Battle of the Kipchaqu camp 1240AD.

Last night saw our second attempt at staging a game involving my Mongol army,against a combined Russian and Kipchaqu army.

Top photo is scenario and background info. and bottom photo is the table before any movement.
Because Brian was still feeling not quite at full potential(!) and Graham is on Holiday in Norway,it would have been up to Dave and Paul and I to play the game,however we had a surprise visit from Charlie Wesencraft,who bravely accepted the Kipchaqu command,so Paul took the part of the Russian commander,whilst Dave and I were the Mongol khans!!

No comment!!!!

This shows the objective of the game-the Kipchaqu camp-Charlie is just about to launch an attack on Dave's advancing  troops,whilst moving his Polish knights into a position on the central hill.

As Charlie advances,Dave has ordered his force to sweep to the right,leaving the Kipchaqu archers with an exposed flank,which(,Charlie didn't know this),is where my force of heavy and light cavalry are coming onto the board!!)

Here they are!!-Charlie ,wisely, beat a hasty retreat,leaving Paul,who had just come onto the board at points A and C,in a bit of a quandry,as he now had very little fire-power support!

As Paul's Russians, from point A,move into position,Charlie launched a grand attack on one of my isolated Mongol heavy cavalry units on the central hill,whilst at the same time containing my other units with a Kipchaqu charge and archery-this was touch and go for a while,but superior morale and weapon capability(but not dice throwing!) eventually saw the Mongols triumph!!

Meanwhile,Paul and Dave were having the most tremendous struggle,as Paul's troops from point C made their prescence felt,even though he was "out-gunned"(ie archery!) he was giving Dave a hard time,and Dave was forced to put Jebe and his Guard into the fray!!

This shows the central hill,and the Russians from point A,melees galore and arrows whizzing everywhere!!-eventually the Mongols were victorious,and my light cavalry attacked the camp,which couldn't put any worth-while resistance,and the Mongols were declared the winners-hurrah!!

The camp about to be assaulted by the light cavalry,with just a token force of Kipchaqu cavalry opposing them!

After the game has finished,Paul and Dave are discussing tactics,fire-power,weapon capabilities,morale and movement,meanwhile............................

The "Chuckle Brothers" are discussing knees!!!!!
This was an interesting battle,and I was quite pleased with the way the armies are handling,however there may be a danger of no-one wanting to fight against the Mongols if we don't give the opposition a better chance of winning-although,historically,the Mongols almost always won!!-the next battle will be a set-piece one,so we'll see how it goes.
Roll on next Sunday,probably an Ancients game,or a Napoleonic game,followed shortly by a WW2 game-we are going to be busy!!