A fast and furious game, involving two of my 10mm Pendraken Armies. Mark chose my Tudors, the first time they've been out since the days of FoGR. I had sent Mark a list of armies he could chose from , and he suggested I randomly pick my army to face him, so I did. This was Mark's first time with an infantry army, after using Alans for his first few MeG games. The result was the nearest army historically, but furthest away geographically! My Senguko Samurai from the Usegui clan, as used at Warfare. Both CinC generals are 25mm, Henry VIII and Fluffy, it's a long story!
The armies deploy.
Very dense terrain, Mark picked marshes, and out scouted me by 80%!
To my left, safely behind barricades, a unit of bows and a unit of handgunners that would spend the day watching the action. My allies were on the hill. Foot to the right of it. As usual my Samurai had two ambushes, (white paper scraps), one behind the hill (powerbow foot and spears) and two cavalry in the woods.
Mark went for a long line of powerbows, supported by his heavily armoured foot, and his bills. On his left he stacked his knights, aiming at my camp. This could be a problem!
First moves: Cavalry spring forwards to engage Mark's average billmen. Mark reacts by forming out towards them. My foot ambush moved at full speed to the end of the line to react to the oncoming cavalry juggernaut!
15-8 to me!
The armies deploy.
Very dense terrain, Mark picked marshes, and out scouted me by 80%!
To my left, safely behind barricades, a unit of bows and a unit of handgunners that would spend the day watching the action. My allies were on the hill. Foot to the right of it. As usual my Samurai had two ambushes, (white paper scraps), one behind the hill (powerbow foot and spears) and two cavalry in the woods.
Mark went for a long line of powerbows, supported by his heavily armoured foot, and his bills. On his left he stacked his knights, aiming at my camp. This could be a problem!
First moves: Cavalry spring forwards to engage Mark's average billmen. Mark reacts by forming out towards them. My foot ambush moved at full speed to the end of the line to react to the oncoming cavalry juggernaut!
Two lines approach, just as Mr Barker intended! ;) My foot ambush had formed a line, Mark's bills had formed a line to face off my cavalry (who were breathing a massive sigh of relief at not having to face 16 bases of powerbows).
From here on in, the action got a bit tense, so photos are a bit lacking, sorry! The two battle lines crashed in, and despite me being, on average, two factors up, (Yellow dice to white), I couldn't his a barn door! Mark then threw in his Pikes and Heavy foot against my allied average bows, they knew their role: die. Slowly!
On the flank, Mark's cavalry had shot the gap, he threw one average knights at my powerbow armed, skilled Samurai. This was their second charge after the first was stopped short with only a wound on three yellow dice.
There should be another skull here too! Off the knights go as they broke (Yellow dice for shooting: You start on white dice, then upgrade through factors, Skilled vs Average +1, Powerbow +1, ignore heavy armour at less than 1BW. Not often it happens, but it feels good when it does).
After a bit of cunning maneuvering on my part, I got my average spears to charge Mark's superior cavalry in the flank! Yay! Nope, even with red and yellow dice, twice, I could not break his knights, One more wound, easy win for, oh hell... He managed to charge my flank with his average knights! He was on double reds and obliterated my spears in a turn.
The general situation after a quick swapping of units. The centre grind was definitely going Mark's way, his units of 8 bows were soaking up the damage supported by two generals, his pikes and heavy foot were shoving me all over the shop. On the left, my cavalry was in a mutual break situation with his average billmen. He had charged me twice, each time I had stood and shot, wearing him down, then broke off.
On the right, Mark's victorious cavalry turned their attention to my powerbow armed samurai as they tried to flank him. However, as he charged, I shot him away! I LOVE samurai bows! However, my foot was in real trouble, his numbers (and my less than good dice) were telling.
A moment of mutual disintergration! My left hand cavalry broke, my spears melted under the assault of his pikes and men-at-arms, his bows evaporated (finally) as one of his generals died under the Samurai blades. That was enough to shatter his line. I had lost 4/9ths, but MArk lost 5/10th, so his forces broke. The Samurai off in the distance are moving over one of Mark's wound counters, so were only one hit off breaking too!
There were two armies here just now! Look Henry is running away!
Really tight game, really down to one wound either way in the end. A real thinker all round, we were both exhausted afterwards. Mark has asked for a rematch on March 8th, with exactly the same armies, but swapping sides.
I look forwards to it!
Superb game! I love Samurai and Tudors!
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