Who Stole my Cheese?

Hello again.  I finally completed painting the few needed troops and found time to play out the first skirmish in my parallel world campaign.  Below are the highlights (or low lights?).

The Village of Bridgeton is the wealthiest village under the rule of the Earl D’Greer.  It’s wealth comes from it’s famous cheese factory, producer of the finest cheeses in the known lands.  Unfortunately for Bridgeton, it also sits along the Yellow Lilly Livered River, which forms the border between the lands of the Earl D’Greer and his arch nemesis Count William.  The two have been bitter enemies for over 30 years, with over 20 battles fought at and around Bridgeton.  

Bridgeton has the only reliable bridge over the (normally) impassible Yellow Lilly Livered River which forms the borders of our two antagonists.  The presence of the bridge, combined with the delicious cheese products, and not to mention considerable wealth they garner, has made the little village a focal point for decades.  Unfortunately for the citizens of Bridgeton, the Earl is much more interested in beverages of the strongly alcoholic type and other than ensuring that the large amount of taxes generated by the cheese factory are paid timely, he largely ignores it.  Due to its key importance in funding his beverage consumption, he has garrisoned a Medium Cavalry Unit and one unit of Medium Infantry there.  The Mayor and owner of the cheese factory, recognizing his peril has also hired a unit of mercenary arquebusiers and purchased an ancient medium cannon which he maintains to defend his factory, these represent the only gunpowder weapons available, as the Earl sees gunpowder as a ‘fad’ that won’t last, in addition to being far to expensive to invest in.  The village militia as well as a horse archer unit that can be raised by the surrounding farmers to supplement these forces.

As luck would have it, Count William has a hankering for a hefty hunk of cheese, not to mention a strongbox of gold.  And in an even greater stroke of luck, Count William’s scouts have found one of the rare fords created when the spring floods create a sandbar suitable for troops to use.  This battle won’t be the normal slugfest over the bridge.  The Count can already taste the cheese… and wine.  You can’t have cheese without wine, lots and lots of wine.  Now he just has to make it look like he’s trying to actually storm the bridge until the small flanking force arrives.  Count William silently thought to himself, “sure a lot of my troops may die needlessly, but it’s worth it for a cheese fix.  Now, where’s my flagon of wine?”

Meanwhile, in Bridgton, a young goatherd comes running into town breathlessly shouting “Mayor der Kase, Mayor der Kase, the enemy is marching on the town.  Not more than 2 miles from here, I could see them across the river”.

Mayor der Kase set down his tankard and turned to Captain Gouda E Nuff, “it looks like the Count is 2 months ahead of schedule this year.  Assembly your troops and defend the bridge.”

This will be the first time in over a decade that Count William has tried something other than a bum rush up the bridge.  Will the Earls forces be deployed as normal?  Will the flanking force arrive in time?  Is the cheese really as good as the Count remembers it being?  Let’s find out.

The rules used were Piquet's Hostile Realms by Peter Anderson.  Peter, I may have butchered a few of the rules in the process - sorry about that.

The pre-battle view from the attackers high ground perspective.  The stately cheese factory and squalid village seen on the horizon.

The first several initiatives were rather uneventful, with the defenders content to stay on their side of the river and wait for the targets to get closer.  The attacking Arquebus troops traded fire with the defending cross bow skirmishers closest the bridge.  The Arquebusiers scored one hit on the first volley, after that, the insults being hurled across the river by both sides were more effective than the shooting.

When the Count’s forces finally turned a move a card it was for two segments which allowed them to push skirmishers and the Pike unit across the bridge, which resulted in some ineffective fire taking place, with the Pike unit nicely screened by the skirmishers (unfortunately the skirmishers would be too stubborn to leave until they were down to 0 hits left, but the Pike men did look really good in their nicely dressed lines).  The last card turned in the attackers 2^nd initiative was the Stratagem card, which had the 2 Medium Cavalry units appear on the defenders side of the river at the table edge.  

The first card turned in the next initiative by the defenders was light cavalry move, and the Whirling Mass Light Cavalry promptly parked itself at point blank range on the flank of the lead attacking cavalry and proceed to make pin cushions out of the  unit.  However, as skirmish fire, upon consulting the table, all it did was make the unit Unformed.  The next card was a missile reload, and the pesky farmers did the same thing again, resulting in a Disordered result this time.  The Disordered status would save a skirmish infantry unit from destruction soon.

If you click on the photo to enlarge you can just make out the cavalry action at the top of the photo.  Whirling Mass on the flank of the attacking cavalry and a nice juicy chicken indicating the Disordered status of the attackers. The Skirmishers at the bottom of the photo have one hit (rock) and are unloaded (that's supposed to be an arrow sitting in front of them in the river indicating unloaded status).  Two attacking units have crossed the bridge, and the rest of the attackers in the traffic jam behind the bridge.  Observant folks will notice the attackers  managed to pretty much screen their light guns on the hill top.

Close up of the Cavalry action.  

And close up of the infantry action on the defender side of the bridge.  The taunts were much more damaging than the missile fire.

Shortly thereafter the attacking forces turned a move one-command card, naturally the flanking cavalry were selected, and rolled up 2 move segments. This allowed the lead unit to move forward and contact the flank of the skirmish unit on the defenders left flank, who survived to rout away.  The other attacking medium cavalry unit did a left face and moved into contact with the horse archers, who evaded away.  

At this point the two attacking cavalry units started to cast their greedy eyes towards the village and Cheese Factory, but thought better of it and proceeded to satisfy their blood lust (I turned a Pillage and Loot card, but both units passed their test).

This was followed by a strange inaction on the defenders part, as if the shock of the stodgy old Count trying a new tactic was overwhelming the defenders ability to think (really bad/useless cards were being turned).  

On the attackers next move card their flanking cavalry prepared to roll up the defenders and clear the way for the Counts triumph entry into the village.  After a little more thought, they decided they liked the view from exactly where they were. (I rolled a 1 on a move card).  Meanwhile, the attackers main force surged forward a tremendous 1 move resulting in the Pikes shifting to their right and the first of the Counts Halberd units crossing the bridge.  This insult was too much, and the Medium guns on the hill by the cheese factory let loose with a might roar and a cloud of smoke.  When the smoke, dust, and body parts cleared, the Halberds had lost one stand.  

The defenders turned an Engines of War Reload card, readied the guns, and decided to wait for a closer target.  The Mercenary arquebus fired at the skirmish archers to their front, doing one stand of damage, and then promptly turned a missile reload card and contemplated their action.  While all of this fussy gunpowder stuff was taking place, the Royal Halberds greatly relieved that the flanking cavalry hadn’t moved on their last change, took advantage of their opportunity to move to cover the flanks of the mercenary arquebusiers and archers.

At the same time the mounted archers took the opportunity to move, appearing as if by magic on the flank of the Medium Cavalry unit they had been harassing, darkening the skies with their rain of arrows to… … no effect.

The mercenaries at this point were getting tired of trading ineffective fire with the skirmish archers to their front, so drawing swords, theyadvanced into them, forcing them to retire.  The archers behind them followed, loosing a volley of overhead fire into the Pike unit, which was followed by the mercenaries firing into the Pikes, combined resulting in a whopping 3 stand loss! And ended the defenders initiative.  (I think this should have routed them, but I couldn't find routing from fire in the rules, I could find it for melee, but fire)

View from the defenders perspective.  Note the continued ineffective fire on the right across the river.  

As the initiative passed to the attackers, their cavalry having had enough of the pesky horse archers and after rolling up 3 move segments for the cavalry command, turned to face them and advanced.  The horse archers evaded, but with their blood up, the Medium cavalry ran them down and destroyed them in detail  (They won the combat roll by 10).– I think that skirmish units only get to evade once which allowed the skirmishers to be contacted, I may have messed that rule up.  I know I messed up several other rules.  It’s been years since I last played Hostile Realms, and I kept getting confused with Field of Battle (2^nd Edition) rules.

At the same time the second cavalry unit surged ahead two moves and contacted the flank of one of the defending skirmish crossbow units inflicting two stand losses and routing them.

At the same time, the attacking Pike unit, glared across the way to the mercenaries saying ‘I, have had, enough, of you!’ and surged forward into contact.  While at the same time the attacking Halberd unit moved into contact with the Spearman unit to their front. Two cards latter a Melee card appeared!!!  Resulting in the Pikeman with 3 wounds and all inflicting … no loses on either side (rolled tie), melee continues. But at least they can’t be shot at now.  The attacking Halberd unit inflicted a whopping 3 units to the spearman unit, routing them.

At the top of the photo the Plucky Pikemen charge the pesky Mercenaries.  While at the bottom, the Halberds and Spearmen go at it.

The view as seen by the circling Vultures.  

It was around this time that the defenders started to worry, especially since half of the attacking force had yet to cross the bridge.

The attacking cavalry was finally able to shake themselves out and face the correct way with one unit then contacting the flank of the remaining defending spear unit, inflicting 2 stands loss and routing the unit.  While the other unit moved to threaten the flank of the Mercenaries.  The Halberd unit sidestepped to position itself for an assault on the unloaded guns.  While the last Halberd unit crossed the bridge.  Ending the Attackers initiative.

The defending Spearmen start to stream to the rear

The defenders started their initiative with turning a Brilliant Leader Card.  Captain Gouda E. Nuff licked his lips and he bellowed, ‘load the guns’.  The attacking Halberds looked up the hill at the guns having second thoughts about being in the Point Blank - Gun range as they braced for the withering fire.  A thunderous boom, and thick cloud of smoke ensued… eventually clearing it revealed… no casualties to the Halberd unit!!  In their haste to savage the enemy the gunners must have failed to load any grapeshot.  (D12+5 on the guns and they couldn’t get a hit).  Looking over their shoulder at this abysmal example of martial prowess the Mercenary commander shook his head and shouted lets show these amateurs how it’s done.  Grabbing their swords the Mercenaries launched into the Pikemen, doing another stand loss.  With 4 stands lost, the Pike unit couldn’t take it any more and promptly routed, clogging up the bridge.

The next card turned by the defenders was a ‘engines of war reload’, would the results this time be as abysmal?  The attacking Halberd unit braced itself for the inevitable, with a loss of one stand to the medium guns, but standing firm.

In the attackers initiative, the Pillage and loot card was turned, with one of the flanking medium cavalry units having a direct line of sight to the cheese factory, the unit surged forward, it would reach the factory on the next move card, with no defending units in place to stop it.  Technically, at this point I guess the attacker had achieved their goal, but since I was more focused on rolling dice, I kept going.  

The defending Royal Halberd unit in the lower right is feeling a little unloved right now.

The defenders turned a crushing missilery card, the archers firing OHF into the Halberds inflicting 2 stands lost.  

On the attackers next move card, the flanking cavalry command won 3 move segments.  The Pillage and Looting unit contacted the factory and headed in to have a snack.  The other Cavalry unit, maneuvered with one segment, and slammed into the rear of the archer unit, inflicting a 3 stand loss and routing them.  On the main army move the Knights crossed the bridge and stared down the mercenary unit, not being able to reach them.  The Knights were also unformed in having to pass through the routing Pikemen.  While the Pikemen continued their run to the rear.

Mercenary sandwich anyone?  Routing archers in the upper left, that's the defending halberds behind and with their backs to the left most cavalry unit.

The attackers turn the Uncontrolled Charge card.  The Mercenary unit, sandwiched between the Knights to their front and Medium Cavalry to their rear, you can guess this outcome.  The Medium Cavalry slam into the rear of the mercenaries, causing 2 stands lost, the mercenaries rout, but are run down by the Knights.

Immediately after this the initiative passed to the defenders, who turned a brilliant leader card.  Captain Gouda E. Nuff watching all but one of his infantry units routing past him opted to attempt to protect the village from further destruction, and requested parley to discuss surrender terms.  Count William, being ever gracious, and worried his looters may eat all the cheese before he gets any, accepts.  

The defending Royal Medium Cavalry which didn’t move the whole battle, turns tail and runs off to inform the Earl of the outcome.  The Royal Halberds place their helmets on the top of their Halberds and surrendered in mass.  After being relieved of their armor, arms, and any gold they may have they are sent whimpering back to the Earl as well.

A short time later Count William was wolfing down a hefty hunk of cheese in the presence of Mayor der Kase and Captain Gouda E Nuff.  The cheese was even better than he remembered, and then a rare random thought smacked him between the eyes.  “Gentelemen, you put up a valiant defense, and I commend your efforts”, the count managed to get out between chewing.

“Get on with your terms” ground out the Mayor.  “My terms, why my dear Mayor, I don’t issue terms to my subjects.  I am officially annexing your lovely little town.  Welcome to the Middle Kingdom – oh, and I did I mention if you keep your town under control the taxes on your cheese will be 25% less that what the fat Earl was charging you, and if you don’t keep them under control, I’ll have your head on the top of Pike.  Now let us plan the defense of OUR village for the inevitable attack by the Earl once he sobers up enough to comprehend what has transpired”, replied the Count.

View at the end of the battle

*******

That did turn out better than I thought it would when the Stratagem card for the flanking force turned up so quickly.  And I think the outcome sets up a nice narrative as the campaign progresses.

The defender had 3 units with no damage, the two royal units (medium cavalry and halberd) and the medium guns.  And everything else was routing or had already routed off the table/been destroyed.  The attacker had 1 unit routing, the attacking infantry was really chewed up, but the cavalry was intact.  The artillery was useless – probably due to bad deployment – I blame the Count for that.  The defenders had run out of morale chips and were paying the attacker back at this point.

Final thoughts

I didn’t use any of the fantasy stuff, as magic doesn’t exist in my world.  One big take away for me is that I need more command figures.  With the ‘Heroic Moment’ card, any unit with an attached hero (commander in my case) can treat the card as a wild card.  I may also start to use ‘heroes’ and their bonuses as/if the campaign progresses to help build the story line.  I also need to create QRS specific to the aspects of the rules I’m using – no spells, etc. so I spend less time reading the rule book.  While it’s been several years (maybe over 5? ) since I played the rules, I still enjoy them.  I have a few questions on things that I think I completely bollixed up that I’ll run by Peter later.  

Stay safe and roll dice.

So much lead, so little time