Irregular Wars AAR - Spanish Conquistadors vs Mapuche
Over at The Recoiling Knight and the Surrounded Spear blog, Franko has just posted a great after action report of a recent game of Irregular Wars. Franko has a great blog and I urge you to check it out. In the mean time, he's been gracious enough to allow me to repost his AAR below. Happy reading!
It has been some time but my friend Josh and I had another go at Irregular Wars. This time we played the Second Edition and I must say a great game just got a little cleaner and we were blessed with even more army lists!
At top, Josh and his gold seeking Colonial Spanish. I hope he remembers the shellacking he received the last time he faced my Mapuche (bottom). This photo is actually after pre-game rolls and a turn of movement. My warriors armed with loncoquillquill (halberds) and bow enter the rough going on the left. My 2 pike units and my lancer cavalry with a Lord unit are on their right. 2 archer units sneak up the right flank woods.
We rolled and I was the attacker. Josh put out minimal terrain to favor his army. The Mapuche suffer no penalties in rough terrain so Josh put little out there. The fun of Irregular Wars is neither side really knows how large your forces will be. You start with your core troops then decide on how many units each side is allowed to roll for on their optional companies list. These vary from a fixed number to d2, d3, d4, etc. I was fortunate in that my army swelled in the face of these land grabbers. That was the only fortune the Mapuche would receive tonight!
A closer look at the Spanish. From left to right in the photo - a unit of shot, a pike unit, the Lord unit of Conquistadors with another Conquistador unit. Finally, 2 rodellero units flank a unit of crossbowmen.
Besides rolling up for your army, the pre-game allows you to draw three cards from the deck. These all have some sort of effect on your army or battlefield events during the game. I drew a physician card which allows me a +1 on the Disease and Mishap Table which will be the next phase of pre-game. Then it happens. I drew an Inexperienced Lord card which lowered my initiative rating by 1. Not hateful but important none-the-less. And my third card was one I have drawn 3 games in a row. Cowardly Lord reduces the resolve of the unit by -1 instead of adding the default +2 to a Lord's Unit resolve. Not good at all!
The Disease and Mishap Table didn't treat the Mapuche any better. While Spanish forces suffered no ill effects, 2 Mapuche units lost a resolve; 1 advanced without orders while another decided to be late to the field and started d6 movement units to the rear. When will the omens start to favor the Mapuche?
That Lord lancer unit in the lower left would normally be a 6 resolve. Coward!!!
I learned early on what one of Josh's cards would do to me. I forgot the title of the card but the result was each of my units would not take a normal movement turn. Instead, each would roll separately on the Impetuous Movement Table and apply the results. As you can see, mass confusion filled the Mapuche formation as some units went headlong toward the enemy while others withdrew or stayed in place. Not good as now the Spanish could have position, local superiority and first charge front and flank.
The cagey Spanish commander took advantage of his inexperienced foe and overwhelmed the impetuous Mapuche van. One by one Mapuche resolve was crumbling. In Irregular Wars, as each unit reaches 0 resolve, all friendly units within 2 movement units (30mm base) and LOS lose 1 resolve. The rout will happen quickly!
The Mapuche Lord does his best to reinforce the fight catching a few Spanish with charges.
But it is too little and too late. The inexperienced Mapuche Lord was unable to control all his units so some were subject to involuntary movement and either withdrew or stayed in place. In either case they were units needed at the front. Mapuche resolve was crumbling. I reached across the table and extended my hand congratulating the victorious Spanish commander. (Imperialist dog)
Another fun and exciting game of Irregular Wars. Second Edition does not change what worked in the initial version, it cleared up some muddy waters and streamlined the sequence of play and added much anticipated new armies to collect and paint up! Love this game!!!!
Until next we meet...
...Happy Gaming!!!
Franko
****
It has been some time but my friend Josh and I had another go at Irregular Wars. This time we played the Second Edition and I must say a great game just got a little cleaner and we were blessed with even more army lists!
At top, Josh and his gold seeking Colonial Spanish. I hope he remembers the shellacking he received the last time he faced my Mapuche (bottom). This photo is actually after pre-game rolls and a turn of movement. My warriors armed with loncoquillquill (halberds) and bow enter the rough going on the left. My 2 pike units and my lancer cavalry with a Lord unit are on their right. 2 archer units sneak up the right flank woods.
We rolled and I was the attacker. Josh put out minimal terrain to favor his army. The Mapuche suffer no penalties in rough terrain so Josh put little out there. The fun of Irregular Wars is neither side really knows how large your forces will be. You start with your core troops then decide on how many units each side is allowed to roll for on their optional companies list. These vary from a fixed number to d2, d3, d4, etc. I was fortunate in that my army swelled in the face of these land grabbers. That was the only fortune the Mapuche would receive tonight!
A closer look at the Spanish. From left to right in the photo - a unit of shot, a pike unit, the Lord unit of Conquistadors with another Conquistador unit. Finally, 2 rodellero units flank a unit of crossbowmen.
Besides rolling up for your army, the pre-game allows you to draw three cards from the deck. These all have some sort of effect on your army or battlefield events during the game. I drew a physician card which allows me a +1 on the Disease and Mishap Table which will be the next phase of pre-game. Then it happens. I drew an Inexperienced Lord card which lowered my initiative rating by 1. Not hateful but important none-the-less. And my third card was one I have drawn 3 games in a row. Cowardly Lord reduces the resolve of the unit by -1 instead of adding the default +2 to a Lord's Unit resolve. Not good at all!
The Disease and Mishap Table didn't treat the Mapuche any better. While Spanish forces suffered no ill effects, 2 Mapuche units lost a resolve; 1 advanced without orders while another decided to be late to the field and started d6 movement units to the rear. When will the omens start to favor the Mapuche?
That Lord lancer unit in the lower left would normally be a 6 resolve. Coward!!!
I learned early on what one of Josh's cards would do to me. I forgot the title of the card but the result was each of my units would not take a normal movement turn. Instead, each would roll separately on the Impetuous Movement Table and apply the results. As you can see, mass confusion filled the Mapuche formation as some units went headlong toward the enemy while others withdrew or stayed in place. Not good as now the Spanish could have position, local superiority and first charge front and flank.
The cagey Spanish commander took advantage of his inexperienced foe and overwhelmed the impetuous Mapuche van. One by one Mapuche resolve was crumbling. In Irregular Wars, as each unit reaches 0 resolve, all friendly units within 2 movement units (30mm base) and LOS lose 1 resolve. The rout will happen quickly!
The Mapuche Lord does his best to reinforce the fight catching a few Spanish with charges.
But it is too little and too late. The inexperienced Mapuche Lord was unable to control all his units so some were subject to involuntary movement and either withdrew or stayed in place. In either case they were units needed at the front. Mapuche resolve was crumbling. I reached across the table and extended my hand congratulating the victorious Spanish commander. (Imperialist dog)
Another fun and exciting game of Irregular Wars. Second Edition does not change what worked in the initial version, it cleared up some muddy waters and streamlined the sequence of play and added much anticipated new armies to collect and paint up! Love this game!!!!
Until next we meet...
...Happy Gaming!!!
Franko
A nice looking game with most impressive pikes!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading the AaR. It shocks me how fast games go once units start clashing. I have some of my IW Ming Chinese on my blog if you are curious.
ReplyDeletewww.nerdwargamer.blogspot.com
I game in primarily 6mm. Keep posting the Irregular Wars battle reports.