Bruges, 1342
Heinrich strode into the chamber, tentatively feeling a bloody scar on his left cheek.
“Really, Ludwig, next time you can make lewd suggestions to arrogant French princesses yourself. In the unlikely event that that…Guillemette snob…ever finds a husband, may God have mercy on his soul. And anyway, I am paid to fight, not as a diplomat!”
Ludwig smiled up at his friend from the desk at which he had been sitting. Heinrich noticed that the desk was empty. Ludwig had an annoying tendency to forego planning for thought and prayer at pivotal moments.
“We are needed at the walls, Heinrich. Baldwin looks like he is about to attack from the South.”
At the walls
“What in the Lords name is he doing, Heinrich? He’s sending those catapults out undefended? Does he expect me to sit here waiting for him to pointlessly smash my walls down while I do nothing? Saddle up!”
Having slaughtered the catapult crew, Ludwig calls out to his men
“That’s enough, there’s not enough of them to man these catapults now! Back to the walls! And where in Gods name are those Frenchies heading now?!?”
“I think, Ludwig, that they might have finally discovered our walls are already breached in the East, from the fine work Jan von der Pfalz and those English did several years ago”
“And so they’re going to give me a beautiful column I can just charge into? Men, to the Trebuchet crew! And then kill those Scots guards!”
Meanwhile, Thomas Bogaard, the civilian mayor of Bruges, and commander of the City Watch has the Town Guard lining the Square, ready for anything, which is just as well, because the first French Lancers are about to reach them.
The ensuing melee goes decidedly badly for France. The first Lancers to hit the Flemish pikes break and run almost immediately, under crossbow and gunfire. Baldwin Robert, the French General, rallies his men and sends another cavalry charge into the Flemish pike. This too, however, proves indecisive, as the Flemish are able to beat back his cavalry with minimal losses. Fearing this battle unwinnable, Baldwin attempts to quietly slip out of the town square and head for home. Just at this point, Ludwig and his bodyguard have reached the square from the other direction (behind the Flemish pike), after having routed the trebuchet crew and the Scots guards.
“Ludwig! He is running! That arrogant, foolish, stupid coward is running! Let’s get him!”
And so, having finally arrived for the battle, Ludwig’s men charge back out the South gate, to head off Baldwin, who is fleeing in that direction.
In the meantime, the now leaderless French army is in a spot of bother. The Lancers and Dismounted Knights are refusing to charge, in front of them are formidable Pikemen, and their rear is rapidly being cut off by a small force of Crossbowmen and Hand Gunners, as well as Ludwig’s bodyguard, which is coming around from the outside. Taking charge of the situation, Thomas Bogaard orders the Pikemen and Spearman to advance slowly on the French lining the street.
As unit by unit of Knights is attacked, the entire army makes one last desperate attempt to break out of the city. However, they are met by a devastating volley of gunfire from the street behind them, which immediately sends the entire army on a massive rout. They are cut down to the man.
Heinrich strode into the chamber, tentatively feeling a bloody scar on his right cheek, also.
“Surely, you must be kidding Ludwig! You are not going to ransom those cowards!”
“We could have used the money, Heinrich, to rebuild our walls. But no, our offer of ransom has been rejected. I left the butchering to the Flemish. It is a foul, sinful deed, even if they are French. But it doesn’t seem to bother those whose lands they invaded.”
Re: Battle reports thread - King of the Romans PBM
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