It's my castle because my troops are in it! IV/23 Feudal English v IV/58 Medieval Irish

 This is a DBA3.0 battle with the following solo gaming changes

1. I laid out the board first for aesthetics, with the theme of "a defensible shore."

3. The board includes some objectives.

3. I utilized a 2d6 solo chance table (appended).

4. The riverine paltry/difficult going rules are applied to the heights above the beach.

The board is a polythene mat (the cheap kind) pinned onto a 3D understructure built from hard foam and card for the most part. On top of the mat I pin the medieval castle, woods, scrub, a path from beach to castle muster field, an ancient earthwork, and two croplands.

I add a beacon (a simple 25mm base, with a red pin by it) and make up some variant rules about scaling the beach cliff. These don't apply to the known track, which is passable in column.

I set three objectives that, for the aggressor, count the same as taking elements. 

1. Take the castle: counts as game over.

2. Seize the ancient hill fort: counts as one. The theory is that locals have run to shelter in it, and they become potential hostages or slaves.

3. Capture the beacon before it can be lit: counts as one.

Army choice

Mainly because of the castle, I decided to field sides from period IV and if possible, something Normal related. That means Feudal English, IV/23. Looking at my very few choices of regular opposition to them (French are very much a WIP, I have some levy and crossbows so far, that could be annexed to some Crusader elements to make an unconvincing army,) I am left with Medieval Irish, IV/58.

Both armies have quite a range of options.

The sides I've chosen:

English: KnGen, 3xKn, 1xCv, 4xBw, 2xHd, 1xPs

Irish: LHGen, 2xLH, 3xBd, 6xPs

Defenders:

The concept is that the Irish have seized an English castle and the English want it back! The Irish have the Castle as their base, and I decide there is no need to show the barge-camp on the beach, for the English.

Deployment:

Note that I have placed a Bd to defend the castle - no need to make storming it easy!

After Action Report:

In the early bounds a 6PIP beginning gets the Irish into great position! The English are sluggish, and even get hit with a Confusion on three elements! It's only fair that the same thing happens to the Irish...

And the advance (isolated owing the Confusion) longbows rush and take the earthworks. If the Cv had been behind them, the battle may have had a very different result!

The English have further success on their right. They roll a "paltry" result meaning that they have found a path. The Ps push up, but by that time the Irish Ps are in reverse chevron ready to receive them.

As bounds go by the English eventually roll high enough PIPs to get their feudal levy up. The Irish general moves to mid-forward, to keep command & control.

The English longbow left have secured the first objective! English 1, Irish 0.

There's no point waiting around for the Lb to score high on archery, so the Ps and LHGen close on the Lb line as it expands, while the Ps engage the levy at the path. It's all excellent results for the Irish who not only take a Lb element but manage to double the levy! The English knights are still stuck exiting the beach and the KnGen and two more Kn are still back on the beach! English 1, Irish 2. The Irish still have spare PIPs and race a LH over to the beacon, and deny the English that objective.

As is often the case, a single Ps (English right) gives a good account of itself...

Meanwhile the English Kn stuck behind the levy start to panic and swing out to take out the Irish Ps ganging up on the levy. The English take their first element. English 2, Irish 2. 

But sadly for the English that's their apogee: the LHGen zips across to engage the Kn and destroys it. Then the LHGen signals his left and the Ps on the clifftop sandwich the English Ps and KO it. 

A coupe of extra photos of the end of battle. Irish IV/58 beat English IV/23, 4-2.

Wash-up view

The 2d6 randomness chosen does not affect the general's choice at all, so is interesting but not useful. I felt pretty positive about the objectives, and will keep them in for the next rotation.

I feel really bad for the English general, those Cv really needed to be up with the LB or ahead of them. Bad PIPs meant that they may never have made it to the beacon but as it was, they had no chance.

Annex: the 2d6 "in play" variance

2d6 solo wargame randoms: AFTER rolling PIPs/activation, move normally. BEFORE missile attack phase, roll 2d6. Use a random engine such as a dice to determine which elements are affected.

11–12 Initiative. A single element has double PIPs/may either move twice, move and then shoot, or shoot twice.

7-10 No Event. Nothing happens. 

5,6 Confusion. 1d3 elements/PIPs may not move this turn. 

3,4 Ammunition Shortage. 1d3 elements may not shoot this turn. 

2 Demoralization. A single element flees. 

Source: NordicWeasel