The Battle of Bern

[econ21]

The battle for Bern, 1330


This thread is to resolve the player vs player battle for Bern. DO NOT POST IN THIS THREAD. Please use the OOC thread for queries, comments etc.

On one side (the Swabian loyalists), Factionheir will control Hans and his Swabian Ducal Army while Privateerkev controls Jan and his Catholic Crusader Army.

On the other side (the Swabian rebels), GeneralHankerchief will control Dietrich von Dassel and his Army of Light while Stuperman will play the role of Hugo Merode, the acting general who leads the Lutheran Army of Truth.

No other players should advise them or communicate with them during the battle.

I will umpire the battle - all communication regarding the rules, orders etc. should be sent to me. The battle will be governed by my discretion rather than fixed rules, although this post will indicate the general principles and guidelines that I will follow.


Background

Duke Hans decided not to assault Bern in 1328 in order to wait for the arrival of Jan von Hamburg and a makeshift army of Catholic “crusaders”. However, Alexander Luther was not idle. From within Bern, he sent word out calling on true believers to come to his aid. A second scratch army - this time a Lutheran one - is racing towards Bern to reinforce it. The battle of Bern begins on the day that both the Catholic and Lutheran supporting armies arrive outside the huge city.

The situation appears balanced: both Hans and Dietrich’s professional armies are roughly comparable, as are the less well trained “crusader” armies of the Catholics and Lutherans. Dietrich has the considerable advantage of defending city walls, but the loyalists have more experienced and accomplished generals - including the mightiest the Reich has ever known.

However, both Hans and Dietrich face difficult dilemmas. The makeshift Lutheran relief force could surely be defeated if Hans concentrated his army against it. But if Hans’s army is caught between the relief force and a sally by Dietrich’s army, it would surely be defeated. As students of military history, both generals are only too aware of the parallels with the siege of Alesia. Can Hans, the greatest general in the Reich, match Caesar’s victory? Or will Dietrich do what Vercingetorix could not and destroy the besiegers?


The Armies

The units (regiments) in the four armies are listed in Bern.units.doc contained within the bern_units.zip file:

http://www.totalwar.org/patrons/pbm/Bern_units.zip

The armies can be seen here:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Hans:


Jan:


Dietrich:


'Lutherans': (Note: the unit of Gothic Knights just represents the general in the save. In the battle, it will be replaced by Hugo Merode, the recruitable general.)

The Lutheran Relief force is under the acting command of a recruitable general, Hugo Merode, who will be played by Stuperman. After the battle, Hugo will retire to a quiet life of contemplation - in this world or the next - and so will no longer be in the campaign.



A medieval general could not personally direct all regiments under his command. To model this, the armies must be divided into divisions and orders given to divisions. A general would not normally try to micromanage individual regiments within a division - that is the divisional commander’s job. So just give broad orders to the division, do not try to micromanage individual regiments unless they are being ordered as detachments (see later). The number of divisions a general may have is decided by their command stars.

Hans - may command each regiment individually.
Jan - may command 9 divisions/give 9 sets of orders
Dietrich - may command 5 divisions/give 5 sets of orders
Hugo - may command 5 divisions/give 5 sets of orders

The armies are motivated by religious zeal and the desperation of a siege assault/defence. However, Hans and Jan's traits make them particularly inspiring to their men. All rebel units will be given an additional four levels of experience; all loyalists will be given an additional six levels of experience.

Details in spoiler.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

By my reckoning, Hans has 18 command stars (uncapped). Therefore, to represent his vast command talent and experience, I will allow FH to treat each regiment as a division and effectively direct each regiment in his army individually.

Following on from this, other generals may have a number of divisions equal to their command stars plus one - Jan, 9; Dietrich, 5; Hugo; 5 (he is benefiting from a +2 trait when attacking). Escorts can always be ordered about individually and do not need to be included in divisions.

I have suggested functional divisions for the armies - generals are free to reorder units into different divisions. This may be particularly relevant for Dietrich (a geographic division of the army may make more sense in a siege than a functional one - e.g. north wall, south wall, east wall, west wall, reserve). You may regroup your units into different divisions before the battle- just upload a zipped word file with the new groupings. You may also regroup units into new formations during the battle, but there is a risk this will cause disorganisation and unit paralysis.

In some turns, if generals wish, instead of giving a division an order, they may give an order to a single regiment - effectively a detachment. Hence the limit on the number of divisions is effectively a limit on the number of orders that a general may give per turn. For example, Dietrich could give orders to all five of his divisions, or he could give orders to 5 regiments individually, or he could issue some combination of divisional and regimental orders that sum to five.

Some of the generals in the battle have stats that imply very high morale bonuses. AFAIK, the formula is:
2x command + (own chivalry - enemy dread) + direct morale effects of traits.
By my reckoning, units near Jan would benefit from a net +21 morale adjustment, Hans +20 and Dietrich +6. Much of this stems from the difference in the command stars, which are all ready being captured - to a greater or lesser extent - in the variable limits on orders/divisions. But some further modding of morale would seem in order.

I do not want to start modding the EDU file, so to partially reflect the differences in morale, I will raise all “rebel” units experience by 4 and all “loyalist” units by 6. For inexperienced troops, both adjustments would raise attack and defence stats by 2. However, the adjustment will probably raise the morale of the loyalists by more (I suspect 4 points higher). The higher morale across the board may help capture the religious fanaticism of some of the troops involved, as well as the high stakes involved for the more professional forces.

Rebel units in the city square will benefit from the “unbreakable” morale featured in the game.

It should also be noted that Hans has about +17 hitpoints from his traits - he will be a monster to take down in combat.

The map

The terrain is that visible in the Swiss Alps custom battle map for M2TW with a Huge City. I have sketched a simplified representation of the map and the city:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The numbered points are the towers (N1 = first north tower). NG is north gate etc. The blue splodge is a mini-lake.

Light brown tracks are the roads. In the city, melee may only occur on roads, walls or the town square. (Buildings cannot be entered.)

Dark brown lines are abatis planted by Hans. These function like stakes in M2TW - they mean cavalry charges across them (from either direction) will be very costly. However, they are not serious obstacles and cavalry may walk across them if given time and not in combat.

Green lines are rough indicators of height contours. The map is an Alpine map and so has high hills and some steep slopes. Generally, the map slopes down south to north and west to east. It is particularly steep south of the southern line of abatis and towards the eastern map edge.

There are also some outlying fields and cottages in the "no-mans" land between the city walls and the abatis, but these are not significant enough features to be factored into planning. They may prevent nice unbroken lines of battle, however.


Deployment

Dietrich and Hans will deploy blind, simultaneously. Dietrich may set up anywhere within the city. Hans may set up anyway beyond the abatis, but south of the red line where Hugo will arrive. Both generals should paste your unit icons from the Bern_units.doc onto the jpg map. No orders should be given at this stage, nor are any notes required (you can provide them at the start of the early morning turn). Just show the location of your units. Upload the map and PM me the link.

Dietrich should inform me of the whereabouts of Luther - he may either ride with you or stay in the city.

Hans has 593 build points and can use those to construct whatever mix of rams (50 points) and siege towers (65 points). Please deploy those siege engines on the map.

Jan and Hugo will arrive on the map at random times, but almost certainly before midday. Jan will arrive to the south, deploying south of the blue line on the map. Hugo will arrive north, deploying north of the red line on the map. Actual deployment will not be decided now, but rather on the turn they enter the battlefield. On the turn they arrive, they will be free to deploy anywhere in their deployment zones, but may not shoot or charge. Their enemies cannot shoot nor charge them in that turn either, nor can they enter their deployment zones until after the advance guard has arrived.

Both Jan and Hugo should divide their armies into two halves - an advance guard and a rear guard. The advance guard will arrive one turn before the rear guard. There can be no more than 10 regiments in the advance guard and divisional integrity must be maintained - it is highly recommended that the HQ is included in that 10. The players should PM me now with the list of divisions in the advance guard. [On that turn, you may place units within a deployment zone but will not be able to fire or move that turn (nor will you be able to be fired upon or charged.)]


Battle length

The battle will have 7 daylight turns:
Turn 1: early morning
Turn 2: mid morning
Turn 3: late morning
Turn 4: early afternoon
Turn 5: mid-afternoon
Turn 6: late afternoon
Turn 7: evening

Exactly how far units can move and how much they can fight each turn is variable.

Combat in M2TW is quick and bloody, so decisive outcomes can normally be expected within a turn. However, if units have to march far before getting into combat, they may be locked in combat and the outcome decided next turn. Generals can indicate in their orders if they wish a more cautious attack, otherwise I will implement attack orders as all out attacks and try to get a decisive result.

Missile units would have ammunition to fire for about two turns. (They may be resupplied over night.) Cavalry could move the length of the map in one turn if unopposed - infantry half that. However, that pertains to “march movement” - e.g. moving out of fire and out of danger from enemies. For tactical movement - when in battlefield formation, ready for combat - these distances would be at least halved.

If the battle is inconclusive, there will be a night turn and second day turns.

Players may try to break off the battle at any point. Disengaging from an undefeated enemy is a very dangerous manoeuvre. The battlefield situation and in particular, the relative amounts of cavalry in the respective armies will determine exactly how dangerous. Generals may wish to conserve cavalry for victorious pursuits or to permit retreats.


Communication issues.

Players may send one message per turn (including the deployment phase) to their comrade general. This will arrive at the end of the turn. Dietrich and the relief army can only communicate via smoke signals until an open line of communication is established. To reflect this, they can communicate only very basic messages - they would know if they are being attacked, could ask for help etc, but no attempts at micromanagement. If during any turn, two friendly generals end the turn adjacent, they may freely confer (without going via me or waiting for the end of the turn). I will inform the players when such open communication is possible.

In the chaos of battle, there is a chance that orders will go astray or not be implemented due to confusion or the local commander’s discretion. I will roll a dice for each order and if a “1” is rolled, the order will not be implemented. Instead, I will use my discretion about what the local commander would do - typically leading to inactivity. If a general starts adjacent to unit, the order will be implemented. Only two regiments can benefit from being adjacent to the general.


Siege mechanics

Siege engines will work as in the normal M2TW game. A turn is long enough for an engine to reach a wall/gate and the contest for the wall/gate to be decided (within reason).

Hans’ grand bombard may smash down city gates instantaneously. However, city walls or towers are more durable targets. The grand bombard may destroy two towers or wall sections each turn. It will not be possible to enter any breaches during the turn they are destroyed and defenders on the walls will have time to evacuate before the walls collapse. The turn after a wall is knocked down, the defending general will be notified and will have time to rush men to the breach. There will be ammunition limits for all units (the grand bombards have ammunition to destroy as many walls/towers as they can in a custom battle - overnight resupply will be possible).

Towers will function as in the game - they will provide covering fire if there are nearby defenders.

Gates and walls will provide the same defensive benefits as they do in the game - attackers will be at a disadvantage (particularly coming off a siege engine onto a defended wall).


Other rules

The battle will be fought on similar principles to the battle for the Flemish crossroads.

Players should act like historical army commanders and not try to micro-manage too much. Orders may get lost and things may slip up. The position of the general will be particularly important in determining the outcome of any fine maneouvring - if he is far away or locked in combat, he may not be able to control events. (Best avoid the bad habit of using your general as a spearhead.)

Please draft your orders in character, as if given by a real general. They should be clear and simple. The more confused or complicated, the more likely the divisional commander will mess up. You can allow for some contingencies, but if the orders are too complex, the divisional commander may become confused or feel constrained from acting on his own initiative. You can trust your divisional commanders to execute their orders in a competent way (you don’t need to micromanage them and tell them how to fight – I may let the AI control them to see how a division vs division fight would play out). But they will have limited initiative to respond to new developments.

What orders should cover:
- where to move, inc. facing
- which formation to engage or screen (this will help me determine facing)
- for missiles: whether to fire at will or who to target
- for melee units: whether to charge or prepare to receive a charge
- whether to pursue or hold ground once in place
- if attacking, whether (a )to attack all out to get a decisive result this turn; (b) to attack cautiously, committing to a serious assault but trying to withdraw if the combat starts to look unfavourable; (c) to feint or try to pin the enemy, minimising losses but attacking if a good opportunity arises.
- if defending, whether (a) to hold at all costs; (b) defend, but try to withdraw if the combat looks unfavourable; (c) to try to screen an enemy advantage - holding it up, but trying to avoid combat and fall back before it.
- issues of sequencing (e.g. do you soften up the enemy with missiles before charging? do you wait till the enemy are committed before executing a flank charge etc)

The best way to clarify your orders is to represent on a map where you expect your units to be at the end the turn. Indicate facing by drawing a coloured line for the front side of each unit icon. Units may be able to change their facing autonomously so if you want a flank attack, make sure you pin the enemy first. Units next to a general may be able to do even more in reaction to an enemy move so make sure you place your general where he needs to be to control things.

You may provide OOC notes to clarify your in character orders and map, but these should be for my guidance only. I will not be able to execute them in precise detail - my method of resolving conflicts typically involves custom battles vs the AI and the AI is not controllable. Your IC orders will be treated as your instructions to me - I will refer to your OOC notes to understand how to implement your instructions, but I will not regad them as binding or trumping IC orders. I will show some favoritism in implementing orders in favour of players who provide the most in character orders (this is to avoid rewarding players who try to unrealistically micromanage).

I will put the orders together. Execution of movement will be simultaneous, so I will work out the result of any clashes arising based on my judgement - informed by common sense, unit stats, history and experience of M2tW. Typically, I will break combats down into small groups and play them out in custom battles with the AI - playing both sides and forming a judgement based on rough averaging. However, this may be particularly difficult with siege combat, so do not expect my adjudications to match what could be achieved in a custom battle with mathematical precision.

On the realism of fog of war - a general can only see through line of sight. He does not have a helicopter or interactive total war style map laid out. Once the lines have met in combat, I doubt he could see much - particularly on level ground. He would have to use riders to keep in touch with his divisions, but riders can be lost, reports garbled and orders can be misunderstood (think Balaclava). Placing the general on height or on a wall will permit better perception of the battle. Generals trapped in squares or racing off down the flanks will have very limited abilities to control the battle - they may not be able to issue orders. It is best to deploy your general in a commanding part of the line - ideally: safe from enemy interference, fairly central, close to a key section of the line and with a good field of view.


DEADLINE for deployment orders: 24 hours hence.

If you can get orders to me faster, so much the better. I will always allow 24 hour intervals between orders, but if I get both sets of orders sooner, I will move on sooner. If I get no orders within 24 hours, your units will be on autopilot - typically not moving except defensively. If real life issues mean that you cannot make a 24 hour deadline - e.g. if you are out of touch over the weekend - please PM me in advance and I will arrange an extension.

Executing orders will be time consuming and will typically be done in evenings (UK time).

[econ21]

Deployment orders received from GeneralHankerchief. Awaiting orders from Factionheir.

At this stage, Stuperman needs only identify his advance guard (deployment orders will be requested on turn of arrival). Privateerkev has identified his advance guard.

When I have all orders, I will proceed to the next turn without waiting for the full 24 hour period to expire - so any battlefield communications should be sent (via me) asap.

[econ21]

Public feedback on the deployment phase

The map of Bern has relatively high visibility. From the walls, the defenders can see all around. There are no woods or reverse slopes of any consequence. The city is overlooked by mountains and so the besiegers can see into the city.

For this reason, and to allow non-participating players some feedback, I will provide public feedback from two perspectives:

Peter: a goat herd on a mountain overlooking the hill. Peter is focusing on the rebel dispositions and his observations represent what Hans might be told of what is going on inside the city.

Heidi: a precocious girl watching from the steeple of Bern abbey. Heidi is focusing on the loyalists and his observations represent what Dietrich might here of the loyalist deployment.

Both observers have an interest in military matters and provide feedback comparable to what might be expected from a military report in the midst of battle.

Any additional private feedback will be sent to the players. If players receive no additional private feedback, they can assume that their orders were implemented without a hitch.

If Dietrich wants more detailed feedback - ie a graphical representation of enemy units - he will have to mount the walls and oversee the defence of one of the four sides of the city.

If Hans wants more detailed feedback, he will have to personally oversee an attempt to cross one of the walls (the defenders have cover from the walls and will not be clearly revealed unless engaged).


Peter’s observations of the rebel deployment.

Peter could see many rebel regiments deployed on the southern wall. Significant bodies of men - each equal to a strong division or more - manned the eastern gate and remained in the town square. The rest of the walls appeared lightly manned, if manned at all.

Sitting on a mountainside, to the south of the city, Peter looked around him. He could hear workmen constructing several more siege engines for the loyalists. He had heard that Jan von Hamburg was approaching with a large Catholic crusader army and presumably these siege engines were intended for him, as they were not guarded by Hans’s men. He wondered if Dietrich might sally out and destroy these engines, but already outriders from Jan’s army were in attendance and it was unlikely the defenders of Bern would be able to scale the mountain to destroy them.

[OOC: Hans deployed some siege engines in Jan’s deployment zone. That is a little cheeky, but I am ruling they cannot be destroyed until Jan arrives.]


Heidi’s observations of the loyalist deployment.

Looking to the east, Heidi could see a splendid loyalist army deployed for battle with several war machines. The girl ducked as loyalist grand bombard fired a single shot, gauging the range to the walls.

Surveying the rest of the palisades around the city, they appeared lightly manned, if at all. A small detachment was deployed on the western side of the city, while another patrolled the north east on horseback.


A graphical representation of this feedback:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Note - this image has been compressed for presentational reasons. To maintain proper scale, the original - non-compressed - map should continue to be used for orders.

Feedback has been provided to players. Orders for turn 1, the early morning phase should now be sent to me. The deadline for the submission of orders is 24 hours hence, but if they could be sent within 22 hours that would allow me to resolve them that night.

A quick pointer to the kind of things which are possible in turn 1:
- the rebels can redeploy anywhere within the city (subject to the limit on orders)
- the loyalists could redeploy to an adjacent side of the city
- the rebels could sally out and begin to attack the loyalists
- the loyalist rams or siege towers could begin to attack the gates or walls
- the bombard could cause two breeches or knock down two towers

[econ21]

Public Feedback on Early Morning Phase (Turn 1)

Heidi: From the steeple of Bern abbey, Heidi watches as Duke Hans manoeuvres his army from the east side of the city to the north. It is a major redeployment so they are unable to make any attack on the northern wall

Peter: From the mountain side overlooking the city, Peter can see rebel soldiers scurrying around the city. The defence of the eastern wall appears strengthened and a detachment is sent to the west gate. The northern wall is lightly manned. However, the distances involved mean that by the time Hans can scale the walls or smash the gate, reinforcements could arrive. If Hans were to strike immediately - without a bombardment - those rebels on eastern wall could make it in time to fire on any assault; those on the southern gate could not.

Graphical representation of this feedback:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

NB: Map shrunk for brevity - do not use to plot orders.

Additional feedback:

The map: The old map did not represent some woods that offer the possibility of concealment. I have added them onto a new version. Please use this new version to map your orders.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Please use this map to plot your orders.

Also, there was some confusion about the elevation. The eastern edge is not high terrain, but very low terrain (leading down to an off-map river). Given the arrival path of the Lutheran relief army it is important to note that the south map edge has very low lying terrain towards the east, but slightly elevated terrain to the west. This is the Swiss Alps, so slopes tend to be steep. The march along the north road into Bern will be an uphill one.

Players are encouraged to start up a custom battle on the Swiss Alps map with a huge city in order to better understand the terrain.

The grand bombard: After testing, I have decided that the grand bombard will be regarded as having enough ammunition to destroy 4 towers or wall sections. In addition, it will have enough ammunition to destroy the 4 gates (this will be in addition to whatever towers or walls it destroys). This assumes all ammunition is reserved for use against buildings. As stated earlier, the rate of fire is two wall sections or towers per turn - but breeches cannot be entered until the next turn.

Note: if the battle goes on for another day, artillery will NOT be resupplied with ammunition. Bows will be resupplied.

Failure to obey orders: In the first post, I stated that units adjacent to the general always obey orders. I meant divisions. The two divisions closest to the general will always obey orders. EDIT: If the general is adjacent to a division, it will always obey orders. A maximum of two divisions may be adjacent to a general. Place him wisely.

Deadline for orders: 20.00 hours UK time, Wednesday

Note to reinforcing generals - if you don’t hear privately from me, you are not arriving yet and don’t need to provide orders. Please do not publicly announce your arrival status, although you may reveal it in your message to your allied general.

[econ21]

Public feedback on Turn 2: mid-morning

Peter sees the rebels running from the eastern wall to the north wall to face Hans’ main force. There is some shuffling of regiments around the southern wall.

Heidi does not observe any change in Duke Hans’ deployment. However, the grand bombard erupts, tearing down gateway tower N6 and then collapsing part of the wall between N9 and N10. Dietrich’s men avoid taking significant casualties from the bombardment but the first breech in Bern’s defences has been made. The battle is now on.

A graphical representation of this feedback:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Deadline for Turn 3 orders: 20.00 UK time, Thursday.

[econ21]

Rebel orders received for turn 3. Awaiting loyalist orders.

[econ21]

Deployment Orders:

Some instructions from TinCow:

As for the spy, Dietrich still has done nothing about it, so it is still a go. Units of Peasants will appear in the city to harass Dietrich the turn AFTER the assault on the walls begins. The peasants won't be cause any damage to a unit, but they will 'pin' any unit that runs into them or that they 'grab' for a full turn. After that, they will be killed or dispersed. However, I would like you to tweak it to keep the battle fair. If the battle is going against Dietrich, spawn only 1 group of peasants. If the battle is going against Hans, spawn 3 groups of peasants. If it is even, spawn 2 groups of peasants. FactionHeir will NOT have control of the peasants. They will simply pop up, do their delaying action, and then be killed off or run away.

Some orders for 1328 from Factionheir:

Hi TC,

I totally forgot about some units in Hans' army. If its not aked too much, can you please also make sure that following are performed during the year?

1. Grand Bombards are to destroy the nearest towers and afterwards start shooting at any enemies on the walls (or the walls they stand on)

2. Longbows are to place stakes facing towards Bern all around the city (staying well outside the tower range). There should only be a single space left open on each side for horsemen to ride back in an emergency. Those spaces should be guarded by spearmen.

Thanks :)

Pre-deployment feedback to FH

Your bombards were not able to attack in 1328 - that would have required a battle proper.

On the longbow stakes, I have interpreted that as you constructing a ring of abatis around the city. This will function as stakes - in both directions - although units may pass freely through it if unopposed. ie it will stop a cavalry charge through it, but is not an impassable barrier if they have the time to cross it.

On your spy in Bern, it is not possible for him to open the gates or sabotage buildings. However, he is able to raise a small band of loyal civilians to assist your assault. At your signal, they will be deployed at points in the city of your choice and mob any defenders. They won't cause any damage on their own, but will be able to pin a unit and, if you are attacking said unit, could assist in the melee. The number of civilians is random - it will be the equivalent of between one to three regiments of peasants. They will survive for one turn only and then will be removed from play.

Some correspondence:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I like the divisions that you have setup in bern_units.doc, I'll keep them for now. and I'd like for this Army to be called the Army of Truth. I don't have to commit my first 10 units at this time correct?

Stuperman

OK, Army of Truth it is. Please let me know the composition of your advance guard. It should be whole divisions totalling no more than 10 units (including the HQ). You can re-jig the divisions if it helps you get the biggest possible advance guard (I notice a lot of combinations total 11).

*****

1. How come there is an army coming from the outside to aid Dassel anyway? According to the orders given to TC for the last turn, all communication was to be capped (complete isolation and stop any movement in and out of Bern including sealing off any secret passages) and populace encouraged to report Lutherans.

The Lutheran army was TCs idea - I think he wanted to balance the one he spawned for PK so as not to be unfair to GH. But the siege of Bern is public knowledge - I don't see any IC issue with outside aid.

2. If Dietrich isn't properly guarding the smoke signals, does my spy have a chance of making it send wrong signals?

I think we will leave the spy's role as outlined by TC - my preference is for this battle to be decided by combat rather than cloak and dagger stuff.

3. How would the map look like if Hans were to engage Merode directly (i.e. having Dietrich in his back, but probably have a few infantry guard the stakes so he can't get through quickly).

The map would look the same - just deploy to the north, facing north if you want to engage Merode directly. Of course, you don't know exactly when Merode will arrive. You'll need to protect your back from Dietrich and also look after your siege engines - if they are burnt, they are gone for good.

4. Since I'll be allowed to issue orders by regiment, what is an acceptable level of micromanagement? Also, I'm not sure how IC I can write those orders.

I know - it's a pain. You can use the jpg map to position units as you like. For the IC orders, if I were you, I would form divisions and give IC orders like the other players. It's just your capacity to give orders at the regimental level means you can spread out units to do fancy maneouvres and not worry about divisional coherency etc.

5. Does any communication that I want to send to PK go via you or directly to him?

Please send it to me and I will forward it. One communication per turn (deployment counts as turn); he will receive it at the end of the turn.

6. You are awarding 4 xp bonus to Lutherans and 6 to loyalists. Seems a bit odd though since Loyalists have +20 morale each and Lutherans only +6. Also, several regiments under Hans' command already are silver or gold, meaning they wouldn't fully benefit from the xp bonus. Would you in that case reduce the opponents' experience in battle or work the files?

I considered giving higher XP, but did not want the loyalists to get higher attack and defence stats. The loyalists ability to give more, or finer, orders is partly capturing the difference in command which drives the morale gap. From past experience, I suspect units won't rout easily anyway.

****

Deployment Orders from Dietrich von Dassel

HQ - My escort and I will remain in the town center for now, directing traffic. Mr. Luther, you will ride with me today. In this quiet period I suggest that you pray for victory.

Cavalry Division - Noble horsemen of the Army of Light, you will be keeping me company here in the town square. Keep your horses well-rested, for they will certainly be seeing action later in this day.

Foot Knights - You too will be keeping me company. In case I completely misjudge my opponent and Hans deploys to the north you will be in position to rush to the north wall's defense. However, if he deploys to the south, which I predict he will, you will remain in reserve.

Shock Infantry - Men, fighting awaits you now! I want one regiment of Forlorn Hope to mount the walls and hug Tower S8. It is a strong point in the wall and will not collapse to Hans's cannon. Should the tower itself crumble, you will be shielded from impact. You will also be able to quickly descend to ground level should the need arise. The rest of you, I doubt that there will be much wall fighting today. Stay on ground level, near the walls, and be prepared to respond to any breach. You will need to do your work well today.

Missiles - I want one unit of crossbows to man the gatehouse. You will be safe there. I want the other two hugging S4 and S7, respectively. Your standing orders are to fire at infantry and only infantry mercilessly. Enfilade them if possible. Bombard, stay back a bit, to a point where you have a clear shot over the walls. If a siege tower mounts an undefended section of wall, your orders are to wait right before it docks and destroy it. Yes, destroy your own walls. It will kill many of Hans's men.

Sergeants - Head to the east, behind the wall. It is a good neutral position and you will be able to shift easily, responding to developments. I want one regiment to man to most northeastern part of the wall (by the moat) and scout if there is movement north of us.

~~~~~~~~~~

Map in spoilers.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I really really really hope FH doesn't deploy to the north. I don't think he will, but that's what my sergeants are for. Let me know if you need anything else.

*****

Advance Guard identification provided by Jan

Also, I assume communication rules are in place. So any message to FH is through you? And only once per turn? I don't know where he is deploying or if he will give me siege engines. I anticipate a looong walk if he doesn't deploy to the south. ^_^

Advance guard: HQ, Footknights, Crossbows, Archers, Sargeants, Great Cross

Rear guard: Heavy Cav, Light Cav, Fanatics, Militia

Thanks for the advance guard. The communications blackout is definitely in place. Hans' initial deployment may well decide the battle, so we should let him sweat that one out. You won't get any siege engines directly, although of course Hans might want you to man some once you arrive on the battlefield. You will have some information on the situation before you submit your deployment (I am rolling a dice each turn to see if you come on).

*****

Advance guard of Hugo:

Advance guard:
HQ: (2x)
Cavalry Division: 1st & 2nd Crusaders; Mounted Sergeants; Merchant cavalry
Professional Division: 1st & 2nd Crusader knights, 1st & 2nd Crusader sergeants, Holy Cross.

Rearguard:
Missile Division: 1st & 2nd Crossbows; 1st & 2nd archers
Volunteer Division: 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th Fanatics, 1st and 2nd Militia Spearmen.

*****

Deployment provided by Hans:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[econ21]

IC communications, deployment phase

Code for smoke signals

Dear GH and Stuperman,

TC said the two of you may send very simple messages via "smoke signals". Quite what very simple means, I don't know.

How about you and Stuperman identify some simple words or phrases in advance that you have pre-arranged signals for and then you can use them - and only them - throughout the battle.

I won't allow morse code, but say 20 code words or phrases.

I suggest:

Attack; Skirmish; retreat; hold; move
Fast
North; south; east; west; centre
Help
Hans; Jan; Dietrich; Hugo
This turn; next turn
Cavalry; infantry

From that list, you could say "Hugo cavalry help Dietrich fast attack east next turn" or "Hans attack Dietrich south" etc.

You can alter that list as you like.

You can send each other one message (via me) in the deployment phase and recieve it at the start of the early morning turn.

BTW, Stuperman: all I need from you is the composition of your advance guard; I will ask for deployment instructions when you arrive.

cheers

econ

[/spoil]

*****

Letter from Hans to Jan

Dear Jan,

It is good to see you here on the field, on such a fateful day, and with many pious men among your ranks to bring an end to the heresy that calls itself Lutheran and has brought a vast host with it as well.

I will not ask of you to fight to the last man if you deem defeat close, as you may yet live to fight another day and complete, what I could not. God willing however, we shall crush the heretics and burn Luther at the stake, and Dassel with him.

My plan of action will be to deploy along the northern ridge to have a suitable overview over the battle and have ordered my missiles to target any scum that attempts to reinforce the heretics holed up inside the Catholic city they have seized unlawfully. Concurrently, my grand bombards will break as many walls as they can to soften up the defenders and spread them out.

In a way, I hope to lure them out to come to the aid of their reinforcements which I intend to drive from the field before they may do further harm or even man the walls. Of course I cannot be certain where exactly they will come from, but the northern ridge struck me as a better vantage point rather than deploying on the eastern falls. I hope that this was no mistake, for time is of the essence. In any case, if the reinforcement arrive from that direction, they will have to march uphill against my forces which will be an advantage for us unless Dassel falls into my back.

I have sent you 2 rams and several towers to aid your assault from the south and have also sent two regiments to the western wall to break into the city if this parcel is left undefended. I would thus advise you to station your men closer to the western flank to reinforce my position when you can. This side should be relatively safe and your men should be able to traverse it much faster than going via the east where a lake may block your way.

Godspeed, brother, and let us be the sword of the Lord that strikes down His foes.

Hans

*****

Smoke signal from Dietrich to Hugo:

"Dietrich hold South"

More feedback:

NB: Proper letters can be sent if you can establish a line of communication down the south road.

Since the south road is currently only lightly held by Hans' forces, in the early morning turn, you should be able to send couriers with only a small risk of interception.

******

Letter from Jan to Hans

Duke Hans,

I have finally arrived in Bern and not a moment too soon. My army is ready and eager. We are coming in from the south. We will need a way into the city or we'll have to walk. My plans are to find out where you breached the city, and head there if I have no engines. It is my hope that you would have breached the south side, or at least left me some engines so I can breach the south side myself. I have heard that there is another Lutheran army out in the countryside. If your in the city, and I have no engines, I may try to block this army and buy you time to defeat Dassel.

Also, you were Count of Bern most of your adult life. Are you aware of any secret passages or sewer tunnels where we can sneak forces into? I will make further decisions when I see conditions on the ground or get some feedback from you. I had wished to be the first army in for it will be the one that takes the highest casualties. But I won't get there in time to be first in. So I will help you how ever I can.

Good luck my friend and God be with you.
Jan

[econ21]

Orders and messages for turn 1 (early morning):

From Jan to Hans

Hans,

It is good to hear from you this fine morning. I am hurrying my men and hope to join in the battle sometime today. But many of the men are green and not used to forced marches. I can not at this time give you an estimated time of arrival.

Thank you for having the forethought to give me siege engines. Once I am on the battlefield, I will make use of them at once. It seems my choice of advance guard was a good one. I picked infantry and archers in anticipation of being able to attempt a breach. I will storm the south wall in force. I suspect losses will be great but at the very least, we will tie down a significant portion of Dassel's army.

Good luck on the north side. I hope you rout his reserve army off the field. Then we can squeeze Dassle's forces together.

One last thing, any word on a secret way in? If we can get even one regiment under the walls, we can sow discord within while we assault.

yours in friendship,
Jan

From Hans to Jan:

Dear Jan,

Indeed you have siege engines at your disposal, however depending on how things turn out, you may find yourself riding towards the north to flank Dietrich who may well sally if I catch his reinforcements outside.

I have considered secret passages and have also consulted with several citizens on whether there are new ones, but I am not sure whether they will be of much use (OOC: Neither TC nor econ have gotten back to me regarding this part of my 1328 orders to find and secure secret passages - maybe they will eventually?).

I pray that you will arrive in time and that everything goes as planned.

God with you

Hans

Orders for turn 1

Dietrich

Dietrich - Men, we ride for the eastern wall. Well, at least, a spot close to the eastern wall. It appears that Hans will make his main effort here so we must oversee things personally.

Cavalry - Stay in the town square for now. There is little you can do at the moment.

Foot Knights - Men, double-quick to the western gate! (OOC: I think that them being near the gatehouse tower, while not actually up on the walls, will still trigger the tower firepower) Once the enemy batters through, engage them at the gate. Lure them in, slowly pull back until you are fighting them on a narrow street. I'm counting on you to pin this force, men!

Shock infantry - Forlorn Hope on S8, remain where you are. Hug the tower. Continue to observe enemy movements to the south. The rest of you, shift to the southern gate. Should a breach occur on the south side of the wall (and south side ONLY), close it.

Missiles - Crossbowmen, move your butts to the eastern wall on the double! Take tower-hugging positions, one of you in the gatehouse. Take aim and fire at all enemy infantry you have a shot at. Make them pay. If they gain the walls, you are to retreat to safe ground within the city. Bombard, shift to the east. These orders are critical, so pay attention. As soon as one of Hans's towers docks (and has none of our men coming to defend it), you are to fire at the wall it is docked at until you have a clear shot at the tower (OOC: I think that's around 60% damage). Then, my boys, aim well and destroy one of those monstrosities, killing an entire regiment. If you have time repeat this process for a second tower.

Sergeants - Brace yourselves, men. I need you to watch for any potential breaches that show up, and close them as necessary. Hold as long as you can, then into the streets, luring your attackers in with you. I want that one unit on the wall to engage and distract any of Hans's men that survive our little Bombard maneuver.

~~~~~~~

Gentlemen, Priority Number One is to hold this city at all costs. Priority Number Two is to capture or kill that bastard Hans. The man who brings him or Jan von Hamburg down will receive 2 wealth from me as thanks!

~~~~~~~~

Map:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Again, let me know if anything is unclear.

*****

Orders from Hans

These are the slightly revised orders for my army. Note that here and in the jpg I sent you, I have made note of some woods. I saw these after loading up the map and noticed that I was able to hide troops within. I marked the main ones nearby on the map for you.

Firstly, the division set-up (I am assuming that I can change regiments around from divisions freely and merge them split them etc at will without causing the usual issues other commanders have in whichever way from your post?)

Divison 0: HQ [Hans]

Division 1: 2 Pavise and 1 AS (the 2xp one) [Ernst]

Division 2: 2 Longbows, 1 DFK, 1 fanatic, 1 AS [Ludwig]

Division 3: 1 G.Bombard, 1 DFK [Horst]

Division 4: 1 ImpK, 1 DFK, 1 AS [Thorsten]

Division 5: 1 AS, 1 Fanatic [Rudolf]

Division 6: 1 Teuton, 1 CS [Wilhelm]

Division 7: 1 ImpK, 1 FK [Adalberth]

I guess I won't have to give a speech to myself, so orders for HQ are to remain steady and flank any force that approaches the longbows, while staying outside enemy tower range.

Overall speech:

Honorable Germans, Good Christians, Friends, Brothers in arms.

We are gathered here today to bring an end to the miserable heathens, heretics and traitors holed up inside Bern. Make no mistake in granting them mercy, for slaying them is a necessity and our holy duty to God. Indeed, they are not even fit foes for you fine men, but armed they are nonetheless, threatening to kill innocent women and children that we have sworn to protect.

So then, we have set up on this hill and will strike down the heretics that will arrive shortly to aid their devil worshippers. This will be our prime target, for once they are destroyed, we can begin our march onto the city in earnest. I expect every man to do his duty to God, the empire, his Duke and himself and show only steel and a warcry to our enemies, never turning your back without my express orders to do so.

Fear not however, for we are not outnumbered this day. Within a few hours, the honorable Jan von Hamburg will arrive with his crusaders to join us in fulfilling our holy duty.

And lastly, you all know me as a man who would rather die, than waste needless lives of those who serve him. Ask any of my retinue, whether I would ever shy from battle and let my men die. They will all tell you that I will charge headfirst into the fray and spread fear into their hearts, so that you may live to tell of it! Now, this does not mean that you will merely watch when I carve my mark into the heretics we will face shortly. You will fight when I ask it and fight with conviction, for only if we all fight together, will God's work be done!

--

Sir Ernst, you will command the pavise regiments and one regiment of armored sergents and attempt to shoot at any enemies that approach your view. Your primary targets will be the enemy cavalry, and most importantly, the enemy leader. Use the sergeants to hold off any attackers to allow the crossbows time to gain ground and for other divisions to come to your aid.

Sir Ludwig, your Longbows will too aim at any cavalry. When the enemy attacks, move the longbows out of melee and and resume firing. Your infantry is to hold the line and not let any enemy through to our missile units. Use your spearmen to break cavalry charges and fanatics to drag men off their horses. The knights will face any enemy heavy infantry and only aid against cavalry if necessary.

Horst, your bombard is to take down the main gatehouse towers. Infantry is at your disposal to protect your bombards. Signal to any nearby divisons if you require aid immediately. If there are considerable amounts of enemies swarming out of the gates, use flammable shots to break them, aiming for the largest mass of troops where possible.

Thorsten, you will protect our siege engines and use your cavalry to flank any unit bound by your infantry. You will also aim to support Horst's division when they require your help. Enemy cavalry will be your main target when close and never use your cavalry to engage enemy twohand units in prolonged melee, and try to keep your cavalry hidden in the nearby woods until ready to attack.

Sir Rudolf, you will aim to help Thorsten in protecting our siege equipment and otherwise attempt to flank the approaching enemy.

Sir Wilhelm, you will hold your position for now and only attack the gates when they are abandoned and no enemies are nearby. Once the gates are broken, you will retreat to your original positions, but be ready to swarm in when I signal you to do so. Hopefully Jan's crusaders will aid on your side.
If the enemy sallies, use your sergents to hold enemy cavalry or infantry while you use your cavalry to attack their flank or rear. When attacking with cavalry, always charge and withdraw to form up for another charge. Fight prolonged melee only against troops that you deem close to routing.

Captain Adalberth, your knight regiments are the best that I can muster at this point. You will attack any enemy nearby and stay out of the towers' range. Stay hidden inside the woods until you are ready to strike and take the enemy by surprise. You have ridden with me long enough to know how to handle cavalry so I will not waste words to tell you how. I shall remind you however, that charging through an enemy formation while you are engaged in melee is of utmost importance, and you have learned from me how to do so. As usual, charge, break and recharge. If you feel unable to handle the masses of enemies, attempt to ride down as many infantry as possible and cut any pursuing cavalry on your way back to my position.

Godspeed to you all.

Han's deployment map:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Notes on resolving the turn

Two of Hans divisions rolled "1s", but both were adjacent to Hans and so were moved.

Both reinforcing generals failed to roll a 4, 5 or 6 so stay off map.

[econ21]

Orders, messages and umpire notes for turn 2

Dietrich's orders:

Dietrich - We're going north, boys. If Hans wants to put himself between this city and Hugo's army that's fine by me.

Cavalry - Stay put.

Foot Knights - Previous orders apply. If the enemy in the west attacks, draw them in and take the fight to the streets.

Shock infantry - I want you to shift to a more centralized position so that access to the rest of the city is slightly easier. Both Forlorn Hopes are to man the walls; get as many towers firing as possible, and scout the enemy troops - see how close they are to coming.

Missiles - Shift north. Crossbowmen, you know what to do by now: Hug the towers so that Grand Bombard can't get you, and target the infantry. If the enemy's towers dock, get off the walls. Bombard, find a place with a clear shot to the northern walls. My previous orders apply - As soon as a tower docks an undefended portion of wall, destroy the wall, then destroy the tower. Repeat as necessary.

Sergeants - To the north, men! Be ready to defend any breaches. I want that one unit on the wall to go after any siege tower that survives the Bombard attack. Gentlemen, if you get in a fight it is your job to pin Hans's army in place. Pin them, keep them fighting, and eventually Hugo will be by to deliver the hammer blow. Remember that this day!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Divisions closest to Dietrich: Sergeants, Missiles/Bombard.

Map:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Hi econ,

I'll leave my deployment as is for the moment except that the units that are barely in the forest are moved somewhat more inside to make sure they are properly hidden if they weren't before.

As for orders, they also stay the same, except that the grand bombard will start shooting this turn and take out one gateway tower (N6) and one wall section (N9-N10) on the north side.

Also, since everyone stays the same, orders won't get mangled, right? In that case, I'll also send this to everyone (division AND regiments)

Men, the battle will soon begin in earnest, so prepare your armor, sharpen your weapons, and kiss the cross.

Not only this, but listen carefully to what your commanders say and what orders I give, for their proper implementation will be imperative to bring us victory!

Henceforth, I shall send orders to each division as previously and also a separate, yet same order to each regimental captain. When separated, use them or if they seem illogical, continue with the orders that you received during your deployment. Also, when your division is together, I urge you to compare your regimental orders with your divisional orders and the orders that coincide the most are the ones which you are to fulfill until further ones arrive.

Be strong and faithful in these coming hours and strike wheny ou are ready!

God with you all good Christians!

Message from Hans to Jan:

Dear Jan,

I have now fortified my position in the north and have some cavalry hidden in the woods for an ambush when possible.

I plan on using my grand bombards to take down some towers and punch several holes into the northern walls to hopefully spread out Dietrich's forces more and weaken his line overall. With some luck, my cannons may even target his men behind the breaches.

From what I can see, Dietrich has a small detachment to the west, and a large force at both the north and the south wall. The east wall seems undefended as of yet and could be exploited eventually.

I have yet to see any trace of his reinforcements and hope that you will arrive before they do.

Go with god brother.

Hans

Gamesmaster's notes on Turn 2

Dietrich's shock infantry passed their orders test, as did Hans' bombard. No one else needed to test.

Rolled for 1-4 for reinforcement's arrival - Hugo arrives in Turn 3; Jan does not.

Private feedback to Hans:

A regiment can only be sent one set of orders - either via the division or independently. ie no re-rolling "1s"!

Note: your grand bombard only has ammo left to take down two more walls or towers. After that, it has no ammo except that needed to take down gates.

Private feedback to Hugo

Your advance guard is finally arriving on the field! It will be in position at the end of the late morning turn (turn 3). So please send me a jpg map of your deployment. You can set up your advance guard anywhere north of the red line on the map.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Your rear guard will arrive in the early afternoon turn.

Your units will not move or engage in combat on turn 3, so you do not have to give any orders at this stage. They will just be placed on the map according to your instructions.

Feedback to Jan:

The sound of cannon coming from Bern fire agitates you. The trek to the city across the mountains has seemed interminable. You will not be arriving before lunch. You are almost sure to arrive early afternoon, but will not be able to make your presence felt (OOC: move or fight) until mid-afternoon at best.

Feedback to GH:

Overseeing the defence of the North wall, you get a good view of the deployment of Hans' main force:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[econ21]

Orders, messages and umpire notes for turn 3 - Late morning

Dietrich's orders

Orders to all units are the same unless listed here. (Dietrich is once again nearest to his missiles/Bombard and the Sergeants)

Shock infantry - Forlorn Hope, stay where you are. Zweihanders and Religious Fanatics, I want you to retire to the southern part of the center square and the road leading to it. That way you will be in position to better respond to all events.

Sergeants - I want that one regiment off the walls, now! That last Bombard came way too close. Instead, defend the breach, and I want the next closest regiment to help you out. We are abandoning the walls, men. Our Bombard will take care of one tower, and as for the other one, when Hans's men come streaming off it to take the walls and discover that there are no easy pickings, they will descend our towers, and we will be waiting for them at the foot of the steps ready to defeat them in detail. I want the other three regiments of this unit to take positions defending tower staircases, but still ready to close any additional breaches. Be sure to let our crossbowmen by.

Hans has a killer reputation, yes, but now his army is revealed to us. I must say I'm not impressed. They can easily be defeated, whether it be by outfighting them or pinning and flanking them (I would prefer pinning, though, men).

~~~~~~~~~~~

Map:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

*****

Hugo's deployment

]

*****

Hans’ orders

In that case, I want to take out N2-N3 and N5. Hans will ride to each division to cheer the men up with some words and his presence except to the hidden ones.
Orders are the same as before. Can I just make sure with you that in my last turn's orders the troops were told that if no proper orders are received (read:garbled) they are to fall back to their original orders rather than stay idle?

Communication from Hans to Jan

Dear Jan,

It seems all tunnels have been sealed, but seeing how that is so, I had them ordered sealed and guarded on our side as well during the last year, so Dietrich will not be able to escape.

In the meantime, I have received word from my spy inside Bern that he may be able to incite a riot when we attack, so do let me know beforehand when and where you would need some unrest to distract and hold or even mob Dietrich's men.

As we speak, the wall [N9:N10] and the tower [N6] have already fallen and my grand bombards are taking down [N2:N3] and [N5] now. This will leave little more ammo than to take out a few gates or fire upon some hostile regiments.

I imagine that Dietrich will sally soon with his northern defense line having several holes and the arrival of his reinforcements being imminent.

Make haste

Hans

Message from Jan to Hans

Hans,

I heard the cannon and knew things had started. I am pushing my men but they are not used to marching through the mountains. I don't think I can be there before the afternoon. When I get there, my plan is to assault the south wall in force with my advance guard. I will tie his southern forces down and defeat them. If I tie down his southern forces, he is less likely to sally against you when his reinforcements come. Then you can defeat his reinforcements while your back is secure.

I will be there as soon as I can,

Jan

Umpire notes

Rebel shock infantry pass their orders test.

Bombard passes test.

Roll 1-5 for Jan's relief army to arrive: it does.

Private feedback to Jan:

It is early afternoon (turn 4). Finally, Jan's Crusader army makes it way down the mountain slopes to the south side of Bern.

There, they find several siege machines constructed for them.

You must now order your men for battle. Place your advance guard units anywhere on the map, south of the blue deployment line. Feel free to attach siege machines to units and reposition the machines.

No combat or movement will be possible in turn 4 - just deployment - so there is no need to give orders. All I need is a jpg or other representation.

Next turn, your advance guard can move - including assaulting the south walls - and your rear guard will deploy.

You can send Hans a message, but he will not receive it until mid-afternoon (beginning of turn 5).