Richard's Burgundians have a reputation for being unbeatable (according to our Icon) - so I decided to see if I could add to the long list of smashed opponents with my Ottomans. I had a small force of Akinjis, a couple of units of Sipahis and Janissaries. In the centre I deployed a bombard.
Richard's Burgundians had 3 mounted Men at Arms and his pike/longbow blocks. These things were some of the most fierce-some combinations that I have ever come across on the wargames table. I couldn't charge them with my cavalry ( because of the pike) and my infantry couldn't outshoot them because of the longbow! They needed to be treated with respect!
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| My Janissaries- facing the enemy in the distance. They were the right centre of my line. |
In the end I was outmanoeuvred, out fought, outshot....and ..well .out everythinged. Doesn't matter!! I demanded satisfaction in a rematch. Should happen soon.
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| My left- my Akinjis and my Sipahis. |
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| Richard's Men at Arms....the battering rams of the later middle ages. |
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| The formidable pike/longbow combination |
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| My bombard in the center of my line. |
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| It scored the only success of the day- the space in the Burgundian line at the top of the photo was where the Burgundian artillery was deployed. See the gap! My first shot blew it away! Woohooo! I should have retreated at this point.....ah the folly of overconfidence and stupidity! |
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| The same photo again so I can gloat......it's the ONLY thing I could gloat about by the end of the game! |
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| My Sipahis prepare for a charge....they didn't make it! |
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| Top left corner- the most bizarre situation.....an unedifying spectacle....my light cavalry were being chased by pike blocks....and got caught...go figure. I think I'll need to reread the rules. |
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| The pikes closing in on my Akinjis! And I couldn't get away. |
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| My Janissaries get stuck in. |
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| The table: my troops are spread out in a giant crescent.....and about to be forced back real fast! |
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| The army after it's defeat........back on it's tray and about to be locked away. |
Very cool match up, John. Two respectable armies, and both favorites of mine. Well done!
ReplyDeleteThanks Dean. Both good armies...I was hoping to emulate the Swiss...but no chance. I'll get another crack at him soon.
DeleteSplendid armies, and great pictures...
ReplyDeleteThanks Phil.
DeleteNice armies. Pitty you couldn't break the winning streak.
ReplyDeleteThanks Spyros. Not my lucky day.
DeleteJohn, great to see some of your collection in use. For what its worth, my Ottomans only win by weight of numbers. I try to allow my Janissaries to have field fortifications to fire from. The light horse and azabs always run off the table. Would be interesting to see how hordes of skirmish horse archers do, hence my new Tarters. My XH Sipahi, and H and M Suvarileri are all in large, close-order blocks, some sixteen strong, and thrown in as a final fling. We dice to see who commands which army so there can be quite a disparity in numbers, and players must make the best of their situation. Thanks for uploading the game! Michael
ReplyDeleteHi Michael!
DeleteThanks for the tip. I think I made the mistake of taking all the upgrade options...and thought of quality over quantity. Never again! Next time I take on Richard's Burgundians I am going to take all the poor grade stuff and hurl it at his pike/longbow blocks...and then send in the good stuff.
Just remembered, on two occasions I faced English Longbowmen, about 24 on both occasions, shot my Ottomans to pieces under very different rule systems. I'm not complaining, they deserve to dominate. If only the Emperor of Constantinople had hired English mercenaries! But I do think an Ottoman player should have a horde to throw away in any wargame. Michael
DeleteHmmm.....English Longbow mercenaries.....I wonder if there is a set of rules out there with army lists that allow me to hire English longbow mercenaries for my Ottomans???
Delete