Your classic spinning top battle, with clockwise rotation. The cavalry struck first (see below)
But miraculously the cavalry attack was bounced, the "fire-sticks" worked, and the cavalry (with genius general attached retreated back) whence it came (as seen below, moving with the assistance of the god-like hands of a nearby helpful spectator.).
Ego hurt and abashed, unit damaged but a flip-flop move to use to his advantage the general spurred his cavalry back in for more.
Lady luck smiled beguilingly at the genius general, but shook her head for a second time they were sent reeling back. This time hurt and disordered in front of an angry charging block of pike (see below).
Crunch! Disordered pike or not they were still very, very deadly. What's more as the general's unit evaporated in chaos and disorder, fleeing is all directions he was thrown from his horse and slain cruelly beneath a Landsknecht's boot. A roll was needed, the disaster total for the cavalry army was now ten, still insufficient to break it but the effect of the loss of the general on his army could cause them to lose heart.
Fate again was disdainful to the pitiful pleas of man, but this time to those of the Landsknecht's, as the cavalry army did not even notice the passing of this would-be Alexander. Time was pressing and the club's doors were closing but one last turn was played.
The hammerhead fell upon an isolated unit of "shot" (see above: the cavalry was where the damaged unit of "shot" had been). The critical break point in my army was reached. The full turn had still to be played out though, a draw was technically possible, my pike did have a slim chance of contacting an enemy unit and therefore breaking the cavalry armies cohesion too, but alas my discipline rolls failed to get me into contact my and instead my pikes were lowered in submission to parley.
Despite losing it was certainly an enjoyable game. Given the age (young teenage) of my experienced opponent I only hope he wasn't too tired for school in the morning. If only his history teacher knew what he had done the night before.
:)
Great couple of posts mate, interesting and different
ReplyDeleteThink of it as psychological catharsis, venting my wargaming angst as the taste of defeat is turned to a sniff of victory, only to be denied and thus all hope vanquished and destroyed
ReplyDeleteAs my wife put "get over it you were trounced by a kid" ;)
Great game he'll go far
Glad you liked the posts :)
ReplyDeleteWow -- a tense and exciting battle. So very, very close toward the end. I was pulling for you all the way.
ReplyDeleteCheers Bard, this one got away ;)
ReplyDeleteMy familiarity with the rules is still at the "novice" level, so I was lucky to get as close as I did
Pike running down cavalry has a very funny feel to it, but in the circumstance, the cavalry was being attacked from the rear (which cannot be good thing for the cavalry)
Impetus seems an enjoyable game
To me it seems a good set of rules for Renaissance