This is the 3rd post about the 3rd Scenario of the Campaign Carnival 2022 by @WorldofWeirth/Purple Druid presents Wargame Culture
If you haven't read the other posts here's a TL/DR:
- Mireland's forces are counterinvading the Barony of Heirland
- Heirland captured a Mireland scout and has set up an ambush
- The Mireland force has entered the battlefield in column
- The Heirland flanking force on the right cannot move until round 2
- The Mireland battle plan is to outflank the Heirland force on the hill with cavalry (drake riders) on the left and infantry (gatorkin mercenaries) on the right, covered by archers (goblin infantry) and carnage beasts. The rest of the gatorkin will attack directly with the carnage beast joining in.
- The Heirland battleplan is for their archers (scouts) and battle mages to fire from the top of the hill with infantry at the bottom of the hill protecting them. The infantry from the flanking force will feign coming from the ruins on the right while the cavalry (knights) sneak through the woods
- Mireland cannot see the flanking force until they break cover
- I'm utilizing the Dice Legions game with modifications for unit morale and leaders
- Units use activations to act, leaders can use activations to rally units and give a limited activation to all units in their Command Range (movement rate)
Links to previous posts:
Here are the units cards and the dice that reprsent them, the special units (battlemages and carnage beasts) are d8s.
Close ups:
Initial setup: Heirland south and east, Mireland northwest
The white dice are Mireland supply wagons. There are hills along the northern edge and southwest, ruins to the southeast, and forest center east.
Round 1: Heirland wins the roll off (Dice Legions tern for initiative) 9 to 5, and elects to go second.
Mireland activates its three leaders and moves most of its units sending infantry to the east and center and cavalry to the west. They activate their archers and beasts and move them up and begin targeting the Heirland infantry, reducing one unit to one pip. It fails morale and begins retreating south (routed).
Heirland activates it's leaders. Moving the infantry to the bottom of the hill and clearing line of sight for some of the scouts (archers) to fire. At this point I realize the Mireland commander (i.e. ME) has made a mistake. The hill give range units extra...well, range and they are able to target the enemy leaders. The remaining activations are used to move and fire with most of the scouts and all the mages. (None is used to try and rally the infantry that is routed and retreating). The ranged units wipe out both Mireland cavalry and archer commander units and one carnage beast. They target the infantry leader, but cause no damage. They damaged a couple of archer units and one failed morale and retreated.
(I mistakenly didn't get a picture at the end of Round 1.)
Round 2: Mireland wins the roll off 11 to 10 thanks to the +3 for losing 3 units.
Mireland has less flexibility with only one leader left. That leader activates gatorkin on one side to move up to make contact with the Heirland infantry and uses archer fire to target the scout leader unit, reducing it to one. Three beasts are activated to move up and target the scout leader, but all hits are saved. The fleeing scout successfully rallies with an activation. The remaining cavalry are activated and double move to a flanking position. Three more carnage beasts are moved up to target the infantry leader and do some damage.
Heirland realizes the Mireland forces will be able to move to a flanking position earlier than anticipated. (No battle plan survives contact with the enemy.) Also the flanking infantry would be spotted immediately and by unable to get near the ruins to support the planned ruse. The cavalry leader activation is used to move the flanking infantry. Rather than slowing the cavalry by sending them through the woods, they activate and break cover for a charge. The infantry leader activates the movement around it, moving some scouts and mages to cover the flank and pulling the infantry leader unit back to avoid further range fire. Several mages remain in place and hit two Mireland cavalry units. An infantry in contact hits another cavalry. The scout leader unit activates the units on its side (and auto rallies). The mages target the Mireland archers, hitting all of them. The scouts target carnage beast in the middle of the battlefield (hitting 2) and the infantry in contact with gatorkin attack and damage them. Most the Mireland units that were damaged fail morale checks and retreat. One cavalry and two archer units stand fast.
The results after Round 2, the metal markers indicate routed units:
Round 3 Heirland wins roll off 8 to 4:
Heirland: The cavalry leader activates and moves all the cavalry up. The scout leader activates the units around it and mages begin targeting the archers. Several 6's are rolled (6's on ranged attacks by mages cannot be saved and count as two hits. Can you say Fireball?) Both archer units within range are wiped out. Mages and scouts target the Mireland infantry leader unit and get three hits. The infantry on the line attack the remaining gatorkin again. The infantry leader activates units. Scouts and mages target all along the line. Then infantry are individually activated to engage the remaining cavalry. The 3 infantry of the flanking force are also activated and moved. A Mireland gatorkin and cavalry unit fail morale and retreat.
End of Heirland turn, Round 3:
Mireland: Mireland infantry leader actives and rallies troops, rolling a 2. Choose to let 2 drake riders rout off west side of board. Activations used on carnage beasts to reenforce east flank and attack scout leader (attacks missed) and unengaged gatorkin and beasts moved to attack infantry in west and center. One infantry destroyed and three damaged. Two units fail morale and retreat.
End of Mireland turn, Round 3:
Round 4 Heirland wins roll off 10 (+1 for loss) to 7 (+3 for losses)
Heirland: Infantry leader activates the units around it. Ranged units engage the carnage beasts and gatorkin inflicting some damage. Scout leader activates units with engaged infantry attacking and mages attacking gatorkin in the middle. The middle gatorkin shake off any hits. Cavalry is activated and charges the 5 gatorkin units in the east. They destroy one and inflict heavy damage on 3 others. West side infantry are activated and attack carnage beasts. 3 carnage beasts and 5 gatorkin fail maorale checks and retreat.
End of Heirland turn, Round 4:
Mireland: Infantry leader rallies units, rolling a 2. Uses remaining activations to retreat as many units as possible.
End of Mireland turn, Round 4:
Round 5 Mireland wins roll off 8 to 7:
Mireland: Most activations use to retreat units. 3 units already engaged, 2 gatorkin in middle, northwest archer, attack. All three Heirland units make morale save.
Heirland: Activation by leaders and mages used to move units into combat range for next turn.
End of Round 5:
The remaining rounds are a running fight as Mireland attempts to escape from the battlefield while Heirland tries to cut them off and destroy them. Along with mopping up engage units.
Round 6 Heirland wins roll off 8 to 3, Mireland loses three units to one for Heirland. Mireland archers force a retreat by Heirland cavalry.
End of Round 6:
Round 7 Heirland winds roll off 7(+1) to 6(+3), Mireland loses 5 more units.
End of Round 7 (last battlefield pic):
Round 8 Mireland wins roll off 15 (+5) to 8, Mireland loses one more unit and the main force escapes. Heirland almost loses it's infantry leader in the battle near the hill.
Round 9 Heirland win the roll off 8 to 7(+1), Mireland archer routs off the field and remaining Mireland units are mopped up. Baggage train is captured.
The results:
Units remaining. (Heirland top 4 rows, Mireland bottom). The markers indicate the units to left are leader units:
Units lost. (Mireland top 3 rows, Mireland bottom) The rectangular marker indicate units routed off the north or south.
Mireland losses:
In units (stands): 13 gatorkin, 3 drake riders, 4 goblins, 5 carnage beasts, 5 wagons from baggage train, 2 leaders
In pips (figures): 84 gatorkin, 22 drake riders, 28 goblins, 5 carnage beasts, 5 wagons from baggage train, 2 leaders
Plus 5 units routed off field, 3 off north side
Heirland losses:
Units: 3 infantry
Pips: 36 infantry, 9 knights, 5 scouts
Plus 3 units routed off south edge
Victory points:
Counting losses by stand: Heirland 35, Mireland 6
Counting losses by figure: Heirland 149, Mireland 53
Utilizing the Campaign Carnival 2022 booklet chart to breakdown casualties:
Heirland:
Killed: 440 infantry, 120 knights, 40 scouts
Injured: 280 infantry, 160 knights, 80 scouts
Scattered: 720 infantry, 80 knights, 80 scouts
Mireland:
Killed: 880 gatorkin, 320 drake riders, 440 goblins, 5 carnage beasts
Injured: 960 gatorkin, 240 drake riders, 120 goblins
Scattered: 1480 gatorkin, 320 drake riders, 560 goblins
Captured: 2 leaders, 5 baggage train wagons
Summary:
This battle could have gone very differently if two Mireland leaders had not been lost in the first round. That would have enabled the gatorkin and carnage beasts to fight infantry one on one and for attacks on both flanks. The Heirland Knights would have been pressed to get into battle range and much of the devastating Heirland missile fire would have been negated by either being engaged in melee or having most potential targets in melee (no firing into melee).
Mobility and massed attack really seem to be key in this system.
"Get there (in the fight) first and with overwhelming force (and you will dominate the battle)." - General Nathan Bedford Forrest
(Often quoted as " git thar fustest with the mostest".)
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