After an morning and afternoon of playing Guns of August https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/4358/guns-august with six players and seeing the Russians in Germany in mid-1916 (thats not what happened historically) and the Allied invading Belgium (again, not historical), I could think of no better way than to complete my day than with a evening of ADLG.
Brand new list, freshly painted and keen to hit the table. The two mirror commands are not quite your swiss army knife, they have no terrain ability at all, but are close. Mediocre heavy spear support have got to be, point for point, the best defensive unit in the game. 7 points gets you something that can stand up to anything, defensively and take a while to die. Probably not a huge fan of swordsmen and knights wielding two handed weapons, but still you are looking at 10-14 points being held up by 7. There is some 1/2 spear/bow for some force projection. two elite heavy swordsmen 2HW to do the killing AND an elite impetuous knight.
The first command is interesting. Mediocre 1/2 impact/bow. Hmmm. I think I like it. Don't think it wants to fight other cavalry, but anything else it should be able to a) engage on its terms or b) leave.
Troop description Nobles should be Almughavars how cool are these guys! 'They were characterized as being infantry shock troops that fought on foot, with light arms and baggage, generally with a pair of javelins, one short spear and a falchion. They had full beards and dressed poorly, only in a short gown (both in summer and winter); they wore a thick leather belt and leather sandals. In addition, they always carried a good piece of flint with them that they struck their weapons with before going into battle, which gave off enormous sparks, which, together with their terrible cries, terrorized their enemies' - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almogavars Awesome.
Some knights and heavy cavalry for some furious charge and anti cavalry. The light horse command to harass and hopefully slow a flank to a crawl allowing the almughavars to do some work. Goes without saying that I would like some terrain to fall, preferably in the centre of the field.
(sigh) The Company wins the initiative and elects to defend.. Trying for as much terrain and to move it second. A CLEVER general would have chosen plantations over fields. That field covered hill, that was me I put that there, how much better would it have been if its was a plantation that provided cover and I could ambush in! Oh well.
The Byies are hoping to clear the field in the middle before I get to them. Or are bating me to come closer so my medium foot get up and friendly with his impact cavalry. The more astute of you may have noticed that the Company doesn't have three commands on table.... yet.
Close up. Sexy.
Bysies advance. They know that there is about 40-50 points of stuff on a flank march. So they divert a 1/2 heavy spear/ crossbow and both impetuous knights to protect the camp and West flank, hoping that will be enough.
So at this point, I don't really have a great plan. My cavalry don't want to fight... well almost any of his heavy foot. The heavy spear is +2 up (if the cavalry charges), the heavy sword is evens, but elite. The knights are slightly better off, but are really feeling outnumbered on the end. The Bysies have a 1/2 heavy spear crossbow embedded in their line so will eventually win a standoff. The Almughavars are facing down the impact cavalry.... hmmmm. Over in the far East some Bysie light horse are rocketing round the hill and are looking to sack the Companies transport home! The company divert a crossbow to make them think twice.
Bysues keep coming forward. quite a few heavy foot in the field. The Company loses a light foot to another light foots bow fire, sad face. In the West an elite Bysis heavy sword takes a hit! Hmmmm. Over in the far East Bysies light horse look at the boat full of Company goodies and start licking their lips, they do this while cunningly staying out of bow range.
Whats that? Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a cloud of dust that represent a flank march arriving next turn? Why yes it is. The Company rolled a five, so the Bysis are still not sure what is in the command (all light horse flank marches can turn up on a four, so if you opponent rolls a four and cries out FLANK MARCH!... well it gives the command away).
I'll be honest, at this point I think i am semi screwed. My Almugavars' want the cavalry to charge them (cause they have spears.... the Almughavars have spears. I mean I suppse the cav does to. My point is they have a much better chance if they receive the charge), but the Bysises cavalry shoots, and can sit there peppering indefinitely. Now mediocre bow fire to elite protection one is a long war, but once they get one or two disorder tokens... well it is bad news.
So the Almughavars slide to catch some mediocre spear in the terrain, and charge the cavalry.
The Almughavars are +1 (no impact vs cavalry). The cavalry are +1, +1 impact net +2.
However, the cavalry is mediocre -.5 the Almughavars elite+.5 for a even fight.
However, if the cavalry wins, they get a bonus hit (furious charge), and two of the four cavalry have armour.
However, I have recently sacrificed to nuffle and don't lose a single combat on evens. (yes I know the combat on the end is in the Almughavars favour, but armour means its still evens for a draw don't mess up my story).
The fight in the field is more fun. Heavy spear fights at a -1 in a field. Almughavars are +2 (gets me impact here) so even after support on both flanks for the Bysies spear are up. They win by a smidge and enjoy life.
A heavy knight impact charges the damaged heavy sword and loses. I would complain about dice.... but have no right to do so.
Way out East a Bysie light horse takes a hit by my new favourite crossbowman.
Bysies cavalry withdraw. Boo! Cowards! This was of course the issue. Convincing someone to stay at a party so you can continue to have a good time, while they are stuck in the corner talking to that weird guy that smells like cheese. The Bysies not keen on the cheese smell or the pointy sticks leave the party. Good news was the poor roll for pips means that the light horse (out of range) couldn't move. They pay for their poor commanders grasp of Generalship with their LIVES! Rout through the light horse behind them, dropping a pip on them.
Combats are pretty even. The company takes a hit, the Bysis take a hit.
Six Light Horse! Three elite come running... raging... screaming...hmmm.... fast and furiously entering the battlefield! No way are they taking on the camp guards of Impetuous knights supported by 1/2 heavy spear/crossbow, instead they come in mid field, intending to be as annoying as possible to the Byses Western flank.
Taking a leaf out of the Bysies book, the Company knights withdraw from combat. The battle for the field sees the mediocre heavy spear routed and the elite sword engaged. The sword is not in the field (mores the pity), but the Company has support and impact so wins the combat, just.
In the far South East the crossbowman shoots! He Scores! The crowd goes wild! Three shots! Three hits! (quick math)....errrrr....carry the 2.... That is like a 7% chance to pull that off. Medals all round.
Bysies turn... why are there blue entry arrows in this pic and not the one before? Excellent question. Pretend they are.
Bysies reorientate forces to deal with light cavalry. The battle for the field could not be going better... for the Company as an elite swordsmen loses by 5 and is routed! The Almughavars are unstoppable!
These medium foot men of mayhem are majestic!
Tearing through all before them, no matter how many legs, bows, swords or spears they have, can nothing stop them?
Light horse do what light horse do best, annoy the heavy foot. An annoy away they do.
Almughavars claim another, and advance on the cavalry that refuses to hit anything or rally.
The Bysises attack! I must have had a good reason to hold my light horse vs heavy foot. Ahhh, the heavy foot is disordered and mediocre, the light horse is javelin and elite. So technically the light horse is up +1... kinda. Still ballsy. Elite heavy sword Bysies charged the heavily damaged knight and rout him. I would be sad, but I think that is the first casualty the Company has suffered in turns. Up North the Bysises shooting finally kicks and the Almughavars take hits! they are not invincible.
Was never going to end well for that Knight, now just a small pile of skulls. Am not overly concerned. The light horse can keep the heavy foot busy until the Bysiss knights arrive, and they are still a couple of turns away.
Light horse keep fighting the heavies in the West. This was not what I wanted to do, this is what Nuffle god of pips decided. My brilliant general rolled a one and the horses had too much to do. Most importantly was ZoC'd the nasty that could flank the knight. Speaking of knight. He routed that heavy sword on contact! Woo hoo!
The battle for the field is now an disordered Almogavar fighting a light infantry whose General joins?! Wait what?
Okay, this is not as crazy as it sounds. The Bysises army is close to breaking, the situation in the North is a stand off. Bysises don't want to charge, Almughavars don't want to charge. The fight for the field is becoming desperate as the Bysises flank is almost turned. If this little dude can swing it, he could be the hero that changes the war.
Though i think we let him use his javelin which is a no no vs impact.
War will be over before these guys can get anywhere, and they have already routed two units. They deserve a break, some sunshine and maybe a few drinks.
I have seen some cheap looking camps in my time, but that one... I should be ashamed.
Bysises are in trouble, but are not willing to concede the field. The little hero in the field HOLDS the elite Almogavar!
Not a lot else happens really. Some light horse runs away, some light horse wins a melee, some light horse stay out of charge range of some nasty knights.
Companies turn. Swarm of light horse overwhelm the heavily damaged spear in the West. A Bysise heavy gets rear charged by Company knight with support and General +5 up.... doesn't die, but isn't happy.
Our little Bysis hero gives up the ghost and takes his General with him, and with that, the Bysise have had enough and cursing their dice and their decision to be painted by 11 year olds ins a foreign county, quit the field.
I think I would like to replay this with the initial fight against the Bysis mounted vs the Almughavars not going 100% the Almughavars way. Actually, I don't think the Almughavars lost a melee (drew a few times), only taking hits from shooting.
The crossbowmen down South were stars all round with their 7% shooting success.... that reads wrong, but you get what I mean.
Getting away from my unordinary good luck was most happy with the flank march. It drew both knights and the heavy foot/crossbowmen away from the the front line and the never came back into the fight. The lights then kept the Western flank safe and even managed to rout a heavy foot.
I think the almughavars need a knight or two to hang out with. For those moments they can't rely on terrain, or the dice gods to keep that out of harms' way of things with too many legs.
Last note, didn't report on it in the above, but for almost the entire game a Company heavy cavalry sat in front of a Bysise 1/2 heavy spear/crossbow. You can see it in the photos, he goes green, yellow, green etc. Rallying and getting shot at, by the Bysies never managed a run to take him out. Unlike the Company crossbowmen, who took at two units with three shots.....
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