In spite of multiple distractions, both wargaming-related (rebasing and pondering AI) and non (I do have a bit of a life which is not wargaming, you know), the 1600 Something campaign has now reached the Summer of 1603, and things have been hotting up.
Winter 1602 saw various nations raise more forces. The French replaced the army lost to mutiny in Champagne, while the Palatine raised a garrison in the United Provinces. The Austrians raised a second army in Bohemia, and the Danes a garrison in Jutland. The whole of northern Europe was beginning to resemble an armed camp. Along the way, the French critical initiative roll indicated that an advantageous diplomatic marriage had been enacted, which added 5% to their currently paltry GOOS score. On the other hand, the random event was a leader dying, who turned out to be the Spanish King. He was replaced by another monarch, with a new initiative roll (17), which made Spain a joint equal in initiative. The Poles got a move card, which they deferred until the spring.
Spring 1603 saw the French attempt some internal subversion in Spain, which failed. Palatine and Denmark were still busily raising forces, in both cases trains, because they cannot fit any more armies into their territories. The Poles got another move card, and so managed to move an army to the Crimea, with a supporting army in Little Poland. They made their GOOS roll with the Tartars there to boot.
By the Summer of 1603 turn things were getting a little complex. Austria tried some diplomacy, which backfired as a rebellion started in Bohemia. Even though the rebels got Bavarian support, they were outnumbered by Austrian forces, and a peace was negotiated. The Danes, being in control of the Baltic, moved an army to Pomeralia, invading Poland. The Poles, meanwhile, had subverted Sweden into attacking Muscovy, and the Swedes moved into Ingria. The English fumbled their initiative roll and suffered a diplomatic embarrassment, losing 5% from their GOOS score. And, finally, the Ottomans moved their army into Crimea, summoning the Tartars to their aid.
Given that the Poles had already made their GOOS roll with the Tartars, only half a Tartar army rallied to their overlords. The Polish army in the Crimea already had support, so it was 18 bases of Poles against 12 Ottoman and 6 Tartar bases. The Tartars were a card drawn army, of 3 light horse, 2 mounted arquebusiers, and a spahi. The DBR army lists have the segbans as dragoons, but given the Steppe nature of the operational area, I really do not believe that. Mounted arquebusiers seem to fit the bill better.
The Poles had 4 lancers, 5 pancerni, 4 shot, and 4 light horse, while the Ottomans had 5 cavalry, 3 light horse, 2 janissaries, and 2 militia bases. The Estimable Mrs P politely asked whether I had enough soldiers for the task, and I did, just about, borrowing some Mongol horse archers to stand in for Tartars.
In the picture above, the Poles are to the left. The Tartars are on the right, nearest the camera, while the Ottomans are on the far side with the cavalry deployed in depth because of the slightly cramped nature of the terrain. The Polish light horse and Pancerni, in their centre, are actually on a hill, while off to the left is another base of Pancerni and the Polish sub-general.
The Polish plan was to hold the hill, keeping the Pancerni on it ready to charge down it at any passing foe. The hussars were kept back on the left to pummel anyone who came close, while the shot were to hold the line of the stream, inconveniencing anyone who came close. The Ottoman plan was for the Tartars to cross the stream and deal with the Polish shot, while the cavalry advanced and deployed in more space, and the foot advanced to assault the hill.
The Ottoman plan went a little awry from the start. The Polish light horse, even though outnumbered, gave a good account of itself, and the Tartar horse archers were diverted to prevent the flank of the Ottoman army (their foot) from being exposed. Meanwhile, the Tartar mounted arquebusiers are crossing the stream while the Ottomans are failing to deploy due to lack of tempo points and the need to manage the light horse.
The way the ally system works is that the Tartars get 1D3 tempo points and the Ottomans get 1D6, while the Poles, being a unified army, get 1.5 d6. The Ottomans and Tartars cannot trade tempo points and have to make their own bids. This, on occasion, left the Tartars a bit short, and so their horse archers were picked off by some manoeuvring Polish Pancerni.
You can see some of the horse archers fleeing stage right, while the remaining base will not last much longer. On the near side, the Polish shot has caused some havoc among the mounted arquebusiers. On the other hand, the Ottomans have got their janissaries moving, although their cavalry is still not deployed.
As is normal for cavalry battles, quite a lot happened in a short time. On the Polish right, nearest the camera, the mounted arquebusiers have been seen off by the pancerni, while the rest of the pancerni, across the stream, have routed the rest of the Tartars, and have now turned across to flank the main Ottoman army.
In the centre, the advancing janissaries have forced the Polish light cavalry back, while suffering some disruption themselves. On the far side, the winged hussars have charged and destroyed not only the first line of spahi, but also the second. The nearest base has smashed into some light horse, while the next along has careered into the remaining Ottoman spahis, now with the general (who survived the initial onslaught).
In the next round of combat, the Ottoman light horse went down to the onslaught of the hussars, and the pancerni hit the flank of both the Ottoman militia and the janissaries, routing another 3 bases. This was far too much for the Ottomans, and the army fled.
That was a good game, and fun, with loads of cavalry hurtling about. The Ottoman tempo dice rolling was poor, and they never got their cavalry properly deployed, while the Poles always had sufficient for their needs. The only flaw for them was that the infantry consistently refused to cross the stream until near the end of the game.
In campaign turns, another defeat for the Ottomans and the rout of their army seems to indicate that the Empire is open for the picking. However, as the situation in the north has suddenly become serious, I am not sure the Poles can exploit it. Perhaps the Austrians, lurking on their border with the Empire, might take advantage.
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