Gardenwargaming - Playclicks
English forums => Battles with Playmobil => Topic started by: AndrewL on April 03, 2010, 02:51:21 PM
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Dear All,
I fought a couple of battles with my armies of customised medieval troops last summer, but I have only now gotten around to posting some pictures of the action.
The following battle is not meant to represent any actual medieval battle -- just a clash between two sides I dubbed (for convenience's sake) the 'Allies' and the 'Imperials'. The Imperials (numbering 160 men) are mostly those bearing lion or eagle blazons; the Allies (numbering 170) are various other groups.
So, to begin with, a couple of pictures of the battlefield, first looking towards the Allies, then towards the Imperials. You can tell from the fact that many of them are still stuffed in plastic bags that the battle hasn't really begun yet ;)
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Now the armies have deployed. First a view of the Allies, then the Imperials.
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The two sides advance slowly. The Allies are on the left of the first shot, the Imperials on the right. The second shot is a view over the Allies towards the oncoming Imperial forces.
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A couple of Klicky's-eye views of the advance: mercenary pikemen and swordsmen in the pay of the Allies, then some Imperial cavalry and, in the distance, crossbowmen and halberdiers.
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And now the first, impetuous charge of Imperial horsemen goes forward. They hope to catch the Allies off guard...
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But the Imperials didn't reckon with the body of longbowmen the Allies situated in the boggy ground near the centre of their line. The rapid shooting of the longbowmen has an immediate effect...
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Andrew, I have really enjoyed seeing the posts of your individual groups. But, to see them together, as opposing armies, is quite impressive!
Thank you for sharing!
All the best,
Richard
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Andrew, I have really enjoyed seeing the posts of your individual groups. But, to see them together, as opposing armies, is quite impressive!
Thank you for sharing!
All the best,
Richard
Hi Richard,
Many thanks -- I'm glad you like them. But the battle is only getting started... :o
(Had to pop out to go grocery shopping. Otherwise there would be no dinner tonight!)
Cheers,
AndrewL
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So, (after a brief hiatus) back to the battle...
The initial Imperial charge is broken up with significant casualties, including (as shown in the second pic) the leader of the Imperial faction in the centre of their line. This will have a serious (and deleterious) effect on their morale.
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The men whose leader was killed are thrown into confusion and mill about, not knowing whether to continue the attack or retreat. The rest of the first wave of Imperial horsemen try to continue forward in a valiant, or perhaps foolhardy, attempt to make a dent on the Allies' line.
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Meanwhile, on the right of the Allied line (the Imperial left), the first attack of Allied cavalry gathers speed as the knights move toward the Imperial left wing.
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On the other flank (Allied left/Imperial right), there is an exchange of bolts from two opposing bodies of crossbowmen (Imperial, then Allied).
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Here a couple of views of the situation from the point of view of a mounted Klicky: first from the Allies, then the Imperials.
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The banner-bearer of the men whose leader was shot down by the Allied longbows tries desperately to rally his men, as the first serious clashes ring out as the two armies come into contact in earnest.
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The melee as battle is joined is chaotic...
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On the Imperial left, pikemen have set themselves to await the oncoming charge of Allied cavalry. An overview shot gives an impression of the situation so far...
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Another volley of arrows from the Allied longbowmen strike down more of the men and horses in the Imperial centre. The banner-bearer who was trying to rally his comrades is among the casualties. Seeing both their leader and their banner fall, the men of this faction lose heart, panic and begin to flee the battlefield, leaving a hole in the centre of the Imperial line.
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The charge has gone home on the Allied right, and there is hard fighting now the two armies have met on this side of the field.
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Not deterred by (or perhaps not knowing of) the collapse of their centre, the Imperials press forward on the right of their line. A group of Imperial troops has snuck through the undergrowth on the edge of the field and leap out to attack the Allied crossbowmen.
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The exchange of crossbow bolts continues, but looming in the background are a number of as-yet-uncommitted Allied troops. The initial Allied superiority in numbers has been amplified by the flight of the men in the Imperial centre...
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The fighting is fierce, especially when seen from a Klicky's eye level...
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The Imperial left flank is holding against the Allied assault: the pikemen, with a few mercenary crossbowmen of their own in support, manage to stand fast. And a body of Imperial billmen and halberdiers press forward to engage the repeated charges by Allied cavalry.
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On the other side, the crossbowmen on the Allied left crumble under the Imperial attack. Now it is the turn of Allied troops to turn and flee...
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There is a furious struggle between Imperial troops and the mercenary pikemen and swordsmen in the pay of the Allies. Despite their less-than-favourable reputation for bravery (or lack of it), the Allied mercenaries earn their pay this time...
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Many thanks -- I'm glad you like them. But the battle is only getting started... :o
(Had to pop out to go grocery shopping. Otherwise there would be no dinner tonight!)
And, as everyone knows ... An "army" travels on its stomach! ... (http://www.gardenwargamer.com/images/grinklicky.gif)
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The fighting on the other wing continues as well, but all the while, the Allied reserves wait for the right moment to strike.
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An overview shot shows the height of the battle, and the second pic the flight of the Allied crossbowmen.
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The Allied cavalry on their right have paused to regroup, giving the Imperial left flank a chance to do the same. But on the Allied left, some of their reserves move forward to engage the now-depleted Imperial troops who drove away the Allied crossbowmen.
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The Allies now press forward on their left and in the centre, and the exhausted Imperial troops facing them on their own right wing collapse under the pressure.
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The Allies push forward...
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And the troops on the Imperial right have two choices: surrender or flee. For the Imperial side, the battle is lost.
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As the Imperial troops either give themselves up or turn tail and run, the jubilant Allied troops advance to take control of the field, and look to their wounded...
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...
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But for many, perhaps too many, this has been the end of the campaign. Their story, and this story, ends here.
Finis.
AndrewL
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And, as everyone knows ... An "army" travels on its stomach! ... (http://www.gardenwargamer.com/images/grinklicky.gif)
Indeed! ;D
Cheers,
AndrewL
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Great battle, Andrew !!!
IMHO, it appeared that from that critical moment, when the Imperial troops abandoned their center, that the Allied troops would be victorious!
Your photos were superb! The narrative was very specific and flowed quite well. And, the actual battle was masterfully realistic and logical.
Well done, Andrew ... (http://www.gardenwargamer.com/images/clap.gif) ... (http://www.gardenwargamer.com/images/clap.gif) ... (http://www.gardenwargamer.com/images/clap.gif) ... (http://www.gardenwargamer.com/images/clap.gif) ... (http://www.gardenwargamer.com/images/clap.gif) ...
Thanks and all the best,
Richard
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Great battle, Andrew !!!
IMHO, it appeared that from that critical moment, when the Imperial troops abandoned their center, that the Allied troops would be victorious!
Your photos were superb! The narrative was very specific and flowed quite well. And, the actual battle was masterfully realistic and logical.
Well done, Andrew ... (http://www.gardenwargamer.com/images/clap.gif) ... (http://www.gardenwargamer.com/images/clap.gif) ... (http://www.gardenwargamer.com/images/clap.gif) ... (http://www.gardenwargamer.com/images/clap.gif) ... (http://www.gardenwargamer.com/images/clap.gif) ...
Thanks and all the best,
Richard
Many thanks Richard -- much appreciated!
Yes, when a side starts out with fewer men, and then loses the troops in the centre of their line--including the missile troops (crossbowmen) who might have countered the Allied longbows--it was going to take a massive stroke of luck for them to win.
But then, it was a massive stroke of bad luck that took out the leader, and then the banner-bearer and caused those troops to panic and run.
Anyway, glad you enjoyed it. I certainly enjoyed playing it out last summer, and revisiting it now was very nice, too.
Cheers,
AndrewL
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That was an excellent photo story, Andrew! You put a lot of effort into everything associated with it and it shows! Well done. I really loved reading your detailed narration and watching the battle unfold. The Imperials did indeed have some bad luck, but they might have prevailed, had it not been for the formidable reserves of the Allies committing themselves at the correct time. With them present and the Imperials exhausted, the latter didn't have a chance.
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Very nice set up & really liked the story that went with the battle. Thanks for posting all the pics. My hats off to ya because that must have taken you most of the day to complete. 8)
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Very nice set up & really liked the story that went with the battle. Thanks for posting all the pics. My hats off to ya because that must have taken you most of the day to complete. 8)
Hi Grant,
Thanks for the compliments -- much appreciated. I actually played it out over a couple of days, but this was no problem because I didn't need the space for any other purpose.
I played it out as a game (using rules I made up for myself), so when it began, I didn't know how it would turn out. The 'play-by-play' synopsis I gave in the thread does describe what happened, but I didn't plan it out in advance -- more fun that way!
Cheers,
AndrewL
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I agree...
It is much more fun to play a battle without knowing the result!
Your battle seems really fun!
And like Richard said, I really loved seeing all your groups seperatly...
But put all together like this is just fantastic!!!
Wish I had this many troops to creat as cool a battle as yours!
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Thanks for the compliments -- much appreciated. I actually played it out over a couple of days, but this was no problem because I didn't need the space for any other purpose.
I would love to leave a set up out like this for a couple of days. But if i did it would look like bad Godzilla movie with my son mowing through all the lines of soldiers as if they were blades of grass. ::) Once again thanks for sharing your expierience as i can only hope to say that it will be awhile before i can try something like this.
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Very nice set up & really liked the story that went with the battle. Thanks for posting all the pics. My hats off to ya because that must have taken you most of the day to complete. 8)
Hi Grant,
Thanks for the compliments -- much appreciated. I actually played it out over a couple of days, but this was no problem because I didn't need the space for any other purpose.
I played it out as a game (using rules I made up for myself), so when it began, I didn't know how it would turn out. The 'play-by-play' synopsis I gave in the thread does describe what happened, but I didn't plan it out in advance -- more fun that way!
Cheers,
AndrewL
Could you please post the rules you used? If not, please could I get a copy of your rules by email ([email protected]).. I am always looking for rules to fight battles with. It really looks like a great battle with troops moving back and forth just as in a real battle. Very kool.
-- Don
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I too would like to see the rules! :)
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WOW :o. Very cool battle. Your explainings give the pictures the right atmosphere. :D
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Hi All,
Many thanks for the further appreciative comments.
I will try to write down the rules I use and post them in a new thread, but it may take a wee while...
I've got photos of another battle I just finished I would like to post, so stay tuned!
Cheers,
AndrewL