RECONQUISTA -- FOG: Medieval 1v1 Campaign

[Rico]

@chiquichops are embarking on a casual (and hopefully relatively simple) one-vs-one campaign covering part of the Spanish RECONQUISTA.

The campaign is set during a period when Muslim Al-Andalus is fractured into many smaller Taifa states and the major Spanish Christian Kingdoms of Castille-Leon and Aragon go on the offensive to conquer as much of Al-Andalus as possible – maybe even as far as Granada.

Eventually the Muslim states call for help from the Berber Almoravids (Spanish version of the original Al-Murabit) from North Africa, whose armies come to the aid of Al-Andalus, but also annex and take over control of most of the Muslim Taifa states in the process.

I flipped a coin and I will be taking command of the armies of Al-Andalus and @chiquichops will command the forces of Castille-Leon and Aragon (Portugal might feature as well later in the campaign) .

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In the example image below, Aragon has Tarragona under SIEGE and Castille-Leon captured Salamanca in the Christian impulse of Turn 1, with the Muslim army counter-attacking to recapture Salamanca in the Muslim.

To keep things simple, each side has a maximum of two attacks per turn -- the Muslims only one until the intervention of the Almoravids.



I have attached the first draft of the rules below as well for anyone who wants to peruse them - -comments welcome

 

[Nathangun]

Looking forward to seeing how this goes

 

[Rico]

We are off ... Don @chiquichops has launched the campaign to reconquer Spain and crush Al-Andalus.

Sultan Abd Al @Rico attempts to rally the small, disparate Muslim Taifa kingdoms to resist the onslaught.

As a first move, Castille-Leon invades PORTO , with some mercenaries from Navarre in his force.
The defenders have call up the local and use AUTOFILL to select troops for the battle. A small force of Berber mercenaries have joined in the defence against the infidels.

Aragon has launched a sea-borne attack on MALLORCA and the Balearic Islands... scouts report treacherous Muslim Andalusian mercenaries in the ranks of the infidel army.
The defenders have, however, also recruited the help of Christian Catalan mercenaries to reinforce the scratch Andalusian garrison.

Battle is joined!

 

[Rico]

First impulse of Turn 1 is completed and honours are shared.

The Castillian army crushes the Andalusian garrison of PORTO with a Major Victory and captures the province. (if they manage to hold it, it will be established as the Duchy of Portugal at start of next turn.

The Muslim garrison of MALLORCA inflicts a Major Defeat on the Aragonese invaders (with a help of some renegade Catalan mercenaries).




In the Muslim Impulse of Turn 1, the Andalusian Field Army launches a counter-attack to attempt to recapture PORTO.

This will be a regular FIELD BATTLE.

 

[chiquichops]

Great first round. These Andalusians are a tough bunch and very manoeuvrable. The Christian cavalry can break them but it needs close support and the Muslim veteran spearmen are very hard to rout.
I think they almost always fight on right up to an auto break.

 

[Rico]

Great first round. These Andalusians are a tough bunch and very manoeuvrable. The Christian cavalry can break them but it needs close support and the Muslim veteran spearmen are very hard to rout.
I think they almost always fight on right up to an auto break.

Fascinating battles ... got lucky with good force auto picks in these (can go quite badly the other way too...LOL).

These battles are an exercise in trying to leverage the contrasting strengths of each side ... ie: if the Christian knights get to charge in at the right place and time, they could be unstoppable.

 

[kronenblatt]

Good practice for the two of you, for HEARTS of LIONS! Christians versus Muslims.

 

[Rico]

Good practice for the two of you, for HEARTS of LIONS! Christians versus Muslims.

Alas -- the army lists for Andalusians and Berber Muslims more fun to play -- more balanced with good line infantry vs cavalry and less reliant on horse archers

 

[kronenblatt]

Alas -- the army lists for Andalusians and Berber Muslims more fun to play -- more balanced with good line infantry vs cavalry and less reliant on horse archers

Yes, the Ayyubid army list looks as follows (for a 1600 FP battle):

 

[Rico]

The Muslim Army counter-attack recaptures PORTO with a Major Victory.

We're back to the starting lines...



TURN 2
Don @chiquichops -- you're up next for your TWO attacks for Turn 2.

 

[chiquichops]

Ouch!

 

[chiquichops]

Same again please , barman

 

[Rico]

TURN 2 -- Christian Impulse.

Castille-Leon and Aragon attack in PORTO and MALLORCA again.

PORTO is a standard Field Battle, while MALLORCA is a garrison battle with the Muslim forces auto-selected.
(both Muslim armies are just Andalusian, no allies.)

 

[Rico]

The Battle for MALLORCA is a strange one ... with Don @chiquichops using so many Andalusian Muslim mercenaries as allies, there are more Muslims than Christians on the battlefield.
Still all even and everything to play for in that one.

The Battle for PORTO has the Andalusian lining on a pretty good elevated defensive position -- with the Castillians having to advance to kick them off it.



Both flanks heavily engaged, with on the right a real desperate, swirling mess of knights, light horse archers, spear footmen, light archers, javelin units and Spanish slingers ... just lost a Muslim general there ... somethings gonna give any moment now...

 

[chiquichops]

It's getting down to the last die-hard soldiers here. I think the Muslim armies are both about to break and rout but neither battle is in the bag yet.

 

[Rico]

The Christian Impulse of Turn 2 ends with a Castillian Major Victory capturing PORTO.

The Aragon Army scores a Minor Victory in MALLORCA.



We're revamping the rules a bit -- so that winning battles or capturing provinces (or breaking sieges) gives the victorious side "initiative points" that allows them to keep attacking -- that was there isn't an automatic endless back and forth over the same province.

Also use die rolls to resolve sieges.

Extending the Turn Track to 12 turns (we might need the extra time to resolve things and there might well be fewer battles overall)
(I'll shift the timing of when the armies change over respectively as well)

Christian side start with THREE Initiative points, Muslims start with ONE.

Maximum attacks/battles/sieges per turn per side is TWO.
Exception: If Portugal is active and Christian side has enough Initiative points, they can launch THREE attacks)

To launch an ATTACK costs ONE Initiative Point.

You earn Initiative Points by:
1. Major Victories (40%) (defence or attack)
2. Capturing a Province (by battlefield victory or winning a siege)

You can't launch an attack from a surrounded province or a province not connected to your capitals/home provinces -- just defend.

If you END a turn with ZERO Initiative points, you automatically get awarded ONE Inititative point TWO turns later.
(this falls away should you win an Initiative point in the meantime)



SIEGES:

Once a province is under siege, the siege is decided by die rolls during both player's turn impulse after all new attacks/battles have been set up.

Exception: when a side fails to relieve a siege or the attack results in a CONTESTED result -- the siege die roll is then performed.

1x 8-sided dice:
1 - 4: siege successful
5 -7: no effect
8: siege broken (disease/lack of supplies etc) -- attacking army is removed.

 

[Rico]

So we move along to the Muslim Impulse of Turn 2.

Christian side has TWO Initiative Points. (one for the victory in Porto and one carried over from Turn 1)

Muslims have ONE Initiative Points.

MALLORCA is under SIEGE by the Aragon forces, so the Muslims assemble a relief force to lift the SIEGE.

 

[Rico]

The Andalusian counter-attack at MALLORCA is a "Relieve A Siege"battle... and what a strange battle it's turning out to be.

My army has swung right and joined up with the castle garrison which sallied out and we are now wheeling left to face the Aragon main force, which seems to be huddling right at the back of the map on the top left.

So far it's mostly been skirmishing with @chiquichops light javelin cavalry and archers & slingers.

 

[chiquichops]

We're playing it defensively, for now...

 

[Rico]

We're playing it defensively, for now...

... SO defensively, you've nearly run out of map...