The Battle of Bach-Sachenkrach

Today we played our second annual Medieval May Big Hail Caesar game. I say "second"... The first one was in 2018 and it's taken us all this time to play the second one! So...

In the fields outside the Schloss Bach-Sachenkrach, ancestral home of Otto von Rickenbacker, leader of the Hemmingsaetic League, a great battle took place. Lady Godiva made her usual apperance and this time set the pace for the battle. If we didn't finish the battle it would end when she got to the castle gates (she moved one road-section per turn).

The traditional meeting of the generals so that appropriate boasting and insults could be hurled in the time honoured fashion prior to the commencement of hostilities. Barron Otto von Rickenbacker with his banner bearer and Christopher his Squire (any Yes fans out there?) on the right and Sir Lorne de Gibson from the despotic kingdom of Noire-Broulee in the wrong... I mean on the left.

Half time! Swap sides!

We had six players clockwise from the bottom left, Darryl, me, John (whom I'd only just met), Alan the Observer, Mike, Poitr (the Barely Seen), and Lorne.

I'm not going to give a blow by blow account because I don't really know what happened outside my own command in the centre. I know the basic results but I have no idea about any of the details. Our troops came from everywhere. Mike and my own armies are Imaginations forces. His based on French and mine German. So this was basically an all-in: "Bring Your Medieval Troops" game.

In the centre I was facing Poitr. My knights charged and caused major havoc but eventually broke and fled the field but not until after they had opened up a big hole in the middle of the enemy line..

On John and Mikes flank things took a while to get going with john making a slow advance and Mike consistently failing his Command rolls for five straight turns. At least Lady Godiva had an easy road to tread and, no doubt, provided a welcome sight for those poor soldiers far from home and their loved ones.

On the other flank, right outside the gate of castle Bach-Sachenkrach, Sir Lorne de Gibson and Duke Darryl of Cox slugged it out right from the get go. Units were charging and falling back and getting reinforced and pushing forward and retreating all over the place in a massive scrum. I'm sure Lorne, the rugby union player, enjoyed this kind of fight.

Above: Some of my Wars of the Roses Lancastrians mingling with Darryl's WotR troops.

Below John's Crusader knights.

King Michael of Noire-Broulee's repurposed Bretonians in all their glory.

And Lorne's own Bretonians getting stuck into the thick of it against Darrly's spearmen.

And of course, these Noir-Brouleean's can't fight fair so they infested the woods with villeins and vagabonds who spoke in outrageous French accents and hurled abuse at Sir Johns brave knights as the passed by.

My own infantry prepare to launch a devastating assault!

Lorne's knights again, looking resplendent in their colourful panoply.

The good Lady Godiva slowly made her way towards the castle. Seemingly, without a care in the world.

In this combat my brave knight Sir Freidrick Flintenstein the Forgettable perished as he led some mounted sergeants-at-arms into the fray. The enemy archers were broken and routed but so were the sergeants. 

Whilest their centre crumbles, the Noire-Broulee generals attend to more important matters. Now that a big hole was made in the enemied line it was time to exploit it. Unfortunately Bishop Eisenwurst (the command at the bottom of the pic) also had more pressing affairs that needed his attention (he failed multiple command roles and stood still).

In the same turn the Triple F fell so to did Sir Lorne de Gibson. Worsted by the billmen of Sir Darryl le Cox, that soon to be hero and all-round good guy (so long as he stays on my side!!!)

The Good Lady just keeps a-rollin' on.

I forgot to take many photos because I was too involved. Many of these are from other club members to make up for my poor efforts. Because of this I missed when Lorne's entire command collapsed and left Darryl in command of the whole of his flank. This came quite unexpected to the rest of us who didn't know what was happening. It pretty much ended the game. 

Below, I got Bishop Eisenwurst's command moving and he made a last ditch charge into the flank of Poitr's infantry who were already Shaken and in no position to fight back effectively. This was the end of a very enjoyable game.

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Thank you to all those involved. Mike and I organised it and got it happening (Mike far more than me). The big armies looked impressive but I would have preferred even more troops on the table. I'd love to have a big fantasy game on this scale. I have the troops but not the rules. I've recently been reviewing the rules I wrote and solo-played during our extended Melbourne lockdown. They need significant work and I'm hoping to be able to test them sometime soon with an actual proper opponent.