Civil War in Gascony (1384)

Both armies deployed among the range of broken hills which the pro-English attacker had chosen to fight in. The principal corps of both armies deployed opposite one another, the pro-English choosing to invest the steep hill in the centre with their Ax(S).

pro-English Gascons 1384
1st Corps
1	Irr	Kn	(O)	G	C-in-C		20
8	Irr	Kn	(O)		Gascon Men at Arms		80
2	Irr	Kn	(O)		Navarrese mesnaderos		20
5	Irr	Ps	(O)		Navarrese slingers		10
16		EE's:	13,5		Dem Lvl :	4,5	130
2nd Corps
1	Irr	Kn	(O)	G	General		20
2	Irr	Kn	(O)		Gascon Men at Arms		20
6	Irr	Ax	(X)		Gascon Brigans		18
4	Irr	Ps	(S)		Gascon bidets		12
6	Irr	Bw	(O)		Gascon crossbowmen		24
4	Reg	Bw	(S)		English longbowmen		28
12	Irr	Ax	(S)		Navarrese javelinmen		48
35		EE's:	33,0		Dem Lvl :	11,0	170
3rd Corps
1	Reg	Kn	(I)	G	Free Company Ally General		20
1	Reg	Kn	(I)		English knights		10
6	Reg	Bw	(S)		English longbowmen		42
4	Irr	Ax	(X)		Gascon Brigans		12
2	Irr	Ps	(S)		Gascon bidets		6
1	Reg	Art	(S)		Bombard		10
15		EE's:	14,0		Dem Lvl :	5,0	100
		Total :	60,5		Army Dem Lvl :	30,5	400

The pro-English Gascon knights were deployed in a mass on the left flank. This as good as excluded from the battle, although, paradoxically, they played a decisive role at the end. The pro-French also put their knights to the rear. The pro-French acquired a substantial deployment by negating the Bw(S) on the pro-English right flank with a surprise line of dismounted Bd(S).

pro-French Gascons 1384
1st Corps
1	Irr	Kn	(S)	G	C-in-C		22
7	Irr	Kn	(S)		Nobles		84
5	Irr	Bw	(O)		French crossbowmen		20
2	Irr	Hd	(O)		Peasants		2
15		EE's:	14,0		Dem Lvl :	5,0	128
2nd Corps
1	Irr	Kn	(S)	G	General		22
3	Irr	Kn	(S)		Nobles		36
6	Irr	Ax	(X)		Brigans		18
3	Irr	Ps	(O)		French & Spanish XB		6
10	Irr	Bw	(I)		Archers		30
1	Irr	Hd	(O)		Peasants		2
24		EE's:	22,0		Dem Lvl :	7,5	114
3rd Corps
1	Irr	Kn	(S)	G	General		22
7	Irr	Bd	(S)		Dismounted knights		84
4	Irr	Ps	(O)		French & Spanish XB		8
1	Irr	Hd	(O)		Peasants		2
13		EE's:	11,0		Dem Lvl :	4,0	116
		Total :	47,0		Army Dem Lvl :	23,5	358

The battle was quickly and heatedly engaged in the centre, with archers taking a heavy toll on the Ax(X) of both sides.

The pro-French archers had a hard time fighting off the Navarrese Ax(S) streaming down from the hill, especially as PIPs had to be wasted in the centre to hold up the knights there and prevent them suicidially charging English archers.

On the right flank, the pro-English were quickly in trouble. Gascon Ax(X) had to be sacrificed to keep the Bd(S) away from the English archers. In the end, however, both enemy commands on this flank had poor PIPs. To make matters worse, the pro-French general was killed an hour into the fight, although his command did not demoralise.

On the pro-English left, the horde of Gascon knights was unleashed. Realising that disaster would strike as soon as the Gascon Kn hit home, and with their left flank virtually immobilised, the pro-French now fully engaged their centre. This decision paid off, as French knights wreaked havoc among the enemy.

The pro-English right was broken as its general went down under the onslaught of the French lords, and the battle was now in the balance. After an two hours of heated combat (6 turns) the Gascons hit home, breaking the pro-French centre command. On the very same turn, French knights killed 2 English Bw(S), breaking the English centre in turn ! Both armies were demoralised, and after this blunt and brutal combat, broke off the engagement : a 5-5 draw.