28MM HAIL CAESAR: MORLAIX 30TH SEPT 1342

On Thursday I went to Hugh Wilson’s for a 28mm Hail Caesar Hundred Years War game.   Dave O’Brien produced the scenario including troop ratings for the Battle of Morlaix on 30 September 1342.  Hugh provided the terrain and Dave most of the troops with the remainder coming from the collection of Donald Adamson.

Battle line deployed

I commanded the English force and simply deployed my command behind the line of wolf pits.  The French attacked with 2 of their divisions leaving the knights in reserve of table.  On our right centre the Genoese crossbowmen steadily outshot the facing English longbowmen.  The first attack by the French sergeants on our left was amazingly successful and drove their opponents back into the forest.  The French cavalry then rallied back to regroup before launching a second attack which was also partly successful.  Once the crossbowmen wore down their English opponents then the French knights launched their attack.  One wing of the knights forced back their opponents but when the second wing was ordered to charge it turned its back and fled from the English.

At the end of the game the French had lost 4 units (corrected)  nd the English none but a large part of the English force was heavily battered and had withdrawn into the forests.  I would count the game as a French marginal victory.

A fun game….highlighted by some consistently bad shooting by the longbowmen w.

First attack of the sergeants

 

Background

The HYW has been ongoing for 5 years and apart from the naval action at Sluys 1340 nothing major has happened until Edward III decided to get involved in the dispute over the succession to the Dukedom of Brittany. Edward has decided to support the wife of John de Montfort who usurped the title from Charles de Blois the rightful contender. John has been imprisoned in Paris by the King and Charles has advanced to recapture the towns taken by John and his wife.

An English force under the command of the Earl of Northampton has landed in Brittany and is currently besieging the town to Morlaix when they were warned by scouts that a large force led by Charles is advancing to break the siege. Not wanting to be caught between two forces Northampton has decided to take most of his troops from the siege lines and march during the night to surprise the French. The French had camped for the night outside the village of Lameur and in the morning were surprised to find the English in battle formation on a ridge along their line of march.

The young an inexperienced French commander held a council of war to decide how best to attack the English and it wasn’t until after midday before they finally decided to launch an attack.

The English have drawn up in three battles under the Earls of Northampton, Derby and Oxford while the French have drawn up in three large battles. The main battle of knights is commanded by Charles while another cavalry and infantry force is commanded by Geoffrey de Charny while an infantry battle of Genoese crossbow men and French peasants and militia are commanded by Robert de Guesclin.

Bidets lead the French central attack

French knights about to launch the final attacks

 

 

Here are the player briefings.

English Briefing

The French had camped for the night outside the village of Lameur and in the morning were surprised to find your force in battle formation on a ridge along their line of march. The young an inexperienced French commander has held a council of war to decide how best to attack the you and it isn’t until after midday before they finally decided to launch an attack.

What they don’t know is that during the night you dug camouflaged pits 6” away along the front of your troops, any enemy infantry crossing will be automatically disordered and suffer 1 casualty test, enemy cavalry will suffer d2 casualty tests. This might reduce as the pits get trampled on and filled with bodies.

You have drawn up in three battles under the Earls of Northampton, Derby and Oxford,

you are rated as a 9 and the others as 8’s

Victory conditions

Destroy the enemy force 3 points

For each enemy commander killed or captured 1 point

For each enemy unit of knights destroyed 1 point

French Briefing

An English force has under the command of the Earl of Northampton has in battle formation on a ridge along your line of march, you must destroy them before being able to march to Morlaix and lift the siege. Unfortunately your council of war took longer than expected and it is now passed midday before you can launch your attack before it gets dark and the English can slip away.

The main battle of knights is commanded by yourself Charles while another cavalry and infantry force is commanded by Geoffrey de Charny while an infantry battle of Genoese crossbow men and French peasants and militia are commanded by Robert de Guesclin but there is not much you can expect from your militia and levies.

You and all your commanders are rated as 8’s.

Victory conditions

Destroy the enemy force 3 points
For each enemy commander killed or captured 1 point
For each enemy unit of knights destroyed 1 point

Troop Ratings

Type            Clash  Sustained   Short range Long range  Morale  Stamina  Special

Mounted            9            6                   3/0                  0                4              6                    Lance, 6” move

Men at Arms

Dismounted     8            7                    2/0                  0                4              6                    Double handed

Men at Arms                                                                                                                       English are Stubborn

Archers            6            6                     3                   3                5              6                    Longbow

                                                                                                                                           Marksmen

Heavy              8            6                    3/0                  0                5              6                    Spear

Cavalry

Mercenary       5            5                     3                   3                5              6                    Crossbow

Crossbows                                                                                                                         Move or Shoot

Spearmen        7            7                    3/0                  0                5              6                    Long Spears, Militia

Medium Inf     7            6                    2/0                  0                5             6                    Double handed, Militia

Bidets              5            5                     3                   0                6              6                    Freshly raised, Levy

Bidets              3            2                     2                   0                0              4                    Mauraders, Open order

Small unit

Peasants           5            4                     3                   0                0              6                    Freshly raised, Levy

Lance, enemy morale capped at 6 only when lancers charge.

Longbow and double handed weapon, enemy morale capped at 5.

Marksman, reroll one missed shot.

Stubborn, reroll one failed morale test.

Crossbow, enemy morale capped at 5, move or shoot, no closing/traversing shots.

Militia, no move on equal command role.
Freshly raised, check page 100 first combat.
Marauder, ignore distance penalty for command.
Levy, roll 4+ at end of turn to recover disorder.