We started a DBA conquest campaign last night, using Charles the Bold as the premise. Each of us will take a turn as Charles, fighting a Flemish army first, then possibly the Swiss and finally the French Ordonannce. Players gained points as Charles and also as enemies of Burgundy.
Rick tried the Burgundians first, invading my Flemish domain. I set up some woods, a steep hill and a couple gentle hills to break up the field. Rick started sending his knights around my right flank. I advanced in the center against his archers and artillery with most of my army. He began to fall back, using most of his pips for that and starving the flanking move. My halberdiers advanced slowly against his guns, recoiling several times. But then they contacted the guns and murdered the crew. Meanwhile my artillery kept shoving his archers back but without killing any. His flanking knights began to return. My guns finally nailed a bow unit and my halberds and a bow unit closed with Rick's right. Some good luck saw a couple bow units slain by my halberdiers and the game was over 4-0. Rick got zip for his Burgundian turn and I had 6 for enemy of Burgundy.
The dice determined I was next as Charles. I invaded Tom's Flemish domain. He set up with a river and two roads at right angles with a couple woods. I managed to get the table edge desired, which put the river on my right and nullified the road system Tom likes to use. I dismounted my knights at the start and advanced with blades, artillery and pikes on my right and center. On my left were 3 bow units and 1 of foot skirmishers. There were two wooded areas ahead of them and I figured I was superior in these troops, while my blades could contain the Flemish pikes.
I went forward. Tom saw the disadvantage he had in the woods and withdrew his right. Advancing through the woods took as many or more pips than he needed to fall back. His withdrawal went smoothly as a result. But the continued move to the rear must have disheartened his troops, for they rolled truly lousy dice in the coming fight.
He reinforced his left with two squadrons of knights and my left did not advance from the woods. Instead my centre and right advanced into artillery range. His guns forced mine back. They came forward again and then shoved his back. Then my guns began to play on his pikes. My dismounted knights now fought with the Flemish pikemen. My guns managed to kill one pike unit. In most of the fighting units shoved each other back and forth. Then two double-ranked Flemish pikes rolled low while overlapped on each flank. I rolled high and two pike units died. Tom now rolled a 6 while I got a one, with a blade unit on each side. I figured he'd nailed one but plain vanilla blades on blades cannot get a kill. Some other modifier is needed. I then put two pike units on one of his and rolled high. The game was mine, 4-0. I had 6 as Charles while Tom got zip for an enemy.
Next I invaded Bill's Swiss canton. He opted for two steep hills, a woods and a river. These guys like their rivers. I got a table edge that put the river on my right flank. We based our flanks on the river and advanced. As we came forward, I was rolling some anemic pip dice, apparently having used up my sixes on Tom. Bill was rolling smoke, which unsettled me. His artillery opened up and nailed one of my bow units right away. I had dismounted a knight in my center to face Swiss pikes. My knights on the right stayed mounted, since they were facing Swiss halberdiers. My only plan was to ride them down and see what looked good after that. Both armies came together in a crash. I had two squadrons of knights against his halberds, factor 3. His halberds, down one for being overlapped, had a factor of 2. All I had to do was beat him. I rolled something moderate, he rolled high and my knights bounced. So did most of my other attacks. Then his reserve pikes, led by his general, hit my flank squadron of knights and skewered them. My one idea had failed big time. A unit of dismounted knights in the center was pushing forward into his line. My general led a squadron of mounted knights up on their left, headed for the Swiss artillery. My other reserve squadron of knights came up on the right, trying once more to ride down the Swiss halberdiers. The situation was desperate and so was my response.
Through a gap in my center, a block of Swiss pikes charged and wiped out my artillery. My right flank knight squadron charged the halberdiers and rolled a two. The halberds rolled high and the game went to the Swiss 4-0. I complement Bill on having kept his army a unified whole until contact, something he has failed at in the recent past. His one error, facing my mounted knights with a single unit of halberdiers was rescued by his troops (with high dice). My Burgundian score stayed at 6 and Bill had 6 as a Burgundian enemy.
The first two rounds of the campaign were over. Tom and Bill have the next shots at being Charles, while Rick and Bill have not yet commanded the Flemish. Since Rick can't make next week's meeting, we'll put Charles the Bold on the shelf for a while.
I recently realized I put together Norman and Danish-Saxon forces last year that have not yet seen the table. Perhaps we'll have a conquest campaign with them in a bit, First Man in Normandy, or William the B*stard…
paints the prototypes for the Eureka Amazon Army.
