Renaissance Battle: Hussites versus Maximilian (Part 4)

The Game Builds to a Crescendo ...

With the battle at a its crisis point careful choices have to be made. The great Maximilian cannon now concentrated on the killer Hussite Knights and spoke well bringing disorder to them. With their foe now vulnerable in so such disorder the call went out to "Send in the heavy Burgndian Knights (with attached General)" ...and for the first time in my Impetus wargaming career, my gloriously painted Burgundian Knights (from Redoubt Miniatures) were in the right place at the right time with the potential do a great deal of damage. The Burgundians got in without disorder, endowed with a good combat factor of eight and an impressive additional Impetus of six bringing the total number of dice to fourteen, in response the "Hussite King" threw back a mere five (see below):

The Hussite King went down fighting, but down he went.

(Hussite break points 6, Maximilian break points 9)

The fleeing routing Hussite Knights caused great devastation to their immediate friends,disordering a Wagonburg and causing a casualty, but destroying the Hussite heavy cannon.
 
(Hussite break points 7, Maximilian break points 9)

As equal of importance to the "loss of break points" of the Hussite Knight unit (with attached General) was the effect on the Hussite Army's command and control status. The uninterrupted run of initiative wins came to an end and the Maximilian army gained a valuable "flip-flop". The Hussites did however decide to continue fighting for the sake of their honour and their general's memory. A close call for the Hussites but they live to fight on, no quick win then for the Maximilian Army.  

In the immediate aftermath of the charge the momentum of the Burgundian Knights carried them through onto the Wagonburg behind. Both sides became "locked in melee", a great result for the Burgundians as they did not have to endure the deadly "bricks and bottles" attack from the Wagonburgs.

The Maximilian "flip-flop":

The Germanic Men-At-Arms positioned themselves as further insurance against the last remaining Hussite Knight unit (though in a sad blown state with a casualty so without its Impetus rating). 

The Maximilian heavy ordnance speaks with devastating effect of the far left Wagonburg and without any remaining "dice of destiny" left to spend the Hussite is powerless to stop its demise.

(Hussite break points 11, Maximilian break points 9)

One more Hussite Wagonburg or Knight unit would seal the fate of the Hussite Army, "In with the pike". Here the previously mentioned "impassable terrain" caused me much suffering. Instead of going ahread to contact the Wagonburg, the Pike Block had to perform a turn before it could get in to assist in the continuing "Knight versus Wagonburg" melee, causing it to be disordered, but at least it made it to the party (see below): 

The dice are rolled and "bad boy" wagonburg goes down, a sigh of Maximilian relief is audible and believe me  have not had many of those in my wargaming history.

(Hussite break points 15 and the army is BROKEN, Maximilian break points 9,however the game must be played to the end of the whole turn)

I have been in this situation before, one side is broken, but the win is still yet to be sealed as the Hussite has one last chance to break the Maximilian army in its death spasm. My attached Maximilian general sustains a "bricks and bottles" attack, takes a casualty and to my horror sustains a very "bad" discipline test roll (see below0. The 'six' (and what a time to roll it) means the Maximilian general goes down, but does the army fight on or rout?

I roll my "fateful dice" they decide to fight on (another Maximilian sigh of relief).

As it stood a really fantastic game of Impetus and my only second Impetus "win" (but that is not why the game was deemed good, as a game it had everything). A brilliant way to start the year's campaigning, but hats off to the Hussite wargaming general and his sense of adventure in building up such a new "project army" (with so many War Wagons to paint). He played out the rules in complete fairness and was the perfect patient player encouraging this novice to expand my Renaissance army by painting more units (with the aim of getting my current 300 point army to 400+ points).