Swiss Tour of Spain: First Leg vs Crown of Aragon

As expected, they got beaten. However, the drubbing was not as bad as the one they got against Mike's Hungarians.

My army list was about right. The only change I might want to make is to drop the fortified camp and 4 handgunners, and replace them with two 4s of crossbowmen. My main problem was how I deployed the pikes and idiotically deciding to move them forward from a good defensive position. The 8 of pikes on my right wing was also too far forward to be of much use and vulnerable to being isolated.

IC & 2 x TC
2 x 12 pike
2 x 8 pike
1 x 4 halberds
1 x 6 halberds
2 x 4 crossbows
1 x 4 handgunners
fortified camp

It didn't help that 9 of Ian's 12 battle groups were skirmishers who had better armour than mine.

Anyway, I did remember my camera and did remember to take pics, so here are a selection:

Beginning of turn 3. To explain the terrain: the black circle is impassable terrain, with two steep hills above it; in the centre of my half is an area of brushy ground with another steep hill in line with it. Just about visible in the shadow of Ian's elbow is an area of marshy ground.

If I had demonstrated any common sense I wouldn't have moved my troops from their positions at this point.

As you can see, common sense largely went out of the window, although was present when I withdrew my skirmishers. What on earth was I thinking of, sending an 8 of pikes on its own towards an 8 of offensive spear?

The right wing pikes square up to face the offensive spear.  Beyond the steep hill, Ian's 3 battle groups of light horse  make their way steadily into a very threatening position.

Oooh 5 shots vs 2 and good positioning for charges by my skirmishers against Ian's. If only I had another unit to block them from evading....

A couple of turns later, Ian's 6 skirmishers decided to stand when my two crossbow units charged him. This scrap was to last several turns.

Just a second, weren't there some pikes and a general in front of those offensive spears? In the previous turn Ian had killed my general, then managed to score 8 hits in the next melee. I'd already been dropped to 5 bases, so really needed to roll 3 or more to survive. Guess what? I rolled a 2, taking me to 3 bases which meant they suffered an autobreak.

Looking decidedly dodgy for those 4 halberdiers, who've been disrupted by shooting from the archers in front of them.

Looking even dodgier - menaced by offensive spear on their left flank, being shot to crap from the front and right and threatened by light horse on their right flank.

And they're gone, broken by shooting. Two BGs down - thankfully this was the last turn of the game

Positions at the end of the game - in the previous turn Ian's Impact medium foot had charged my other 8 of pike. For the last turn, the melee was at evens so I put my IC into the front rank and then rolled 2 hits and two 3s - grrr, no rerolls. Ian scored 3 hits but failed to kill my general. Phew.

Final score:
Ian - 14.4
Me - 5.6


No posts till Sunday

My bags are pretty much packed and I'll be going straight from work to the tapas bar to meet up with the rest of the group going to Derby tomorrow, so will be incommunicado blogging-wise until I get back on Sunday evening.

I did get in a bit of a panic while I was packing - I couldn't find my bag of terrain shapes. It turned out there was a very good reason for that - I'd transferred them into a box file. Panic over.

Wish my Early Alans luck!