Jun 25, 2016

Maurice - the Battle of Kaugdumur


The Mighty Pasha Hakim entered the defenseless Glambrian colony of Kaugdumur, and captured Governor de Bleu along with the city. A hastily raised Glambrian force landed on the African shore a few weeks later, ready to reclaim both the town and the governor.

Ottoman OOB
NA Feudal
NA Clerics
4x Elite regular infantry
6x Artillery
4x Irregular infantry
7x Irregular cavalry

Glambrian OOB
NA Lethal Volleys
9x Trained regular infantry
4x Trained regular cavalry
1x mercenary Trained regular cavalry
4x Artillery

(I actually miscalculated the point values and a 110pt Ottoman army was facing a 106pt total value of attacking Glambrians.)



The battle commenced with the Ottoman janissary forces garrisoning the town, and the Glambrian foot marching forward in multiple columns across a small grove. Some time later the cavalry was also brought up.


Sultan Hakim worried about his freshly cast brass cannon, although not too much - more can be cast by the slaves. The four groups of irregular tribesmen were committed against the bulk of the enemy, but they deployed in an ineffective manner in a too narrow space.


The Glambrian foot deployed in line and launched an unsuccessful attack, bogging down in a firefight, against the Janissary garrison. The forward unit, closest to the buildings, was shot up badly and quit the field.


The Glambrian cavalry received a thundering welcome from the Ottoman cannon, but even with badly disrupted ranks managed to catch an irregular unit in the flank and wipe out four of six cannon, then fall back, rally and commit themselves again. With the aid of Imam Ali and a generous amount of interrupt and modifier cards, the single irregular foot unit managed to throw back a regiment of dragoons. The second time the Glambrian horse was irrevocably spent, and thus the right flank opened up for the spahis waiting in reserve on the Ottoman extreme left.


A remaining squadron charged home and destroyed both remaining cannon. The sudden cease of artillery bombardment shook the hearts of the Ottomans.


On the Glambrian left, the spahis were committed, threw back the Glambrian heavy horse in an extremely fortunate charge, but failed to tread down a Glambrian foot battalion that broke off the first line, chasing after the elephants which they shot up previously.


The toughest action in the center happened when two Janissary regiments outside the town were sent against the Glambrians, poured shot on the first line and routed a battalion of foot. Then the Glambrian reserve line was sent in and did the same with the badly disrupted first Janissary unit. The brave Glambrian men stood their ground, and with a volley and a push forward ground the jewel of the Sultan's crown to dust. This loss of the second group of Janissaries, and the famous Aga Torpatululu with them, caused the Ottoman lines to shatter. 

Notes: garrisoning the town with two Elite foot deprived the Glambrian opponent of any chance for a tactical victory. On the other hand, those two Janissary units could have been better used in an offensive action, and the irregulars could just as well have held the town.
This time I remembered to have the cavalry rally at 5+, but they could move 4BW back in retrograde, outside of enemy range, and receive +1 to their roll. They were still disrupted by the time of the second charge, which, along with an Interrupt and modifier card plus spending one Cleric marker was enough for the Ottoman irregular foot to halt one unit all by itself. 
The Glambrians won by playing the event card "Death of a Hero" when the Ottomans had one army morale left, a rather nasty trick, but there's nothing against it in the rules. 

2 comments:

  1. Wonderful armies, table and report Andras! I well remember fighting an opponent down to the nub and just before I could put him away, he played Death of a Hero to steal the game! Very rude. ;-)

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    Replies
    1. Thank you! The battle was hard fought and I think another Ottoman unit would soon have given way, so it was a good, but not very gentlemanly, tactical decision.

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