Brettonia vs Hardenburg - Warhammer

Kislev Crusade -home grown rules

The Bretonnian's have long had a wish to expand the faith of the Lady north to other lands of man, and the Kislevits were prime targets. A wave of pilgrims and other devotees sailed to the land of ice and snow in the bleak north to convert the natives from the faith of Ursun and the old gods. But they did not receive a fine welcome and were put to the sword as seditious foreigners. This insult to the Lady could not stand, and a force of crusaders was quickly mustered and set sail in great galleons to teach the barbarians that such conduct was not suited to the world of men. Earl Richard of Gisoreux and his brother, a knight of the grail led the expedition.

 The local kisvleite Knyaz had ridden out with his own bodyguard of winged lancers, called up some serfs and rallied the local tribes of Ungol horsemen to bulk out his army.    

We were using our rules for this game, with me M, lord of Bretonnia taking the forces of the Lady into battle!

  

Bretonnian Crusaders

• 18 knightly crusaders
• 25 faithful bowmen
• 2 valorous knights on winged horses
• Huebald marshal of the lists (chap in black and white)
• Earl Richard (red and white in the centre)
• Lord Beren defender of the grail and grail knight  

  

Local Knyaz's Forces  

• 14 winged lancers
• 15 Ungol horsemen
• 8 hussars
• 30 (less then keen) serfs
• Boyar on foot (leading serfs)
• Knyaz Alolzy Steel Foot (chap on bear)   

  

The bretonnian forces landed on the icy coast, then followed the fjord inland. The villages they came to were little more then fishing posts and did not welcome nor attack them, so they moved on vowing to find the lord of these lands and teach a lesson in courtesy. After some time of traveling like this they came near the end of the fjord and there they waited, not to keen on the idea of abandoning all hope of returning to the boats. The next day Huebald (marshal of the lists and defender of Earl Richard's borders) returned from a scouting with ill news. A large force of kislevites was marching their way with a great host of horse men.  

   

 Finding they were out numbered they put their backs to the icy waters of the fjord and faced the chill winds of north. Huebald took the left flank with a troop of bowmen, while the Earl took the centre with a group of his knights and bowmen and Beren held the right with the mainstay of their knights.  

The flying knights took the far flanks, reporting any sighting of the northmen.

The Kayaz was no fool and though he had a great number of men at his call, few were armored from head to toe full harness and plate as the crusaders he faced were, nor were they as well drilled.   

As the native force appeared out of the snow the wind fell and the snow blizzard, that had been blowing about fell with it, to show the full extent of the opponents armies. The Kislevites pressed forward, knowing the crusaders had a retinue of bowmen and did not want to get into a long range fight they would not answer. The light horse men scattered in front of the heavy lancers to cover them from the lines of bowmen, while the serfs got to a wall in the field and did't seem to want to approach the archers opposing them without it. The Bretonnians quickly sent there troops round to the right hoping to out flank the enemy.      

As the horde of horse men fell down on them the archers let loose a volley of arrows that cut down a whole troop of Ungols, before the lancers charged the knights and battle commenced! As they plunged forward a group of lancers pealed off to the side to hold off the outflanking knights while there companions dealt with the others. But the charge did not go as planned the Crusaders fought back most revengefully and none were cut down.       

One of the knights, mounted on his winged horse decided to sell his life dearly and hold off the serfs, and ploughed in the them, his steed tossing men aside though the massed serfs beat him back.

The knights then counter charged! Beren cutting down men on every side of him with his long sword while his men plunged into the lancers killing several of them.     

On the flank of  battle Richard led his knights to battle as a fierce fight sprang up in the small cops.  

The battle continued with the lancers and knights fighting this way and that as they swirled in desperate melee. The rest of the Ungols had fled from the archers who had sent volley after volley into their ranks.     

The knight mounted on his flying steed flew round into the side of the fight in the cops, his mount flinging horse and rider aside. Richard and his knights pushed back the lancers.

Earl Richard and Beren's efforts in the field pushed back the lancers sending them running, with the crusaders hot on there heals.

 Alolzy Steel Foot though was made of sterner stuff and mounted, in the way of the kislev kayazs on a great bear, led his hussars in a counter counter charge!   

Beren had led most of the knights off in pursuit of the lancers and the knights left behind had had enough fighting off the bodyguard and now being face by more horsemen fled!  

But Beren, joined by the flying one, returned sending the hussars running and caught and fought Alolzy, but he broke from the fight and charged the bowmen vowing that he would die with his sword in the enemy, he never made it. The bowmen turned and loosed a volley into him, his beloved bear fell to the ground full of arrows, but the Kayaz struggled up, and pausing only to take one last look as his proud mount breathed his last, charged on to the archers who unleashed another volley, before they rushed him with knives and daggers...

The kislev forces were in flight, serfs were fleeing as the lancers were pounding back through the snow with crusaders cutting them down as they went. But alas as the knights came to the fields they found the noble knight who had held the hordes of footmen at bay, dead by his mount, their blood covering the white snow where they had been hacked down by the massed host of serfs. But he had not died in vain, it would be a long time before the next Kayaz put devotees of the Lady to the sword and pilgrims would be able to wander freely in the lands north of the empire again...              

A Bretonnian Victory 

Averland war of Succession part 9 - Strike at Pfungzig - Lord of the Rings the strategy battle game

Having been beaten all the way back from Grenzstadt, Pietr was pursued back to the captured town of Pfungzig by Ferdinand's vanguard, his main force following up behind. On the long retreat back to Pfungzig only the Kasotians had maintained good order, the last of the Grand Army's Greatswords having been cut down to a man at the battle of Grenzstadt hills, by their bitter rivals The 3rd Leopold's Own. 

As the weary remains of the Grand Army arrived and started to enter the town, news came to Pietr that the Averland van was on them and he quickly dispatched orders to the Kasotian second in command, a captain Gonzalo, to cover their retreat into the town.

           Ferdinand himself had sent a company of the 3rd, aided by some knights of the Blazing sun and Tilian hand gunners, to try and catch the foe as they entered the town and beat back any enemy rearguard they encountered, under the command of Raimund his nephew.          

        

This was a game we did using lord of the rings rules. We also wanted to have ago at using almost exactly the same force and seeing how that went.

Kasotian rearguard 

Knight's of Kasos...10 knights of Gonder

Kasos hand gunners...30 black root vale rangers (can't remember why we chose them they'r pretty rubbish) 

Kasotian pike...30 Dol Amroth men at arms

Captain Gonzalo...Madril

Colour Guard...3 citadel guard 

Averland vanguard

Knight's of the blazing sun...10 knight's of Gondor

Tilian hand gunners...30 black root vale rangers 

3rd Leopold's Own...30 Dol Amroth men at arms

Raimund...knight of the white tower (hes actually quite good for 55 points)

Greatswords...3 citadel guard     

        

The Kasotains formed up in a tight line on the right, out side the town's defenses. 

As the noon sun appeared from behind a cloud, it flashed on swords and armor as the Averlanders arrived.      

Captain Gonzalo ordered a swift advance, as the Averlander line pulled up, Sending his hand gunners in first to soften up the enemy. But as they marched forward bursts of smoke appeared from the tree line and men fell from the line, with bloody wounds. The Tilians had already got into position and started to open fire.       

The pastures out side the town were soon swept with smoke and men, as the Averlanders sent knights off to the right to try and out flank the foe and the Kasotian knights thundered forward to deal with the men in the copse. One plucky Tilian stepped out of the trees and shot a knight from his horse before rushing back to cover.    

The copse soon became a important part of the battle, knights plunging in and sending men flying before they were bogged down and hauled from their mounts and hacked down by halbadiers. Kasotians on the left had lined up to hold off the out flanking knights, but were hard put to as they were charged after a volley from a group of hand gunners to their flank.Captain Gonzalo lead a line of men forward to take on the mainstay of halberdiers. All but himself and a hand gunner were shot down. 

A column of pikemen marched quickly to help the knights, as the rest of the knights of the blazing sun charged in to fend off the horsemen.    

Bloody fighting continued in the copse as Raimund strode down to lead the battle in the thick of the fighting. The opposing horsemen battled away with each other with the foot men rushed in among them surrounding knights and cutting them down.   

The thin line of pikemen battled off the first charge with only a few men lost, knowing they must hold until reinforcements came or the flank would fall.    

It was at this crucial moment that disaster fell to the Kasotians and heroism to the Averlanders.

A quickly formed line of men had rushed from the pike column to defend their leader when the halberds had charged! The ensign, colours held high had plunged into the fray and fell upon the Kasotian captain and in a ferocious hand to hand fight cut him down with his sword! The Kasotians started to melt away, men fleeing for the town or countryside as soon as their leader fell.         

The Averlander's on the right cut down the last holding pikemen... 

...and hunt the routers down.

The Greatswords kill off the last colour guard and Raimund and his men surround the final knight in the copse...

News reached Pietr that the Kasotians had fallen and Averlanders had taken the defenses to the south of the town, knowing he could no longer hold the town with part of the wall taken, he ordered the evacuation of his men. The Grand Army was beaten and fell back to Hardenburg with a small troop of Averlanders on its trail to make sure it was well and truly gone...

Victory to Averland!

The battle had been interesting with the power of battle swaying this way and that, the killing of the Kasotian captain was the clincher though, and the rest of their men began to fail their leadership and disappear. This painting of the battle of Pavia describes the fight in the copse quite well.

The town of Pfungzig was back in Averlander hands for the first time in some months and the Grand Army was out for the count. The Marines, with the prince, were now trapped with no line of retreat, supplies or reinforcements between the armies of Ferdinand and Baron Kastor in the captured town of Bieswang, a peaceful settlement to the war seemed inevitable...     

By M

  Ensign Claus Glühend, after his decisive and heroic action in the battle, cutting down Captain Gonzalo in hand to hand combat, received a handsome monetary reward, a small acre of land and a distinguished in battle script, the latter he sealed onto his jacket as a badge.

Border Raid

This was a one off game we did just to take a break from the campaign and enjoy some warhammer. It was an empire vs empire battle, with B taking his Kasotians as a mercenary band led by a Border prince, having a raid on the Empire via Black fire pass. The men of the Empire were led by Ferdinand Leitdorf. This was probably a pre Averland war of succession battle where Ferdinand gained some of his military knowledge.           

The army of prince Borja
-  Prince Borja - general on Pegasus
- Sigwalda the fiery (fire wizard)
- 16 Kasotian mercenary halbediers with 2 detachments of 7 Kasotian mercenary handgunners
- 16 Kasotian mercenary halbediers with 2 detachments of 7 Kasotian mercenary handgunners
- Kasotian mercenary great cannon

Army of Averland, defenders of Black fire pass.
-Ferdinand Leitdorf-grand master, sword of strife (I think)
-The black fire pass hermit-wizard-Lv 2 lore of life
-Defender's of the Pass-50 halberds-full command
-Knight's of the blazing sun-5 knights-champion
-The Chuffnought-Steam tank!

The battle started with the Kasotian battle line advancing up to the hedge line and preparing to hold. Sigwalda however pointing her hand to the sky and called out fell words of magic. The clouds rumbled and a great cascade of fire fell from the heavens and immersed the steam tank in fire. She then fell back, a spent force, unable to remember a single spell. The Kasotians however were watching as the steam tank rolled out of the fire whole and barely blacked. (not taking a single wound from the spell!)       

The iron machine rolled forward  then turned on its wheels and fired a shot though the lines of mercenarys by the hedge, killing several of of them and sending one of the handgunner units running.   

The hermit wizard finding himself the unchallenged spell caster took the opportunity to call a dweller from below to burst from the ground and rip to shreds the main unit of spear men on the right. Only five men were left alive to flee the table! Meanwhile the knights had sized their chance and charged the handgunners, and sent them running.  

The Kasotian spears on the left then charged home into the knights with Borja thundering in on his flying steed.

The knights held out and killed a couple more spear men. But as the knightly combat continued a high whistle could be heard in a double note of warning. The steam tank built up steam and with a tremendous screech charged forward, ramming though the trees of the small wood, tearing the trees to pieces and crashing into the mounted lord! rolled over him, crushing his mount under its huge bulk! and with a quick wheel skid came to a halt. As the steam cleared and a few feathers floated down the engineer climbed out and remarked to his crew "I zink ve it someting".          

The main force of halberds had been held up in the wood picking mushrooms and messing about. but Ferdinand not stopping to even sniff one of the fungi, told his men "to stop shilly shallying, and get a move on!" Then charged off though the wood to meet Sigwalda. She rose on a pillar of fire, but with an up sweep of his sword Ferdinand cut her staff in two and with a one slash brought her down. The wizard encouraged by this, summoned a dweller from below on one of the units of handgunners, with a malevolent chuckle.          

The knights were at last put to flight by the spearmen's trumpet and retied before them. But the Wizard by now getting quite free with his spell casting summoned, a rather irritated dweller again. Who killed all but two of the spear men. 

The pictures got rather scarce now, but the steam tank was hit by a cannon and did't move, and the wizard was hit by another cannon ball. The tank shot half the cannons crew to pieces. While Ferdinand killed a unit of gunners before capturing the fleeing banner.     

The knights had a horse and rider blasted down by the last gun crew but charged home and ended the battle. 

A Great Victory For Averland!

The raiding force was sent back in tatters and Ferdinand proved himself to be a great general.   

The game had been quite quick, with things going down hill for the kasotians early on with their wizard blowing all her spells out of her head, and letting the Hermit do what he wanted in the way of summoning dwellers. The Averland halberds were unengaged the whole battle and spent two turns in a wood eating mushrooms!   

by M