Gonna Wait 'til the Hussite Hour

Apologies to Wilson Picket, but the Hussites certainly had their hour in last night's game. The Hussite War was a new period of gaming to me, and the game provided plenty of enjoyment, even if my Hungarians got beaten like a gong in the end. The Austrian side of the Imperial reactionary forces did much better, but the game rightly went to the opposition. My wife enjoyed it too - she commanded the Hussite center!

The prominent feature of the Hussite army was their use of Wagonbergs - a horse-drawn cross between a wooden fort and an armoured personnel carrier. These are tough beggars to tackle, being stuffed full of missile troops, all tucked up nice and cozy behind their wooden barriers. About the only weapon that can crack them is artillery, and we had little of that.
 

The Imperial Austro-Hungarian army was so impressed by the wagonburg they began copying it for their own forces. An example can be seen in the photo above. Also featured here are Hungarian noble knights; Serbian light cavalry; the earliest form of Hussar in the shape of bow-armed light cavalry; armoured infantry, and bowmen.

The game was fought to the club's favourite Impetus rules. My plan was to try and feed my hussars through the woods beyond the hill in an effort to get behind the wagonburg and destroy the supporting infantry. Unfortunately my initiative rolls were not of the best, and the saving throws allowed when a unit gets hit by missile fire or combat almost invariably rolled "six." Under Impetus, the lower the die roll the better.

The dreaded wagonburg. I had visions on the night of lines of these forming up opposite each other and blasting away, like the old sail of the line in Nelson's day. 

Thanks to Stuart, Steve and Chris for letting us play with the wonderful figures.