Game 1 vs later Hungarian - Britcon, 10th, 11th and 12th August 2012
My first game of the tournament was with an irish player, Tom Warden. He used Later Hungarian.
I was the attacker, and as planned, my terrain of choice was the river.
The Hungarian set up a quite open battlefield, with just one big marsh that played some part in the battle, forcing me to split my right corps. The Hungarian army had a regular CiC and three irregular sub generals. One corps was made by many IKnO and the CiC's one by 3 RKnS and 2 RKnS wedge in reserve. I was concerned by the heavy KnS corps on the left rear, and I decided if possible to move around it.
The Hungarian first turn was used to advance with the light horses, manouvering the CiC corps in a strike position. I was happy to see ILhF facing my janissaries, but didn't want at all fight frontally the Banderium with my Sipahis
ILhF were sent out on the open flank, while I tried to engage enemy Szekelers on a short frontage line between the marsh and the river to have some reserves and maybe a flank support from azabs
The Akinjis outflank stopped the hungarian advance. My opponent started to manouver two reserve groups to cover the flank. The initiative switched to me.
My plan was to force back the enemy left to create a salient, and exploit it once the serbian charged. The more troops were sent to the left, the fewer reserves would have the IKnO in the center. In the meantime I tried to organize a defensive line on the right.
The running game on the right went on. The center stayed put, I was using all pips on the wings.
Once enemy reserves where away, the Ottoman center advanced to start the fighting.
The Hungarian, under pressure, suddenly charged on the far right. My line was stronger, but I had almost no reserves. The attack result was dramatic, I lost a third of my elements.
Close up of the opposing lines just before the engagement
On the far left, the Akinjis turned 180° and moved back, their mission was accomplished. This manouver was coordinated by a Sipahis attack against a couple of Lh that protected the junction of the enemy corps. Again the Hungarians fought savagely and my losses were very high. The right corps was in a tough situation, I risked to lose it and lose the C3 superiority over the enemy.
At this stage the game was compromized and I could lose it.
The Hungarian did its best to cover the gaps and charged with the IKnO in the center.
My right wing kept losing elements and was alive just because the Szekeler had low pips for a couple of turns in a row. Finally my Serbs were engaged and had some success.
Serbs destroyed quickly the Hungarian center, and the ME transmission disheartened the Szekeler corps too. This was the turning point in the game
The Banderium corps was surrounded and the CiC lost. The game was over. 23-2 for the ottoman.
The game was very tough and hard fought. I could have lost it. My army high BP let me fight through the disaster of the early combats, and the Serbs saved the day. I was tired, but quite happy of my tactics, I think the plan was good. I made a mistake on the right, live and learn.
Tom played a good game, and could do better with a different deployment. He had two light horses corps but no one was on the open flank, and this let me ride around his left wing.