Battle of Cenad Ridge, 20th Febuary 1452

Sveneslav, Dregator of Sannicolau Mare, had been over seeing the administrative matters of his town that morning, herding in the oxen for branding. But he had been interrupted with the arrival of a great party of Mercenaries, Poles and Bavarians as it would appear, and with them rode King Vlad Tepes of all Wallachia. However Vlad had not come to cut a ribbon for the town, his retainers were grabbing every able bodied man and herding them up in the centre of the village. The blacksmiths shop was ransacked of tools and they were distributed amongst the men.
Sveneslav turned his horse and rode over to the king and his Bavarian retinue. "Ah our good Friend Sveneslav, it turns out that today you have the honour of hosting an incursion by our kindly neighbours the Hungarians. My Almughavar (Catalan Spanish) mercenaries have reported that a large army of English mercenaries, on leave from France (Hundred Years war) and in the pay of Ladislaus (King of Hungary), heading straight for Cenad Ridge. Turn out your men in their Darabantis (Peasant Guerillas) and ready your Curteni (Sons and Civil servants), then we will ride for Cenad." so said Vlad Tepes Dracul III

This was a game played out at my local gaming club. It had three different forces, with mine being made solely of my own models (a mixture of Old glory and Games Workshop). The sides consisted of teh following

Wallachia
Vlad the Impaler
Vlad's Bavarian Bodyguard (14)
Polish knights (5)
Sveneslav's Curtreni
Darabanti (15)
Darabanti (15)

England
Count
Standard
Mounted Men at arms (12)
Dismounted Men at arms (10)
Longbowmne (16)

Austrian Mercenaries
Halberdiers (12)
Longbowmen (14)

The Tower situated on the field was the piece of terrain I placed using Vlad's Strategist special rule. I then placed my two Darabanti units behind the tower and the central hill. I then placed Vlad's bavarian guard behind the hill ready to support the Darabanti and the Curteni and Polish Garda Domneasca either side of the hill and in the spaces between the woods ready to help the flanks.
The Austrian Mercenaries had quite a nice little effect on the game.
Before play started both the English and Wallachians put up secret pieces of paper with our deals to the Austrians written on them. We would then at the end of the game have to full fill what we wrote if the mercenaries were fighting for us.
I offered the measly 102vps ("2" just for insult) and what ever they could catch, as you can probably see I was fairly certain that I could win without them (Those of you who have seen how I play against vampires in fantasy will know that it is a policy of mine to never dispsl summoning spells, and I always profess that a few extra units won't win you the game). It soon became clear that the English had entered into a better bargain, and I believe they offered Half Vps, his sons hand in marriage and half his daughters land. Personally I wouldn't have given that much to mere mercenaries, especially only 26 of them.

"Sveneslav and his two sons and five administrative boyars had mounted and were riding across the field towards a line of stakes along the northern ridge overlooking Cenad ridge. Behind the stakes he could see a huge line of longbowmen. The same longbowmen that thirty seven years earlier, on st. crispin's day, had massacred the French Knights at Agincourt. As his son unfurled his banner he couldn't help reminding himself of this previous battle, but this time his Darabanti were making their way around the flanks of the English to roll up the line of longbows before he charged.

"But before he could have second thoughts Vlad Dracul's Herald rode past, sounding the charge. He kicked his spurs into his horse, and with the Dracul's standard blowing in the breeze above him he charged his horse straight for the stakes of the longbows. As he rode he looked to his left and saw his other Darabanti forming up on the top of Cenad ridge, that at least was now in their hands."

On the far side of the field however the heralds had reported to the Dracul that "The field is no longer Polish and the Angles stand triumphant". They reported that "The Winged knights of Poland have ridden into the gully, and there the flower of Polish chivalry fell, to a man, to the lances of the nobility of England! Now the Austrian forces stand on their flanks, but wether they shall aide us or our enemies is still unknown to us, my liege." It was still in doubht who's side the Austrians were fighting on however.

"In front of Sveneslav he suddenly saw the Darabanti emerge. He had just suffered a hail of arrows, which had lost him three of his Curteni, but now the bowmen were bolting, abandoning their stakes as the Darabanti hacked their way through them. Then Sveneslav swung up his mace, brought round his shield and charged for the Englishmen. His horse lept over the stake and ditch, crushing them under its hooves as the Curteni ran down the Longbowmen. Soon Sveneslav was satnding admist piles of dead longbowmen, he was staring straight at the English count and his entourage, who were not looking quiet so happy... Indeed it seemed that Death walked amongst them..."

Count Peter of  Gore was standing atop his horse, his standard dismounted and holding his horse on his left and his Fools, Heralds and Bodyguard on his right. He himself was flying his falcon over the field. In front of him stood his Men at arms, dismounted from their steeds to provide a bodyguard.
However the Count was by now less passive, and with the destruction of his Bows and stakes he now realised that he was in an extremly dangerous position. His entire force (if his Son's hand in marriage and half his daughter's lands had proved tempting) was positioned on the far right of the field.

"By now Sveneslav had turned his Curteni to face the English rear. With the charge of the Darabanti the count's retinue had fled the field and the Men at arms had gone tearing off after the fleeing peasants. Now Count Peter of Gore was alone, save for his standard, and faced with Sveneslav, the curteni and a band of Darabanti. Things looked down for the English"

But by now the English Knights had turned and were galloping for the ridge, where Vlad and his bodyguard stood defiant.
"Vlad looked down form the top of Cenad ridge. The English knights were charging for him and behind them came the Austrian mercenaries. Vlad was by now preparing for the Anglo-Austrian alliance when the Austrian bowmen let lose a hail of arrows at his Bavarians. But as Vlad expected they held, their full plate armour resisting all arrows! He hefted up his shield and drew his sword, soon he would lead a charge down the hill into the english knights!"

"Sveneslav spurred his horse! He rode down onto the count, but failed to defeat the warrior lord. However now the count and his Men at arms were surrounded by two bands of Darabanti, the curteni and the Bavarians! The English looked done for"

"Vlad could not believe his fortune! The hot headed Anglish knights had ridden straight past the ridge, riding for their count. They had completly underestimated Vlad and his Bavarian Landsknetchs, and they charged the cream of english nobility in their flanks, slaying many of them and sending them into panic, disorder and eventually flight. Now Vlad was preparing his men for the Austrian attack, whilst on Cenad ridge his followers dragged the bodies of the slain knights up poles and impaled them as a sign to the rest of the angles!"

"Sveneslav could now see that the sky was darkening and he knew that they would have to pull back soon, just then one of Vlad's heralds rode up to him, sounding the fall back. As he entered the village Vlad came up to him, the battle had been inconclusive. Vlad would have to fall back to his capital, but the Count's army could by no means continue and would also have to fall back. Cenad ridge was safe for now."

The Battle ended with the Mercenaries killing two bavarians with their longbows.

I finished with twelve bavarians, five curteni, twenty six darabanti and vlad to two units of austrian mercenaries, ten men at arms and two characters.

I had killed loads and was in a strong position, but my tempremental units and the indecisive ness of the battle forced us to call it a draw.