Hobgoblin Horse Artillery: Fast-moving bombardment. One day we'll get siege artillery that will blast things apart, but for now I'm moving it like a sniper: find a spot, beat the enemy to it, dig in, and control the field. The hobgoblin racial traits are actually a net penalty here, as I sincerely doubt we're charging with our artillery. Fortunately, they shouldn't be taking so much cohesion damage that they're going to eat through all of their supplies in a short battle, unless we severely screw up and die to repeated cavalry charges.
Elven Hussars: Ideal scouting unit. High mobility, innately high spotting, can shrug off some extra casualties incurred by risky maneuvers. Once the enemy disposition is known, they'll also make a good harassment force as charge+retreat seems like it will be a great combination against musket infantry, as it should be.
Hobgoblin Infantry: These are shocktroopers, designed for breakthrough bayonet charges and cutting enemy infantry to ribbons. They're going to be somewhat vulnerable to cavalry charges, though, since all their bonuses are offense-minded, and they require more food to recover the same amount of cohesion with a rest. We should requisition our boys some bayoneted rifles ASAP so they're less vulnerable to hit-and-runs, and otherwise make sure we've always got artillery coverage to punish raiders and support breakthroughs. Our personal Horse Arty is actually perfect for this as it moves nearly twice as fast as the infantry, letting us redeploy forward as needed.
Human Infantry: These are our generics, our jack-of-all-trades whose specialty is going to be reliant on commander traits and (in the future) equipment. The goal is going to be to keep these guys alive long enough for them to level up to elites - their more variable Cohesion can either help or hurt with that, as auto-routing saves lives and heroic last stands do the opposite. For now, musketfire supporting Hobgoblin élan is probably the order of the day.
It does. There may be options to train your horse artillery to set up more quickly (as well-drilled crews could do in real life) to negate the need for this action.
[X] Orders: Secure the Fortifications and Scout Saintonge
-[X] 310th Hum: MOVE TO ONE HEX E OF BEAUME HOUSE
-[X] 312th Hum: MOVE TO 1 HEX SE OF BEAUME HOUSE
-[X] 41st Hob: MOVE TO 1 HEX SW OF BEAUME HOUSE
-[X] 81st Elv: MOVE TO WESTERNMOST VILLAGE HEX
-[X] 5th Hob. H.Art.: MOVE TO BEAUME HOUSE
[X] Orders: Secure the Fortifications and Scout Saintonge
-[X] 310th Hum: MOVE TO ONE HEX E OF BEAUME HOUSE
-[X] 312th Hum: MOVE TO 1 HEX SE OF BEAUME HOUSE
-[X] 41st Hob: MOVE TO 1 HEX SW OF BEAUME HOUSE
-[X] 81st Elv: MOVE TO WESTERNMOST VILLAGE HEX
-[X] 5th Hob. H.Art.: MOVE TO BEAUME HOUSE
A plan takes shape. You feel a nervous, giddy energy that compels you to pace. From the looks of it, you are not the only one.
The distant crackle of musketfire continues as you give your orders and set things into motion. No foes appear to ambush you as you make your way with the artillery to Beaume House.
The chateau welcomes you within the ruin of its overgrown walls. You set your sights at once on the grounds on the eastern side of the main building and direct your artillery to set up there. The position is excellent, with slight elevation and clear lines of fire over the plain, but still safely within the chateau's shadow in case enemy attack forces a retreat inside. It takes your gunners some time to navigate through the crumbling environs of the old manor, but men move quickly to help lift and hoist the guns forward where the spaces get too narrow or the ground too uneven.
You've not the slightest clue of who lived here at Beaume House, and why the chateau fell into such ruin. Even so, whispers of history reveal themselves. High doors for the elven gentry who owned the place; smaller doors hidden in the walls for halfling servants to use. Paintings, thinned and dulled by time, which present styles you reckon are at least two centuries old; not that elven art is especially your area of expertise. A decaying wyvern's head on the wall in the foyer, the prize of some grand hunt from a time when such beasts still had free rein of Arné. Caught and killed by their faithful hobs in reality, no doubt.
You climb to what remains of the upper floors of the building for an elevated position to observe the field. The columns of the human and hobgoblin units are arranging themselves before Beaume House as ordered. Already charging down the plain towards the village are your untested Hussars, with Hippolyta's personal colors - a hummingbird in white over scarlet - fluttering at the very front of their formation.
They shall be your eyes. You only hope the enemy is not waiting there for a chance to blind them.
***
The world is lost in the thunder of hooves. Hippolyta de Montelivet spurs her mount onwards at the head of the 81st Elven Hussars. At her command they break from trot to gallop, surging towards the cluster of low buildings at the outskirts of the village. The transition is staggered, clumsy, but the disruption isn't catastrophic and any slowing of the pace insignificant. Petty flaws cannot take away from her pride and excitement.
She has never felt so alive. Years of humiliation and misery as just another wandering beggar with a title - all worth it, for this. The stretch of plains between the old manor and the village disappears in a flash, devoured whole by the exhilarating speed of their movement. In moments, they've crossed the plain. To her dismay, the formation falters into a milling horde as it comes up to the first buildings, all discipline momentarily forgotten.
"Aelvais! Attend to me!" she shouts, drawing her own mount up. "Formation! Now!"
It takes several minutes. She feels a red rush of shame creep onto her cheeks. Hardly the conduct one should expect from chevaliers of the realm, however lowly and impoverished. If Durand is watching this fiasco from the manor…
But then there are more immediate concerns. One of her lieutenants rides up, red-faced.
"Riders spotted to the north and south! Two regiments, elven, flying the king's colors!"
Other lookouts confirm the sightings. Enemy cavalry, moving through the forest's edge to the north, and among the orchards to the south-east. They're only momentary silhouettes between trees. Lesser eyes would not have caught them, but elven sight is not so easily deterred. Of course, it also means that they've almost certainly spotted her riders as well.
And towards the town… She guides her mount eastwards, leveling her spyglass on the horizon. She can just make out small, low shapes over the outlying fields. Halflings, garbed in rough peasant's clothes - an irregular militia, nothing more. Gunpowder smoke drifts in the air above them. From what she can tell, they're firing towards the center of the village – at the friendly militia they are to relieve, most likely.
At her word, a runner breaks for Beaume House with her report. They have eyes on the enemy. But what does it intend?
***
BATTLE OF SAINTONGE, ROUND 1 +Primary Objective: Hold the enemy off the Corvaux Wood road. +Secondary Objective: Relieve the Saintonge Militia.
3 enemy Units spotted! 1 friendly Unit spotted!
Musketfire from further in the village suggests the presence of more enemy infantry on its eastern edge.
Spotting and Line of Sight
Our Units that we believe remain unseen by the enemy have been marked Hidden, though this only accounts for enemies we have spotted. It is still possible that they are visible to hidden foes. The number after HIDDEN indicates their Concealment value and the Spotting required to reveal them by an enemy Unit with line of sight.
To spot an enemy Unit, we require both Line of Sight and an equal or higher Spotting stat than their current Concealment. Line of sight is blocked by Units (friendly or hostile) and many Terrain types (here only Forest, Woods, Fortified). I'll note if lack of line of sight interferes with a plan; if you want to measure for yourself, draw a straight line from the center of your Unit's hex to the center of the target Unit's hex; if the line does not cross any part of a hex with a line of sight-blocking Terrain or another Unit, you're in the clear.
An Unit requires line of sight to make a ranged Fire attack, although Artillery can fire over Units (but not blocking Terrain).
The full list of Orders is:
Move: Unit is told to move up to its Movement speed.
Fire: Unit is told to attack an enemy Unit in range with ranged weaponry. This expends 1 Munitions.
Ready Fire: Unit is told to prepare a volley in a set direction if an enemy Unit Moves into it at a specified range on their turn. Several preferred ranges or a range of ranges can also be specified ("Ready Fire SE if enemy Unit Moves there at 100 to 1000m").
Charge: Unit is told to move and attack a non-adjacent enemy Unit within its movement range in melee. Unit has to move at least 1 space towards the enemy as part of this action. The attack has Charge Advantage unless the target Unit has Braced.
Attack: Unit is told to attack an adjacent enemy Unit in melee.
Brace: Unit is told to prepare to receive an enemy charge. Charging Units do not benefit from Charge Advantage against this Unit and the Unit makes an immediate melee Attack on the first enemy to enter into melee with it. An Unit cannot Brace if it is already engaged in a melee.
Rest: Unit rests for a little while in place. Unit recovers 2 Cohesion and expends 1 Supplies.
Hide: Unit attempts to enter concealment in their space. Their Concealment is doubled until they Move or attack.
Search: Unit attempts to discover hidden enemies. Their Spottingis doubled until the start of their next turn.
Disengage: Unit moves 1 space away from an enemy Unit and is considered Braced until the start of their next turn.
Supply: Unit resupplies from a stockpile or exchanges Supplies or Munitions with a friendly adjacent Unit.
Orders
Vote by plan, please! Do not be afraid to make mistakes; this is a tutorial and the start of your career.
A pincer attack. They were expecting reinforcements.
Question: Is there any kind of penalty, movement or otherwise, for units moving adjacent to enemies. Because if not, our artillery could be very exposed to cavalry attack.
Question: Is there any kind of penalty, movement or otherwise, for units moving adjacent to enemies. Because if not, our artillery could be very exposed to cavalry attack.
A pincer attack. They were expecting reinforcements.
Question: Is there any kind of penalty, movement or otherwise, for units moving adjacent to enemies. Because if not, our artillery could be very exposed to cavalry attack.
No such penalty. You can order an Unit to Brace if expecting a cavalry charge, or tell them to Ready Fire in a certain direction you expect cavalry to come from. That said, your artillery is currently in a Fortified hex (-20 melee Attack, which is doubled for cavalry). They're not entirely safe, but it's still not ideal for the riders.
[ ] Orders: BATTLE OF SAINTONGE, ROUND 1 plan
-[ ] 310th Hum: Ready Fire NW 400m
-[ ] 312th Hum: MOVE (NE) x 3
-[ ] 41st Hob: MOVE (NE) x 2
-[ ] 81st Elv: Charge NW, NE, NE,NE Attack Elven Cav 1
-[ ] 5th Hob. H.Art.: Setting Up
So the thought is that the cavalry charges 81st Elv will damage cav 1 and 310th Hum also will fire and they can be charged by 41st Hob next turn. If they don't charge 312th Hum can charge while 81st Elv stays in mele with cav 1 to prevent brace next turn and line of sight to 5th Hob. H.Art will be blocked.
One thought: If we expect an infantry unit to get charged, it may be worthwhile to have it prepare volley at 100 range. Taking our trained human infantry against our trained elven cavalry the cavalry would get routed 50% of the time before hitting.
So the thought is that the cavalry charges 81st Elv will damage cav 1 and 310th Hum also will fire and they can be charged by 41st Hob next turn. If they don't charge 312th Hum can charge while 81st Elv stays in mele with cav 1 to prevent brace next turn and line of sight to 5th Hob. H.Art will be blocked.
[ ] Orders: BATTLE OF SAINTONGE, ROUND 1 plan
-[ ] 310th Hum: Ready Fire NW 400m
-[ ] 312th Hum: MOVE (NE) x 3
-[ ] 41st Hob: MOVE (NE) x 2
-[ ] 81st Elv: Charge NW, NE, NE,NE Attack Elven Cav 1
-[ ] 5th Hob. H.Art.: Setting Up
So the thought is that the cavalry charges 81st Elv will damage cav 1 and 310th Hum also will fire and they can be charged by 41st Hob next turn. If they don't charge 312th Hum can charge while 81st Elv stays in mele with cav 1 to prevent brace next turn and line of sight to 5th Hob. H.Art will be blocked.
While otherwise valid, Units cannot move through Units in normal circumstances. 41st Hob can get to that same hex NE of Beaume House by going NW, NE, E; the 312th will have to try something else, though. Thousands of men moving about is cumbersome business.
[ ] Orders: BATTLE OF SAINTONGE, ROUND 1 plan ver 2
-[ ] 310th Hum: Ready Fire NW 400m
-[ ] 312th Hum: MOVE W, NW, NE
-[ ] 41st Hob: MOVE NW, NE, E
-[ ] 81st Elv: Hide
-[ ] 5th Hob. H.Art.: Setting Up
Trying to protect the artillery the next turn and set up a counter attack if the enemy decides to charge
The default Wound Threshold is 3. To determine Casualties, as many d10s are rolled as there are Hits from the attack. Any roll above 3 is a Casualty with the default Threshold, meaning that most Hits (70%) result in Casualties, but there's a large element of luck involved. With a Wound Threshold of 2 (Halflings in melee), any roll above 2 means a Casualty (80% chance), while Dwarves have a base Wound Threshold of 4 (60% chance). If you're fragile, your best bet is not to get hit in the first place.
Of course, weapons, armor and traits affect these further. A 1 on these dice is always a save, though; some people just have the devil's luck.
Cohesion is a measure of an army's Morale and Drill, which you do not know for the enemy. XP rank also affects it. Green Units receive a -2 to Cohesion, while Regular and up receive a bonus. These guys didn't look too professional, but you can't say more than that. You can get a better sense of an enemy Unit's Cohesion by engaging them in combat.
Cavalry charges always drop Cohesion. If one inflicts Cohesion damage normally as well, it's added on top of that. You can theoretically cause an enemy to rout with repeated failed attacks (ie, that result in a total of 0 Hits due to penalties) by cavalry, though this is inefficient to say the least. Standing in the way of cavalry is seriously scary.
It is not worth to trade irregular infantry, friendly or enemy using trained cavalry. If the friendly militia routs, they can see us and can regroup behind our lines.
Hm, that's more enemy cavalry than I'd like. I'd love to send our Hussars to heroically relieve the militia but with at least four enemy regiments in the field I really don't want to risk them getting encircled. That said, the need to relieve them means we can't really just sit in the forest and set up a crossfire with our hidden units, which would be my other preferred plan. Hm...
[ ] Orders: MAXIMUM ELAN
-[ ] 310th Hum: MOVE NE, E
-[ ] 312th Hum: MOVE NE, E
-[ ] 41st Hob: MOVE E, E
-[ ] 81st Elv: CHARGE Half Mil 1, then MOVE W, W, SW
-[ ] 5th Hob. H.Art.: Setting Up
This keeps everyone moving toward the village while the temporarily embarrassed chevaliers go rescue the friendlies. Infantry moves in behind to secure the village and get ready to deal with the cavalry next turn, but they're vulnerable to charges on this one. As far as we know, though, only the 310th human and the 81st Elven are visible to attack...if Moving resolved before Charging, I'd go with this one and trust defensive terrain to keep the infantry safe, but it doesn't, so the 310th really can't afford to be caught out.
[X] Orders: Maintain Momentum
-[X] 310th Hum: BRACE
-[X] 312th Hum: MOVE E, NE
-[X] 41st Hob: MOVE E, E
-[X] 81st Elv: CHARGE Half Mil 1, then MOVE W, W, SW
-[X] 5th Hob. H.Art.: Setting Up
I like the counterfire idea, but ultimately the 310th is vulnerable from 3 directions and the Arty from 2, with the former being reachable by two enemies. It's too much of a gamble to guess at which hex the enemy is going to attack, so instead I'm going for bracing, and moving the other infantry through the woods to form a coherent line for next turn, either to eradicate the cavalry or start moving toward the village - I can't countenance ceding the initiative by moving most of our troops around the back of our position when we're on a rescue mission. I'm counting on the fort being able to blunt the single cavalry charge that can be made against it before it's set up next turn, and the cannons to be able to shred anything sitting in the open plains after a charge attempt.
As for the Hussars...I just think we should be heroes, tbh.
It is not worth to trade irregular infantry, friendly or enemy using trained cavalry. If the friendly militia routs, they can see us and can regroup behind our lines.
I don't think we would be trading our cavalry. We have the movement to charge them, very likely rout them and retreat back 3 spaces out of range of enemy muskets.
I don't expect these units who are exchanging fire to be bracing or preparing volleys that could punish us
Okay, so to clarify, charging isn't necessarily charging the whole time? Since obviously that would be a different thing. In theory the Elven 2nd Cavalry could maybe try to intercept, if they're moving one-to-one with us, but it'd involve them turning around and haring off, so, like, if they do so then they're abandoning their own objectives for a cavalry skirmish.
Okay, so to clarify, charging isn't necessarily charging the whole time? Since obviously that would be a different thing. In theory the Elven 2nd Cavalry could maybe try to intercept, if they're moving one-to-one with us, but it'd involve them turning around and haring off, so, like, if they do so then they're abandoning their own objectives for a cavalry skirmish.
Cavalry's shtick is being able to split their movement between a Charge and a Move action, so they can essentially do a hit-and-run melee attack.
Also that's my thought. The enemy cavalry could intercept ours, but that would leave us free to set up a death ball of cannon and muskets in the middle of the road, so it would overall look like a terrible idea to them.
