistake and break off from the Janissaries. Never should have done that...
The Spahi unit withdraws to deal with the Gendarmes who have finished murdering the azabs, and the Janissaries are able to deploy to shoot at the Gendarmes. the way is open to the Ottoman camp, and the Stradiots are chomping at the bit to get there. The Gendarmes get fragged by shooting.
The Gendarmes get destroyed by shooting. Such a waste of ducats. The Doge is going to be pissed. The Janissaries advance on the already reduced light cavalry, although they take some casualties from the Venetian foot.
The light horse are broken by casualties, and that sends the Venetians over their break point.
Gunpowder decided this game, and was we thought, a very curious set up since both sides had lots of field fortifications. Which are useless against medium and heavy artillery, as the Venetians found out. The performance of the Venetian artillery was pretty dismal. The small Venetian mounted units, while quite handy, were very vulnerable to gunpowder weapons.
Venetian Army:
4 Generals, all TC's
3 units of 4 stands each, of Gendarmes, Fully armored, avg, heavy lance, swordsman
2 units of 4 stands each, of Stradiots, LH, unarmored, avg, light lance, swordsman
2 units of 4 stands each, of mounted xbows, LH, armored, avg, xbow
1 unit of 6 stands, mounted arquebusiers, LH, unarmored, avg, carbine
3 units of 6 stands each, of arquebusiers, MF, unarmored avg, arquebus
1 unit of 6 stands of militia xbow, LF, unarmored, poor, xbow
2 units of 2 stands each, Heavy artillery, avg
Fortifications to cover the front of artillery and infantry.
