The new era of warfare is established by now, and the battlefields are full of deep pikemen formations escorted by musketeers and arquebusiers. Neither the Northern nor the Southern kingdoms seems able to establish great kingdoms like in the past, with the political landscape fragmenting in a series of smaller principalities locked in a state of seemingly perpetual warfare. During one of those small wars, the princely state of Travancore decided to invade the Deccan region, trying to conquer the state of Jodhpur. The two armies have introduced some changes in the last decades, and they are about to test them for the first time as the Jodhpur army deploys in the fields to stop the Travancore army's march toward the capital.
The first few turns see the two armies slowly marching toward each other: first the enemy until he gets into light artillery range, then mine to get into Arquebus range. After that, the pike blocks sort of align each other, and the first melees start. The enemy formation is a bit clumped together, with the Telingas Musketeers pulling off few shots before the contact. I decide to march a pike block on the right, putting it in a strong defensive position with rough ground on my left flank and front, followed by a Marathi Cavalry unit.
Balancing arquebusiers, cavalry (to give them Protected status) and pikes have been rather amusing.
On the right flank the cavalry battle has seen much more action: as the enemy Deccani Irregulars surged forward to fire their carbines, they found resistence in my light guns and Arquebusiers, protected by my Marathi Cavarlymen. A couple turns of gunfire convinced the enemy to bring forward his pistol-armed Sowar Heavy Horsemen. Their charge, however, was rather ineffective thanks to my Marathi Cavalry protecting the arquebusiers. My Sikh Raiders disperded the Irregulars, locking one in melee, but those pesky Deccani are still peppering my lines with carbine fire.
In Turn 6 I manage to get a flank charge on one of the Sowars on the right flank, while the other has been disrupted thanks to a valiant effort of my Marathi Cavalry. The Sikh Raiders have pinned another Deccani Irregular unit in melee, but despite being Impact Horses they failed to achieve big victories in the charge phase, and in melee the Deccani has pistols against my Raiders' swords...
Turn 7: the Sowars on the right flank have been routed, but the enemy has pushed back my Sikh Raiders and threatens to crush them. I'm bringing in more cavalry from the centre to solve the issue. Meanwhile, the big melee in the centre is going on without many surprises for now; an enemy pike block tries to pile on on one of mines, but steps in rough ground while doing so. I rout an enemy Telingas unit with cannon and arquebus fire; one of my arquebusiers unit has taken the center of the rough ground patch and I intend to make it count. Maybe I'll try to get another one there, but in the center there isn't much space for maneuvering so I'm having difficulties shuffling my units around.
Things are going badly on my left flank: multiple Irregulars and Telingas units were shredding my pike blocks with gunfire there, so I sent some cavalry and a pike block to engage them, only to find myself overextended. Now I risk to be crushed by enemy reserves and I'm quickly moving another pike block and an Arquebusiers unit to help.
In Turn 10 a lucky charge of my Sikh Raiders on the left flank routed a Telingas unit and disordered an Irregular and a Sowars unit, and the timely arrival of my reinforcements have stabilized the situation for now. In the middle the line holds, even when an enemy pike block tries to charge my Arquebusiers in rough ground: my brave Arquebusiers are holding the disorganized pikemen at bay demonstrating their proficience in swordfighting.
The cavalry battle on the right flank is still undecided, but slowly turning in my favor: another Sowar unit has been disorganized by arquebus fire, and my Sikh Raiders are chasing away the Deccani Irregulars with scarce results.
