Raid on Valencia AAR

This is a game that has taken on a life of its own. I played a relativelt small raid with Mark, Chris Flowers and Steve a few months ago with Moors raiding villages for livestock and Christian reinforcements turning up to try recapture the booty which went really well.

A couple of weeks ago Jerry took the idea a step further with larger forces and a Castle and put it on at the Stockton show.

This weekend we put even more forces on a 14 foot table with El Cid holding the fortified town of Valencia at one end and having to recpture all the reived livestock. It went really well as it happens.

The premise of the game is that there are two villages and a monastry outside Valencia with livestock to feed the city. There is also a wagon train being escorted to the city. The Moors must capture livestock and the wagon train. 1 point for each herd and 1 point for each enemy formed unit destroyed but losing one point for each of their own destroyed.

Each village is defended by a unit of unarmoured foot and 2 units of skirmishers, the wagon train by 2 unit of unarmoured cavalry. The skirmishers dont count towards our victory points. Jerry ( whose troops and buildings these all were) Ian and Chris Flowers command the various Christian forces.

The first commands of Moors  are commanded by Richard and Richard, Mmm that wont be confusing will it! Rich C is on the right with 4 units of blackguard and two of archers, he then has 2 units of light cavalry, one of horse archers and two of camel mounted troops. Rich L has 4 unarmoured foot and 2 units of archers with 4 light cavalry and a unit of horse archers.

Off table I have a brigade with 2 armnoured and 2 unarmoured Andalusian foot and a unit of crossbows, I also have a brigade of 3 units of armoured cavalry and a further unit of horse archers.

Inside Valencia El Cid has 6 units of armoured cavalry, two of unarmoured cavalry and what looks like about 6 units of armoured foot with supporting skirmishers,

Our plan is simple ride up to the two villages, kill the defenders and steal the livestock, we wont be able to catch the wagon train so ignore unless it looks easy prey. Then leg it before the far superior Christian Garrison of Valencia can come to grips with us. Well that was the plan anyway.

First two moves and the Moors make steady progress towards the vilages and the Christians make preparations to meet them.

As the first two forces slow down my heavier reinforcements turn up move two and the Cavalry element quickly overtake the slower moving Camels and light cavalry under Rich C. Whislt my foot are a bit steadier and moving in support of Rich's Black guard.

We are soon into long range bow fire with minimal impact as both sides are in cover and most of the formed Moorish units have stalled in their movement.

Rich and Rich push steadily forward as my heavier cavalry now form the vanguardand prepare to charge some of Jerry's defenders.

However we need to get a shift on as El Cid has appeared and his leading his heavy armoured KNights out of the main gate of Valencia and the wagon train is almost beyond catching.

My sneaky horse archers who have already done a fair ammount of damage pounce on a small herd of cattle and bring them under control. At last we have our first point.

Mty heavy cavalry declare a charge on the defenders of the monastry and just as things are lookign good I roll a double six BLUNDER! My first two units retire through the the third unit pinning them, we wont be doign anythign for  awhile it seems.

The rest of our forces continue to steadily advance and Rich L is closing in on the large herd of sheep which keeps grazing and moving in the oppositie direct he needs them to. Fortunately for us there is a bottle neck on the bridge out of the city and El Cid is slow to come to the rescue of his villages.

With the wagon train nearing Valenica the light cavalry guarding it turn around to support the villages against the Moors and Christian resistant is stiffening agains tour incursion.

With time running out Rich C finally gets the Blackguard to advance and into combat with the defenders of the first village. The inital result is a draw but the defenders are badly mauled and the Black Guard have lots of support.

My hevay cavalry are stil millign aroudn in coonfusion so Rich C now overtakes me with hsi light cavalry and camelry, with the Black guard on his left flank.

However with El Cid still blocking the bridge the Garrison of Valencia is debouching from the side gates and comign to get us.

And there are a lot of them!

Rich L finally captures the sheep and brings them under control and Rich C destroys the unit of foot in the village so we are now 3-1 on points but we need to be careful with the Valecnian defenders closing in.

The Black Guard now close on the monastry defenders and charge home whilst I finally get m y heavy cavalry under control and moving forward again and Rich L is into combat with the Light Cavalry that had been guardign the wagon train.

We get mixed results with the Chrsrtian light cavalry and crossbows being wiped out but the monastry defenders manage to hold on and fall back from the Black Guard.

We are now winning 5 -1 and on top of things with another herd almost in our grasp but El Cid is finally moving and we dont have the heavy troops to stand up to the Christian Knights.

Rich C and Rich L both lift another herd of beasts and we all start to pull back except the Black Guard who have another go at the Monastry guards. Rich throws reasonably well but Jerry throws better and Rich manages five ones for his saving throw!

On the upside he passes his break test and we take the opportunity to pull everythign back 7-1 up and we decide its goign to stay that way before El Cid can catch up with us.

Another great game using Jerry's beautiful collection and the Hail Caesar rules, great fun, even if your Richard throwing 5 ones to save!

Thanks gents for a great days gaming.