(TFT) (Battle Report) Mounted Combat

[Sgt Hulka <hulkasgt@yahoo.com>]

Ludlow, England, 1459
 
After sending the Yorkist army fleeing, most of the Lancastrian household
troops and
mercenaries contented themselves with drunken looting of Ludlow. One small
contingent,
however, under the command of John Harlow, spied three Yorkist knights hiding
in the ruins of an old mill. Deciding that their ransom would be worth far
more than the slim pickings
offered by Ludlow, and being reluctant to share said ransom, Harlow quickly
contacted his
most trusted tent-mates, hardened mercenaries all, and marched upon the old
mill, anxious
for victory.
 
Unbeknownst to Harlow, however, the Knights were not completely without
resources. Their warhorses were healthy and hidden, and upon spying the
approaching men-at-arms they
realized their hiding place was spotted. Mounting their destriers, they
sallied forth from
the mill-house to do battle!
 
Lancastrian Men-at-Arms:
3 pt.
John Harlow ST 11 DX 13 (11/10) IQ 8 MA 10 (8) Horsemanship
Leather Armor (2/2) Small Shield (0/1) Spear 1 Shortsword 2-1
--Light Horse ST 20 DX 13 MA 30 (18)
3 pt.
Mounted Man-at-Arms ST 11 DX 13 (11/10) IQ 8 MA 10 (8) Horsemanship
Leather Armor (2/2) Small Shield (0/1) Spear 1 Shortsword 2-1
--Light Horse ST 20 DX 13 MA 30 (18)
3 pt.
Mounted Man-at-Arms ST 11 DX 13 (11/10) IQ 8 MA 10 (8) Horsemanship
Leather Armor (2/2) Small Shield (0/1) spear 1 Shortsword 2-1
--Light Horse ST 20 DX 13 MA 30 (18)
1.5 pt.
Bill-man ST 13 DX 11 IQ 8 MA 10
Halberd 2
1.5 pt.
Bill-man ST 13 DX 11 IQ 8 MA 10
Halberd 2
1.5 pt.
Bill-man ST 13 DX 11 IQ 8 MA 10
Halberd 2
1.5 pt.
Spearman ST 11 DX 13 (11) IQ 8 MA 10 (8)
Leather Armor (2/2) Spear 1+1
Tota=15 pt.
 
Yorkist Knights:
5 pt.
Knight ST 13 DX 15 (11/10) IQ 8 MA 10 (6) Horsemanship
Fine Plate (4/6) Small Shield (0/1) Lance 3-1 Bastard Sword 2+1
--Warhorse ST 30 DX 13 MA 24 (18)
5 pt.
Knight ST 13 DX 15 (11/10) IQ 8 MA 10 (6) Horsemanship
Fine Plate (4/6) Small Shield (0/1) Lance 3-1 Bastard Sword 2+1
--Warhorse ST 30 DX 13 MA 24 (18)
5 pt.
Knight ST 13 DX 15 (11/10) IQ 8 MA 10 (6) Horsemanship
Fine Plate (4/6) Small Shield (0/1) Lance 3-1 Bastard Sword 2+1
--Warhorse ST 30 DX 13 MA 24 (18)
Total=15 pts.
 
Battlefield: Roughly 24 x 16 hexes, with the ground rising to slight hill on
the northeast
side, where stands the ruined mill. I forgot to put out trees so their were
none. The
Lancastrian Men-at-Arms entered from the southwest; the Yorkist knights began
inside the
mill-house ruins to the northeast.
Turn 1:
The Lancastrian Men-at-Arms win initiaitive, and elect to force the Yorkists
to move first.
The Yorkists move out of their vulnerable position inside the Mill-house,
spurring their
steeds at half-canter down the hill, prepared for a Lancastrian
counter-attack.
The Lancastrians, confident in their initiative, push forward at full full
speed (8 hexes),
forming a semi-circular formation with their Bill-men. John Harlow rides into
the center of
the circular formation, encouraging the Bill-men to stand their ground, while
turning in
his saddle to protect their rear. He orders the other two mounted Men-at-Arms
to shore up
the vulnerable rear flanks of the formation. (This was an attempt to cover as
many angles
as possible, and to fill as many hexes as possible so as to prevent the
Knights from
trampling the bill-men).
Turn 2:
The Yorkists sieze the initiative this turn, forcing the Men-at-arms to go
first. The
Men-at-arms, knowing full well that to break formation means to be run down by
the Yorkist
cavalry, stay pat, holding their formation. The Yorkists lick their chops and
charge!
One Knight wheels around the right flank of the formation to lance the mounted
Man-at-Arms protecting that position. The Knight finds an opening on the
mounted Man-at-arms right side. The mounted Man-at-arms attempts to deflect
the attack with his buckler (defend
action) but the Knight's lance, with the force of his galloping warhorse
beneath him,
splinters the buckler and kills the man-at-arms cowering behind it (beats
adjDex 12...+2
from side attack...on 4 dice).
Meanwhile, the other two Yorkist Knights both wheel around the left of the
formation,
attacking the mounted Man-at-arms protecting that flank. The first Yorkist,
quite
unchivalrously, lances the Man-at-arms horse, knocking it to the ground and
throwing the
Man-at-arms from the saddle, thereby spoiling the second Knight's charge. They
will have words after the battle! (First Knight does 18 points of damage to
the hapless light horse, almost killing it). Meanwhile, one of the halberdiers
sees an opening, and jabs at a warhorse, scoring a deep wound along its flank
(1-hex jab for 10 points damage).
Turn 3:
Once again the Yorkists seize the initiative. Fearing getting caught in a
general melee and
thereby losing their advantage of mobility, they continue their respective
charges past the
men-at-arms and wheel around for a second pass (all of their opponents were
knocked down or killed in the previous turn, and so none of them are engaged
at the beginning of this one). Forming into a staggered charge, all three
horesmen attempt to trample the hapless Bill-man protecting the formation's
right flank. And yet the dextrous fellow dodges both hoof and lance, dancing
to safety on the horsemens' right. (This was interesting. The Bill-man made
his Dex save versus trample three times in a row, moving a total of three
hexes, and ending in a very favorable position to the rear hex of one of the
Yorkist's warhorses. Since the Yorkists were in the font hexes of their horses
so as to lance the other men-at-arms, this was a very favorable position for
the Bill-man...we'll see how it works out).
Two of the Bill-men, and John Harlow himself, stoically receive the charge,
hoping to
topple the incoming horses. The remaining Bill-man and the Spearman peel off
from the
second rank and attempt to charge the knights' flanks. The unsaddled
Man-at-arms climbs to his feet while his horse goes berserk.
The men-at-arms, clearly panicked at the sight of the charging armored
knights, let slip
their halbereds (all miss despite 11-13+ adjusted dex), and only John Harlow
himself
remains steady enough to challenge his oppnent. None the less, Harlow's spear
slides off
the angled heavy armor of his enemy, perhaps brusing a rib but doing little
else (10 damage
reduced to 3 by the Knight's fine plate and shield). Harlow certainly receives
the wrong
end of this joust, for the Knight's lance spears through his leather jerkin
and chest like
a hot knife through butter. One other Knight, too, easily kills the Bill-men
he'd charged.
Turn 4:
All the Mounted Men-at-arms are unhorsed or dead. The Yorkist Knights and
their horses have suffered minimal damage (10 to a horse, 3 to a Knight). The
Yorkists peel off from battle and ride off, confident that the Men-at-arms
can't hope to catch them.
 
YORKIST TOTAL VICTORY 
=====
Post to the entire list by writing to tft@brainiac.com.
Unsubscribe by mailing to majordomo@brainiac.com with the message body
"unsubscribe tft"