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[Funk]

You quint in to the darkness trying to make out more details.

There camp is many 50 yards from the river bank set out in a line.
From the river to the nearest patch of trees is about a quarter mile to the east, along the river bank to the south is much the same with the forest rejoining with the river in a mile of so.
Northwards the trees thin out over the next mile of so as a large open moor rises.

You cant see any buildings so if there are any there not in use.

You are informed that the river is fast and deep here, but not uncross able.
if you lesion closely you can here there singing echo in the night.

[Patrick Hunt]

Bleep

[GiglameshDespair]

((These are fifteenth century muskets, Patrick. They're still matchlock. They're horribly inaccurate. They also get rested on poles to fire, meaning they're fired from about shoulder height. And take ages to reload. And might blow up in the musketeer's face. Point is, as weapons go they're terrible. So having pikemen infront of muskeeters will have them shot in the back instead of anything else.
What you'd want is for the muskets in front and when they enemy get close have them retreat back through the pikemen formations. Muskets terrified enemies at first rather than killed them, mostly.))

[Funk]

Right so a line from river to trees line made of muskets and halberds, what do the pike men and swordsmen do? attack the camp? cut off any retreat to the forest?
don't forget that vlad has a lot of troops, mosty cavalry.

(remembers that 80 men holding burning match is not stealthy)

[Patrick Hunt]

Wait for Karl to leave then go speak with Vlad, use the following speech to convince him to put me in command of the whole force, or at least the doppels.

Harvey walks into the tent shortly after he had seen Karl leaving to speak with him.

"Sir, with permission I request Karl be removed from command and that I replace him, the mans a coward and an inept one at that and his all but shouting that he's scared to face the enemy has done nothing to help the morale of the rank and file. If we're going to win it's going to come down to morale and which sides officers set the best example.

If we have to rely on him we'll be dead or enslaved by this time tomorrow night, likely with him 100 miles down the road running for his life. I on the other hand have the knowledge to lead men and the skill to do so from the front rank, I'll set an example to inspire the men and do what needs to be done to win, he'll wet his pants and break the mens morale before the enemy has to swing a sword. But most importantly of all, I have a plan to win this battle and he has a plan to save his own neck by leaving us here to die in his place.

Who do you think is more fit to lead this battle? Him? Or me? "



(( How many men side to side will fit in the gap between river and forest? How many of what kinds of men does Vlad have? I need to know what kind of cab and any infantry.

Don't worry Gilg I know what I'm doing. ))

[scapheap]

Stand with the pikemen to start with, with normal pike holding tactics.
When formation breaks, switch to Falchion and attack foes with intent to disable or kill quickly. Be ready to retreat at anytime.

[Funk]

back tracking a bit here, i really should check my messages more often, finding out by email sucks.

The tent of Vlad the third, shorty after his meeting with Karl Ludwig
-----------
Harvey walks into the tent, vlad sits his left arm around a young buxom red head, by his right stands his   bodyguard ,a warrior of frame titanic clad in a suit of  fluted black gothic style plate armour.

Turning from the lady he looks at harvey and voices a simple question.
"Well what have you come to say?"
A little unsure how best to say it harvey speck none the less. 
"Sir, with permission I request Karl be removed from command and that I replace him, the mans a coward and an inept one at that and his all but shouting that he's scared to face the enemy has done nothing to help the morale of the rank and file. If we're going to win it's going to come down to morale and which sides officers set the best example.

If we have to rely on him we'll be dead or enslaved by this time tomorrow night, likely with him 100 miles down the road running for his life. I on the other hand have the knowledge to lead men and the skill to do so from the front rank, I'll set an example to inspire the men and do what needs to be done to win, he'll wet his pants and break the mens morale before the enemy has to swing a sword. But most importantly of all, I have a plan to win this battle and he has a plan to save his own neck by leaving us here to die in his place.

Who do you think is more fit to lead this battle? Him? Or me? "

For a minute vlad just sits there thinking before giving his answer.

"Is the really what you think of your commander? if he is that bad then way do you still follow him?
perhaps is a fool and will get you all killed or enslaved but i have no power over him.
-sigh- you do appear to be a good man what ever your names again and i have need of men like you, if you survive this battle meet with me again, i will make it worth your time."

[Patrick Hunt]

Recommend we defend at the narrowest point between river and forest, form a wall across that point with myself and all swords on the left flank, all halbs on the right flank and all pikes in the center. Suggest our ally hide his cavalry in the forest and charge the enemies left flank once they're engaged with me and the swordsmen then have the swords and halbs break formation to hammer the flanks.

Position myself on the extreme left flank on the edge of the forest recommend the swordsmen form a shield wall. Target enemy officers with my glaives and use my blades on the enemies with the weakest armor first.

[Funk]

Slowly in the darkness you sneak down the river as thunder cracks across the sky and a steady rain start to fall as the company of Karl Ludwig forms a line from river bank to the tree line.

Harvey looks down the line at the swordsmen there great sword glinting in the moon light, the pike men stand next to them, a solid row of points lowered in the darkness, and just beyond them stands the halberd men with weapons at the ready.

At the front stand the musketeers,there slow marches glowing in the darkness that hides vlads horse men in the forest, armed and ready to attack.

Otto watches as Vlad chosen warriors lead the charge, there plate armour black as the night into which they ride there horse's hoofs pounding like thunder as they charge in to the darkness and the turkish camp beyond.

For what seems like an eternity there is only the fading sound of hoses until all at once the sound of battle arrives as a scream pieces  the night.

The sounds of steel on steel and the cries of men hewn apart call out from the camp as blood and death fill the night.

For a moment Croweheart see a solitary on horse back in the forest, there body is concealed by suit of plate armour so heavy blacked that only the elaborate brass trim is visible as they sit silently watching in the moon light.

The command to disengage is called and you watch as Vlad chosen warriors ride back towards your lines.
"You men hold them now and we have them" shouts a bearded house man as he wheel his horse around before dashing off in to the forest.

Every infantry man stand there hearing the sound of the turkish troops approach and realizing the they two will have to fight this night.

A disorganized steam of hose rushes at the infantry line, there breakneck charge barely notices the fire from the few gunners that do fire, indeed it is only when there forced to bank suddenly by the line of pikes that the riders realize that you are there.

by then it is too late, force to turn sharply meanly falter, colliding with each other a hand full are thrown from there mounts.
Making use of the opportunity the halberd men and doppnelsolders rush in from the sides, traping the horse men and with power full swings thay cut and spear the horse out from under there riders.

As the last of horse men flee or are slain, the flash of your muskets light up the night as thay fire on the turkish troops as they get closer.

Slower and more organized than there cavalry, you start to come under fire from there bows as they cover there advance.

For 5 long minutes you watch as there infantry masses into a large loses crowd just out side of musket shot range while your men are slowly chipped apart by there archers.

Then you hear the thunderous pounding your Vlads horse men and look on as they charge in to the turks.
There blades carve blood arc as they ride down the back of the turkish lines killing all that come in to reach.

Karl gives the order and sends the the halberd men and doppnelsolders forwards trapping the turks in a vise of steel blades.


Struck between the horsemen at the rear and the doppnelsolders a the front the turks quickly lose there will to fight and turn to flee in to the forest.

the battle is now over what do you do?
A)loot the dead.
B)help the wounded
C)chase down the fleeing turks


-----------------
Our noble heroes
-----------------

Spoiler: Kelvin York (scapheap) (click to show/hide)

Name: Kelvin York
Gender: Male
Description of character: A clean shaven young man with grey short hair and blue eyes.
Former occupation: Bandit
Grand Goal: To rule(The world is the best case, but a town will be good enough.)
Currant occupation: Pike man
Currant wage:50$
Health: 9
Stats
Strength:3
Toughness:2
Dexterity:2
Charisma:4
Supernatural power:1
Supernatural field: Wind
Skills
One hand weapons skill:5
Climbing skill:4
Literacy skill:1
Military knowledge:2
10 typo?
Weapon in use: Falchion (damage 6)
Armour in use: Quilted Armour(bar head/neck) and Mail(bar head/neck)

Baggage cart (other items go here)
5 meter of rope
5 torchs
Spear
$34

Spoiler: Harvey (Patrick Hunt) (click to show/hide)

Name: Harvey Sam Bekter
Gender: Male
Description of character: Medium length light brown hair and bright green eyes, around 6ft tall and powerfully muscled.
Former occupation: Soldier.
Grand Goal: Be the best warrior he can be.
Currant occupation: Doppelsöldner(Sword and Buckler Man)
Currant wage:100$
Health: 9

Stats
Strength:5
Toughness:2
Dexterity:5
Charisma: 1
Supernatural power: 1
Supernatural field : None.

Skills.
Exotic 3
One Handed 3
Ranged 3
Military Knowledge 3

Weapon in use: 5 Glaives, 2 Fae Blades.
Armour in use: Head/Neck, Chest/Shoulders/Arms, Legs. ( Quilted. ) Chest. ( Coat of plates. )

Remaining money : 55

Spoiler: Otto Lugwig (USEC_OFFICER) (click to show/hide)

Name: Otto Lugwig
Gender: Male
Description of character: Filthy brown hair, wild grey eyes, cragged and scarred face.
Former occupation: Preacher
Grand Goal: To convert the heathens and heretics.
Currant occupation: Pike man
Currant wage:50$
Health: 9

Stats
Strength: 1
Toughness: 3
Dexterity: 1
Charisma: 3
Supernatural power: 4
Supernatural field: Spiritual/Holy

Skills
One hand weapons skill: 2
Climbing skill: 1
Riding skill: 1
Literacy skill: 8

Weapon in use: Hammer
Armour in use:Quilted Armour(Full)

Baggage cart (other items go here)
German Bible
Donkey
Wooden CrossSpear
140$

Spoiler:  Croweheart (GiglameshDespair) (click to show/hide)

name: Croweheart
Gender: Male
Description of character: With a stocky build, his features are concealed by a heavy black cloak with hood pulled up leaves only his sword arm free. A mask shaped as a crow covers his face, his odd eyes hidden in shadow. His pupil is slighted slitted, like that of a crow. His voice when he speaks is harsh and grates, like two stone slabs grinding against each other. Over his soldier is a huge sword, raw and heavy - more like a slab of iron than a sword. Despite it's rough nature, a suprisingly elegant dragon has been carved into the blade.
Former occupation: Plague doctor/ monster hunter
Grand Goal: Extermination of monsters
Currant occupation: Doppelsöldner(Greatsword)
Currant wage:100$

Health: 13

Stats:
Strength: 4
Toughness: 4
Dexterity: 2
Charisma: 1 
Supernatural power: 3?  (total states =14 the max's is 12.)
Supernatural field: Earth

Skills:
Two-handed weapons: 7
Ranged: 3
Literary: 3

Weapon in use: Long bow, Greatsword
Armour in use: Quilted Armour: head, chest, shoulders, arms and legs.
Mail: head
Coat of plates: Chest, shoulders
Plate: hands gauntlets
AP head  AP4 blunt AP3
AP  Chest, shoulders  AP5 blunt AP 4
AP Hands AP7 Blunt AP3
Rest  AP1 Blunt AP3

Baggage cart (other items go here)
60$

Spoiler: The company of Karl Ludwig's muster book. (numbers to be updated) (click to show/hide)

   Staff
  Hauptmann (captain) Karl Ludwig
  Lieutenant  Karl Mathiasen
  Lieutenant Ulderico Serafini
  Fahnenträger (sergeant)  Valerio Donati
  Feldwebel (flag bearer) Andrzej Szczepanski
  Kaplan (Chaplain)  Guillaume Chevalier
  Dolmetscher (Translator) to be hired

   Enlisted
    300 pikemen
    80 musketeers 
    50 halbardiers (Doppelsöldner)
    50 swordsmen (Doppelsöldner)
    5 cook
    3 Runers

[Funk]

dam double post.

[Patrick Hunt]

Loot the bodies, find a full set of plate armor and take it for myself then go to visit the commanders.

Walking into the tent later that day Harvey nodded respectfully to the commanders before turning to Vlad.

" You promised me a reward if I lived and I'm still here, a lot of men aren't because of my blades. Now I've come for you to keep your word and I have a request.

We're clearly in a war where our enemy has us vastly outnumbered. We need more men and on that matter I have an idea, Karl if you'd release my contract I'd like for you two to hire me as a mercenary company working for you. We took many prisoners amongst them veteran mercenaries, they have no loyalty to the enemy and will gladly accept a new contract rather then execution or slavery. Give me the pick of the prisoners and pay for the first months wages. I'll outfit them from the spoils of the battle we have over 4000 sets of equipment I'm sure I can find armor and the raw materials I need to have the smiths make weapons so long as you allow me to take whatever I need from the spoils for my men.

After that they can be paid from the spoils of war and you'll gain a force of veteran warriors to support you, let me have first pick after every battle we fight so I can bolster my men and outfit them and I'll swear an oath to serve you loyally as long as this war shall last. The swordsmen can attest to my skill at arms and that was me alone, consider the damage I can do to our enemy with a company of veteran warriors behind me. "

If they agree go to the prisoners area and have every mercenary moved into a different area then assess them all for skill and if they are melee, ranged or cavalry, send any infantry below doppel skill level to Karl and cavalry to Vlad.

[GiglameshDespair]

((Funk, do you proofread your posts? I've noticed a bit of misuse of words like 'their' and 'there'. 'Their' is possessive: e.g. their breakneck charge, as their infantry masses for a charge. I've noticed a few spelling errors. A quick proofread makes the whole go a lot smoother.

Patrick, two things: I'm not sure they used any of your strategy at all. Any commanding was done by Vlad and the mercenary Captain. It was certainly not you who "handed [him] victory." Even if they did, you've fought in one battle, and you're requesting command of ~one third of all soldiers present, many of which he does not command. Even if Vlad did give you command of the soldiers in his army, I wouldn't think he has the ability to give you or the mercenary Captain would permit you to take at least a fifth of his troop. ))

The battle done, Croweheart searched for plate armour, searching for wounded as he did so. Those he found mortally wounded he put out of thier misery, those with survivable wounds he carried back to any medicaes.

[Patrick Hunt]

(( I know, I'm expecting him to give me a smaller amount of men thats the point. The more I request the more I'm likely to receive and I did suggest the formation we used and the flank charge by the halbs, swordsmen and the massed charge by his cavalry.

I doubt he'll give me my command at all but he promised me a reward and I suspect I can get at least promoted to an officer in command of the doppel swordsmen.

Something I read years ago, when promised a reward ask for far more then you actually seek and when they give less then you ask it's still more then you want.
All I want is about 100 infantry preferably doppel and some archers. If I get some cavalry to thats a bonus. Still far less then I asked for but it's all I really want.))

[Funk]

I did proof read it, but fresh eyes are always better at finding faults.
Im dyslexic and have horrible spelling so i end up using the spell checker a lot.

I am still thinking of how to make sure i dont start running Patrick Hunt commands his army and every one else looks on and still let Patrick have some troops

[GiglameshDespair]

((Quite frankly, I'm not sure any reasonable commander who give him troops. He's an unknown mercenary who's been in one battle. Even if they did follow his strategies as being his strategies and not come up with something similar by themselves (the strategy being not exactly complicated), he's still unproven. If men were assigned to him, they'd chafe at being commanded by a man who's been with them for a lot less of a time. Vlad could either give him some of his own levies (angering the men, being commanded by an unknown mercenary) or some of the Captain's men, which he probably doesn't have the authority to do anyway. Also that would anger the Captain, who wouldn't want to entrust men to a somewhat arrogant soldier he hired a few weeks back.

Also, what kind of system did you want here: An army based system or a hero-group based system. So far there's been no use or test of any of our equipment, health, or magic - we could have all been armed with pitchforks, and it would have made no difference to the narrative. ))