AAR Battle at Älgsundet 1457 #3

I hope the PAR was a good teaser fot this AAR of our Kalmar Union War game using the Hail Caesar rules.

All was set them the players arrived to the club, they quite fast choose sides, 3 players for the King and 2 for the Archbishop and the mocking started...

The background to the battle you can find here at the PAR...Pre Action Report you get the OOB here again.

Command of C-in-C King Karl Knutsson (Bonde) 
1 Small unit of Knights
1 Small unit of Knechts
1 Small Unit of Mercenary Handguners

Command of Erik Eriksson (Gyllenstierna)
1 Units of Mercenary halberdiers
1 Small unit of Mercenary crossbowmen

Command of Erik Axelsson (Tott) 
2 Units of Allmoge (Västmanland and Närke)
1 Tiny unit of Mercenary handgunners

Left out in the PAR was the OOB for the Archbishops small forces...

Command of C-in-C Archbishop Jöns Bengtsson (Oxenstierna) 
1 Small unit of Knights (May dismount and lead the Allmoge units by example from the “front”, giving them the Stubborn ability)
2 Units of Allmoge (Fjärdhundra and Uppland)

Set-up: The Archbishops small force had the initiative and would march on the battlefield in therir first order. 

The Kings men was still asleep and had to be waken on the first order, rallied in fighting formation in the second order and might move in the third order.

The Archbishops allmoge soldiers made a swift advance against the kings camp hoping to catch him still in bed...

The Kings Mercenarys under command of Gyllenstierna was quick out of bed, formed a battle line and started to advance against the enemy, after all they were drilled and apperently well worth the money invested...

Coulden´t say the same about the Tott command, he´s allmoge soldiers took their time...

...and the King keep sleeping...

The pigs...sorry I mean Mercenarys took possitions and awaited the King to awake and get his Knights and Knecht up and running...suppose it take some extra time to get all that heavy armour on...

Back att the outskirt of the battlefield the Tott Command also did slow progress...

At last the King and his Knights managed to leave their beds and made a swift advance to catch up with the Mercenarys.

The Archbishop continued his advance straight forward the Kings gathering forces, he diden´t even consider the threat from the Command of Tott to his left flank...

Like a lightning bold the news spread through the battle field...Erik Axelsson from the house of Tott and all his allmoge soldiers had turned side and was from now on supporting the Archbishops cause:)

The Kings men cursed his defection and backstabing promising to learn him a lesson...

All did now understan the Archbishops bold advance and self-confidence. I haden´t told the Tott player that he was a traitor, didn´t want him to mouth about it to the King in advance;)

Annoyed by the defection of Tott the King ordered an all out charge, that fell flat, only the eager knight ruched forwad but not long enough...siting ducks...

The Archbishops allmoge soldiers responded by a immense crossbow fire...

The Kings Knights had been realy soften up, but the king still ordered a further charge, both the King himself and Gyllenstierna joined the battle from the front rank...

After a fierce battle one of the Allmoge units had to retreat in to the forest...giving good protection from further cavalry charges...

The confident German Mercenary halberdmen wasn´t so confident after a close fight with the other Allmoge unit and had to choose from either retreat in good order or stay in the fight disordered...they choose the later and stayed in combat...probably shoulden´t...

At the same time the traitor Tott advanced within shooting range of the Gyllenstiernas Mercenary crossbowmen, that had taken cover in the field and behind pavises...

The Kings Knights hesitated, while the Knecht and Handgunners started a firefight with the Allmoge soldiers in the forest...

Gyllenstiernas German Mercenarys was further puched back and after several turns of close fighting they broke and Gyllenstierna himself was wounded...

Now the Kings battle was hard pressed and the Knight took even more hits from the hail of crossbow bolts.

The Tott command continued a slow advance against the Mercenary Crossbowmen, making no progress with the shooting...

The Kings Knights broke after several turns of shooting...

In the last stage of the battle The allmoge under command of Tott charged the Mercenary Crossbowmen...

The Kings men were cut down and the king himself managed to escape and flee to Stockholm.

King Karl had lost all support and thought that he´s cause was lost so he escaped with the royal treasure and went into exile to Danzig (Gdańsk). The two leaders of the revolt took the regentship, and organized the election of Christian I of Denmark as king (firstly in Turku, then in Stockholm).

But King Karl Knutsson (Bonde) would be back…