Getting in a Game!

After regularly hosting and umpiring the many remote games crossing my table, my fortunes changed and I enjoyed a chance at hosting (and playing in) a two-player remote game.  As suggested in my prior post on the background of this battle (see Mikata Ga Hara), Mark (Mud Blood and Steel) took up my offer for a game.  Hoorah!

With background to the battle already presented, Mark chose to take up command of the smaller, Tokugawa Army.  Mark is a wily opponent and relishes the challenge of taking the weaker army in an attempt to upend history.  Holding an initial advantage of springing from an ambush, I knew my work would not see an easy path to victory.

Let's see how the game played out.

As the battle opens, Ieyasu Tokugawa enjoys at least two turns of uninterrupted maneuvers to put his ambush into place.  That is, as long as no unit under his command jumps the gun and the trap is sprung early.

While Ieyasu's Center stands firm, the left is stirring into action.  The Left Wing commander, Honda, moves his troops forward.  Tokugawa, himself, leads his Samurai cavalry from its central position in the battleline off to the left in support of Honda.  With Honda in place, the battle begins! 

From high ground on Takeda's Right,
faint bodies of troops are seen to the front. 

Tokugawa's Army moves into position.

Proceeded by a volley of arrows,
Honda attacks but the defenders stand firm.

Honda advances as arrows continue to rain down.
Yamagata's troops on Takeda's Right are disordered. 
Takeda's bowmen in the center are, likewise, disordered.

Takeda's archers are not only disordered but suffer
from the barrage of arrows delivered by enemy longbow.
Their resolve weakens.

Having seen his spearmen repulsed in the first attack,
Honda redoubles his efforts sending forward his Samurai.

Fighting uphill, the Samurai drive off the defenders.
In the center, Tokugawa's spear crash into the wavering archers.

The defenders break and the spear push on in pursuit.
The Ashigaru spear face Takeda's mounted Samurai.
Pursuit is stopped and the Ashigaru recoil.

Seeing the spearmen repulsed,
Tokugawa sends his foot Samurai forward.  Same result.
  Attackers repulsed but the defending cavalry fail to pursue.  

With Yamagata's Right in full retreat,
Tokugawa presses his advantage.

Honda sends his Samurai lunging deep into the enemy rear.

Leading his cavalry forward,
Tokugawa charges into the isolated Ashigaru of Yamagatu.
The spearmen hold! Ieyasu is repulsed.

With all of the action on Takeda's Right and Center,
 what is happening over on the Left?

Both armies are being ground down from the ferocious combat but Takeda's Left has remained cautious in its response.  With his right turned, Takeda must act now!  Having witnessed and almost survived the surprise attack upon his right, Takeda finally coordinates a response on his Left.  Takeda's Left, under Obata, snaps into action!  First, Obata must withstand a few attacks from the enemy to his front.  

Ashigaru spear repulse an enemy attack...

but a second attack collapses Obata's Teppo.
Teppo stream to the rear.

Launching coordinated attacks against Ieyasu's Right (Sakai),
Sakai's Wing folds in a series of attacks, retreats, pursuits.
Remnants of Sakai are driven back with great loss.

Seeing the destruction of Sakai's command is too much for Ieyasu.  His army breaks and Tokugawa leads what is left of his army from the field.  Victory to the Takeda Army! 

Ending positions and state of the Army Breakpoints. 

The result was a Takeda victory but the contest was close and outcome always uncertain.  As the photo above illustrates, Takeda's breakpoint was down to two (blue die) when Tokugawa's Army broke.  Very close contest with drama and excitement from the opening volley of arrows.

Mark developed a solid plan and wiped-out Takeda's Right in the early stages of battle.  As the battle ground on, I figured my command tent would be under attack very soon.  Still, Takeda's Center held and the Left finally launched its spoiling attack to turn the balance.  With the destruction of Sakai, the enemy's will to fight was broken.  What a tense and action-packed game!

Thank you Mark for an excellent game!  Very fun to actually get into a fight and escape with a very narrow victory.  Narrow victory, indeed.  Based upon the points differential (two points) when Tokugawa broke, I call this a tactical draw since both armies are heavily battered and bruised.  

Great fun!