001.ALB1_Boot Camp 1 - WDS Age of Longbow Volume I
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| Rating: | 0 (0) |
| Games Played: | 0 |
| SM: | 1 |
| Turns: | 12 |
| Type: | Stock |
| First Side: | Side_A (ALB1) |
| Second Side: | Side_B (ALB1) |
Boot Camp 1: A mixed bag of troops!
This first Boot Camp scenario introduces the player to some of the range of different troop types present in this Hundred Years War title. Cavalry can be heavy shock chivalry lancers, medium dragoon type cavalry capable of firing and fighting dismounted and light skirmisher cavalry which is weaker in the melee but good at using its greater mobility to get round enemy flanks to capture objectives and undefended supply wagons. Some infantry are heavy or medium troops, armed with spears, polearms or other melee weapons and lacking any fire ability. These tend to be good melee troops, unless poor quality militia. Other medium to light infantry are equipped with bows, crossbows, javelins or early firearms and are often capable of moving faster than heavier foot. Light cavalry and some light infantry are able to continue moving after firing, reflecting their ability to perform hit and run tactics.
In this scenario, all units start out in column formation, since they begin some distance from the enemy and column is the fastest moving formation and will not cause disruption when crossing the streams or other difficult terrain. However, column is a very poor formation for firing and, since it is primarily a movement rather than combat formation, also receives a -25% penalty when meleeing.
The English Army: All of the English troops are fighting dismounted in this scenario, although there are some battles where the men-at-arms and occasionally some archers are mounted. Most of the English troops are archers, armed with the famous longbow. These troops should go into line or open order when close to the enemy and may also deploy skirmishers. However, if threatened by cavalry, the skirmishers should rejoin their parent unit if in open terrain or fields and the archers should also deploy stakes if they are able to. Some archers - such as the two units of Welsh Saethwyr - can move after firing.
Several of the English units near the objective are men-at-arms armed with halberds. These are good melee troops but are unable to fire. If threatened by cavalry, they should go into block formation. The archers, however, are unable to use this formation.
One of the camp follower units has spears and the other has javelins. The unit with spears is untrained and so unable to go into block formation, while the one with javelins can go into open order but not deploy skirmishers. Since these are both low quality units, they should be kept in the rear and out of combat wherever possible, since they are likely to rout and perhaps take other nearby troops with them.
The Burgundian Army: On the left of the English army are their Burgundian allies. The front rank is good quality heavy cavalry armed with lances. Behind are crossbowmen, some with ordinary crossbows and others with heavy crossbows that have a slightly longer range but are slow firing, so are incapable of defensive fire. Crossbowmen should go into line formation when close to the enemy, but should avoid melee wherever possible since they are missile orientated troops. They are particularly poor at melee attacking, but also fight at a disadvantage when on the defensive.
The third line has another unit of crossbowmen, a unit of pioneers and several units of light artillery. The artillery can move forward and stack with the crossbowmen when about to engage the enemy, but it will be the heavy cavalry that will have to keep the guns safe.
The French army: The French cavalry is on the left flank, with a unit of Coustilliers - fast moving irregular light horse armed with javelins on the extreme left. The Coustilliers are best at skirmisher or outflanking rather than fighting in the melee. Then, on the road, is a unit of heavy Gendarme lancers, flanked by two units of dragoon "archers" armed with lance and crossbow. These "archers" can shoot and can also fight dismounted, but should avoid trading volleys with infantry since they're worth at least twice as many victory points. Behind the cavalry is a unit of dismounted Gendarmes armed with spears. These are slow-moving but well-armored and good melee troops.
The troops in the French center are crossbowmen. These should go into line formation when close to the enemy and rely on firepower tactics, even though they fire much more slowly than archers, since they are good melee troops. Behind the crossbowmen are two artillery units - one medium guns and the other light ones - and several units of militia spearmen. In the rear, the supply wagon is guarded by a single unit of Brigans - light infantry armed with javelins
The right flank French troops are Archers Milice - low quality troops armed with inferior bows. These troops are unable to deploy skirmishers but can go into open order to reduce casualties when engaging in a fire fight. However, open order is a poor melee formation and these troops should avoid melee as they fight at a disadvantage, particularly on the offensive.
The Scottish Army: On the right flank of the French are their Scottish allies. A single unit of elite and well-armored men-at-arms armed with halberds is flanked by four units of archers - some with longbows and some with shorter, less effective, bows. These troops should be able to put up a reasonable fight against English longbowmen, but now they're facing Burgundian heavy cavalry, so need to deploy stakes or get into difficult terrain before the enemy cavalry can charge them! In the Scottish rear, guarding an objective and a supply wagon, is a unit of Spearmen. This unit should go into block formation if threatened by cavalry or if planning to fight a melee against enemy infantry. Since Scottish spearmen fight in deep formation, it is unable to also go into line formation line English spearmen & billmen or the better trained Scottish men-at-arms unit.
The Aragonese Mercenaries: Behind the French cavalry on the left flank are two units of Aragonese mercenaries - one a unit of medium cavalry with lance & crossbow and the other a unit of foot crossbowmen. The first fights in a similar way to the French "Archer" cavalry, but is unable to dismount and the second is the same as a French crossbow unit, but better quality.
The Lombard Italian Mercenaries: The Lanze is a veteran unit of heavy lancer cavalry, wearing good armor and on barded horses, so fairly immune to enemy archer fire. The Schioppi unit is armed with handguns and is the best unit for shooting at enemy troops wearing armor. Like other missile troops, it should go into line formation when in proximity to the enemy, but it should attempt to avoid melee, especially against cavalry or melee-orientated infantry armed with halberds or spears.
Recommended Rules: [Default]
Note: Side A = French, Scottish and Milanese & Aragonese mercenaries, Side B = English and Burgundians
Intended for playing either side against the A/I or Head-To-Head.
This first Boot Camp scenario introduces the player to some of the range of different troop types present in this Hundred Years War title. Cavalry can be heavy shock chivalry lancers, medium dragoon type cavalry capable of firing and fighting dismounted and light skirmisher cavalry which is weaker in the melee but good at using its greater mobility to get round enemy flanks to capture objectives and undefended supply wagons. Some infantry are heavy or medium troops, armed with spears, polearms or other melee weapons and lacking any fire ability. These tend to be good melee troops, unless poor quality militia. Other medium to light infantry are equipped with bows, crossbows, javelins or early firearms and are often capable of moving faster than heavier foot. Light cavalry and some light infantry are able to continue moving after firing, reflecting their ability to perform hit and run tactics.
In this scenario, all units start out in column formation, since they begin some distance from the enemy and column is the fastest moving formation and will not cause disruption when crossing the streams or other difficult terrain. However, column is a very poor formation for firing and, since it is primarily a movement rather than combat formation, also receives a -25% penalty when meleeing.
The English Army: All of the English troops are fighting dismounted in this scenario, although there are some battles where the men-at-arms and occasionally some archers are mounted. Most of the English troops are archers, armed with the famous longbow. These troops should go into line or open order when close to the enemy and may also deploy skirmishers. However, if threatened by cavalry, the skirmishers should rejoin their parent unit if in open terrain or fields and the archers should also deploy stakes if they are able to. Some archers - such as the two units of Welsh Saethwyr - can move after firing.
Several of the English units near the objective are men-at-arms armed with halberds. These are good melee troops but are unable to fire. If threatened by cavalry, they should go into block formation. The archers, however, are unable to use this formation.
One of the camp follower units has spears and the other has javelins. The unit with spears is untrained and so unable to go into block formation, while the one with javelins can go into open order but not deploy skirmishers. Since these are both low quality units, they should be kept in the rear and out of combat wherever possible, since they are likely to rout and perhaps take other nearby troops with them.
The Burgundian Army: On the left of the English army are their Burgundian allies. The front rank is good quality heavy cavalry armed with lances. Behind are crossbowmen, some with ordinary crossbows and others with heavy crossbows that have a slightly longer range but are slow firing, so are incapable of defensive fire. Crossbowmen should go into line formation when close to the enemy, but should avoid melee wherever possible since they are missile orientated troops. They are particularly poor at melee attacking, but also fight at a disadvantage when on the defensive.
The third line has another unit of crossbowmen, a unit of pioneers and several units of light artillery. The artillery can move forward and stack with the crossbowmen when about to engage the enemy, but it will be the heavy cavalry that will have to keep the guns safe.
The French army: The French cavalry is on the left flank, with a unit of Coustilliers - fast moving irregular light horse armed with javelins on the extreme left. The Coustilliers are best at skirmisher or outflanking rather than fighting in the melee. Then, on the road, is a unit of heavy Gendarme lancers, flanked by two units of dragoon "archers" armed with lance and crossbow. These "archers" can shoot and can also fight dismounted, but should avoid trading volleys with infantry since they're worth at least twice as many victory points. Behind the cavalry is a unit of dismounted Gendarmes armed with spears. These are slow-moving but well-armored and good melee troops.
The troops in the French center are crossbowmen. These should go into line formation when close to the enemy and rely on firepower tactics, even though they fire much more slowly than archers, since they are good melee troops. Behind the crossbowmen are two artillery units - one medium guns and the other light ones - and several units of militia spearmen. In the rear, the supply wagon is guarded by a single unit of Brigans - light infantry armed with javelins
The right flank French troops are Archers Milice - low quality troops armed with inferior bows. These troops are unable to deploy skirmishers but can go into open order to reduce casualties when engaging in a fire fight. However, open order is a poor melee formation and these troops should avoid melee as they fight at a disadvantage, particularly on the offensive.
The Scottish Army: On the right flank of the French are their Scottish allies. A single unit of elite and well-armored men-at-arms armed with halberds is flanked by four units of archers - some with longbows and some with shorter, less effective, bows. These troops should be able to put up a reasonable fight against English longbowmen, but now they're facing Burgundian heavy cavalry, so need to deploy stakes or get into difficult terrain before the enemy cavalry can charge them! In the Scottish rear, guarding an objective and a supply wagon, is a unit of Spearmen. This unit should go into block formation if threatened by cavalry or if planning to fight a melee against enemy infantry. Since Scottish spearmen fight in deep formation, it is unable to also go into line formation line English spearmen & billmen or the better trained Scottish men-at-arms unit.
The Aragonese Mercenaries: Behind the French cavalry on the left flank are two units of Aragonese mercenaries - one a unit of medium cavalry with lance & crossbow and the other a unit of foot crossbowmen. The first fights in a similar way to the French "Archer" cavalry, but is unable to dismount and the second is the same as a French crossbow unit, but better quality.
The Lombard Italian Mercenaries: The Lanze is a veteran unit of heavy lancer cavalry, wearing good armor and on barded horses, so fairly immune to enemy archer fire. The Schioppi unit is armed with handguns and is the best unit for shooting at enemy troops wearing armor. Like other missile troops, it should go into line formation when in proximity to the enemy, but it should attempt to avoid melee, especially against cavalry or melee-orientated infantry armed with halberds or spears.
Recommended Rules: [Default]
Note: Side A = French, Scottish and Milanese & Aragonese mercenaries, Side B = English and Burgundians
Intended for playing either side against the A/I or Head-To-Head.
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