Still Further Lamentations

     Once again I had an opportunity to play a quick game and my sole opponent was Joe, we quickly resolved on playing a round of Pikeman's Lament. I had a scenario in mind for a Napoleonic game but the it translated well to the 1690's so I laid it out on the table.

     The situation is that a convoy of siege guns needs to be delivered to the besieging army, it is being escorted by a group of infantry with a nominal cavalry escort. Word of the convoy has been passed to the opposing side. They don't have the forces to lift the siege but there is a handy force of elite cavalry and brave infantry. With steely nerve and a dash of luck they just might be able to intercept the convoy and destroy the guns and disperse the crews.

 

the place of battle, the convoy will arrive from the far end, 

dicing to decide which road they are on

 

the view from the other end, the ambush force deploys 

beyond the two large hills in the middle of the table

 

the convoy, on the left a unit of Trotters, nearest edge four units of Commanded Shot, 

the four units of Shot and furthest away the heavy cannon

Joe took two units of Gallopers and a unit of Trotters backed up by three units of Commanded Shot

 

the advance guard, 

the Trotters in the lead followed by a unit of Commanded Shot

 

the ambushing force responds, well most of them, 

the Commanded Shot in the woods to the left chose to stay put

 

the Trotters boldly advance up the road while the lead Commanded Shot wisely secures the cottage, three more Commanded Shot enter the battlefield

 

the ambushing force reacts and moves swiftly to block the advance

 

at this point I was feeling pretty confident, my Horse were well-positioned and I had four units of Commanded Shot covering my front with fire, one of them secured in hard cover

 

another view of the situation

 

then the enemy Trotters successfully tested to Caracole, 

they killed one of the Commanded Shot 

 

who promptly failed their Waver test allowing the Trotters to charge home,

carnage ensued

 

on the other flanks the Gallopers caught my Trotters flat-footed and smashed them

 

with the Trotters done crushing my Commanded Shot the Gallopers charged

 through the gore and slammed into my unit of Shot

 

on the other flank the Gallopers relentlessly pursued my retiring Trotters, 

wiping them out

 

unsurprisingly the Gallopers made short work of my defenseless unit of Shot 

 

in  my turn I attempted to fire at the enemy Trotters with my unit of Shot, they failed, 

as did all three other units that had a line of fire, 

unimpeded by my efforts the Trotters fired at my Shot killing three

 

in response to the casualties I promptly failed my Waver test

 

the Gallopers finished off my unit of Shot in no short order 

we had to extend the table to accommodate the part of my force that was off -board 

the chagrined Shot and  flabbergasted Gunners were confronted by the onrushing enemy Horse

the Gallopers on the left blew through the opposing Shot unit

 

the Trotters fired at the next unit of Shot.....

 

....of course I failed my Waver test and the Trotters charged into contact

 

....and dispersed the last of the convoy guards,

the Commanded Shot that were still in the cabin, 

and their brethren in the woods, slipped quietly away