Saxon-Irish Blood Feud (Song of Arthur Campaign Finale)

Part 3 of our Saxon-Irish campaign, in which the Irish have been savagely owned thus far. BUT I thought I had a strategy (finally).  I'd do my darnedest to bumrush one of his flanks with everything I had and see if I can break his line and trigger some morale checks.

There's a somewhat complex rule that says that if you have surrounded your enemy in such a way that if they are making a "flee" move and they always come within one 'S' move of your figures, then that enemy figure is removed (think of them as surrendering or being cut down).  Oh, and the enemy figure has to flee towards the closest available edge, as well. So they have to be surrounded but not really surrounded. More like "loosely corralled," like this sorta…

                    X   
   X
                            
                  O              X
           X   X

I was thinking I needed to just send my Riders on a long flank move, and get them behind the flank I want to attack.  Then I'd charge that flank with my foot Warriors and Champion, and if they can trigger some flee moves, those will turn into 'kills' by virtue of the 'surrounded' mechanic. 

So the actual game was a "kill the other leader" since this was supposed to be the big finale.  My strategy was doing *okay*, but a lot of the attack's inertia was wasted wiping out some Saxon slingers.

Then the grind started and thing started going poorly with the Irish warriors steadily getting cut down or fleeing.

Finally it was just the Irish warlord (on horseback) by himself, but he was totally going out METAL style, rolling a lot of 5s ans 6s while Kyle kept thowing 1s and such for his Saxons.

THEN Kyle let his warlord wade into it, and mine just split his skull. Morale check, and game over. With extra VP for me killing warlord, I squeaked out the win 11 to 10!!! METAL!


Overall campaign defeat for the Irish raiders, but it was nice to get the dramatic implausible win for the finale.

Charge! Battle of Market Chipping

Army Red and Army Black clash in full force near the suburbs of Market Chipping.  Dispositions were as follows:

Four infantry battalions of 12 figs each.
Two cavalry squadrons of 6 figs each.
Army Black had two guns and Red just one.
Various and assorted officers and staff.



Astute observers may notice that one Army Red battalion has traded in its scarlet coats and hats for olive green.  Both sides are contemplating changes in dress. 

Army Red deployed with its gun in the middle, flanked on each side by two infantry battalions and one squadron of hussars on each far flank.

Army Black deployed somewhat obliquely, with two infantry battalions to advance up through the suburbs of nearby Market Chipping, and the entirety of its cavalry deployed to its right flank in force.

While Army Black's infantry made its slow flank through the streets of town, Red's blue-jacketed hussars changed tack and instead of hitting Black's infantry in the messy confines of town, attempted to charge across the field and attack Black's center.

The result was the Blue Hussars were totally destroyed by artillery and musket fire.  However, as seen below, Black was emerging from the Market Chipping suburbs into the face of well disposed Red infantry and artillery. On Red's left, the Green Hussars had been beaten back by the combined cavalry of Black, but Black's cavalry was about to receive a volley from a nearly full strength Red infantry unit at point blank!

Red's infantry completely bungled the volley, however and the massed cavalry charged home to great success, leaving Red's left flank decimated.

Red tried in its last move to try and force a tie via some musket volleys on the right flank but all of those went pear-shaped as well and Army Black carried the field.  A satisfying game and Charge! proves itself to be a great match with 54mm figures!