After Pietr's second defeat at
the Battle of the Grenzsdadt Hills, the Grand Army would be retreating further north again, heading for Pfungzig which was, as things stood, still in Hardenburger hands, occupied by the Prince's son and the Hardenburg Marines. However whether this would be the case much longer was now a matter to decide.
Vyshnevtsky and the Marines, having been defeated on their
second advance on Bieswang, had fallen back on Pfungzig again, which had quickly been surrounded by Kastor's new army, recruited from Averheim, Bieswang, Streissen and Heideck. Now they were ready to launch an assault on the town, which, if successful, would throw Vyshnevtky back over Blue Reach, and leave Pietr stranded in the foothills of Averland.
The armies were 2500pts aside composed as follows -
Kastor Leitdorf's new army of Averland
- Kastor Leitdorf, Empire General on Griffon
- Wizard Lord (Life)
- Captain
- Wizard (Life)
- Wizard (Metal)
- 25 Tilean Handgunners
- 30 Averheim halbediers, shields and full command
- 20 halbediers, shields and full command
- 14 Knights of the Blazing Suns (Reiksguard knights) with full command and magic standard
- Mortar
- Great Cannon
- Hellblaster
- Steam Tank
- (18 greatswords with full command and magic standard)
Prince Vyshnevtsky's Hardenburg Marines
- Prince Vyshnevtsky, Empire General on Griffon
- Lord High Justice, Wizard Lord (Metal)
- Captain Marlow, Battle standard bearer
- Chaplain of the Knights of the Black Bear, Wizard (Life)
- 20 Kasotian Handgunners
- 39 Combined Kasotian and Hardenburg Halbediers with full command and 2 detachments of 10 Handgunners
- 5 Knights of the Black Bear
- 5 Knights of the Black Bear
- 40 Greatswords with full command and magic standard
- 5 Outriders with bardings and marksman
- Great Cannon
- Great Cannon
- Hellblaster
(4 obstacles providing cover from shooting)
The battle commenced with Kastor's Steam Tank rumbling forwards, crushing the woods before it, before firing off its artillery at the nearby Hardenburger artillery, but overshooting.
However on the otherside, the Averland great cannon fired on its opposite, bouncing the shot straight in to the Kasotian gun and destroying it.
The artillery bombardment continued, with the mortar scoring a hit on the spearmen, taking out half of a rank.
As the Steam Tank continued its advance, the 'Streissen Tank enthusiast' (a Streissen university graduate who had taken command of this new purchase from Nuln in this assault) popped up to let off his repeating pistol at the nearby Lord High Justice, however he missed.
As the tank rolled forwards, the right flank opened fire. The great cannon misfired, putting it out of action for the next turn, while the outriders opened fire on the steam tank, but to little effect. However the Lord High Justice and the hellblaster managed to cause a bit of damage on it.
All down the line the Hardenburgers opened fire. The remaining 40 handgunners opened fire. In the centre the Kasotians took down 6 Tilean handgunners, while on the left the combined handgunners failed to take down a single knight as the bullets bounced from their armour.
On the right the Knights and Greatswords continued their advance, with Kastor waiting in the wings.
Down the line the gunners again opened fire. The Tilean handgunners failed to take down a single man. Elsewhere the bombardment went badly. The great cannon blew itself to pieces, while a boiler leak caused the steam tank to freeze in its tracks. However the hellblaster managed to score a hit on its opposite number and take out most of the crew.
This immobility proved fatal, as the Lord High Justice tore it to pieces.
A mortar shell landing in the block of spearmen, blew apart the rest of the first rank.
The Averland advance continued. With the Hardenburg artillery almost completely immobilised, the Averland spearmen advanced on the walls. The smaller of the blocks, without the magical protection awarded to the larger, took the close fire of the nearby hellblaster, losing a quarter of its men. Meanwhile Vyshnevtsky mobilised the greatswords into a column and directed it, with Captain Marlow joining it from the spearmen, to bolster the right flank against the approaching infantry units.
On the left however, the Blazing Suns at last charged home into the combined line of handgunners. A closing volley took down almost half of the knights.
Charging into the town, the Averland halbediers, caused the Lord High Justice and remaining hellblaster crewman into flight. The first men were in.
The Averland shooting and magic was now much more destructive than in past turns. The hellblaster and Tilean handgunners opened fire, taking down 5 Kasotian handgunners, while the Mortar took out a rank of greatswords. The wizard lord too caused damage, killing half the combined spearmen with dwellers below.
After a brief round of combat the Blazing Suns easily broke the handgunners and ran them down as they fled, though they lost one man in the assault. However the Black Bears were ready to face them.
On the right the Hardenburgers struck. The Greatswords column barrelled into the Halbediers, while the Knights of the Black Bear charged straight into the front of the Averheim halbediers.
Meanwhile the Black Bears also struck, hitting the Blazing Suns, while Vyshnevtksy on his griffon hit them in the flank.
After a brief but bloody scrap four Blazing Suns were dead to one Black Bear.
On the right, the Averheimers managed to throw back the knights, though to the loss of a few men, but failed to catch them. Meanwhile the Greatswords had cut down all but three members of the other halbedier block, capturing their standard, and now came to face the Averheimers. But as they manoeuvred to face the greatswords, they Averheimers took a hail of close range shots from the outriders in their rear, leaving but 18 men, to face 26 greatswords.
On the left Kastor quickly exploited the breach created by the Blazing Suns, charging into the frey with his greatswords. He and Vyshnevtsky quickly broke off with their great mounts to duel, while the greatswords took the place of the fallen knights.
The fight went on for a while Vyshnevtsky and Kastor hacking at one another, while Kastor's griffon got far the better over Vyshnevtsky's. The Black Bears captured the Blazing Suns' banner, while their chaplain used his wards to protect them and heal Vyshnevtsky from the wounds he suffered in the combat (perhaps a rather underhand method of duelling)
In the end however the Black Bears broke and were run down by Kastor's greatswords. Kastor's griffon meanwhile had at last taken down its opposite and Vyshnevtsky was left to face his foe and his steed!
On the right combat ensued in which the Averheimers and the remaining halbediers from the other block charged in on the greatswords, the greatsword quickly butchered their foes however, to the loss of only 5 of their own, leaving but one halbedier to flee from Pfungzig, while the last 8 Averheimer's tried to escape into the town, the greatswords capturing their blue standard.
The greatswords and remaining spearmen now quickly began their advance on the town quarter where Kastor and his greatswords were left in control, while the handgunners fire took down all but two of their opposites putting them to flight. Also the Black Bears charged from the town into the nearest wizard, cutting him down and overrunning into the next.
The hellblaster and mortar now fired on the greatswords' column killing nine.
Further fire from outside the town put the Kasotian spearmen and handgunners to flight. However with Vyshnevtsky still unbeaten (though nearly so), the knights re-entering the town and the Kasotian spearmen rallying at the last, the town remained firmly in Hardenburg's hands.
Kastor, so close to striking down his foe, was forced to abort at the last moment as the battle ended with Hardenburg's force still in control of the town.
Victory to Hardenburg! (at last!)
With Kastor's army beaten at Pfungzig, he was forced to fall back on Bieswang again, and with Pietr's force newly arrived in the town, Vyshnevtsky would now be able pursue, hot on Kastor's heels.
By B
