Friday, March 31, 2017

Dragon's (Pikeman's) Lament - Morning Attack

I've been eager to try Pikeman's Lament since I got it in early February.  Several of us are fans of the Lion/Dragon Rampant system as my readers know. So Frank and I got together to give the game a try. Since I don't have enough for two 17th century armies we decided Frank would use his Kroot but use unit stats from Pikeman's Lament.    Frank had Two units of Gallopers (Aggressive) one unit of Trotters, Two units of Dragoons, a unit of Commanded shot and two units of Clansmen.  I made both commanders Luitenants with two traits Frank had Careless and Commanding.
We went with the Morning Attack I used a hedge and stone wall to stand in for field works with me as the defender and Frank as the attacker. I had two units of Pike, two units of shot, two units of Trotters and a unit of Forlorn Hope.  My LT was a duelist and Inspiring. Frank piked the "I don't like the cut of his jib" committing himself to trying to kill my Forlorn Hope.  I picked "beat the butchers bill"  kill more points of troops than I loose.
Kroot clansmen come broiling out of the swamp on my flank held by the blue regiment
While Kroot Gallopers push forward with their dragoons harassing my men on the left (with the field works my Pike men proved largely safe form this limited fire.
Looking down the line of the field works as Frank threatens my flanks and my horsemen rush to meet the threat.
Thanks to some poor rolls on Franks part I make it and the first try at Caracole goes in...
The Trotters disrupt the Gallopers and throw them back though their casualties were fairly light.
First one and then...
a second unit of Kroot tribesmen hurl them selves at the Blue regiment I throw back the first but the second drives me back..
Then pursues and cuts my men down...
but the Blue regiment has just enough left in its death throws to force the Kroot back
Frank in the spirit of exploring the rules issues a challenge! my officer meet the Kroot commander and kills him hand to hand (it would have been a draw if I were not a duelist).  Franks army survives the loss of its commander.

 a turn latter the Kroot commander's unit attempts to gain revenge but at thrown back by my pikemen.
 Dragoons bast away at the Gray regiment (which includes my commander) slowly picking it apart.
 Another attempt by the Kroot beasts to over throw my pikes but they are able to they will make another effort before they finally break (tough fellows)
My commanders unit falls back under the galling fire of the Kroot Dragoons.
Fire form the Forlorn Hope Drives off the tribesmen with in our lines and the Krute troopers are withdrawn when frank rolls double 1s
The flank is secure and its time to counter attack.
Pike men see of the last unit of Kroot tribesmen... 
Then fire first from the forlorn hope and then form the pistols of the trotters strike the Kroot Trotters
The Coup de grace is administered with a cavalry charge the wipes out the winged Kroot serving as Trotters.  Frank has three units of skirmishers left and has lost more then half his army so we opt to call it a night.  The game played well the only issue we had was the fact that the game uses the same mechanics as Dragon Rampant (the variant Frank knows best) but uses different language.  Batter (DR) Vs. Wavering (TPL) they mean exactly the same thing but sound like they should mean something different.

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