Baltic Crusades, Week Two

Photos by Mike W & Ollie

Friday night's game was a follow on from last week's Baltic Crusades games, put on by John, with his 15mm collection.

Again we used John's version of the club's in-house ancients wargame rules, originally devised by Rupert.

Russians were played by Mike N, Rupert and Mike W, whilst the Germans and their allies were played by Steve (Germans), Ollie (German Crusaders) and Phil (Danish).

John's Battlefield Map, from the scenario pack

Turn one and  Steve threw out his Teutonic Knights to threaten the Russian lines, the Russians played a waiting game, and in turn two a largish Danish infantry force arrived on eth Russian right flank. Immediately a unit of Russian Horse Archers responded to harry their exposed flank.

Russian Army before initial deployments

The German knights pressed forwards and so the Russian Heavy Horse (Russian right flank) deployed out to counter the knight's move. Additionally a second German allied force arrived on their right flank, this time it was the German Crusaders.

The deployed Russian Army

Close-up of the same!

German Teutonic Knights (in the distance)  ride forth to engage with the Russians

Danish infantry complete a flank march, arriving on the German left flank

Russian Horse Archers ride out to engage flank of surprise arrivals - Danish Foot

 German Crusaders arrive on the Russian left flank

The German Crusaders pressed forwards to attack the Russian left flank in support of the German knights in that area. Meanwhile on the German left flank the Russian Heavy Horse charged a unit of Knights and accompanying Light Horse and a melee ensued.

Teutonic Knights approach Russian infantry lines whilst to their right
allied German Crusaders Light Horse engage

The melees on both flanks continued for a number of turns, with the superior German & German Crusaders forces gradually getting the better of the situation. It came to a head when the Russian General on their left flank was killed, after loosing a melee round and Russian units broke in each flank melee.

On the Russian Right, Heavy Horse engage with the Teutonic Knights

The cavalry melee escalates as the Russians
throw in more and more units

Spurred on by their allies success on their right, the German Knights charged home, only for their German Crusader friends to loose their melee round and then break along their lines as they thought better of scrambling further through the marshy areas to fight emplaced troop. In an instant the whole German right flank had disintegrated!

Over time the Cavalry melee becomes more and more involved,
with both sides loosing units

With that success the Russian infantry line was advanced forwards to threaten the mow weak German centre and on the Russian right, the Danish foot units were being disrupted by Russian cavalry and the terrain.

The melee on the German left continued, with various units being fed in to the fray, the German knights fought well but then weight of numbers began to tell and there too units began to break in the German lines and suddenly that flank looked exposed as well.

Sneaky German Mounted Crossbowmen attack Russian Heavy Cavalry in the flank,
only to be themselves hit in the their flank by another Russian Heavy Horse unit

The Russian infantry line advances

The Russian Horse Archers break-off and swing
towards the ongoing cavalry melee 

And so it was a clear Russian victory as the German commander in chief turned tail and abandoned his troops, shouting that it was all over and they wee done for (or something similar!)

View of the tabletop, Russian lines to the left and Germans to the right.

Teutonic Knights advance towards the Russian lines

Lots of Germans and Crusader allies.

Close-up of German Crusader flank commander

Battle of Mooste Bridge, 1242

 Pictures by Ollie Hurd words by John

Well, the Baltic Crusade game played out as most expected and was a very tough scenario for the Russians of Rupert, Mikey and Matt. They had to cross a marshy battlefield with a river running through the middle and get their ill gotten spoils of war nicked from their Danish/Estonian enemies commanded by Steve and Ollie ‘of the Order‘ and Dave and Phil of the Estonian Warband off table by ‘smashing’ their way through the said defending Danish/Estonians and their allies the Sword Brethren (Livonian Teutonic Knights) Mighty difficult, and as usual the old duffer of an umpire (me) buggered up the difficulty of it all.

The Tabletop

You see, gentle reader, the Russians like spearmen but spearmen rely on formation, not easy in wall to wall marsh. Also, the Estonians knew the ground and could ambush….. and they did……

A figure's view of the advance on the opposition

Result, the Russians played well but despite putting in a valiant effort the writing was on the wall for week two. Therefore, I have extrapolated…….One - Nil to the allies.

Crossbowmen trying to stop them

In discussion with Rupert and Mikey we have moved the scenario on for week two. The Russian Novgorod Militia under Domesh Tverdislavich (Rupert) have retired from Mooste abandoning their plunder and wounded which Phil’s Estonian wing has recaptured and put to death in lots of interesting ways (this will of course take days) The said militia got away reasonablely easily due to the terrain and the fact that the Russian Druzina cavalry was in a position to cover the retreat. Meanwhile, Rudolph Von Kassel, Landmeister of the Livonia Order (Steve) has sent messengers back to Riga (his base) to whistle up more troops to finish the task. As luck would have it a Confratai Brother, Witslew of Rugen (Ollie) was out scoping for Russians with some recently arrived German Crusaders and is hot foot to help his Landmeister out.

The critical fight on the bridge, to control the river crossing

Not to be out done, Herman, the Bishop of Tartu (Dave) who commands the Danish/Estonians cos they’ve all been ‘Christianised’ Is also keen to finish off the Russian raiders so he’s cobbled together what he can of the warbands and with Phil’s help is pursuing the Ruskies whilst Steve try’s to pin them frontally.

A view of the battle mid fight

Poor old Russians, in for another drubbing…… Hold on though, The famous Nevskii brothers have heard what’s happened and the younger one Andrey is determined to avenge the earlier bruising defeat of the Novgorod Militia by riding hot foot at the head of his own Druzhina heavy cavalry to reinforce Domesh. Who will triumph in the final analysis? The Russians are weakened but reinforced and have a simpler battlefield. The Order and Estonian allies are stronger but don’t have ‘mother nature’ on their side now.

Archers firing on a distant enemy

Now, if the old duffer can keep up it should go off half cocked…….