Post by diades on Aug 9, 2020 15:51:17 GMT
What? Where? Or at least that was the case for me. Many thanks to timurilank for this one. Check out the News and Notices section for links to learned articles and short form vids of the real story. I spent many years working in Holland and swapping history, it is a shame we never referenced s far back in their history.
In our case, I was Dirk III, Count of Frisia, ruling over new settlers on drained land in what was to become Holland or the Netherlands. Given that a shed load of trade passes by as it emerges from various rivers, in particular the Meuse, a little tax and a little duty here and there seems in order, helps my folk pave their way. Funny thing is all my peers back in the Holy Roman Empire of the East Franks are none too happy about it. I mean, it is what they have always done. Emperor Henry II and his chums have come to sort me out.
The river (Waterway) is on my left. Ahead and to my right a huge marsh, with a road running just to its left, and further away and further right, a large area of woodland. I have seven units of local javelinmen (3Ax) ranked two-deep facing the marsh. To their right, a unit of Vikings (4Bd), me and another unit of noble cavalry (both 3Cv) with two units of archers (Ps) behind.
Henry has everything and the kitchen sink. Two units of spearmen in column advance on the road by the marsh. To their right are two units of milites (3Kn) and a unit of Thuringian cavalry (3Cv). Henry himself with his knights is next to the road behind the marsh, with, to his left, two units of dismounted Swabian milites (4Bd) and a column of two more mounted milites. Advanced in the wood to their left are two units of archers (Ps).
I send all my locals forward towards the marsh, whilst my archers head towards their counterparts in the wood's edge, with our mounted out right of them. The imperial right advances and a unit of spearmen shoots ahead up the road. Meanwhile their left flank milites advance between wood and marsh, with Swabians close behind.
Some of my troops get into the marsh and threaten the rear enemy spear unit on the road, whilst my unit closest to the advance Spears has to back off. One of my archer units zips into the marsh on their left and threaten the milites advancing in column between marsh and wood. The imperial right swings around the marsh whilst the Swabians supporting the threatened milites threaten my archers. I manage to get more troops into the marshes away from the continuing advancing enemy right. My second unit of archers out right threaten their enemy equivalents from the flank in the wood, whilst a unit of my cavalry dashes around the far right of the woods. A unit of my locals spins around in the marsh and engages the enemy spear, but is destroyed instantly!
Now comes a game of cat and mouse as the enemy right continues to push towards my exposed left, who turn and back off to my right. My unit and the Vikings come to their aid. Meanwhile the bulk of my troops in the marsh attempt to manoeuvre favourably to attack the Spears stuck on the road, but more Swabians creep into the marsh to prevent them.
The Swabians pinning my archers attack, freeing the milites between marsh and wood to advance and attack me and some of my infantry. I hold fast, but my comrades are destroyed. I am quickly surrounded, but beat the enemy back, whilst my fellow cavalry come to my aid. Meanwhile on my left, the Vikings persistently push the enemy spear back, but the enemy milites continue to harry my other infantry.
My fellow mounted are destroyed, I continue to hold up against surrounding, but the enemy milites finally destroy another unit of my infantry. It appears I will have to alter my tax planning...
This was fun. A tough call for my army. I think I largely did the right things, but had poor luck in combat and PIPs at crucial points, so could not exploit my mobility and bad terrain superiority.
In truth, Dirk III ran a much better ambush than I did! I was not helped by having both of my large pieces of bad going in the same quarter and so far from the waterway.
In our case, I was Dirk III, Count of Frisia, ruling over new settlers on drained land in what was to become Holland or the Netherlands. Given that a shed load of trade passes by as it emerges from various rivers, in particular the Meuse, a little tax and a little duty here and there seems in order, helps my folk pave their way. Funny thing is all my peers back in the Holy Roman Empire of the East Franks are none too happy about it. I mean, it is what they have always done. Emperor Henry II and his chums have come to sort me out.
The river (Waterway) is on my left. Ahead and to my right a huge marsh, with a road running just to its left, and further away and further right, a large area of woodland. I have seven units of local javelinmen (3Ax) ranked two-deep facing the marsh. To their right, a unit of Vikings (4Bd), me and another unit of noble cavalry (both 3Cv) with two units of archers (Ps) behind.
Henry has everything and the kitchen sink. Two units of spearmen in column advance on the road by the marsh. To their right are two units of milites (3Kn) and a unit of Thuringian cavalry (3Cv). Henry himself with his knights is next to the road behind the marsh, with, to his left, two units of dismounted Swabian milites (4Bd) and a column of two more mounted milites. Advanced in the wood to their left are two units of archers (Ps).
I send all my locals forward towards the marsh, whilst my archers head towards their counterparts in the wood's edge, with our mounted out right of them. The imperial right advances and a unit of spearmen shoots ahead up the road. Meanwhile their left flank milites advance between wood and marsh, with Swabians close behind.
Some of my troops get into the marsh and threaten the rear enemy spear unit on the road, whilst my unit closest to the advance Spears has to back off. One of my archer units zips into the marsh on their left and threaten the milites advancing in column between marsh and wood. The imperial right swings around the marsh whilst the Swabians supporting the threatened milites threaten my archers. I manage to get more troops into the marshes away from the continuing advancing enemy right. My second unit of archers out right threaten their enemy equivalents from the flank in the wood, whilst a unit of my cavalry dashes around the far right of the woods. A unit of my locals spins around in the marsh and engages the enemy spear, but is destroyed instantly!
Now comes a game of cat and mouse as the enemy right continues to push towards my exposed left, who turn and back off to my right. My unit and the Vikings come to their aid. Meanwhile the bulk of my troops in the marsh attempt to manoeuvre favourably to attack the Spears stuck on the road, but more Swabians creep into the marsh to prevent them.
The Swabians pinning my archers attack, freeing the milites between marsh and wood to advance and attack me and some of my infantry. I hold fast, but my comrades are destroyed. I am quickly surrounded, but beat the enemy back, whilst my fellow cavalry come to my aid. Meanwhile on my left, the Vikings persistently push the enemy spear back, but the enemy milites continue to harry my other infantry.
My fellow mounted are destroyed, I continue to hold up against surrounding, but the enemy milites finally destroy another unit of my infantry. It appears I will have to alter my tax planning...
This was fun. A tough call for my army. I think I largely did the right things, but had poor luck in combat and PIPs at crucial points, so could not exploit my mobility and bad terrain superiority.
In truth, Dirk III ran a much better ambush than I did! I was not helped by having both of my large pieces of bad going in the same quarter and so far from the waterway.