With my table still needing a bit of clearing post Guadalajara, Chris K hosted. He ordained that we should play more match ups in his medieval European campaign. And so it was to be.
Chris wanted to have a go at my Hussites (IV/80). They had mixed fortunes last time out, so he reckoned he’d got their number with his Poles (III/63a) who in truth are a little early for my guys. In my army selection I dumped the Artillery as being a weak link in the Wagon Wall. I also reckoned 5 wagons was enough, and selected a knight general. Placing the wagons in the centre of the table next to the two ploughed fields, I loaded my left with the knights, and equipped myself with two fold out blade wings. Chris had forgotten to put out some bases, so the army in the picture is incomplete.
I did intend to close Chris down, but a poor PiP run left me with just enough to fold the wings out. I got accused of sitting on my behind and making Chris come on. I only took two pictures. My wagons did a good job of shooting off the centre and killing an element, then my knights mushed up Chris’ cavalry on my left and my Light Horse and a blade element took out a psiloi on the end of the line for a 4-0 win.
Chris wasn’t amused, so we had to do it all again.
Previous game I’d defended, but this time round Chris did. He put out more scenery. Including woods. I was able to deploy in similar fashion to before. I was held up a bit as I had to put elements in the woods, but once I got them free I rolled relentlessly forwards. Again the cavalry was on my left, only this time I had my light horse out there too. My war wagons were disrupting Chris’ advance with some annoying shooting.
Eventually we got to grips on the left, and concentrated shooting finally made a hole in the centre. This game went even better for me, with a 6-0 win.
Another game over so quickly I only had time for two pictures.
Chris then asked me if I’d brought anything else, so I pulled out my Late Medieval Germans(IV/13b). Chris stuck with his Poles.
Chris defended again, and put out the same woods. I was a bit unsure of how to deal with his army. My best chance was to do his cavalry in with my knights, whilst avoiding his spears. My infantry line was bolstered by my Teutonic 6Kn, intended to smash in the right hand end of his line. Chris hid his cavalry behind a wood.
Chris wasn’t playing ball. Seeing my knights go out wide to meet him, he turned his cavalry round and went and hid his cavalry even more.
Thinking I knew where this was going, I sent one element of knights off to my left, and swung the remaining two up to extend my line to prevent overlaps.
Chris had more bows than me, and was troubling the left hand end of my army a bit. However I’d got the knights on my right in the correct place.
The combats in the middle favoured Chris and his spears, but I had two solid Hordes that don’t recoil. It’s double or nothing to beat those guys.
Close up of my Teutonic Knights failing to kill those pesky bows.
At the other end of the line I had the advantage, but just couldn’t make it tell.
It’s been stalemate for a turn or two in the combats, then Chris 6:1s me on some blades at the right hand end of my line.
The rot has set in a bit now, and Chris succeeds in doubling one of my hordes. Everything else seems to get bounced. And I lose some psiloi on my left. I’m three elements down (one is hordes and doesn’t count) and haven’t inflicted a scratch.
The worm turns! My 6Kn kill some bows and I kill some cavalry on my right. It’s 2:2 in elements, but several other sure fire wins don’t go my way. Chris then rolls over another couple of units.
Playing to the end of the turn and I’ve lost 6 elements (2 hordes) and Chris has lost 3, so a 4:3 win for him.
Bit closer than I thought it was going to be.
Conclusions? The Hussites are real b*gg*rs to play against and are hard to beat. I think they may be hard to force a win with, but they are interesting to play with. The Late Germans are a bit of a mixture and I’m working on tactics.
It passes the time.