Ottoman raiding force Turkkilainen ryövärilauma

After painting the tartars I wanted to test what they would be capable of. Since I have limited amount of the type I deployed them as part of Ottoman raiding force. Gameswise this seems rather weak in comparison to fielding a pure tatar skirmish force: the commander can not be upgraded, turkish light horse has light cavalry rule instead of feigned flight and rules as written would not give tartar warriors their bow skill of 5, swimming nor fear of guns. In our game my opponent allowed these rules to tartar warrioirs, since the Armies supplement has mixed forces ot tartars and ottomans using them. Even than I was far off my comfort zone since the list had only light cavalry beszli, tartar warriors and tartar rabble. No shock cavalry, dragoons or infantry.

Maalattuja tataareja piti päästä testaamaan. Turkkilaisten listoissa on sekaosasto tataareja ja ottomaaneja, joten sillä mentiin. Ei varsinainen peliliike, koska säännöt tuntuvat antavan mukavammat erikoissäännöt puhtaalle tataari osastolle: sen väistöliikkeet onnistuvat paremmin, se ampuu jousillaan tehokaammin, on helpompi komentaa kaukaa ja sille saa paremman komentajan. Omalta mukavuusalueeltani olin tosi kaukana, joukoissa oli vain kevyttä ratsuväkeä, ei ensimmäistäkään rynnäkössä pätevää ratsuväkijoukkoa, rakuunoita eikä jalkaväkeä.

Ottomans on the left Muscovites in the centre

My opponent deployed Muscovite force of Potemkin at forcevalue of 7 against my 8. He chose scenario defend the crossing giving me effect delay instead of taking fortifications. (It hit my tartar rabble - this we played wrong. ) By virtue of his list he yet got fortifications to shield his streltsi at the edge of bridge. His troops included streltsi, some Don cossacks, and armoured reiters in the center. With my advantage in Recon I sent squadron of beszli to flanking maneuver and afflicted my opponent with the effect split - which hit the Don cossacks. (Plus decisive moment and blabbering prisoner)

Vastustajani pelasi Potemkinin muskoviittilistalla: Streltsejä, Donin kasakoita ja panssaroituja reitereita. Hän sai valita skenaarion ja päätti puolustaa joen ylitystä. Tiedusteluetuni avulla sain lähettää osaston koukkaamaan, skenaarion myötä vastustajani sai arpoa minulle yhden viivytysefektin, jonka virheellisesti arvoimme tataariroskaväelle. Lisäksi Potemkin varovaisena komentajana sai streltseille kenttälinnotteita.

Muscovites start by shooting

On first round I swung right with my tatars and spear armed beszli in effort to gain the flank of the reiters shooting arrows on the way in.
Eka kierros liikehdintää sivustaan ja molemminpuolista ammuskelua ilman isompaa tulosta.

Flanking unit arrives - on the left since I had put a house too close to the right table edge.

 On the second round my flankers arrived - unfortunately on left side since I had myself put a house into area they would have needed to deploy on the right. I had found the other objective - ford from the right flank so I would not need to chase the streltsi off it.

Koukkaajani saapuivat vasemmalle, kun kohdekahlaamon olin löytänyt oikealta etten joutuisi karkottamaan streltsejä siitä. Oikealla reunalla ei ollut tilaa, koska olin maastoa rakennettaessa asettanut siihen - syrjään - talon "haittaamaan" venäläistä sijoittamasta väijytysmaastoa sopivasti.

 Tataarini ovat järkyttyneet ja ahdistuneet venäläisten kasakoiden väijytyksestä ja ammuskelusta tuliasein. 
My tatars have been disorganized by the ambushing cossacks shooting them on effective range.

Näyttää kohtuu hyvältä, joki on ylitetty. I've crossed the river things are looking good?

Round three I have all my ottoman cavalry on the enemy side of the river with tatars milling about, trying to shoot reiters in the back. I have control of the ford, but the bridge is solidly defende by the streltsi.

Kolmas kierros: turkkilaiset vastarannalla, tataarit seurailevat perässä.  Kahlaamo vallattu, mutta sillankorvassa streltsejä kuin juurtuneina.

Kierros 4 tilanne näyttää paljon kehnommalta.

Kierros 4 toinen beszli osasto rynnäköi Donin kasakoita vastaan jotka raukkamaisesti karahtavat karkuun. Jäljelle jääneeksi kohteeksi valikoituvat streltsit jotka ajavat yli-innokkaat aron pojat häntä koipien välissä pakosalle. Rynnäkön setviminen kahden väistävän osaston ja vain joen mittaiseksi määritellyn sillan kanssa on monimutkaista eikä täysin tyydyttävää.

Round 4 I charge Don cossacks who as light cav evade into two separate directions. Resolving what happens is muddled and frustrating, but in the end the streltsy beat the beszli to flight. 

 

Defend the ford!

 Round five I reform towards the ford to keep control. My opponent heads that way with his reiters. My fleeing beszli exit towards the left flank.

Viides kierros palaan kahlaamolle samaan aikaan kuin vastustajani reiterit ryhmittyvät sinne. Toinen Beszli osasto pakenee - päätämme loogisimmaksi suunnaksi vasemman sivustan, koska sieltä se tuli pöydälle ja välissä ei ole puolustettua siltaa.

Rynnäkköön!

 Viimein kierros, koska en halunnut vetäytyä kahlaamolta, enkä ottaa rynnäkköä seisovilta jaloilta annoin rynnäkkökäskyn. Reiterit sen sijaan odottivat vastarannalla. Käsikähmän hävisin - reitereiden pelti suojeli erinomaisesti. Tappio tuli kaikilla mittareilla, raskain tappioin.

Last round -  hard pressed beszli charge over the ford in order not to take reiters standing still. End reult is loss and withdrawal in disorder. Defeat from all the scenario points and heavy losses.

Possible lessons of the game:
1) I could have deployed differently and charged the reiters on first round with the elite beszli. It would have been a gamble but with the defence order they had visible I would have gotten them with javelins at charge, +2 bonus to hit because of long charge, bonus to penetrate armor and with initial superior numbers to offset their poor tactical discipline form the open order.
2) with light cavalry I should have moved second for most of the game
3) setting up the terrain is important and leaving those flanks open would be important if planning to flank...

Pelistä opittua:
1) koska reitereilla oli puolustuskäsky ne olisivat olleet käytännössä liikkumaton kohde ja beszlillä olisi ollut aika monta muuttujaa hyökkäyksen tukena. Toki keihäsmiesten olisi pitänyt asettua deploymentissa hyökkäyshollille.
2) kevyen avomuodossa kirmaavan ratsuväen kannattaisi liikkua aina jälkimmäisenä vastustajan kiusaamisen maksimoimiseksi
3) maaston asettelussa sivustojen avoimmuus pitää varmistaa, jos tarkoitus on koukata

Kylän valtaus Taking of a Village

Starting the games on fall.
For the first time we tried the Fire and Sword skirmish scenario Village.
As the stronger player with my 10 FP Polish all cavalry force I had the joy of trying to  dislodge a Muscovite force of 5 FP from the Village.

We had trouble interpreting the scenario definition of village and ended up playing it with the village as one continual area of Build up area. Quick searc of forums afterwards showed we are not only ones who have misinterpreted the scenario in this respect. One is supposed to have area delineated by fence, that has rulesmechanical properties, couple of houses that actually work as separate houses in rules sensa AND the area left in between counts as build up area.

Fun was had by both players though, with valiant servant cossacks repelling Polish volunteers, pancerni, wallachians, tatars and cossacks in turn. In the end I managed to get foothold in the village, but with heavy losses victory went with closest of margins to my oppoment.

 Lessons learnt - cavalry charges inside villages are painful for the attacker if You are attacking defending cavalry. I felt like the bandits in seven samurai. All the advantages stacked to the defender do add up. Houses would have aggravated some of this, but then again they would have given cover to the attackers too. Besides their scouting ability the wallachians have the advanatage in actually carrying ammo to the battle so they can be used to soften up the enemy. And when light cavalry meets other light cavalry for a shooting match movin last is actually an advantage. In charging not so much.

Pelien alku syyspuolella.
Ensimmäistä kertaa kokeilussa kylän valtaus - skenaario.
Puolalainen lähinnä kevyestä ratsuväestä koostunut keskikokoinen lauma (10 voimapistettä) koitti heittää moskovalaisen palveluskasakoiden parven (5 voimapistettä) jonkhaan.

Harvinaisen epäselvästi käännetty skenaariokuvaus. Alun lause" koko kylä on rakennettua aluetta, rakennusten sijoittelulla ei ole merkitystä" sai meidät tulkitsemaan niin, että rakennuksilla ei ole pelimekaanista merkitystä. ( Rakennusten kohdalla maastosäännöissä kerrotaan, että niitä voidaan käsitellä rakennettuna alueena tai erillisinä rakennuksina.) Foorumkeskusteluiden pohjalta pelin tekijöiden tarkoitus on ollut, että kylä kokonaisuudessaan on tätä rakennettua aluetta, jonka sisällä on pelimekaanisia erillisrakennuksia ja jota ympäröi este, jolla on sääntöjen antama esteen ominaisuus.

Mukava pelikokemus vaikka väärin tulkittukin. Hakkasin sitekästi päätäni seinään ja sain pelin loppuun mennessä raskailla tappioilla tungettua oman kasakkaparven puolustusasemiin kylän laidalle.Voitto vastustajalle pienimmällä mahdollisella marginaalilla.

Nopat pyörivät kyllä todella hyvin moskovalaiselle päin, mutta tuli konkreettisesti todettua rakennetun alueen antavan loistavasti tasoitusta jalkaväelle.
Syö pois ratsuväen rynnäkköbonukset, haittaa osumista, antaa suojaa kohdalle sattuvilta osumiltakin ja vielä taistelun lopputulosta arvioidessakin antaa jalkaväelle 2 pistettä etua. Talot olisivat vielä blokanneet näköalaa, rajanneet liikkumista ja tarjonneet vielä suuremman suojan mahdollisia osumia vastaan.

Rakuunoita tai jalkaväkeä olisin kaivannut kipeästi. Lisäksi vastustaja onnistui pelaamaan taktisesti hyvää peliä ja välttämään taistelun siellä missä puolalainen olisi ollut vahva eli avomaastossa. Teki tämän vieläpä aseilla, joita olen puolalaisilla pelatessa tottunut pitämään ominani eli kevyen ratsuväen liikehtimisellä. Kevyen ratsuväen ammuskellessa toisiaan jälkimmäisenä liikkumisesta tulikin yllättäen etu - tosin rynnäköidessä se ei olisi ollut sitä.

Valakialaisella ja tataariratsuväellä on puolalaisiin kasakoihin verrattuna etuna kunnollin en ammusvarasto. Siinä missä kasakat ja pancernyt joutuvat säästämään laukauksia, jos haluavat käyttää pistoolejaan lähitaistelussa pelin loppuun asti kevyt ratsuväki voi ammuskella melko huoletta.

Swedes vs. Muscovy

During easter holidays I had chance to actually play the game twice.
My regular opponent had finished an excellent Muscovite skirmish force he liked to test and since I had finished those dragoons and musketeers I decided to meet him with Swedish detachment maxed out.

First game - patrol. As stronger player I was hit by panic, and two delayed units. Besides my opponent got to move terrain and his commander had a good day.

My deployment was strongly weighted in catching one of the three objectives and denying it form my opponent. Unfortunately my squadron of reiters that were supposed to challenge him on the other side started game in panic - of which it never recovered.
My opponents report here, with some pics: http://www.lead-adventure.de/index.php?topic=65929.0
My deployment meant my right was suffering from lack of command points and got struck by rapidly advancing Muscovites pants down. On my right my oppon ent refused contact and I did not catch him rapidly enough to get the center. Highlights of the day - disabling my enemies cannon from long range by first shot of regimental gun. (He did pay back though.) Tactical defeat to me.

Second game. Ambush. Same troops - this time I had panic and bad day for commander, reducing his command to three, my enemy had unexpected reinforcements. Some ambiguity about open order charges - those skirmishers and lighty cavalry can pull off some unbelievably weird maneuvers. First rounds of game took a very long time to play since mayhem on the table was excessive. Lack of matchlockweapon's fire during the first round really hurts when under attack. The reiters earned their pay in this game - repulsing enemy charge by defensive pistol fire and chasing two enemy units off the table. The veteran reiters- similarly 4 bases strong chased a dismounted dragoon unit around the table, but kept on being repulsed by enemy artillery fire when trying to close in for the kill. In the end they were hit in the back by unit of muscovite dragoons and broke.

Again tactical victory to the Muscovites. Although by looking at my tally of casualties killed I'd say Blankenhagens detachment was realyy badly battered in this one. Victory conditions would have required even more. Very exciting scenario, both of us were feeling being forced off-balance by events.

New enemies

Since my opponent wanted to try his Muscovite skirmish force I had the joy of meeting a new enemy.
After looking at possible skirmish forces Muscovy can muster I decided to go with a strong Polish skirmish force again. I pondered on Gosievski foray which would have been historically correct, but decided to run with more numerous force using pancerni as main strike force.

My force contained 4 point colonel, with lieutenant-colonel, 2 banners of pancerni 3 strong, combined to a squadron at deployment, 3 banners of cossacks 3 bases strong, 2 banners of tatars and 6 bases of volunteers. My opponent fielded 2 strong formations of boyars son, formation of field dragoons having both spear and musket armed troops, 4 bases of servant cossacks, and a skirmish sotnia. He had a commander whose command he would find out at deployment and onepoint second in command.

As a weaker player my opponen got to choose the scenario from randomly chosen. He rolled patrol and twice the search of supplies. Cursing slightly he chose the  forage, where his task was to attack my force that was divided into two separate commands.

 On the left i had my colonel, 1 banner of tatars, pancerni as one large squadron, elite pancerni and a banner of cossacks. On the right I had volunteers, one banner of cossacks and lieutenant colonel.

Due to difference in our troop strength my opponent got to roll for special effects. My colonels command fell from 4 to 3 and banner of cossacks and tatars were delayed. As You can see I deployed a bit stupidly - sideways to my opponents deployment area and had thus my flank threatened already in the beginning.

 On the left at the side of the mill my troops saw hordes of Russian cavalry approaching.

At the half burned inn opponent was infantry, but the cossacks and volunteers were hampered by the walls. At least on the left it seemed crucial to get initiative. 

 On turn one I maneuvered a bit back from the enemy, to get room to turn towards him for possible countercharge. On this side he had not given charge except to skirmish sotnia that failed to make contact, but managed to keep the charge order by succesfully making a skill check.

 Field dragoons advancing in good order, cossacks forming a firing line and contemplating charge.

 To add injury to insult my troops pourerd bullets and arrows to advancing muscovites. Pancerni gave skirmish sotnia some hits. Tatars were the heroes of this operation though - puncturing enough boyars sons to kill a base and send the rest back in disorder. Way to go

 On the right cossacks harassed the spearmen with idea of disrupting them and then closing in for the kill. Volunteers just milled around.

 Round 2 Skirmish sotnia charge the pancerni, boyars sotnia charged the tatars who withdrew and were in turn charged by the elite pancerni. Muscovite infantry advanced steadily.

Rather disconcertingly pancerni despite their huge superiority of numbers failed to hurt the skirmish sotnia and were forced to withdraw.
Similarly the elite pancerni who attacked superior number of boyars sons lost and were forced to give ground. 

The lieutenant-colonel by the inn was surprised by the swift advance of the dragoonsand barely escaped with his life. Retalitory fire by volunteers and cossacks had no effect.

And neither did the carbine fire of cossacks in the center.

 Round 3 - round of knockout. The elite pancerni beat the boyars sons in the battle of the windmillhill and pursued them relentlesly. In the center cossacks took postition in the flank of skirmish sotnia - which was annihilated by the charge of the pancerni.

The better armor, pistols and elite status of the pancerni added with good to hit rolls by me and abysmal armor saves by the opponent made the day on this flank.

 On other flank cossacks fell back, leaving the contesting of objective to volunteers, who did suffer some injuries from
 musketry.



Round 4 saw elite pancerni driving rest of Muscovite cavalry, who had remained disorderd since being shot byt tatar arrows, off the battle field and ambush group of muscovite servant cossack emerging from a grove. 

  

On the right cossacks poured fire into the inn occupied by the field dragoons with no visible results. At this point we decided to call it a day. My opponent felt he had no tools to dislodge me from vicinity of objective and I had no interest in charging past the dragoons in the Inn.

Great victory to the commonwealth and quality of Polish pancerni. The lack of commandpoints by my opponent was sorely felt as was the fact that he lacked close support artillery he likes to use with his infantry. Similarly being used to disciplined Swedish Reiters he was not happy with the way the muscovite cavalry disintegrated when taking casualties.