Battle Report: Late Medieval Germans vs Medieval Portuguese
Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2008 8:12 am
This is a repost of a previous battle report. I had to repost it because I lost the links to the photos in the previous battle report.
My Medieval Germans fought a Greg Jenning's Medieval Portuguese army.
Having the advantage of local knowledge I gained the initiative.
Deployment
The evil dogs Portuguese deployed his light foot hand gunnners in the enclosed field on my left flank and insider of them some medium foot, behind the open field. Then strung out across the centre were three battle groups of long bows, with two battle groups of superior knights behind. Then on my right flank was on group of dismounted knights, disguised as halberdiers and then a battle group of longbow. In front of them was a battle group of light horse and behind them a battle group of knights.
I place my lighter men-at-arms (cavalry with lances) on my left flank and a battle group of eight crossbow on the steep hill. In the centre I placed a block of 16 pike, with a battle group of four halberdiers attached to them and eight light foot with crossbows in front of the pike. On their right was a battle group of two war wagons. On the right flank I deployed a battle group of six cavalry with crossbows and behind them two battle groups each with 4 feudal man-at-arms in each (knights superior, undrill).
Initial Moves
On my left flank his medium foot and light foot did a merry complex dance of meaningless moves and I advanced my lighter men-at-arms forward to exploit the opportunity to charge the medium foot in the flank. My crossbowmen advanced off the steep hill, so they could shoot at left flank of the bowmen.
In the centre three battle groups of long bows advanced aggressively towards my pike. I responded by advancing my pike. The long bow attempted to get rid of the light foot screening my pike, but the light foot withstood several cohesion tests. It helped that a general was within command range. The war wagons to protected the right flank of the pike.
On the right my cavalry with crossbows deployed to take on the light horse. However, he counted by positioning a battle group of long bows so they could shoot at my cavalry. I advanced the knights to have crack at his dismounted knights. However, one battle group of knights was diverted to help the cavalry.
The Middle of the Battle and Breakthrough
My lighter men-at-arms entered the open field. They were disrupted by the light foot shooting on their left flank. However, the general managed to bolster them.
My steady pike burst though the light foot with general at their head. The light foot routed, because they had been fragmented by the long bows shooting. The crossbowmen on the left flank also charged into the long bow. My pike steadly degraded the long bows. They broke one battle group of long bows and fragmented another.
On my right flank things were not going so well. My cavalry with crossbows was routed by the shooting of the light horse and long bow. It then successfully evaded the light horse and was rallied by my general. A battle group of knights came to their aid, but was only able to get one base on the long bows and had to break off, because the long bows passed their cohesion test and remained steady.
End of the Battle
My lighter men-at-arms were charged by the medium foot in the front and light foot in the flank (the light foot were allowed to charge the lighter men-at-arms because they where in rough terrain and disordered). The lighter men-at-arms lost the combat. They routed and were caught by the light foot, because they rolled a one for evade and because of the angle they were at. They reached their auto breakpoint and were removed.
In the centre the light foot routed off the battlefield, because the general was busy with the pike.
On the right flank my knights charged the dismounted knights and did nothing. The knights facing the bow unsuccessfully attempted to charge the long bow again. They lost a combination of three of four bases to shooting and combat and auto broke. The light horse charged the the fragmented cavalry armed with crossbows. The fragmented cavalry failed its cohesion test and routed.
Lesson Learned
1) The lighter men-at-arms should have gone into uneven ground on my left flank.
2) I should have let the mounted crossbowmen get tripped up against the terrain on my Right flank. I should have battle group of knights closer to support them.
3) I should have deployed the battle wagons on a flank to deny it, with support of my mounted crossbowmen. The knights should have been deployed in the centre.
4) My halberdiers did not get into the battle.
My Medieval Germans fought a Greg Jenning's Medieval Portuguese army.
Having the advantage of local knowledge I gained the initiative.
Deployment
The evil dogs Portuguese deployed his light foot hand gunnners in the enclosed field on my left flank and insider of them some medium foot, behind the open field. Then strung out across the centre were three battle groups of long bows, with two battle groups of superior knights behind. Then on my right flank was on group of dismounted knights, disguised as halberdiers and then a battle group of longbow. In front of them was a battle group of light horse and behind them a battle group of knights.
I place my lighter men-at-arms (cavalry with lances) on my left flank and a battle group of eight crossbow on the steep hill. In the centre I placed a block of 16 pike, with a battle group of four halberdiers attached to them and eight light foot with crossbows in front of the pike. On their right was a battle group of two war wagons. On the right flank I deployed a battle group of six cavalry with crossbows and behind them two battle groups each with 4 feudal man-at-arms in each (knights superior, undrill).
Initial Moves
On my left flank his medium foot and light foot did a merry complex dance of meaningless moves and I advanced my lighter men-at-arms forward to exploit the opportunity to charge the medium foot in the flank. My crossbowmen advanced off the steep hill, so they could shoot at left flank of the bowmen.
In the centre three battle groups of long bows advanced aggressively towards my pike. I responded by advancing my pike. The long bow attempted to get rid of the light foot screening my pike, but the light foot withstood several cohesion tests. It helped that a general was within command range. The war wagons to protected the right flank of the pike.
On the right my cavalry with crossbows deployed to take on the light horse. However, he counted by positioning a battle group of long bows so they could shoot at my cavalry. I advanced the knights to have crack at his dismounted knights. However, one battle group of knights was diverted to help the cavalry.
The Middle of the Battle and Breakthrough
My lighter men-at-arms entered the open field. They were disrupted by the light foot shooting on their left flank. However, the general managed to bolster them.
My steady pike burst though the light foot with general at their head. The light foot routed, because they had been fragmented by the long bows shooting. The crossbowmen on the left flank also charged into the long bow. My pike steadly degraded the long bows. They broke one battle group of long bows and fragmented another.
On my right flank things were not going so well. My cavalry with crossbows was routed by the shooting of the light horse and long bow. It then successfully evaded the light horse and was rallied by my general. A battle group of knights came to their aid, but was only able to get one base on the long bows and had to break off, because the long bows passed their cohesion test and remained steady.
End of the Battle
My lighter men-at-arms were charged by the medium foot in the front and light foot in the flank (the light foot were allowed to charge the lighter men-at-arms because they where in rough terrain and disordered). The lighter men-at-arms lost the combat. They routed and were caught by the light foot, because they rolled a one for evade and because of the angle they were at. They reached their auto breakpoint and were removed.
In the centre the light foot routed off the battlefield, because the general was busy with the pike.
On the right flank my knights charged the dismounted knights and did nothing. The knights facing the bow unsuccessfully attempted to charge the long bow again. They lost a combination of three of four bases to shooting and combat and auto broke. The light horse charged the the fragmented cavalry armed with crossbows. The fragmented cavalry failed its cohesion test and routed.
Lesson Learned
1) The lighter men-at-arms should have gone into uneven ground on my left flank.
2) I should have let the mounted crossbowmen get tripped up against the terrain on my Right flank. I should have battle group of knights closer to support them.
3) I should have deployed the battle wagons on a flank to deny it, with support of my mounted crossbowmen. The knights should have been deployed in the centre.
4) My halberdiers did not get into the battle.