Boer vs. Avan #62

[DM B]

Well, as pointed out, your armies are not in the same provinces, so I take this to mean that the Dieman contingent (minus the cavalry and archers detached to Roesone) march towards Barisen. You are already in contact with the enemy, so you know where his main force is, and since both sides have little cavalry left, the really isn't too much maneuvering to do. The Boer forces have some skirmishers and irregulars, but once you prove that you are determined to see the attack through, they fall back to guard other nearby ridges, covering the flank of the main defensive position (and effectively preventing you from scouting out the Boer reserve, which is hidden behind the main position).

Prince Avan isn't too keen on splitting 'his' forces, but he really cannot gainsay Duke Diem at this time, so he relents, after a few choice words of caution. Of course, even through splitting one's forces is generally frowned upon, so is allowing the enemy time to regroup and keep the the initiative. So although much riskier than just sitting on your collective asses, at least your showing the enemy that you've a will to fight. Perhaps extra important since the Diemans have yet to commit themselves to battle.

Prince Avan remains with the remnants of the Grand Army, while sending with you his mercenary contingent - he cannot afford to to participate in the attack. With his own mercenaries goes those of Ghieste as well.

[X-Ghieste & HOT/GH (Matt)]

Maecolm rides up next to Diemed, saluting as he stops.

"Sir, we may have an opporunity here. We need to know what reserve they have to throw at us and those nearby ridges hold the key. If we were to set a holding position here, refuse one flank, "gesturing at the set of ridges to his left, "and push with a reasonable sized force that is ready to move quickly onto the other flank we should be able to expose that flank or at least gain the valuable information as to what the reserve might be. We could then decide to engage either into that exposed position, call on the Grand Army for static position support or opt for a third unseen plan. All of these are possible from that position at least."

And then an aside,

"And I would thank you your grace for commiting to action; there is nothing worse for morale than standing still in the field and not knowing what the enemy is doing. Engage, engage, engage - and at the very worst the Grand Army provides us now a safe position. Defeat the enemy in detail while he sits on his seperate hills unable to stop us rolling his flanks cos to venture from his position will leave him open to field battle? Sheer genius, Sir, and exactly what we needed to do."

[DM B]

Maecolm rides up next to Diemed, saluting as he stops.

"Sir, we may have an opporunity here. We need to know what reserve they have to throw at us and those nearby ridges hold the key. If we were to set a holding position here, refuse one flank, "gesturing at the set of ridges to his left, "and push with a reasonable sized force that is ready to move quickly onto the other flank we should be able to expose that flank or at least gain the valuable information as to what the reserve might be. We could then decide to engage either into that exposed position, call on the Grand Army for static position support or opt for a third unseen plan. All of these are possible from that position at least."

And then an aside,

"And I would thank you your grace for commiting to action; there is nothing worse for morale than standing still in the field and not knowing what the enemy is doing. Engage, engage, engage - and at the very worst the Grand Army provides us now a safe position. Defeat the enemy in detail while he sits on his seperate hills unable to stop us rolling his flanks cos to venture from his position will leave him open to field battle? Sheer genius, Sir, and exactly what we needed to do."

The rest of Avan's army, his musters and auxiliary troops, are NOT with you. They can of course be marched forward, but that's going to take another war move.

[X-Medoere & RCS/KE (Thorsten)]

While the Medoeran and to some part the Ilineese contingents go through their battle rituals, they form up in rough lines and fall to one knee, as a group of priests from Ruornil's Celestial Spell walk amongst them, and lead them in prayer to the Silver Prince.

Kaven walks up to the Archduke, nodding slightly at the words of the Ghiestean general, though he frowns slightly at the lack of etiquette. He looks to Carvaloen
"Liege, gentlemen... we have a foe who is dug in, as best he can. We have no idea as to his reserves, and no means with which to outflank him. Welcome to the Anuirean meat-grinder.

General Maelcom has some interesting points. The ridges could be valuable indeed, but not much in the long run. Seeing what lies behind that central hill does not become much easier from another ridge. But it would be a valuable place for ranged troops."

He turns and shields his eyes against the late summer sun.

"If we march on the foe, I would suggest, that we pack our pikes together at our center, there's no enemy cavalry to speak of, and the Avaneese lancers and Ghiestean and Diemean heavy cavalry can do away with those.

I don't spot any artillery pieces there, so my idea would be pikes in the middle. Covered by regulars and armsmen on the flank, they should prove just as deadly to enemy infantry, as to their cavalry.
Archers in the second rank, indirect fire at their center combined with the balistae, while the rest march towards them. If we can keep their leadership pinned down, we might have an advantage.

The crossbowmen, I'd use, to take potshots at the other ridges, guarded by halberdiers, in case any cavalry attempts to hit our flanks. And irregulars to battle their skirmishers and irregulars dug in there, once the crossbowmen has had their way with them."

He turns to the group again.
"I'd suggest we have a strong reserve, and use it wisely. Whenever one of our sections looks like it'll break, fill it with men.. and if one of their sections looks to cave in, strengthen any breach there with reserves. We need to push into their ranks, and wedge out. Sever their line, and deal with each smaller group individually. I'd save an elite unit of armsmen for that detail, backed by whatever we can spare..."

[X-DM Jon]

OoC: Dug in? They just got there in war move 10 
"In order to build a fortification significant enough to qualify for a field fortification bonus, an army must occupy the province for four war moves (1 action round)."

[X-Medoere & RCS/KE (Thorsten)]

OoC: Dug in? They just got there in war move 10 
"In order to build a fortification significant enough to qualify for a field fortification bonus, an army must occupy the province for four war moves (1 action round)."

OoC: "Dug in, as best he can..." they have the high ground, to they not? Digging in doesn't necessarily mean they have a fortification, just that they have had time to prepare themselves to the best of their ability. 

[X-DM Jon]

OoC: "Dug in" entails some form of time spent digging and preparing. What you're looking for is "they hold the high ground".

[X-Ghieste & HOT/GH (Matt)]

Maecolm turns to Kavan and sighs gently,

"With respect Sir, you are wrong. Those ridges are vital. Take one set of those ridges and hills, occupied as they are by only light troops, and you are removing a flank defence from him. You are also at liberty then to explore his defences from an unexpected position and to ascertain where and when his reserves may be deployed. That will inform and allow the egress of your main body. He cannot reply to such an action as to do so would require commitment of his field force and you get to whittle him down that way. If he does commit to a full engagement then we will be prepared for such an action - it seems a shame for a few hours of good clearance work go to waste when it could gain us so much in the main grind."

"We also have to recall that this may be a well placed trap and moving into it without exploring at least one of those flanks would leave us at a significant risk also."

[DM B]

Maelcom is correct; although neither ridge will have any direct bearing on the main battle (too far away), they will rob Boer of his flank security and enable you to recon his rear areas and even present a threat to his communications.

If, however, you are looking for a decisive battle to take care of things, then taking the ridges are not really necessary. If you break his main army, the ridges become useless and the irregulars/skirmishers there will withdraw.

The southern ridge is the more difficult in terms of terrain, but it appears slightly weaker in terms of manpower. The reverse is true for the northern one. Presumable the end result is that they are relatively equal in defensive strength.

Btw: Shooting (arrows or ballistae) at dispersed units hiding in among rugged terrain is NOT very effective.

[X-Medoere & RCS/KE (Thorsten)]

"General, you are adressing a Baron, not a knight... Please refrain from adressing me as such." Kaven frowns once more at the rugged mans disuse of etiquette.
"Those ridges, though interesting, does nothing other than stall us. The leader of the opposing army knows this. We cannot just ignore them, but it will take us too long to deal decessively with them. They do however provide a certain strategic advantage, and thus I stated, that I believed you to be correct in your assessment, but that the means with which we should deal with it, is faulty.

What you discuss, could take weeks to do propperly. Am I right in thinking you would place artillery on one or the other of those ridges? We would need some means to get them up there. And in that time, reinforcements will have arrived for their side, Avan's troops will be revitalized and ready to assist our side, and you would look at an engagement twice this size. I believe our objective here, is to give the foe a rather decessive bloody nose, to take the initiative. Not win a small skirmish."

[X-Ghieste & HOT/GH (Matt)]

"No Baron, what I am recommedning is the opening move of the battle. You engage and clear one or other of the sides and use the force so deployed to push onto the main body and to provide recon on the reserve with clever positioning they should also be able to arrive at a key position allowing either for relief of our front or for applying crucial pressure upon enemy positions"

"I am certainly not discussing the deployment of artillery to those ridges or their direct use in the field of battle, more that without driving to sever, or at least interfere with, the enemies lines of communication and supply then we will do no more here than a show battle. A bloody nose is all very well but with a little application I believe we could break this army while maintaining our own."

[X-Medoere & RCS/KE (Thorsten)]

"Aha, well then I believe we are talking past each other, or perhaps I misunderstood you. My appologies. Yes, I belive we could take one or the other of these ridges, but It'll cost us time and men. So we need to determine if the outcome is worth it.

The thing is, we may learn what's behind the hill, we may be in a flanking position, but we have no real means to profit from it. Any men sent there, will not be with us in a main push, but will be able to provide intel, so we need to know who and what to commit."

[X-Diemed/Carvaloen Diem (Sheldon)]

"Baron Medoere, I enjoy your plan of how to arrange the men.  Duke Ghieste, I enjoy the notion of denying Beor one of his ridges and the intellegence value it would gain.  Do the both of you believe one or part of one of our cavalry flanks would be enough to take the north ridge?" 

[X-Medoere & RCS/KE (Thorsten)]

"Liege, that is depending on which ridge you refer to... I'm not sure the cavalry would do well uphill... Unless you want them to dismount, which is a possibility.

We have a number of irregulars, who could probably do well in that position, and I believe I spotted some scouts amongst the Ghiestean detachment, who would excell at such encounters. But other than that? Regulars perhaps, though they are more trained for formation combat. You'd need someone competent up there as well, to assess the situation, and use what intel can be provided..."

[DM B]

Only the south north ridge is accessible for cavalry; and even here the ground is not favorable.