Played a few games from the forthcoming PAWS theme, Western Europe in the C15th., yesterday
1) Defending with Medieval Irish, I had hoped to clutter the battlefield with woods and marshes. Fate and the terrain placement dice dictated otherwise, and only one wood and a gentle hill made it to the table. Opposing us were a mixed force of heavily armoured Venetian Condottieri, led by Richard Pulley. Our allied Islesmen formed up into the centre, and then my brave fellows advanced at a pace upon the Italians, the hobilars and light horse on our left flank. A confused fight followed, in which a few Elmetti knights fell, and the whole Islesmen contingent were crushed, but with a successful attack on opposing crossbowmen by our axemen the game went our way. 4-3 , but a close one.
2) In Ireland again, using Anglo-Irish against an invasion by Colin’s French Ordonnance. A large hamlet/town/BUA formed my left centre, and I foolishly occupied it with colonist archers and spearmen, plus the kern auxiliaries. Foolishly, as the heavy foot slowed to a crawl, and played little further part in the battle.
To the left of the town French guns in the enemy camp took their toll on my mounted longbows, who had pushed too far forward to harass enemy men-at-arms, but the crunch came in the right centre, where knights and hobilars, bowmen and kern clashed in a confused mess of a melee leaving the Anglo-Irish in control of the field. Another close outcome (4-2?).
3) Next up, my later 100 Years War English invaded the North German/Dutch coast. The majority of my army were longbowmen, with a few billmen, some mounted men-at-arms and a sizeable force of new-fangled bombards. We encountered an extremely mobile ‘Free Cantons’ medieval German force, mostly fast moving lightly armed pikemen, a few skirmish foot, and mounted knightly nobles. The German skirmishers landed from boats and occupied a coastal wood on my left flank, but remained inert thereafter, though always posing a threat. The main body of German pikemen advanced at a fair speed into the arrow-storm, but the casualties they suffered from archery were not enough to halt their advance. A protracted melee followed, the guns were overrun and the archers pushed back. However, the English general and billmen filled holes in the line, while men at arms worked around the landward flank, and the English camp followers sallied from camp onto the exposed flank of the pike block. The German attack then stalled and crumbled, giving an English win 6-2. However, the result was always in doubt...
4) Finally, my Medieval Spanish with Condotta ally invaded, and were opposed by Colin’s Medieval Portuguese (or maybe Spanish...it’s all a blurrrrrr). These backed away from a commanding village on my left flank, leaving my Italians without anyone to fight, while Colin’s main force attacked our centre and right. My own general was surrounded and killed, but a high initiative roll allowed my Spanish army to fight back, and we held grimly on. The enemy general and bodyguard then closed in for the kill on my ginetes, and surrounded them. In a weird twist of fate a flurry of javelins from the ginetes now struck down the opposing knights, (6-1 dice roll) and we scraped a flukey win (5g-4). Nailbiter, start to finish...the best type of gaming.
Fun, and lots of luck going my way. All games were touch and go. Luvvit.