The Ottomans are Coming! an Eastern Renaissance game using Pike and Shotte.

This week our regular Thursday game was moved to Friday as Phil was visiting the area, staying with Steve.  Our Eastern Renaissance collections had not been on the table for some time and so we devised a fictional scenario based on an Ottoman advance northwards across the steppes which was opposed by a joint Muscovite/Polish force, bolstered by some Cossack allies.  The Muscovites and Poles had fortified a town and garrisoned it and deployed their cavalry on each wing.

 On a signal the whole Ottoman line advanced, with their cavalry wings quickly pulling ahead.  As the cavalry battles swayed back and forth, the Azabs and Janissaries plodded forward.  The Muscovite artillery thundered, but did little damage on the advancing masses

On the Ottoman right their cavalry pushed back their Muscovite opponents, threatening to drive them from the field.  Fortunately for the Allied cause, the Muscovites managed to rally sufficiently to form a front and halt their opponents.

The Polish cavalry tried to halt the Azab advance by committing their reserve.  The Polish noble levy intended to charge the Azab musketeers but the order was misheard and instead they halted and milled about, suffering casualties from musketry fire.  Some skirmishing cavalry appeared on the flank of one of the Azab warbands, forcing them to turn to meet the threat.

However, the grand plan came to naught as the noble levy were almost wiped out by a closing volley when they eventually charged and fled the field.  The skirmishers had to rapidly withdraw as they were threatened by a unit of sipahis.  It was left to a unit of Polish musketeers to steady the ship and halt the Azab  musketeers attempting to work around the flank of the town.

The pressure was now on the front of the town as the leading line of the Ottoman advance closed to contact.  On the left, the Streltsy's fire had been ineffective against the Tufecki moving towards them and the closing volley was no better.  Perhaps disheartened, they then lost the melee and had to fall back, allowing the Ottomans to flood over the barricade.

On the Polish flank the Polish musketeers face the Azabs, a less daunting prospect, and their telling volley halted the Ottomans in their tracks.

Unfortunately, as the crisis of the battle seemed to be approaching, I needed to leave to attend a family event.  Hopefully, details of what happened next may here.

Many thanks to Steve for hosting the game, all three of us had a most enjoyable day.