Early Renaissance in Derby 2016
Kalmar Union vs Scots
Game 1 Kalmar Union vs Italian States - Milanese
Game 2 Kalmar Union vs Maximillian Imperial
Game 4 Kalmar Union vs Italian Wars French
Following a traditional Night of the Classic Curry at the Mughal-e-Shahi in Loughborough the brave forces of united Scan-Nor-Swe-Fin-mark again took to the field on the back of a stiff breakfast and several cups of tea. This time the opposition came in the shape of the Scots.
The lists for the Kalmar Union and Scots from this game, as well as all the other lists from the games at Derby can be seen here in the FoG:R Wiki.
Scots - an army of pikemen, more pikemen, and some large quantity of artillery, supported by Pikemen. Tough going forward, tougher still when defending
The terrain had fallen kindly for the defensive-minded Scots, with plenty of large rough patches between which their artillery park and pike phalanxes could stand. This did commit them to a defensive battle plan, and so the Scandinavian were able to set up ready to advance in a number of Divisions.
Straight away the Scots few mounted forces were pinned back between the terrain by the Scandi Gendarmes leaving the table free for a rapid Nordic advance
Raccoons - Nature's Troublemakers
Keil on Keil action was likely - but with plenty of Scots artillery the German mercenaries would be advancing under a hail of cannonballs
Seeking to maximise the effect of their artillery park the Scots threw out a thin screen of skirmishers to delay the advancing Germans
Raccoons - Nature's Troublemakers
The left flank of the Scots army was anchored on a large patch of rough ground stuffed with Highland warriors - the Scandinavians own Highlanders were the obvious choice to contest the terrain, and as they advanced the Nordic gunners opened up a deadly fire on the enemy to weaken them before the Highlander on Highlander clash occurred.
On the left the Scots had a rather isolated Keil and artillery park, hiding behind some rough terrain, The Scandinavian forces were less effective but more numerous, and sought to use everything in their armoury - including the horde - to outflank and surround the enemy unit in order to maximise their chances of taking it down.
Soon the forces of Gravadlax were closing in on the enemy left flank, surrounding the enemy Highlanders with a series of shooting units and degrading them.
In the centre the massive Scottish Keils continued to look imposing - their tactic was to maximise shooting as long as possible, which left them static and so the Nordic forces were able to line up their attacks with care and forethought.
How I Was Raised by Wolves
The Scots also had a force of noble Knights, who moved up to support the isolated Keil on their right - this immediately attracted a flurry of activity from the Scandi's, who moved up their own Gendarmes and levy to oppose them.
With the Scots Highlanders now severely battered, the rough terrain was now swarming with Scandinavia troops as the mercenary Landsnecht Keil zeroe'd in on the end of the Scots line. Levy inched their way through the terrain ready to provide additional overlaps if required.
Surrounded on all sides, the enemy Highlanders were unable to face all of the many threats, and ended up receiving a Highland Charge up the Khazi !
Scots Regiments Up The Khyber Pass
Dense columns of Levy were by now converging on the Scots own Knights, and yet more levy were sweeping towards some undefended artillery. Weight of numbers was in the near Baltic states favour.
With the Landsnechts only partly thinned out the cataclysmic clash moved ever nearer...
Artillery capture! But with no firearms of their own the L:evy would be spiking these guns, not capturing them and turning them on their owners.
FoGR hint - Infantry with firearms who capture enemy guns can take control of them and use them as if they were their own (at a -1 modifier). Other troops can only capture them - and in a UK-wide competition amendment, captured guns can also be removed by their capturers in any JAP phase to prevent them becoming an impassable obstacle to friendly mounted troops.
With an almighty crash the two Keils slammed into one another - rather too soon for the Dalarna Levy to join in.
The Scots Knights also decided that now was the time to attack - although with a flank at risk from the levy who had just captured the guns, and being peppered with crossbow bolts they had few better options right now anyway.
The initial attack of the Keil was less than successful....
Likewise the Levy and Gendarmes struggled against the Scots Lancers - but some rather excellent cohesion test dice saved the day as the Levy rocked back on their heels under the power of the knightly charge.
With the Scots Knights rapidly beaten after their initial successes, the levy flooded forwards - finding themselves facing an undefended artillery park as the Scots Keil had been forced into abandoning it in order to protect its flanks from the sweeping manoeuvre of the Scandinavian horse and horde.
With the artillery falling all across the park, and the left flank of the Scots also overrun by Nordic forces the Scots army crumbled to defeat - a big win for the forces of Scandinavia!
Click here for the report of the next game in this competition, or read on for the post match summaries from the Generals involved, as well as another episode of legendary expert analysis from Hannibal
Post Match Summary from the Kalmar Union Commander
At last, a great victory for Kalamaria! It is as if ouor Greek ancestors who bequeathed us this name (I think) have spoken with their gods and brought us success and good favour.
This time our troops mamnaged to co-ordinate succesfully and also had a much better Scottish outing in the terrain as well - the resilience of the enemy pike blocks was offset by our graceful movements around their edges, and the combination of the right troops in the right places allowed us to overwhelm them approriately.
This is the Renaissance, and this victory and the confidence it inspires in me and my men may yet be a Renaissance of sorts for our prospects of finishing on 2 wins and 2 defeats.
I am now looking forward to some shopping and the next game this afternoon.
Hannibal's Post Match Analysis
What over confident lunacy is this to think that one win may be followed by another? The ability and opportunity to launch a set-piece attack is one which happens rarely but here you were fortunate to face an enemy in the shape of the Scots who are best on the fully defensive - in previous games against this foe you have had the luxury of time to think and an obvious and clear enemy plan to oppose and the result has been the same.
This is therefore about the matchup and the time it allows your drug-addled brain to process an effective set of attacks rather than any upsurge of your own competence.
I fear that the next game this afternoon will see normal service resumed against an aggressive enemy and then your inability to respond and your poor choice of army will come to haunt us all yet again.
Roll on another defeat, and lets see the next game so we can be done with this painful farrago.
Click here for the report of the next game in this competition
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Game 1 Kalmar Union vs Italian States - Milanese
Game 2 Kalmar Union vs Maximillian Imperial
Game 4 Kalmar Union vs Italian Wars French
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