Warrior Ancient and Medieval Rules

[Todd Kaeser]

Okay – I personally love to read AARs from tournaments. It gives me a little insight into the battles and for those who don’t have the time to game frequently, it also gives a little taste into what you’ve been missing if you’ve been unable to game frequently.

Well, as I head into PointCon, a wonderful place to have a battle (West Point) it is a 1200 point battle, in 15mm on a 4x4 field. Frequently, this tournament features non-killler armies so I decided to put one together that would be unique. I sold my “Arab” armies off a few years ago and have recently rebuilt them. I find that many of the Holy Warrior Arabic/African armies to be very interesting, although not always considered a “tournament army”.

West Sudanese
1200 pts – 24 scouting

CinC 1E Reg A EHC Jls,Sh + PA (158)
4E Yam Kwarbai Cav Ir B LC Jls,Sh (81)
4E Yam Kwarbai Cav Ir B LC Jls,Sh (81)
4E Yam Assigiri Ir C MI LTS,Sh (73)
4E Yam Assigiri Ir C MI LTS,Sh (73)
4E Yam Assigiri Ir C MI LTS,Sh (73)
8E Yam Lifida Baka Ir C MI Jls,B,Sh (153)
12E Yam Baka Ir C MI B ½ Sh (145)
12E Yam Baka Ir C MI B ½ Sh (145)
12E Yam Baka Ir C MI B ½ Sh (145)
4E Yam Fate Fate Ir B LMI ½ 2HCW,Sh ½ Jls,Sh (73)

Since I am writing this pre-tournament I thought I’d go through my theory of the army. This army has the ability to cover the entire frontage of a four-foot table w/ only an inch to spare if going shoulder to shoulder – with just the close foot. Mark Stone typically has stated that an army in 1600 points, having around 120 shooters makes for a formidable shooting army – West Sudanese in 1200 points has 176 bowmen. They are shielded and three of them are in 48 man units. I’m hoping to throw 3 opens for terrain and hope my opponent does not know the list and will also want limited terrain seeing that I can have a fair amount of LC. The Yam Fate Fate are designed to be my reserve unit and them being B class should help. They are also my only rough terrain troops so they might wind up there if terrain is thrown. The LC could be sent on flank marches, one on each side, to increase the pressure of the attack and possibly lead to my opponents to keep some troops in reserve making their front too thin for the arrow attack. There are also 4 combat units – 3 units of 4E spearmen and the multi-functional Yam Lifida Baka – both Jls and bow. Sound like a recipe for disaster? – Maybe. Especially one concocted w/o the benefit of play testing it at all.

Unfortunately at 10 units the 50% break is at 5 units – not optimal, but at 1200 points there is not a whole lot of wiggle room – especially with irregulars. The CinC is at least regular and being cavalry could move around the battlefield rather quickly to rally troops or be there for morale purposes w/ the Army standard. Taking points away from another unit to make him a 2E unit is not all that effective since he fights only 1 rank and the second element of Reg A EHC would be too expensive for what you get out of it.

The army also suffers from not having any strike force either cav or foot. It is pretty much walk forward and shoot, then repeat 5-6 times. Hope the enemy is shot up or can’t do enough damage to the huge units.

Round 1 - I’m matched up possibly my worst opponent – Matt Kollmer’s Late Imperial Roman. We’ve talked about his lists and I know what I’m up against. Matt gets great terrain – a major river on my right and a woods in his back right (my far left) and a small hill in his back left right next to the river. Sigh… I have to set up and can’t flank march on both sides. I send one LC unit flank marched to my left – it came on so late it didn’t matter.

When I set up I can’t go board edge to board edge b/c of the river. I am condensed. I keep the Yam Fate Fate (loose 2HCW) in reserve w/ a LC unit and one 4E unit of Yam Assigiri (LTS). Matt force marches his lights across the front. Not seeing a reason to forcemarch I don’t. I get 2 inches past deployment and Matt chooses to send the bulk of his forces towards my right. Across the board (from my right to left) Matt has some LI (4 man unit), 24 man legion, (16) auxilia, 24 legion, and 2 more auxilia, 24 man bow and some lights. I have a 48 man Yam Baka (bow) unit on my far right and contract it to send out my LC to create some space and opportunity vs. the legion. My LC charge off and kill one unit of LI Jls,Sh, but only push back the unit of LI B. Matt sets up the HC counter attack for turn 4. This at least opens up the legion to being shot at - at close range. 48 @ 2 is 96 and a disorder – Matt halts. Matt’s second legion also charges my 32 man Yam Lifida Baka (Jls,B,Sh) and only pushes me back. However, Matt also gets off a great shot (16man Auxilia) at my 12 man 2HCW unit I roll a 1 on the waiver test for 2 cpf – shake. They break when charged and the 48 man bow unit to their left also shakes. It is going badly.

Next turn has me shoot the legion on the right for 3 more and they shake (unsupported D’s will do that). I charge and they pass, but also hit them in flank w/ a column of LTS. – they break, but nothing else shakes. In the middle it goes from bad to worse. The bow unit that shook is charged by Matt’s 24 man bow unit and routs shaking the 48 man unit to its left. Combined w/ the LC unit that went off to kill the LC only to be charged by some HC and LC and dies and another unit of LTS that shook when the bow unit routed gives Matt 5 units and the army is in retreat.

A 5-2 loss. My inability to cover the board wasn’t such a big deal, but my Yam Fate Fate’s shaking from the missile fire really killed the whole battle. If they hadn’t went when they did I might have pulled it out. Oh well, such is life. Matt played a solid game and did what he had to do to get the shot.

Round 2 – Bye. Sigh…it is part of having only 7 in a tournament to get a bye and if I had won or had a 3 I could have avoided it, but such is not to be – it is my own fault as I could have avoided the bye with a better showing in the first round. It is tough painting an army over 6 months and then watching, but…at least I get a 4 for the bye.

Round 3 – I get Jacob Kovel and his Early Hungarians. This is the type of army I prepped for. Jake wants open and so do I, but I also get a woods in my back right to prevent a flank march by his oodles of LC.

I set up first and force march the LTS – like I planned in my army theory (see above). I decided to flank march a unit of LC to my right side, but keep the other back in case Jake also flank marches on my left. I also force march the 3 units of 4E LTS to gain some space as I know that Jake will be on top of me rather quickly.

Some bad luck for Jake as he rolls a 1 for his ally command (unreliable) and then proceeds to roll a 1 for interpretations – hold. Hopefully, I can use this to my advantage.

Jake sets up and does not force march – no real need since he has over 100 scouting and is quickly on top of my army. Jake has 5 big units (16s and 12s) of LC armed w/ either Jls,B, ½ Sh or B ½ Sh. Jake also sends his 12 man szechler (Ireg A HC L,B,Sh) toward my far left and brings along side a big unit of LC – I’m assuming to absorb fire and dish it out as well. Jake also sends his 12 man HK unit right down the pipe towards my 32 man Jls,B,Sh unit also with LC to absorb the shots. The rest of the front I’m faced w/ LC. Jake also has 2 HC units and a HK unit in reserve lurking in the back – all 6 man units.

Turn 2 has Jake say “In for a penny, in for a pound,” and he comes forward. I can’t prep shoot at his szechler and LC units because he’d outshoot me and I’d have to test waiver so I hold shots. I do minimal damage to the HK unit and both heavy horse will charge on bound 2. I will charge away both shielding LC units on the left w/ a 16 man LTS unit so he won’t be able to follow up or prep shoot next turn. On the right side I advance and start shooting.

The charge of the heavy horse has my prep shots rolling well and both 12 man units are disordered coming in. The szechler unit rolls up – recoiling my big 48 man bow unit disordered – gulp. The HK unit does not roll up and they lock – just what I needed to happen.

On turn 3 my flank march arrives and Jake is also able to change his ally general’s orders out of hold. I try to annoy the HC in the rear and also trap the LC units between my LC and the bow blocks advancing on my right. Jake turns his 2 heavy cavalry units in his ally command towards the threat of the LC. Jake pushed forward with 2 big LC units on my right to set up a combined shot vs. one of my bow units. I will also fire as Jake needs to roll +1 to do 2 cpf and I need to make something happen. I get lucky with a shot against a unit of 12 LC and roll up – 32 @ 6 - causing 160 casualties to the 12 man unit – 13 cpf, they recall to the rear. Jake rolls even and only does 1 cpf even though he has something like 16 @ 5. Turn 3 also sees the szechler HC unit lock vs. the bow unit and the HK unit get pushed off of the Jls,B,Sh unit

Turn 4 sees Jake shoot up my flank march to disordered – they will eventually be hunted down and exterminated, but they do cause a waiver test with some LC who will get shot up this turn and won’t be able to recall closer to an enemy – but Jake passes the test.

On turn 4 I also squeeze my unit of LC through the line to charge off a 16 man unit of LC that is ganging up with another LC unit on the 16 man LTS unit on my left – Jake will shoot them to a halt. I get horribly lucky – can’t deny it. Jake decides to stand, but I roll up and just barely force his unit to break-off. I catch it and it routs. All pass their waiver test.

I’m also able to shoot the HK unit into exhaustion and then charge and break it w/ the 32 man Jls,B,Sh unit.

Turn 5-7 has me pushing up the right as fast as close foot can move. Jake positions his CinC to hit my LC unit in the left flank. I will again luck out as Jake will not roll well enough to break them. I’ll eventually surround the CinC. I will also eventually push off the szechler unit, shoot it to exhaustion and break it. I will also get lucky again with a shot and do another 160 casualties (13 cpf) to a 12 man unit of LC. Too much bow-fire and not enough armor – nice match up for me. 5-1.

Thoughts on the army – I liked playing it. It definitely has its weaknesses and should die vs. Meso-American armies or armies w/ a few units of knights who can take the bow-fire. Pike armies should also go through me. I’ll have to bring it back out in a few years.

Pictures of both battles and others from the tournament are located in the album section - starting from the start of the tournament. My West Sudanese army is in white - can't miss them.

Todd Kaeser

[Ewan McNay]

*Neat* write-up, Todd - thanks (yes, I love AARs also).

I will refrain from comment on the army list .

[Todd Kaeser]

Ewan,

But that is what we are all looking for I thought about running the list with lots of the ireg B LC, but it has only jls (and we all know how much you hate that troop type )

The 48 man units can really absorb a fair amount of shooting - look at how many figures have to be firing at a 5 to do 2 cpf - 24. But then they have to recieve the returning fire.

Any thoughts on the list???

Todd K

[Ed Kollmer]

All Hail Geat Lords of Warrior:
I, Ed the rash, scribe my testament to the happenings on that fateful day in April. In keeping with my new persona, as Ed the rash. Matt and I arrived EARLY. My troops were eager. Horses neighing, armor rustling and commands shouted.
I must make a comment here about Todd's remarks. His army covered the board. My army at its greatest stretch maybe made it to half the board. My SHCm cost so much that Matt made me change their configuration . They alone probably cost about a quarter of Todd's army.The Cataphrats also were not cheap. Surena drained the Parthian treasury to purchase them. My army has only 3 troop types: SHCm, SHC, LC bow.
My battle plan very simple, CHARGE AND DESTROY. Ed the rash has only one order: ATTACK.

Round 1: We draw Ming Chinese. Surena smiles. Now we can plunder the fat merchants of the silk route. There are only drunken

[Ed Kollmer]

Continued(sorry about that)
There are only drunken, unpaid and exiles sent my the Ming Emperor to guard the border frontier. But What??? What is this?? Markowitz the Meticulous has been sent by the emperor. No matter. Our troops never more eager. The shade of HailKaeser beckens onward. We are possessed by destiny to greatness. The plan simple. Simple minds, simple plans. The LC screen the board. The Cats flank the ThermoNuclear SHCm, who will piece the heart of the Ming. Surena pushes forward. Ed the rash notices some concern on Markowitz the Meticulous, therefore , he unleashes his FLAMING OX CARTS. They blunt but not destroy the Cats. The SHCm crash into the Ming. Heavy fighting ensues. Unfortunately, the SHCm do not destroy the Ming. Only in the last round or two does Surena's sub challenges the Ming's Sub and in a mighty thunderbolt of arms, a lance pierces the Ming Sub. Ed the rash is lucky to get a 5-2loss. The might of Parthia retreats back to Parthia, mauled but not defeated.

Round 2:
Well the eastern door to China is closedl So Surena looks west. The Fertile Crescent, Babylon, Jerusalem,Nineveh. There are riches to be found here. Ed the Rash draws Assyria. Ed the rash looks across the plains of Nineveh and sees the Assyrian host massing. He knows that Low the stalwart, the resolute, the undaunted: The Rock of Assyria. commands the armies of Assyria. Again the Spirit of HailKaeser motions on. His troops still eager, still hopeful shout onward.
Again the LC screen the board. Again the Cats flank the IrrA SHCm . Again they push onward. Half a league, Half a league onward rode the 6oo(oops wrong battle ,same outcome). Onward they charged under a blackened sky of arrows. Again and Again the LHI/LMI of Assyria skirmished away as they sent volley after volley into the sky. With each charge the Pride of Parthia went from tired to exhausted.
Low the stalwart, the resolut watched with increasing interest from his chariot, as the Parthian host lay prostrate upon the plains. A 5-1 loss for Ed the rash.

Round 3:
A much needed Bye and rest . Be assured Ed the rash will return, as Arthur of Legend. Ed the rash and his trusted Parthian General Surena will once more gallop out of the hinterlands of Asia to save Parthia.