Battle Report: Later Medieval Germans vs Macedonians
Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 10:30 am
Well I had another battle with my Medieval Germans to today. I fought the Macedonians commanded by Craig Bryon and won.
Deployment
I lost the initiative. I deployed my crossbowmen on the left flank in front the steep hill. I had the battle wagons to right of them. Then there were my battle group of 12 pike with light foot with crossbow in front of them. In the centre was the two heavy artillery pieces. Next I had a battle group of six mercenary men-at-arms (average knights). On the right flank I had a battle group of six mounted crossbow men and to the right of them a battle group of six Hungarians, six light horse with bow.
I had a flank march coming on from my left flank with a battle group of six lighter men-at-arms (cavalry with armour and armed with lances), a battle group of four mercenary men-at-arms and a field commander.
Opposing my crossbowmen on the left flank were six light infantry with javelins. Facing the battle wagons were a battle group of cavalry with light spear and bow. Facing my pike and light foot was a battle line consisting three battle groups of pike, each containing eight bases of pikes, a battle group of six light infantry with bow and battle group of six bases of offensive spear medium foot. There was then a gap, surprise surprise where my heavy artillery’s firing lane was. In the centre there was a battle group of eight medium foot offensive spear with a battle group of two elephants on the right hand side. To right of this was a battle group of eight archers. In Reserve, behind them, were the companions. Finally there was a battle group of six light horse, armed with light spear and bow, on my extreme right flank.
Initial Movement
I rolled for my flank match and rolled a nine, with a +1 for having a force commander with the flank march this meant it was coming on the next turn!
I advanced my light infantry, armed with crossbows, to have a crack disrupting his pike. My mounted crossbow advanced so they could shoot at the elephants and my Hungarians advanced to block the advance of his light horse on my right flank.
His light infantry on the steep hill and light horse on the left flank turned to deal with my flank march. His Companions came over to deal with the flank march.
He advanced his three battle groups of pike (each with eight bases of pike) advanced towards my pikes, with his light foot armed with bow in front of them. However, for some unknown reason he had left the medium foot behind. I rushed to exploit this opportunity with my battle group of six mercenary knights, while my pike advanced to prevent his pike turning and charging my knights in the flank. The mounted crossbowmen moved to pin his medium infantry on my flank for the same reason. Otherwise the mounted crossbowmen would have retired, to avoid shooting from his battle group of archers.
Combat
Shooting from his archers disrupted my mounted crossbow, but I managed to bolster them back up. My knights in the centre charged his light foot, which fled behind his pikes. His light horse on my right flank charged his light horse, but my light horse successfully evaded.
On left flank his companions moved to face my lighter men-at-arms head on, while his light horse maneuvered to try and catch my lighter men-at-arms with a flank charge. However, he forgot about my battle group battle group of mercenary men-at-arms following up behind. When he declared flank charge with his light horse my mercenary men-at-arms declared an intercept charge and smashed into his light horse. He called on his light infantry to support his light horse, by moving them into overlap. However, this made it worse, because he lost two battle groups of instead of one. His Campanions charged my lighter men-at-arms. After an initial stalemate they were slow getting the better of my lighter men-at-arms, my lighter men-at-arms having lost one base and becoming his disrupted.
My light foot failed to disrupt his pikes, despite four turns of shooting. His pikes then charged them and they evaded. They subsequently turned 90 degree and were moving into where they could have crack at the battle group of pikes on the left.
In the centre my battle group of six mercenary men-at-arms and his light foot, with C in C in the front rank, routed his medium infantry. The light foot had also routed, but had managed just outpace the knights in the pursuit.
The variable move of his two battle groups of pikes that had charged resulted in one being ahead of the other. I took this opportunity to charge my battle group of 12 pike against his most advance battle group of eight pike. I was not as successful as I hoped. His other battle group of eight pike advanced into combat and I was beginning to get the worse of it, having lost base and my pike becoming disrupted.
My crossbowmen managed to get in a position where they could shoot into the flank of the pikes, but they had no effective. However, they were in a position were they could charge into their flank in a subsequent turn, but if they could escape if the pike turned to face and charge them, being more than three inches from the pike
On the right flank my mounted crossbowmen successfully evaded a charge by his medium infantry, but not before becoming fragmented by shooting from his battle group of archers. My Hungarians had also been fragmented by shooting from his light horse.
Conclusion
That was the end of the battle. We called it a victory for the Medieval Germans, because the Macedonians had eight attrition points and the Medieval Germans had two attrition points.
Mistakes Made with the Rules
None!
Lessons I Learned
1) I persisted with battle wagons, but they did nothing all battle, because having to make tests for every move. They and the heavy artillery are just not worth it, because of the offensive manner in which I am using this army.
2) I should have deployed the mounted crossbow on the extreme right to take on his light horse. They are light horse killers with one shoot per base and being armoured cavalry.
3) I should have got the crossbowmen on my left flank into action quicker.
Deployment
I lost the initiative. I deployed my crossbowmen on the left flank in front the steep hill. I had the battle wagons to right of them. Then there were my battle group of 12 pike with light foot with crossbow in front of them. In the centre was the two heavy artillery pieces. Next I had a battle group of six mercenary men-at-arms (average knights). On the right flank I had a battle group of six mounted crossbow men and to the right of them a battle group of six Hungarians, six light horse with bow.
I had a flank march coming on from my left flank with a battle group of six lighter men-at-arms (cavalry with armour and armed with lances), a battle group of four mercenary men-at-arms and a field commander.
Opposing my crossbowmen on the left flank were six light infantry with javelins. Facing the battle wagons were a battle group of cavalry with light spear and bow. Facing my pike and light foot was a battle line consisting three battle groups of pike, each containing eight bases of pikes, a battle group of six light infantry with bow and battle group of six bases of offensive spear medium foot. There was then a gap, surprise surprise where my heavy artillery’s firing lane was. In the centre there was a battle group of eight medium foot offensive spear with a battle group of two elephants on the right hand side. To right of this was a battle group of eight archers. In Reserve, behind them, were the companions. Finally there was a battle group of six light horse, armed with light spear and bow, on my extreme right flank.
Initial Movement
I rolled for my flank match and rolled a nine, with a +1 for having a force commander with the flank march this meant it was coming on the next turn!
I advanced my light infantry, armed with crossbows, to have a crack disrupting his pike. My mounted crossbow advanced so they could shoot at the elephants and my Hungarians advanced to block the advance of his light horse on my right flank.
His light infantry on the steep hill and light horse on the left flank turned to deal with my flank march. His Companions came over to deal with the flank march.
He advanced his three battle groups of pike (each with eight bases of pike) advanced towards my pikes, with his light foot armed with bow in front of them. However, for some unknown reason he had left the medium foot behind. I rushed to exploit this opportunity with my battle group of six mercenary knights, while my pike advanced to prevent his pike turning and charging my knights in the flank. The mounted crossbowmen moved to pin his medium infantry on my flank for the same reason. Otherwise the mounted crossbowmen would have retired, to avoid shooting from his battle group of archers.
Combat
Shooting from his archers disrupted my mounted crossbow, but I managed to bolster them back up. My knights in the centre charged his light foot, which fled behind his pikes. His light horse on my right flank charged his light horse, but my light horse successfully evaded.
On left flank his companions moved to face my lighter men-at-arms head on, while his light horse maneuvered to try and catch my lighter men-at-arms with a flank charge. However, he forgot about my battle group battle group of mercenary men-at-arms following up behind. When he declared flank charge with his light horse my mercenary men-at-arms declared an intercept charge and smashed into his light horse. He called on his light infantry to support his light horse, by moving them into overlap. However, this made it worse, because he lost two battle groups of instead of one. His Campanions charged my lighter men-at-arms. After an initial stalemate they were slow getting the better of my lighter men-at-arms, my lighter men-at-arms having lost one base and becoming his disrupted.
My light foot failed to disrupt his pikes, despite four turns of shooting. His pikes then charged them and they evaded. They subsequently turned 90 degree and were moving into where they could have crack at the battle group of pikes on the left.
In the centre my battle group of six mercenary men-at-arms and his light foot, with C in C in the front rank, routed his medium infantry. The light foot had also routed, but had managed just outpace the knights in the pursuit.
The variable move of his two battle groups of pikes that had charged resulted in one being ahead of the other. I took this opportunity to charge my battle group of 12 pike against his most advance battle group of eight pike. I was not as successful as I hoped. His other battle group of eight pike advanced into combat and I was beginning to get the worse of it, having lost base and my pike becoming disrupted.
My crossbowmen managed to get in a position where they could shoot into the flank of the pikes, but they had no effective. However, they were in a position were they could charge into their flank in a subsequent turn, but if they could escape if the pike turned to face and charge them, being more than three inches from the pike
On the right flank my mounted crossbowmen successfully evaded a charge by his medium infantry, but not before becoming fragmented by shooting from his battle group of archers. My Hungarians had also been fragmented by shooting from his light horse.
Conclusion
That was the end of the battle. We called it a victory for the Medieval Germans, because the Macedonians had eight attrition points and the Medieval Germans had two attrition points.
Mistakes Made with the Rules
None!
Lessons I Learned
1) I persisted with battle wagons, but they did nothing all battle, because having to make tests for every move. They and the heavy artillery are just not worth it, because of the offensive manner in which I am using this army.
2) I should have deployed the mounted crossbow on the extreme right to take on his light horse. They are light horse killers with one shoot per base and being armoured cavalry.
3) I should have got the crossbowmen on my left flank into action quicker.