Post by diades on Mar 21, 2021 12:42:14 GMT
The year is 1398. The Victual Brothers have become more and more unmanageable and unacceptable practicing their piracy, since they have been based in Visby on Gotland. I, Konrad von Jungingen, Grand Master of the Teutonic Order will crush them. We have crossed the Baltic and now the pirates have set up to confront us on our way to Visby.
They have drawn up a battle line between two marshes. The bulk are Leidang, with hand weapons (4Bd) in the centre and bows on the flanks (3Bw and Ps). Their leader (3Kn) lays in wait behind their left flank, whilst intelligence reports that Fraelse (3Kn) and Smaasvenner (3Cv) will appear from the waterway on our right.
A hamlet before us in front of the enemy right provides a centre to our deployment. To the left I have turcomen (LH), knechte (3Cv), adventurers (3Kn) and Old Prussians (3Wb). Advancing through the hamlet I have sent spearmen (Sp) and Livonian levies (7Hd). Protecting the right flank from the mounted threat from the waterway are two units of crossbow men (4Cb). My unit and the ritterbruder (both 3Kn) are in reserve to the left, whilst deeper still and to the right are two more units of knight adventurers.
The enemy wheels the bulk of his line right towards the hamlet whilst his littoral contingent lands halfway down the field. I advance the left flank and move the infantry through the hamlet.
The enemy forms three groups. To their right, bowmen and blades defend the marsh, in the centre more blades advance, whilst out left the Fraelse, smaasvenner, bowmen and more blades advance.
Our advanced left engages. The turcopoles anchor the lightest enemy bows in the marsh, whilst the Old Prussians and adventurers attack bows and blades. The bows are recoiled with the Old Prussians in pursuit. The leidang blades are destroyed and the adventurers rush headlong forwards to be met by the enemy general and hit in the flank by more blades: they are destroyed and the enemy elite follow through.
The Old Prussians continue to force the bows back, eventually destroying them, before sweeping into the marsh to avoid the enemy general. The ritterbruder and I advance to support the left. The other enemy groups continue to advance until they form a new battle line between marsh and hamlet.
The marsh is finally cleared of enemy bows (3-1 up).
There is skirmishing in the hamlet and minor missile exchanges on the right.
Time to charge and finish this!
Fighting is fierce. I am recoiled by the leidang, but my companion ritterbruder destroy their opponents and the field is ours. The riches of Visby will be ours for the Order and the Victual Brothers expelled.
As my opponent noted, it felt like a competitive pairing, IV/30 vs IV/54d, but, in the end, a crushing defeat for the Scandinavians. Fun.
