Two games in a day! Meg Imperial Romans vs Franks and ECW Eastern Association Parlimentarians vs Dutch Republic

Andy very kindly invited me over for a couple of pre-Xmas games, one of MeG, one of ReG. As my host, he chose his Franks and Dutch Republican forces, so I tried my best to match him with my Imperial Romans and ECW Eastern Association Parlimentarians.

Game 1: Imperial Romans vs Early Franks
We chose MeG first, and the omens and scouting were good for the Romans, outscouting the Franks by 10%.

The table was woods and rocky ground on a secure flank on the left, a wood and an orchard centre and right giving me a lovely area to defend, and a Frankish village in the far dsiatnce


I set three ambush cards (my unprotected archers, actually in the central wood by the camp, and never to be revealed). On the left, my Seguntienties (an average force) held the wood, while the Presendities (a superior legio) stood on their right. A gap, followed by my exceptional Legio Secondia, two more average units, a unit of cavalry, with the final superior foot behind, ready to swing right and support the cavalry, who will be joined by superior cavalry emerging from the right. Eight fighting units to hold up Andy's short spear, devastating charge horde! He had two cavalry out on the right, two more superior foot units, lots of nines of average, and then his fanatic superiors in the middle. I knew where my excxeptionals were headed at least! This is very much a historical fight, if I could resist the charge, I would survive.


At the end of turn 1, despite looking scattered, my army is in roughly the right places. The cavalry command is doing what Roman cavalry does best (riding off on their own and dying?), my foot is filling the gaps and spreading out so that I can try and take on at least two units with at least one of mine (not the best plan, but it will slow Andy's Franks down like a speed bump at least).


It helps when your sub-commanders don't draw hopeless cards though! My average troops in the wood on the left in a six are facing down six superiors and eight devastating chargers on their own, quite an ask really. The superior legion eyes up an eight of average, greedily.


The CinC with the cavalry wasn't doing much better to be honest, but at least he was roughly in the right place, pinning back a nine of warriors and two cavalry units while other forces manouvered to join them.


The centre knew what they were up to though, with my guard legio facing down the fanatics (which means you have to kill them to a man, rather than 50+% like other units. My two average psuedocommitatus units, dragged off the wall hinterland, face down nines of Frankish warriors with nothing but sharp swords, pointy sticks, big shields and hopefully a clean set of grundies!


Multiple crunches happen on the left as Andy's Frankish warriors pile in (they work best on the charge). For my average troops on the far left, this was bad news plus +3 vs his average on +3 or his superiors on +4. For my exceptionals on the right of shot having two units contact them was just in a day's work! Exceptional +2, Impact weapon +2, integral shooters +1, vs superior +1, dev charge +2. Always good...


The cavalry was staring each other down, the left two units were on +1 each, while my right-hand superiors were on +2. Six bases each, but Andy had nine warriors lurking in the backfield (afarid of me flanking them).

My superiors were not in, but everything else was, if I could survive the impacts, my melee experts and superiors would tell over time.


On the right, my other superior infantry clashes with a superior six of warriors, while one of my average units waits to be hit by a nine of averge dev charge short spear warriors.


My average warriors come off worse in the charge, losing a base to the warriors.


My other average warriors take a base and a wound while the exceptionals deal a kill on the superior fanatics. The cavalry wave a lot of handbags at each other.


Melees continue, cavalry expand, while the right-hand superior foot starts the long process of breaking a nine.


The averages in the woods suffer more wounds. The exceptionals wound the opposing averages and kill a base on the fanatics. (Pink counters indicate units that have fought from now on)


Andy buys off wounds, all my hard work, gone! Sob! My cavalry start to damage Andy's.


Even with a generals assistance Andy misses; while my boys do good...


On the cavalry flank, to stop the inevitable overlap, I expand the average cavalry. Knowing I only need a wound to break Andy's horsy boys, it will cause me to crash into his foot, c'est la vie. To their left, my superiors chew into the warriors.


Exceptionals expand into the soft squishy averages while continuing to deal damage to the superior fanatics. The averages facing down the warriors stand and fight hard.


My far-left-hand-wood-based averages are within a base of breaking. My superiors expand and deal massive damage to the warriors who charged them.


After killing two bases of averages and zero superiors, my left-hand averages break (0-2).
 

However, my superiors chew through the average warriors to their front. (2-2)


As do my other superiors (4-2).


And the cavalry, as predicted, break their conterparts (6-2).


In the centre, the exceptionals keep taking out base after base of average warriors and superior fanatics. My average foot are fighting hard to deal with the two nines that are attacking them.


The right hand superior legio pursue on towards the Frankish foot horde.


The two pursueing superior units crash into each other, but the average warriors have been sneaking through the wood looking at catching my legio in the back.


My right-hand superiors reach the average warriors, but too late for my average cavalry who break at the same point as the Frankish cavalry. (8-4)


That's quite a hole in the right flank now!


The main action shifts to the left, where my superiors cause a lot more damage on Andy's superiors than my averages ever did! My exceptionals break the average foot to their front, and have reduced the fanatics to one and a half bases (10-4).


Andy charges my left hand superiors in the flank, and causes only a single wound!!


Andy breaks one of my average legions, at the same time I break one of his warriors (12-6)


That 12 points is enough to break the Franks, giving me a 15-6 win. A tough army to beat and if Andy had had better luck with his charges, I would hae been in a whole heap of trouble. Great game.

Game 2: Eastern Association Parlimentarian vs Dutch Republic forces
Very dense terrain, suits neither of us, perfect! A pair of field system abutts a town near the coast, while the Dutch invade (let's call it Southwold). I also manage to somewhat outscout the Dutch as Cromwell rushes to protect the East.


An orchard fits to the right of the town, and a wood and an orchard demarkate the south and right of the town leaving an opem right to the battlefield. Two of my foot headed right, with Cromwell's four cavalry outside them. My dragoons scout forwards to the town, and my black foot forlorn hope onwards. All my other foot and artillery are to the left. Unfortunately for me, Andy can take his artillery as off-shore bombardment. Drat! Means he gets to hit me, but I can't reply.


My cavalry quickly wander up to the right of the orchard, meeting a unit of Dutch cuirassiers and a huge threat of shooty cavalry carracole. I send my Parlimentarian foot round the right for later, while Cromwell's horse do their best job and charge!


The Cromwellian horse dish ot a decent amount of damage, taking a fair amount too, but the Parlimentary horse are ready on the right and charge!


Both units crushed (4-0), and Andy's other cuirassier looks on nervously as they reform.


Doesn't help his cavalry general is swept away in the rout too!


Over in the fields, Dutch (some carrying Royalist flags, interesting) moved forwards through the town, high firepower and battalion guns, yowch, that hurts! Unfortunately, one of his units suffers a serious 'Gaukrogering', losing a base and a wound!


I lose a gun to off table firepower, both sides settle down across the fields, Andy's battalion guns pingiung away at me, and I looking for a way to deal with him. My dragoons had successfully delayed his foot coming through the town, maybe it was time for the heavy boys to get involved?


My superior black flagged foot is holding off one of Andy's shooty Dutch cavalry caracoles between the town and the orchard, while Cromwell sends some Parlimentary horse to assist them, the rest of my foot lines the town walls, from the outside.


Cromwell rushes round the cavalry rallying off wounds, while Andy's two remaining cavalry units stand off. I manage to shoot some of his shooty horse.


One of my dragoons, trapped between the fire lines, loses two bases to a major 'Gaukrogering' from Andy's foot.


They get over the fence before breaking. (4-2)


I throw my superior reds into the town to try and take on the Dutch that are approaching, not entirely successfully though.


The cavalry make it through the orchard (hmmm, apples, tasty) and threaten the Dutch horse.


At game end, my foot, despite being out-ranged, are not out-classed. My superiors are taking a pounding and dealing one too, the average units won't go forwards, nor will the Dutch, as standing in the open, would induce a rather fatal case of lead posioning.

Another great game, but we timed out (I had to get home), the terrain favoured neither of us, and I was quite happy with a 6-4 draw. My foot were weaker, but better cavalry, the Dutch are a tough nut to crack, I look forwards to being hammered by them again.