HHM - French 100 Years War v Teutonic Order

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Paul K
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HHM - French 100 Years War v Teutonic Order

Post by Paul K »

Played under 'eased' Covid restrictions using 'Discord'

In this 200 point game Tony was allocated generalship of the French by the roll of the dice and Tim the Teutonic Order. Chris and I provided the physical bodies required to move the units and roll the combat and shooting dice, Chris for Tim and me for Tony.
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Tony, won the di roll for first move and he quickly advanced to take possession of the 2 areas of woodland between which he deployed his 5 units of French crossbow with pavisses to the fore! He concentrated 7 of his 8 units of cavalry on his right wing along with 2 of his 3 generals. In response, Tim matched up his 4 units of crossbow with Tony’s, again with pavisses in front. Behind these he created a mixed line of Teutonic spears knights and 2 units of mounted crossbow. However, more significantly his line of crossbow was extended using 5 units of peasant militia which created a sacrificial block against any potential French massed cavalry charge.
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As Tony advanced his cavalry, Tim started to pull back his left wing away from the French cavalry which slowly followed-up again in their next tactical movement phase. Chris and I watched with curiosity to see which side would initiate combat. Tony broke the stalemate by launching 3 units of French mounted men-at-arms and 4 units of mounted sergeants plus a general at Tims left wing. What followed was a pretty one sided hand-to-hand combat round in which Tony’s cavalry dispatched or routed 3 units of militia and a unit of Teutonic spears. However the Teutonic mounted crossbow units simply evaded contact and pulled back into a suitable shooting position.
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Tim pulled 2 surviving units of militia back into woodland hexes close to his table edge and reorganised his rear units into a battle line to confront the charging French cavalry. In the shooting phase Chris delivered a blow which sent a unit of mounted sergeants fleeing in the following hand-to-hand combat phase the Teutonic spears and knights halted the French cavalry and in doing so removed their impact bonuses.
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The French crossbow units out-shot their opponents destroying one unit, but on this wing the Teutonic line also stood immoveable. At this point of the game the Teutonic army controlled the flat open ground with the French arched around them in an elongated crescent with the 4 hex wood separating the 2 halves of the French army. This configuration was key to what happened next.
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The cavalry soon found itself in trouble as the Teutonic knights and spears supported by 2 generals launched a fight back. My poor dice rolls for the French didn’t help! Chris on the other hand was rolling well and because of the French elongated crescent formation was able to bring the more units into the hand-to-hand fight, especially the Teutonic spears which performed very well indeed.
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The 4 hex wood prevented the 2 wings of the French army from supporting each other and when the French cavalry was finally defeated along with 2 generals, Tim’s Teutonics switched their attention, and their now greater numbers to the French left wing. The French left put up a very strong fight but it was only a matter of time before the attack by Teutonic knights and spear units decided the game.

Game Analysis

Tim’s decision to pull back his left wing in the face of the advancing French cavalry had the effect of stretching the French battle line which became divided in two by the 4 hex wood half way along. The Teutonic order was as a result able to defeat one half of the French force, with a little help from my poor dice rolls, before the concentrating on the destruction of the other half.
Kind regards
Paul

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