As the snow melted out of the high passes and the vivid green of the new-grown grass began to appear in the fields and farms the armies mustered themselves; grand plans had been laid, mighty armies gathered and supplies had been laid up. Largely oblivious of each others plans the nations set their troops into motion. In the borderlands between eastern Boozonia and Ferndalia a dour army of hard-bitten warriors formed together with the intention of blazing a path across all of northern Ferndalia and joining together with the Frozonian rebels to teach Peter the Famished a lesson in manners.
the main Boozonian army moves east to seize the area around Gruyere
Laird Angus MacDavis viewed the arrayed tents of his army; the small core of trained troops were in neat rows and properly spaced, the chaotic tangle of the Highlander encampments spread out on the adjoining hills. He smiled as he looked on, this was the largest assembly of Boozonian soldiers in the last fifty years, they would soon have the chance to drive the Ferndalians out of the historically Boozonian area around Gruyere.
the countervailing Ferndalian plan,
one can instantly see that there is going to be a conflict here
Our good readers will please excuse the papers and such scattered on the game table; we were a few months out of practice with the rules. The Ferndalian army was enroute to invade Boozonia only to find that the Boozonians had already crossed into Ferndalian territory. Cognizant of his task of tying up the Boozonian troops as possible Duke Nathan "The Drunk" chose to launch a spoiling attack, his army being larger (if not very well trained) he considered his chances as better than equal.
the Boozonians had occupied the eastern mouth of the pass and adopted a defensive posture with their cannon and drilled troops on the hill in the center with the Highlanders thrown out on the wings
here you see the Boozonians at the top of the picture, at the lower edge we see the center and right of the Ferndalian army, left to right; blocks of pike & shot, in front of which is the gun battery being towed forward, behind the small woods a brigade of Mounted Arquebusiers and far on the right two independent companies of musketeers
over to the left we see the southern portion of the battlefield, the Boozonians have the hills festooned with Highlanders while a small brigade of cavalry lurk behind the small woods; nearer we see the independent shot companies to the left with the brigade of Mounted Arquebusiers tucked between the shot and formed bodies of pike and shot
in the first turn the Boozonians coyly held back
while the cannons battered the advancing Ferndalian foot
to the south the Highlanders crept forward in the scrubby hills
the Ferndalians marched forward resolutely ignoring the steady fire on the Boozonian gunfire
to the south the independent shot troops began an exchange of fire with the Boozonians
as they got closer the Boozonian Musketeers added their considerable firepower to the pounding that the Ferndalian foot had to endure; they returned fire with rather less effect
far to the south the Ferndalian Mounted Arquebusiers added to the exchange of fire with the opposing troops, the Highlanders sent them packing with casualties
unwilling to endure the fire unanswered the Highlanders charged down from the hills and gave chase to the Ferndalian shot and horse
the Boozonian Mossers boldly advanced
but were lashed with fire from the opposing Ferndalian Horse and Foote
having lost a cannon the Ferndalians continued to grind forward shooting as they went, and finally began inflict casualties, the weight of the manpower advantage held by Ferndalia became a concern to the Boozonians; five pike blocks faced the much thinner line of the musketeers
ably supported by the ferocious Highland troops the Mossers
began to force a way around the northern flank of the Ferndalain army
while the same was happening on the south,
to the point where two units of pike & shot were diverted from the main attack to protect the flank
suddenly the whole complexion of the battle had changed,
could the remaining Ferndalain foot press through the
thin line of Boozonian troops before their flanks caved in?
to the north things stabilized for a few minutes with one bold regiment
of Mounted Arquebusiers holding the flank while everyone else rallied
but things to the south now bordered on catastrophic; battered back by angry swarms of Highlanders the Ferndalain Horse had fallen back while the Foot had recoiled from melee and were looking weak
a far cry from the confident advance the Ferndalians now struggled to
maintain their rapidly folding line and draw off the one remaining cannon
the final stroke fell when the Boozonianis launched a flank attack against the northernmost Ferndalian pike & shot block with a band of howling Highlanders, after this the only thing that saved the Ferndalian army from total collapse was their marked superiority in cavalry
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