Army of Liberty: a Fantasy Revolutionary Warfare Quest

[birdmaster01]

Did some calcs for wounding 5. With this system, you definitely want some combat bonuses if you're going to attack.

Wounding 5
Proof

Advantage Amount	Mean	Change	Deviation	Change	50 Cas %	Change	At Least: 50% to get	Change
3 Disadvantage	10.00		8.17		0%		~8-9
2 Disadvantage	12.50	+2.5	9.69	+1.52	0%	+0%	~11	+2-3
1 Disadvantage	16.66	+4.16	11.79	+2.1	0.01%	+0.01%	~15	+4
0	25.00	+5.34	14.44	+2.65	1%	+0.99%	25-26	+11-12
1 Advantage	33.34	+8.34	11.79	-2.56	1.99%	+0.99%	~36	+10-11
2 Advantage	37.50	+4.16	9.69	-2.1	2.97%	+0.98%	~40	+2
3 Advantage	40.00	+2.5	8.17	-1.52	3.94%	+0.97%	~41-42	+1-2

Wounding 5
Proof

Combat Bonus Amount	Mean	50 Cas %	100 Cas %
-30	10.15	0%	0%
-20	15.10	0%	0%
-10	20.05	0%	0%
0	25.00	1%	0%
10	30.00	11%	0%
20	35.00	21%	0%
30	40.00	31%	0%
40	45.00	41%	0%
50	50.00	51%	0%
60	55.00	61%	0%
70	60.00	71%	0%
80	65.00	81%	0%

Click to shrink...

Now that's some Real Musket Warfare Experience™

 

[Photomajig]

NOTE: The battle of Daurstein has been restarted due to broad mechanical changes. Previous Rounds of this battle are an alternative timeline and no longer canon.

Your rousing speech finished, you observe the field before you. This piece of Daurstein's outskirts is a tangle of woods, hills and thick forest. Aside from the fact that the enemy is marching towards you and the audible rumble of distant marching feet, you've no idea where they are. Scouting should prove vital in the contest to come.

A shiver of anticipation passes through you. It feels like this battle has taken ages to get properly started. Something new shudders in the air, a promise of a different kind of battle than those you've fought before. Well, let von Trotha try his best. Raka Durand shall not be found wanting.

***​

Spoiler: Combat Summary

Attacker goes first
Enemy Turn

Enemy Orders only shown if they've been spotted by you at the start of their turn.
No enemy Units spotted.

Enemy Units ???

Your Turn

BATTLE OF DAURSTEIN, ROUND 0
+Primary Objective: Defeat the Army of the Centre.

​

Orders

Vote by plan, please!

200th Hobgoblin Fusiliers Regiment:
[]
72nd Human Regiment of Foot:
[]
148th Human Regiment of Foot:
[]
42nd Elven Regiment of Foot:
[]
45th Elven Regiment of Foot:
[]
251st Hobgoblin Fusiliers Regiment:
[]
16th Halfling Pathfinders Regiment:
[]
19th Halfling Pathfinders Regiment:
[]
28th Halfling Pathfinders Regiment:
[]
55th Elven Hussars Regiment:
[]
108th Elven Hussars Regiment:
[]
13th Hobgoblin Lancers Regiment:
[]
84th Elven Artillery Battery:
[]
10th Human Artillery Battery:
[]
31st Elven Artillery Battery:
[]
5th Hobgoblin Horse Artillery Battery:
[]

Orders for Guillory's Hussars?
[] Write-in.

***

Momentum: +0​

Our Units

Unit	XP	Str.	AP	Morale Mod.	Stress	Combat	Mun.	Spl.	Con.	Spt.	Mov.	Equipment	Traits	CO
251st Hob	4/5 Trained	1000/1000	3	+4	0	+0	10/10	5/5	0	7	2	Cabot Musket Bayonets	Hobgoblin	Veka Bonheur Watchful
200th Hob	0/20 Professional	1000/1000	3	+6	0	+20	10/10	5/5	0	5	2	Cabot Musket Bayonets	Hobgoblin	Alho Kléber Offensive Genius
72nd Hum	5/10 Professional	1000/1000	3	+10	0	+20	10/10	5/5	0	5	2	Cabot Musket Bayonets	Human	Gereon Oberlin Teacher
148th Hum	2/3 Trained	1000/1000	3	+8	0	+0	10/10	5/5	0	5	2	Cabot Musket Bayonets	Human	Liberté Chastain Inspiring
42nd Elv	0/20 Regular	1000/1000	3	+5	0	+10	10/10	5/5	0	7	2	Cabot Musket Bayonets	Elven	M. de Montmorency Unsteady
45th Elv	2/20 Regular	1000/1000	3	+7**	0	+10	10/10	5/5	0	7	2	Cabot Musket Bayonets	Elven	Jean de Sangeaux Maverick
16th Half Pfd	0/10 Regular	1000/1000	3	+5	0	+10	10/10	5/5	2	5	2	Falke Rifle Bayonets	Halfling	Maiwen Firmin Butcher
19th Half Pfd	3/10 Regular	1000/1000	3	+5	0	+10	10/10	5/5	2	5	4	Canard Rifle Bayonets	Halfling	Sophie Tasse Rapid
28th Half Pfd	3/10 Regular	1000/1000	3	+5	0	+10	10/10	5/5	2	5	2	Canard Rifle Bayonets	Halfling	Georges Villiers Unsteady
55th Elv Hsr	4/20 Regular	500/500	3	+5	0	+10		5/5	0	7	7	Sabres	Elven	Berenicy de Toucy Defensive Genius
108th Elv Hsr	10/40 Professional	500/500	3	+6	0	+20		5/5	-1	7	7	Sabres	Elven	Augustin de Goyon Loud
13th Hob Lan	1/10 Regular	500/500	3	+5	0	+10		5/5	-1	5	5	Lances	Hobgoblin	Karo Bonnaire Optimist
10th Hum Art	1/20 Experienced	50/50	3	+11	0	+30	10/10	5/5	0	5	1	Field Artillery	Human	David Granger Offensive Genius
84th Elv Art	8/20 Regular	50/50	3	+5	0	+10	10/10	5/5	0	9	1	Field Artillery	Elven	Jules de Maistre Watchful
31st Elv Art	10/20 Regular	50/50	3	+5	0	+10	12/12	7/7	0	7	1	Field Artillery	Elven	Marie de Lamartine Logistician
5th Hob H Art	24/40 Experienced	50/50	3	+7	0	+30	8/8	3/3	0	5	4	Horse Artillery	Hobgoblin	Arka Faucher Careless
HQ	-	-		-		-	165	106	-	-	1

*Affected by Casualties
**+2 from Inspired Command March Event
Bayonets, Sabres: Wounding +0
Lances: Wounding +1, Concealment -1, Movement -2, additional Charge Advantage
Cabot Musket: Wounding +2, Range 100m/200m/400m
Field Artillery: Wounding +5, Range 200m/700m/1400m
Canard Rifle: Wounding +2, Range 200m/300m/500m
Falke Rifle: Wounding +3, Range 100m/300m/500m
Horse Artillery: Wounding +4, Movement +3, Range 200m/600m/1200m, may Set Up for free

***​

Allied Units

Unit	XP	Str.	AP	Morale Mod.	Stress	Combat	Mun.	Spl.	Con.	Spt.	Mov.	Equipment	Traits	CO
350th Elv Hsr	Trained	500/500	3	+0	0	+0	-	5/5	0	7	7	Sabres	Elven Cavalry	Mana Bosquet ???
341st Elv Hsr	Trained	500/500	3	+0	0	+0	-	5/5	0	7	7	Sabres	Elven Cavalry	Giovanni di Mirova ???

Bayonets, Sabres: Wounding +0

***​

Enemy Units

Unit	XP	Str.	AP	Morale Mod.	Stress	Combat	Mun.	Spl.	Con.	Spt.	Mov.	Equipment	Traits	CO
HM's 1st Elv Hsr	Professional	500/500	3	+?	0	+20		?	0	7	7	Sabres	Elven Cavalry	Demoralizing
1st Roy Elv Lan	Professional	500/500	3	+?	0	+20		?	-1	7	5	Lances	Elven Cavalry	Butcher
Son 8th Elv Hsr	Trained	500/500	3	+?	0	+0		?	0?	7?	7	Sabres	Elven Cavalry	?
Son 9th Elv Hsr	Trained	500/500	3	+?	0	+0		?	0?	7?	7	Sabres	Elven Cavalry	?
Mrk Nym Rng	Professional	910/1000	3	+?	0	+20	?	?	0?	3	2	Falke Rifle Bayonets	Nymph	Feared
Ott 4th Hum	Trained	1000/1000	3	+?	0	+0	?	?	0?	3?	2	Erlkönig Musket Bayonets	Human	?
Ott 17th Hum	Trained	1000/1000	3	+?	0	+0	?	?	0?	3?	2	Erlkönig Musket Bayonets	Human	?
Ott 109th Hob	Trained	1000/1000	3	+?	0	+0	?	?	0?	0?	2	Erlkönig Musket Bayonets	Hobgoblin	?
Wür 15th Dwa	Trained	1000/1000	3	+?	0	+0	?	?	0?	0?	2	Erlkönig Musket Bayonets	Dwarven	?
Wür 31st Dwa	Trained	1000/1000	3	+?	0	+0	?	?	0?	0?	2	Erlkönig Musket Bayonets	Dwarven	?
Wür 33rd Dwa	Trained	1000/1000	3	+?	0	+0	?	?	0?	3?	2	Erlkönig Musket Bayonets	Dwarven	?
Neu 20th Dwa	Trained	1000/1000	3	+?	0	+0	?	?	0?	3?	2	Erlkönig Musket Bayonets	Dwarven	?
Neu 155th Elv	Trained	1000/1000	3	+?	0	+0	?	?	0?	7?	2	Erlkönig Musket Bayonets	Elven	?
Son 74th Elv	Trained	1000/1000	3	+?	0	+0	?	?	0?	7?	2	Erlkönig Musket Bayonets	Elven	?
28th Elv Art	Experienced	50/50	3	+?	0	+30	?	?	0?	7?	1	Field Artillery	Elven Artillery	?
60th Elv Art	Regular	50/50	3	+?	0	+10	?	?	0?	7?	1	Field Artillery	Elven Artillery	?
66th Elv Art	Regular	50/50	3	+?	0	+10	?	?	0?	7?	1	Field Artillery	Elven Artillery	?
75th Elv Art	Professional	50/50	3	+?	0	+20	?	?	0?	7?	1	Field Artillery	Elven Artillery	?
Prov. Elv Art	Regular	50/50	3	+?	0	+10	?	?	0	7	1	Field Artillery	Elven Artillery	Offensive Genius
Hum Vol Art	Trained	50/50	3	+?	0	+0	?	?	0?	7?	1	Field Artillery	Elven Artillery	?
14th Elv H Art	Experienced	50/50	3	+?	0	+30	?	?	0?	7?	4	Horse Artillery	Elven Artillery	?

Bayonets, Sabres: Wounding +0
Erlkönig Musket: Wounding +2, Range 100m/200m/400m
Falke Rifle: Wounding +3, Range 100m/300m/500m
Lances: Wounding +1, Concealment -1, Movement -2, additional Charge Advantage
Field Artillery: Wounding +5, Range 200m/700m/1400m
Horse Artillery: Wounding +4, Movement +3, Range 200m/600m/1200m, may Set Up for free

Showtime.

To be clear, the enemy has already acted out its first turn, having the initiative as the attacker in this battle. You just... cannot see a single enemy Unit due to the Spotting changes!

 

[birdmaster01]

Oh wow,there are already alternate timelines that fans will argue about for decades to come

 

[natruska]

(Attacker always having the initiative is neat - makes sense!)

Alright, my first thought is that von Trotha having the first move makes any of the forward position plans difficult. He's just barely short of the infantry movement to take the central Rotholz tile, if I counted correctly, but he'll be in the area. (I suspect he wouldn't do our move of taking the tile with cavalry until his infantry can come up, but he could). We won't really have time to set up a full position before our units are stumbling into each other.

Similar story on the left flank: we can rush our halflings into the southern end of the Kirschenholz but we can't block him out of the northern end of it, which means a move there might lead to a messy meeting engagement.

That makes me think the move is (conveniently the plan I've supported in the past, no motivated reasoning here ) to keep the core of our defense in the breastworks around the Hochschloss. Do some skirmishing ahead with our rifles, cavalry, horse artillery, maybe try to rush a unit up to Rotholz to fight for a turn and inflict some casualties, but ultimately stay in the trenches.

 

[abominable]

Some Random Revolutionary Grunt: *feels déjà vu* Ooh-la-la!

 

[Red Rationalist]

Okay, a quick reminder of our characterization of Trotha:

Once Franz is gone, you cross-reference and check this information against your other reports. On the whole, it seems accurate. You begin to build a fairly comprehensive picture of the two Nornish armies arrayed against you. A decent idea of the two generals' personalities also develops. Von Trotha is a believer in the supremacy of artillery; he rarely uses his cavalry other than to screen, and never commits to an infantry attack before a lengthy bombardment.

Click to shrink...

So, Trotha is a more defensive player that places a high value on artillery fire support. Based on his description he will likely fold if encountering an early skirmish (never commits to an infantry attack before a lengthy bombardment). We can use this, our units are generally superior when it comes to melee (high cohesion, higher skill). So, in my opinion we need to contest Rotholz, since not doing so gives him a perfect marching area for his infantry onto the hills. Additionally, the Halflings can also be easier employed to weaken an charge if we contest the central plain rather than staying completely passive.

Due to the new movement rules, we can always pull of a temporary withdrawal (1 turn for artillery movement back and forth). This is not necessarily about holding the area, but giving us time to ambush, skirmish and halt his movement is valuable on itself. Much easier to break the charge if we already shoot from the middling way. So I say we use his personality against him by contesting the easier points of cover.

 

[natruska]

Spoiler: Very basic position thoughts map

Alright, this map is basically just me marking out tiles/areas that are interesting at a first glance.

First, the Rotholz. Now that artillery firing into melee kills friendlies, stationing our horse artillery on the fort tile doesn't really work. But it's still a very powerful position for infantry to sit in, especially with all the line-of-sight blockers surrounding it. The 45th Elven and a unit pulled from the main line can rush up to the red square tiles and hold them for some time - if von Trotha's troops don't reach it in his next turn, they'd be able to pull off a nasty Ready Action ambush whenever they do. And it shouldn't be too hard for them to disengage and fall back if/when needed. Just one turn of Move actions to get behind the hills further south.

Second, the Kirschenholz. The red circle area is nice for halflings, especially the 19th because Rapid is still very good for skirmishers. The one issue is that the halflings don't have enough move to occupy the northernmost tile and block enemy infantry from getting into the treeline on the next turn (especially bad if they're the nymphs), but we could order Guillory's hussars to do that blocking. I think they can just barely reach, even with Forest costing them 5 move per!

Third, the forested hills (I think these are Forest Hills) south of the Kirschenholz. Good for similar reasons (halflings in Forest are invisible ambush demons, ranged fire does very little damage against them and charging costs so much MP that you're massively exposed) but the forest provides a convenient position for enemy infantry to push from. Useful if you want a presence on the left flank but don't want to go into the Kirschenholz/got pushed out of there already, I think.

Finally, the blue square, the open area in the valley. No cover for infantry, lots of firing positions for his artillery. But we can operate around here with our cavalry and even our horse artillery. Any cavalry that tried to charge H. Arty around the blue square would be in for a bad time - Ready Charges by our own cav, possibly Ready Fire from our field arty at Medium Range, possibly rifle fire from the forest.

So yeah, my thinking is that we keep the Kinzberg as our main position but skirmish aggressively on both flanks. Try to lock down the Kirschenholz entirely, inflict some damage at the Rotholz. He'll probably be able to push us out but I think the exchange rate should be favorable, and we'll have a whole other position to fall back on.

 

[Pinniped]

Alright, my first thought is that von Trotha having the first move makes any of the forward position plans difficult. He's just barely short of the infantry movement to take the central Rotholz tile, if I counted correctly, but he'll be in the area. (I suspect he wouldn't do our move of taking the tile with cavalry until his infantry can come up, but he could). We won't really have time to set up a full position before our units are stumbling into each other.

Click to shrink...

I agree with your asssesment, but not with your conclusion. Our units "stumbling into each other" is very much in our favor, since a melee engagement makes his artillery much less effective and our experienced troops should beat his troops in melee by a good margin. His Nymph elites are the only Unit we do not want to stumble into a forest, but they are only one Unit and also understrength.

So, in my opinion we need to contest Rotholz, since not doing so gives him a perfect marching area for his infantry onto the hills. Additionally, the Halflings can also be easier employed to weaken an charge if we contest the central plain rather than staying completely passive.

Click to shrink...

I agree. The new rules make fighting retreats easier to pull of, and we have enough artillery support of our own to prevent him from pushing our retreating units too aggressively.

As a preliminary plan based purely on vibes, I would like to send some probing forces in on both the left and right flanks. A initial goal would be finding the Nymphs: whichever side they are not on, we know our infantry has the advantage. That could be were we push.

View: https://imgur.com/a/8bY563N

 

[natruska]

Question: are these two tiles Plains or Forest?

Spoiler: Image

 

[Red Rationalist]

Draft Plan Rotholz, Cavalry Forward
-[] Visualization
-[] Cav (Go before others when possible)
-[] Guillory's Hussars: Move towards Rotholz Turm, Ready move onto Rotholz Turm and and SE Hill IF Rotholz Turm is empty [AN: Allied Units, should be given semantic rather than specific orders], Ready Brace
-[] 13th Hob Lanc: Move [4 NW, 1 NE], Ready Charge If any non-square formation enemy stays in flat tile in 500m away, Ready Move Disengage south towards original position
-[] 108th Elv Hsr: Ready Move [3 NW, 3W] IF Hill E and SE of Rotholz empty, else return. Ready Charge If any non-square formation enemy stays in flat tile 500m away & prior true, Ready Move Disengage south towards original position
-[] 55th Elv Hsr: Move [NW,NE,NW,NE,2 NW, 2W]
-[] Inf
-[] 19th Half Pfd [Rapid -> 4 base movement]: 3* Move [W, 3*NW, NE, 2NW, NE]
-[] 16th Half Pfd: 3*Move [NE, 4 NW]
-[] 28th Half Pfd: 3*Move [5 NW, W], Brace
-[] 200th Hob: 2 Move [3 NW], Brace
-[] 251st Hob: 2 Move [3 NW]
-[] 72nd Hum: 3 Move [3NW, 2NE]
-[] 148th Hum: 3 Move [3NW, 2NE]
-[] 45th Elv: 3 Mov [1 NE 3NW]
-[] 42nd Elv: 3 Mov [3 NE]
-[] Artillery
-[] 31st Elv Art: 3* Move [NE,2*NW Facing NW]
-[] 10th Hum Art: 3* Move [NE,2*NW Facing NW]
-[] 84th Elv Art: 3* Move [NE,2*NW Facing NW]
-[] 5th Hob H. Art.: Move [2 NE, 2 E], Ready Fire [Med. Range; E,NE]

Spoiler: Visualization

File link, if you are interested. Will link a cleaned version once I have the time to put everything in their proper layer.

Alright, putting a provisional draft for an aggressive opening forward. This plan would focus on moving forward to contest the main plain, aiming to get a couple early shots in. Due to the nature of this plain, Trotha has a more limited line of fire for his artillery compared to ours (3 wide corridor rather than a full line], something we can exploit. Trotha is likely to fold in a skirmish (rarely uses cavalry to do something other than screen & never commits to an infantry attack), which we can use to get a stronger position. My
Basic idea: Guillory's Hussars take Rotholz, Humans switch with them next turn based on how precarious the position is, we move the cavalry forward to put pressure there and slow the enemy down. This will also have the advantage of greater situational awareness and early options to weaken the enemy infantry. Artillery and infantry have a 3 tile forward position, something we can then use to weaken Trotha early. This gives the additional bonus of 2 advantages rather than one. Use that to exhaust his offensive resources and make him waste time, ammunition and weaken his units too much for a charge. Strategically, he needs a clear win and we just need a stalemate for the rest of Guillory's army to arrive.

 

[The Laurent]

If we can do it somehow, I would like to find a way to destroy his army or devastate it, because if he's basically gone then we probably have weeks and weeks to dig in before there's even a chance of an enemy arriving. Probably more.

 

[Pinniped]

Draft Plan Rotholz, Cavalry Forward
-[] Visualization
-[] Cav (Go First)
-[] Guillory's Hussars: Move towards Rotholz Turm, Ready move onto Rotholz Turm and and SE Hill IF Rotholz Turm is empty [AN: Allied Units, should be given semantic rather than specific orders], Ready Brace
-[] 13th Hob Lanc: Move [4 NW, 1 NE], Ready Charge If any non-square formation enemy stays in flat tile in 500m away, Ready Move Disengage south towards original position
-[] 108th Elv Hsr: Ready Move [3 NW, 2 W, NW] IF Hill E and SE of Rotholz empty, else return. Ready Charge If any non-square formation enemy stays in flat tile 500m away & prior true, Ready Move Disengage south towards original position
-[] 55th Elv Hsr: Move [NW,NE,NW,NE,3 W]
-[] Inf
-[] 19th Half Pfd [Rapid -> 4 base movement]: 3* Move [W, 3*NW, NE, 2NW, NE]
-[] 16th Half Pfd: 3*Move [NE, 4 NW]
-[] 28th Half Pfd: 3*Move [5 NW, W], Brace
-[] 200th Hob: 2 Move [3 NW], Brace
-[] 251st Hob: 2 Move [3 NW]
-[] 72nd Hum: 3 Move [3NW, 2NE]
-[] 148th Hum: 3 Move [3NW, 2NE]
-[] 45th Elv: 3 Mov [1 NE 3NW]
-[] 42nd Elv: 3 Mov [3 NE]
-[] Artillery
-[] 31st Elv Art: 3* Move [NE,2*NW Facing NW]
-[] 10th Hum Art: 3* Move [NE,2*NW Facing NW]
-[] 84th Elv Art: 3* Move [NE,2*NW Facing NW]
-[] 5th Hob H. Art.: Move [2 NE, 2 E], Ready Fire [Med. Range; E,NE]

Spoiler: Visualization

File link, if you are interested. Will link a cleaned version once I have the time to put everything in their proper layer.

Alright, putting a provisional draft for an aggressive opening forward. This plan would focus on moving forward to contest the main plain, aiming to get a couple early shots in. Due to the nature of this plain, Trotha has a more limited line of fire for his artillery compared to ours (3 wide corridor rather than a full line], something we can exploit. Trotha is likely to fold in a skirmish (rarely uses cavalry to do something other than screen & never commits to an infantry attack), which we can use to get a stronger position. My
Basic idea: Guillory's Hussars take Rotholz, Humans switch with them next turn based on how precarious the position is, we move the cavalry forward to put pressure there and slow the enemy down. This will also have the advantage of greater situational awareness and early options to weaken the enemy infantry. Artillery and infantry have a 3 tile forward position, something we can then use to weaken Trotha early. This gives the additional bonus of 2 advantages rather than one. Use that to exhaust his offensive resources and make him waste time, ammunition and weaken his units too much for a charge. Strategically, he needs a clear win and we just need a stalemate for the rest of Guillory's army to arrive.

Click to shrink...

Umm, wow. That is bold. Way bolder than I was thinking, which was to push on the flanks and maintaining stealth and cover from his artillery. Are you sure we could trade favorably with him with this setup? I worry his experienced artillery crews would chew up our units in the central corridor, with little for us to show for it.

Also, the issue with such an aggressive opening may be that it is exactly what he would expect us to do. We are a Hobgoblin, he has a defensive mindset and we did some aggressive cavalry maneuvers early on in Brutet.

 

[Red Rationalist]

Umm, wow. That is bold. Way bolder than I was thinking, I was thinking of pushing on the flanks and maintaining stealth and cover from his artillery. Are you sure we could trade favorably with him with this setup? I worry his experienced artillery crews would chew up our units in the central corridor, with little for us to show for it.

Also, the issue with such an aggressive opening may be that it is exactly what he would expect us to do. We are a Hobgoblin, he has a defensive mindset and we did some aggressive cavalry maneuvers early on in Brutet.

Click to shrink...

So, I'm actually pretty sure about this opening, though I realize now I did miscount by one tile regarding the cavalry (Will fix that, that's what the draft is for). His artillery units can at most fire from 3 tiles out of the deployment zone (3*Move, Set Up, Fire) and can only start with this next turn. Additionally, the central corridor constrains from where they can even set up their fire. Until turn 2, we are safe from their fire.

 

[Chimeraguard]

Hmm, do we want to push forward with the 45th? I'm worried that given the track record of Maverick COs so far, when the time comes to pull back they might well...not.

@Photomajig Also, shouldn't the 350th Hussars be Hobgoblins, not Elven? Their CO is Hobgoblin and IIRC last time they were Elven it was admitted it was an error, just one we had to run with because the battle had already gone on for a couple rounds by the time it was noted.

 

[Pinniped]

So, I'm actually pretty sure about this opening, though I realize now I did miscount by one tile regarding the cavalry (Will fix that, that's what the draft is for). His artillery units can at most fire from 3 tiles out of the deployment zone (3*Move, Set Up, Fire) and can only start with this next turn. Additionally, the central corridor constrains from where they can even set up their fire. Until turn 2, we are safe from their fire.

Click to shrink...

Huh? I don't see it? He already had a turn, we are going second. That means he can already have at least three artillery Units set up to fire along the central corridor, unless I am mistaken?

For example, the hill southwest of the Koboldsforst is a good position for artillery that shoots along the entire corridor. He can already have an artillery there if his T1 order was Move, Move, Set Up.

 

[Red Rationalist]

Huh? I don't see it? He already had a turn, we are going second. That means he can already have three artillery Units set up to fire along the central corridor, unless I am mistaken?

For example, the hill southwest of the Koboldsforst is a good position for artillery that shoots along the entire corridor. He can already have an artillery there if his T1 order was Move, Move, Set Up.

Click to shrink...

So, the "Ruine Ottenburg" can't shoot at most of our units meaningfully due to range limitations and due to it not being possible to shoot over hills. Rotholz would be shooting at -60 base (-40 fort, -20 range), the chance to inflict a morale check is just 15% for the best artillery unit of his (1d100-30), with you getting only 10 shots. I would honestly consider artillery in the west to be a waste of time.

 

[Red Rationalist]

So, in terms of the main artillery threat: Here is where Trotha can fire his field artillery in the central corridor. Considering the new movement rules that allow him to actually reposition artillery across flat terrain, I would expect him to put most of his battery in the centre and leave the flanks to cavalry and or infantry. I didn't include the horse artillery, mainly because they could be virtually anywhere. Though we are safe against a classic position at Sarnscheid.

 

[Pinniped]

So, in terms of the main artillery threat: Here is where Trotha can fire his field artillery in the central corridor. Considering the new movement rules that allow him to actually reposition artillery across flat terrain, I would expect him to put most of his battery in the centre and leave the flanks to cavalry and or infantry. I didn't include the horse artillery, mainly because they could be virtually anywhere. Though we are safe against a classic position at Sarnscheid.

Click to shrink...

So you are only considering Medium range shots for him, not Long Range? Long Range Fire is not damaging enough to be a threat?

Another thing I worry with your plan is the left flank. You have three units of halflings thrre but no cavalry to screen their retreat if they run into trouble. I would like to keep Guillory's Hussars on that flank for this reason.

EDIT: Trotha has Experienced Horse artillery. Thise can definitely already be set up and close enough to maul our cavalry with your plan.

 

[Red Rationalist]

So you are only considering Medium range shots for him, not Long Range? Long Range Fire is not damaging enough to be a threat?

Another thing I worry with your plan is the left flank. You have three units of halflings thrre but no cavalry to screen their retreat if they run into trouble. I would like to keep Guillory's Hussars on that flank for this reason.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, I am. Under the new rules long ranged fire is hillariously ineffective [best unit get's -20, 25% for a morale check; 5% for the rest => That is the chance of dealing above 0 damage]. I'm operating on the general assumption he actually wants to get his artillery close to us before burning his initial firing advantage, rather than needling in the previous system. At the end of the day he also needs to win a charge, and long-ranged fire doesn't achieve the desired effect here.
Regarding the Halflings, I don't know what threat do you seen to them. Trotha is noted for deploying his cavalry purely as a screen and they can only be seen from 4 tiles away by elves. Such proximity would trigger a ready charge from our lancers and hussars, one we would probably win while they do little damage. Charging into the forest is just too dangerous for Trotha to seriously consider, especially as he doesn't see them.

 

[natruska]

I think I could accept moving the field arty forward temporarily to take a shot or two before Trotha can get his guns in position (because yeah he has some real distance to cover and ambush advantage is nice) but I just want to note terrain costs. I believe they're starting on Hills tiles, so if you want to be able to pull them back in a single turn they can only go two tiles forward. That constrains their range and vision a little more.

 

[Red Rationalist]

I think I could accept moving the field arty forward temporarily to take a shot or two before Trotha can get his guns in position (because yeah he has some real distance to cover and ambush advantage is nice) but I just want to note terrain costs. I believe they're starting on Hills tiles, so if you want to be able to pull them back in a single turn they can only go two tiles forward. That constrains their range and vision a little more.

Click to shrink...

Not a problem for the position of the 31st, but I take your point. Though I think a battle in the centre will last a while anyways, he wants a long artillery barrage first and has to protect his column against cavalry falling into the side. A straight charge takes a lot of courage there. But we can fall back over 2 turns, which is fair enough.

 

[Pinniped]

Yeah, I am. Under the new rules long ranged fire is hillariously ineffective [best unit get's -20, 25% for a morale check; 5% for the rest => That is the chance of dealing above 0 damage]. I'm operating on the general assumption he actually wants to get his artillery close to us before burning his initial firing advantage, rather than needling in the previous system. At the end of the day he also needs to win a charge, and long-ranged fire doesn't achieve the desired effect here.

Click to shrink...

Does this hold for massed ranged Fire? Morale Checks result from total Casualties a Turn, meaning the odds of causing one gets better as one focuses fire on a single unit. Also, he would likely be hitting our cavalry, which are high value targets.

You are also still discounting his Horse Artillery. It can definitely be in Medium range of our cavalry with the movements in your plan. It is likely he has put it in a forward position along the central corridor.

Regarding the Halflings, I don't know what threat do you seen to them. Trotha is noted for deploying his cavalry purely as a screen and they can only be seen from 4 tiles away by elves. Such proximity would trigger a ready charge from our lancers and hussars, one we would probably win while they do little damage. Charging into the forest is just too dangerous for Trotha to seriously consider, especially as he doesn't see them.

Click to shrink...

I am worried about getting surprised by enemy cavalry in the western forest like this. They could already be there. I know you are not expecting aggressive cavalry play, but they might take the opportunity to hit the halflings if they see it coming.

View: https://imgur.com/a/j2LwXbD
Also remember that those cavalry of his are Arnese cavalry, with Arnese commanders. They might be allied with Von Trotha, but may not be compeltely under his command. With the way Arnese elven officers have been characterized in this Quest so far, how would you expect the commanders of "HM's 1st Elv Hsr" and "1st Roy Elv Lan" to react if they are told by a foreigner to remain in the back and babysit artillery for the entire battle?

 

[Red Rationalist]

Does this hold for massed ranged Fire? Morale Checks result from total Casualties a Turn, meaning the odds of causing one gets better as one focuses fire on a single unit. Also, he would likely be hitting our cavalry, which are high value targets.

You are also still discounting his Horse Artillery. It can definitely be in Medium range of our cavalry with the movements in your plan. It is likely he has put it in a forward position along the central corridor.

Click to shrink...

I mean, you can trigger one, maybe two morale checks with fire concentration at long ranges. This just won't accomplish much by itself, due to long distances units can be cycled out and rested. This does next to nothing for actually preparing a charge, especially as you fail to buildup a stress persistently enough. Plus, there is the issue of getting the line of sight for long-ranged fire without making your scouts vulnerable to it. Maintaing the sightlines with scouts is probably the biggest challenge there if we fall back. If you want to soften for charge rather than occasionally annoy the enemy, long-ranged fire just won't accomplish enough. Quick, worst-case calcs for concentrating all field artillery on one unit: 66% for 1 morale check with disadvantage, dealing 110 causulties on average. This enough to noticeble, but would take hours to make a charge feasible, while burning lots of his munitions. And that assumes our units stand and give battle politely, rather than go for cover and make this even more difficult. If you plan to actually lead a decisive charge to retake your city, I don't see this working.

Anydice math, if you want to check my work: AnyDice

Regarding the horse artillery: Yes, but so can ours. Due to them being able to scoot forward with a cavalry escort (move, fire) they can effectively fire up from up to 10 tiles away. This is just not possible to account for.

 

[Red Rationalist]

I am worried about getting surprised by enemy cavalry in the western forest like this. They could already be there. I know you are not expecting aggressive cavalry play, but they might take the opportunity to hit the halflings if they see it coming.

Click to shrink...

In that scenario, the cavalry would 1) fail to spot due to the hill range + forest tile NE 2) have to spend at least 2 charge actions (5 for charging into forest, 4 for going over the hill, 1 for the plain tile). All of that for a charge at base of -40 (2* terrain for cav), which also makes them vulnerable to being caught by our own cavalry.

General comment: If the royal volunteers are aggressive on their own, we can use that to deplete his screen and accumulate momentum. On charge against a rapid unit is just not going to do much.

Edit: Updated calculations to account for generally lowered melee damage and mutual melee bonus reduction: With a base wounding of 5+1 in melee, they deal a whopping 20 casualties in terms of damage. ([highest 1 of 2d100]-30)*6/100). This is nothing and a waste of a turn.

 

[PeaterDuck12]

Man it had been so long i had actually forgotten how much of a death trap this map is lol.

idk about comiiting to any hard actions yet, but finding him should def be our first priority