Raise the Siege: an eastern renaissance scenario for pike and shotte

This week's game is being dealt with out of sequence, I should be posting about last week's game set during the Italian Wars, that will follow shortly.  Once again Steve and I used skype to play the game, with me hosting for the first time.  After a few issues with audio volume were resolved, everything proceeded smoothly; at least until we began to roll dice.

The scenario was set in southern Poland, a mixed force of Muscovites and Tartars have besieged an isolated Polish garrison and a force of local Poles and Cossacks has been assembled to drive off the besiegers.  This was to be an all cavalry affair.

A view along the table, taken with the camera on the tablet.  In the foreground are the Polish forces. Five units of pancerni, (one lost in the bottom left corner), three of cossacks and a unit of light horse skirmishers.  In the distance are the Muscovite covering force.  Four units of feudal cavalry, four of tartars and a unit of skirmishers.  We played along the 6 foot length of the table; the Poles/Cossacks have to break through, the Muscovites/Tartars keep the Poles at bay.

The Muscovite skirmishers advance

In no time at all the opposing units of skirmishers were in bow shot range, though few casualties were inflicted.  Eager to press on the Polish skirmishers charged their opposite numbers and drove them back in confusion.  However, their supports were slow to advance, so the skirmishers held their position, shooting at the enemy skirmishers as they tried to rally and waiting for reinforcements.

What arrived first was a unit of Tartars and then a unit of Muscovite feudal cavalry, which burst through their own skirmishers and then charged home.  Perhaps surprised, the Polish skirmishers failed to 'fire and retire' and payed the penalty.  Completely over-matched they were driven from the field.

The feudal cavalry pick on a soft target

On the Polish left, two units of pancerni had been ordered to move over the hill to their front.  As they advanced, they found that some feudal cavalry had got their first and the resulting melee took place at the foot of the hill.

Forces gather on the Polish left

More general action now occurred in the centre and on the right.  The Cossacks had been ordered to 'deal with' the Tartars.  This was easier said than done. A combination of slow movement by the Cossacks and judicious use of 'fire and evade' by the Tartars, meant that the advancing Cossacks took a few casualties before they managed to finally catch a unit of Tartars.  In the ensuing melee the Tartars managed to hold their ground, until reinforcements arrived to support the Cossacks and then the leading Tartar unit was forced to retreat.  By this time the leading Cossack unit had to halt to rally and the pursuit was delayed until they recovered.

Cossacks v Tartars

By the pond, the feudal cavalry, having disposed of the Polish skirmishers now charged a unit of pancerni.  Although they offered stubborn resistance, weight of numbers prevailed and the pancerni routed, leaving only one unit of pancerni between the feudal cavalry and a breakthrough.  On the Polish left, the two units of pancerni managed to rout the feudal cavalry which had advanced over the hill, but needed to rally before they could follow up.  The Muscovite commander had sent a second unit of feudal cavalry to that flank and although the routing unit passed through the reinforcements, they were unaffected and charged the pancerni.  Caught at a disadvantage the leading unit routed.  At this point the Polish cause seemed lost, but Lady Luck now decided that she had done enough for the Muscovites, (they had rolled a lot of 6's) and she changed allegiance.

The feudal horse attack in the centre

In the centre, the feudal cavalry had advanced too far ahead of their supports and found themselves attacked to the front by pancerni and then a unit of Cossacks joined in from the flank.  At first the feudal cavalry held their ground, but as the melee continued, losses increased and then they routed.  On the Polish left, the last unit of pancerni held the feudal cavalry charge and then broke them.  As they routed back, they  passed through the first unit which had rallied.  This first disorganised them and  then they too routed.

The Muscovite commander's reserve, a fourth unit of feudal cavalry attempted to stem the Polish advance, but struggled to hold it's ground.  The Tartar resistance also was also weakening.  The leading unit broke and disorganised its support, which was unable to hold the pursuing Cossacks.  That in turn routed and disorganised the final Tartar unit.

The Muscovite commander saw that the day was lost and pulled his forces away, leaving the Poles free to relieve the garrison.

Definitely a game of two halves, with the action flowing back and forth.  The table was probably too small for the Tartars to be really effective, but until I win the lottery, it will have to do.  We formed up the feudal cavalry in three ranks, so although they were, in Pike and Shotte terms, large, they fought as standard, giving the pancerni more chance of victory.  we  also rated the pancerni as 'stubborn' allowing them to re-roll a failed morale dice.