Averland war of Succession part 8 - Attack on Bieswang - Pike and Shotte

Kastor's army having broken itself in the assault on Pfungzig, was forced to fall back to Bieswang once more, where it was reinforced by new Tilean mercenaries, along with more recruits from Averheim.

With Pietr newly arrived in Pfungzig, after his long retreat through the hill country of Averland following his disastrous defeat at the Battle of Grenzsdadt and again, when he tried to make a stand in the foothills, Vyshnevtsky was able to commit the full force of the Hardenburg marines to advancing on Bieswang. And so, just outside the town, the two armies met. 

 



Kastor Leitdorf's new army of Averland
Heavy infantry brigade (left)

• Count's greatswords - gallowglass
• Averland Halbediers - halbediers
• Averland Swordsmen - swordsmen
• Great cannon - heavy gun

Spearmen brigade (centre)

• Tilean Spearmen - Swiss pike
• Tilean Spearmen - Swiss pike
• Averheim Spearmen - pike
• Mortar - heavy gun

Blazing Sun's brigade (right)

• Knights of the Blazing Sun - Gendarmes 
• Knights of the Blazing Sun - Gendarmes 
• (Kastor's Griffon - Men at arms)
• Hellblaster - heavy gun
• Battle Wizard - medium gun

Prince Vyshnevtsky's Hardenburg Marines
Bernardo Belletto's Household brigade (left)

• Prince's greatswords - gallowglass
• Outriders - reiters
• Outriders - reiters
• Hellblaster - heavy gun
• Hellblaster - heavy gun

Warden Carranado's Kasotian brigade (centre)

• Kasotian spearmen - Swiss pike
• Kasotian handgunners - Swiss arquebusiers
• Kasotian handgunners - Swiss arquebusiers
• Hardenburg lspearmen - pike
• Kasotian great cannon - heavy gun

Don Quixote's infantry brigade (right)

• Kasotian spearmen - Swiss pike
• Kasotian handgunners - Swiss arquebusiers
• Hardenburg handgunners - Swiss arquebusiers
• Prince's greatswords - gallowglass
• Chaplain of the knights of the Black Bear - heavy gun

The battle commenced with an artillery bombardment from either side, though it caused no damage.

Carranardo, Warden of Kasos, having disgraced himself at the battle of Grenzsdadt, was awarded another chance by Vyshnevtsky, commanding one of his brigades

To the north the Averlander heavy brigade began its advance, which was quickly followed by a speedy advance by Don Quixote's brigade.

While attempting to form just beyond the woods, the heavy brigade caught Quixote's Kasotians.

After throwing back the initial charge, Quixote's own greatswords charged. Seeing the battle intensifying, Carranado committed his Hardenburgers in support, while Vyshnevtksy himself moved up to command the action.

After a brief but bloody clash the Prince's greatswords broke the halbediers, while the Kasotian spearmen defeated the swordsmen, sending the heavy brigade into retreat. However this now left them exposed to artillery fire.

However the other Averland infantry brigade was now starting to close on Quixote's men, while long range artillery fire, managed to strike the Kasotian centre.

Moving his men forward rapidly, Vyshenvtsky's greatswords charged home into the swordsmen and broke them, leaving the heavy brigade broken.

The greatswords however, remained steady, charging forwards into the Hardenburger handgunners, while the artillery opened fire, sending Vyshnevtsky's greatswords from the field. With Kastor and the Blazing suns advancing rapidly to join the fight in the north, it seemed like Vyshnevtsky may have overreached his hand.

The handgunners however, managed to hold against the greatswords, and inflicted enough casualties to put them out of action, leaving the heavy brigade to fall back on Bieswang. Hardenburg artillery caused heavy casualties on an advancing block of Tilean spearmen, but the nearby wizard stepped in to heal and rally them.

The blazing suns now swept in, engaging the Hardenburg handgunners and supporting the Averheim spearmen's attack on the Hardenburg spearmen, while artillery fire again proved devastating, breaking the Kasotian spearmen.

The fight left the Hardenburg spearmen retreating, while the Blazing Suns swept through both units of handgunners, annihilating Don Quixote's brigade.

The Hardenburg spearmen now foolhardily charged the Blazing Suns, who countercharged and cut their unit to pieces. The right wing had well and truly fallen.

Seeing the devastation on the right, but also the weakness in the centre and left, Belletto's household brigade pushed forwards along the road.

Charging onto the nearest gun, the Blazing Suns found themselves hit in the side by the Chaplain's spells. A combination of the magic and hailshot scattered their unit, sending them from the field.

On the left though, the Averland artillery were finding equal targets, and hit a hard blow to the outriders.

Now the Spearmen brigade began its advance on the Hradenburg gun positions. Up and down the line the guns opened fire, with the handgunners' right wing. Enfilading fire from the two hellblasters now tore through the Tilean spearmen, while fire from the nearer guns left the Averheim spearmen shaken, leaving the Spearmen brigade broken and with them the rest of the Averland army.

Victory to Hardenburg!

 

The battle had seen a short sharp combat in the north, with an entire brigade of Hardenburgers and Kasotians annihilated, followed by a sweeping advance from the north by the Averlanders which had broken on the Hardenburgers' steady guns.

And so the day was left in Hardenburg's hands, and Vyshnevtsky at last advanced, on his third attempt, into Bieswang, leaving Kastor to fall back to Averheim. It was only the second town to have fallen to Hardenburg during the campaign, but it was a key one in their advance on Averheim.
 

By B