This was a rainy afternoon pick up game, which let us break in the new Austrian Hapsburg army (morphed from Italian War Spanish-Imperialist army). We played in 15mm on a 6x4 table, 500 points each. As both armies had a high proportion of cavalry, each player planned for a very open battlefield. The field ended up with a low hill on the right flank of the Ottomans and a woods on the right flank of the Austrians.

The Austrian army had 2 Austrian generals and 1 Transylvanian allied general. Each general had 3 orders. From the right flank, the Austrians set up as follows: The CinCs battle with reiters (AC, S, Irr, 2xP, 4 stands), a unit of hussars (LAC, S(F), Irr(U), Sp/B, 4 stands) between the edge and the woods, with grenzers in the woods (LAI, S, Irr(U), H Musket/Sw, 4 stands). The allied battle deployed in the center with: retainers (LAC, S(F), Irr(U), Sp/B, 4 stands), Boyars (HC, Vet(F), Irr, L, 2 stands), a unit of hussars, and Cossacks (LAC, S(F), Irr(U), Sp/B/1xP, 4 stands). Haiducks (LAI, S/C, Irr(U), Arq, 4 stands) formed a second line behind the hussars. The left battle consisted of: a medium artillery stand, a landsknecht brigade (2 light artillery stands, 6 pike stands ((HI, S, T)), and 6 arquebusier stands (LAI, S, T(U)). Next were the Lancers (AC, Vet(F), T, L, 4 stands). On the far left of the army was a 2 stand unit of heavy artillery.

The Ottoman army also had 3 generals, 2 with 3 orders and the right general with 2 orders. The left command had 3 lines. The front line contained 2 akinji units (LAC, S, Irr(U), B/Sw, 2 stands). The second line had another akinji unit (conscript), a light cavalry unit (LAC, S(F), Irr(U), Sp, 2 stands) and a Sipahi unit (HC, S, Irr, Sp/B, 3 stands) supporting the front line. The third line contained 2 units of Sipahis of the Porte (MC, E(F), T, L/B, 2 stands). The center command contained a 2 stand battery of medium artillery, a Sipahi unit screened by Azabs (LAI, C, Irr(U), B, 3 stands). To the right were veteran Sipahis (MC, Vet(F), Irr, Sp/B, 3 stands) also screened by Azabs. Supporting them was a Janissary brigade (LAI, E, T, Arq/Sw, 8 stands). The last troops were marksmen (LAI, E, Irr, H Musket, 2 stands). The right command started with a 2 stand battery of heavy guns atop the hill with Azabs screening them on the front slope. Next were the Iaylars (LAI, V(F), Irr, Axe, 6 stands), a unit of light cavalry and finally another akinji unit (conscript).

The game began with the Ottomans pushing forward on both flanks. On the right the akinji and light cavalry units raced for the Austrian heavy battery. On the left, they pushed out all 3 akinjis, the light cavalry and the sipahis. Lack of orders, a problem that would continue the entire game, prevented the Sipahis of the Porte from following this turn. The Austrians moved their lancers forward to protect their heavy battery. This unfortunately masked its fire for this turn. Additionally the landsknecht brigade moved ponderously forward towards the Ottoman heavy battery on the hill. On his right flank, the Austrian commander moved his reiters and hussars to meet the Ottoman main thrust. The allies moved quickly forward with his Boyars, Cossacks and hussars in the center.

The Austrians attempted to silence the Ottoman heavy battery with their artillery, as they would throughout the game. This turn they could only use the medium stand as the heavy battery was masked. The Ottomans, on the other hand, fired at Austrian cavalry units crossing the field. The medium battery fired at the boyars for no hits, the heavy for two hits on the lancers.

This turn opened with the lancers charging the akinjis on the Ottoman right flank, forcing both the light cavalry and akinjis to retreat safely out of range. While the lancers picked up a disorder, the danger to the Austrian heavy guns was over, for now.

On the other flank, the akinjis and hussars blundered into contact. The sipahis began a wheel to threaten the Austrian center and the Sipahis of the Porte began to move forward. The light cavalry unit sat still due to lack of orders.

In the center, the Ottomans bided their time as the Transylvanians continued to thunder across the open. The landsknechts continued their ponderous advance.

With the heavy battery unmasked, the Austrians concentrated all their guns on the Ottomans on the hill. St Barnabas didn’t smile on them, 6 dice and no hits. The Ottoman mediums continued bombarding the boyars, causing 2 hits. The Ottoman heavy guns raked the pikes for 2 hits. Akinji bow fire on the advancing hussars was ineffective.

The only close combat occurred between the hussars and the akinjis. Poor rolling and lack of charge bonuses ended with a continuing melee, with both units taking 1 hit.

Action in the center became heavy as the boyars and Cossacks charged, and were countercharged by the sipahis. On the Austrian right, the reiters charged the flanking akinjis, who converted their feigned flight order to real flight.

In the center, the allies advanced their hussars up between the 2 melees. The Azabs screening the Ottoman heavy battery took a smoke break while the landsknechts continued to advance. Meanwhile on their left, the Ottomans moved an akinji unit into the ongoing melee to give themselves a second rank. They also continued moving the Sipahi of the Porte units forward towards the reiters while the sipahis maneuvered to threaten the Transylvanian attack. On the right, the akinjis sidestepped the lancers and galloped wildly after the Austrian heavy battery.

The Austrian guns continued their counter battery fire on the Ottoman heavy guns, being rewarded with 3 hits! The Ottoman heavies in return scored a hit on the pikes, which had moved into effective range. The Ottoman medium battery, with the boyars out of arc, switched to the boyars’ retainers, causing 1 hit at long range.

Generally, melees this turn were bloody but indecisive. On the Ottoman left, both the hussars and akinjis lost a figure and remained locked. In the center, the fanatical Cossacks locked with the veteran sipahis, and the boyars pushed back the other sipahis. Although the boyars did lose a stand, they easily passed the morale check.

Leaving the heavy battery to its own devices, the lancers advanced, forcing the light cavalry to retreat. Hoping to trap and overwhelm the lancers, the akinjis and the Iaylars both deployed to face the lancers. In the center, somebody woke up the Azabs and told them the landsknechts were coming. The Janissaries prepared to defend against the allied hussars, but the hussars deployed to their right to take the sipahis combating the boyars in the flank.

On the Austrian right, the reiters wheeled for the face off with the Sipahis of the Porte. The sipahis continued to move towards the Transylvanian retainers.

The Austrians continued the bombardment of the Ottoman heavy guns, removing a stand and forcing a morale check, which as veterans they easily passed. The Ottomans continued firing at the pikes, scoring 3 hits and removing a stand. Again, the morale test was easily passed. On the Ottoman left the Porte and akinjis shot their bows at the reiters, scoring 1 hit.

This turn finally saw resolution of the cavalry melee on the flank. The hussars lost a stand in the melee. They rolled a 1 on the morale check, routed, and swept the Austrian CinC along with them. In another stroke of bad luck, the reiters caught the panic of the hussars and routed, which left the grenzers as the last unit on the Austrian right.

In the center, the boyars broke the sipahis. All the surrounding Ottoman units passed their morale tests, with the Azabs going frenzied. The Cossacks and the sipahis(V) locked, each losing a figure. This caused the Cossacks to take morale test, which they failed and retreated, disordered.

The center saw the last charges of the game when the frenzied Azabs and the boyars charged into each other. The Ottoman medium battery and the sipahis turned towards the orderless hussars in preparation for their destruction (hopefully). The landsknechts, after slogging across the battlefield, charged the Azabs screening the Ottoman guns on the hill forcing them to retreat and leave the guns unprotected. On the Austrian left, the lancers advanced on the light cavalry, forcing them to retreat off the board. While this happened, the Iaylars and akinjis moved in on the lancers rear and flank. Over on the other side of the battlefield, the sipahis continued to close on the retainers as the allied general moved back within command range of them. The Sipahis of the Porte both deployed towards the center, but would play no further part in the fight.

Again the Austrian guns concentrated on the Ottoman heavy battery, but again they fared poorly, scoring only 1 hit. The Ottoman guns in turn blasted the landsknechts at close range. This caused the pikes to lose a stand, and go frenzied on their morale check.

The boyars and Azab melee had a surprise. Good dice rolling for the Ottomans and poor dice for the Austrian resulted in a lock, with both units losing 1 figure. At this point, the game was called because we needed to prepare the table for dinner, a strategic victory for the Ottomans.