Mongols Versus the Livonian Knights (Sword Brethren)

After a long drought due to Covid my friend and I got together for a game of Lion Rampant. It was his new Mongol Army against my Livonian Knights army.

We both had 24 points which worked out to 6 units on a side. The scenario was the Bloodbath scenario out of the Lion Rampant book.

The Mongol Army was unique and it featured one unit of Korean cavalry and another of Chinese cavalry. Both units added much finery to more drab Mongol types.

The game itself went remarkably smooth since we had not played in over a year and neither of us had played LR much prior the plague.

The game was officially a draw and I was happy to get that. The Mongols are a horse archer army but their melee ability isn't half bad either. Western style knights will always have trouble with horse archer type armies because they are hard to catch and this game proved it.

Having said that, when they do catch the target it can be lights out for the lighter Mongol types.

I should point out that I have remounted my Livonians since this game. I originally thought of using them in more than one rules system but have since decided to just go with LR. The single bases look better imo and it enhances the "feel" of the game itself.

I took some posed shots before my friend arrived and that starts the picture sequence below.

I had one unit of mounted knights in the game.

My other mounted unit were sergeants. They would get shot to pieces before they could close.

I had one unit of dismounted knights. They survived intact and were the only unit to do so. Unless you really have to hold some ground they are pretty useless against a mobile enemy that has no need to close with these bad boys.

My combined unit of Crossbows and Spears. They with the dismounted knights held their ground until almost the very end. The crossbows did some damage but would have been more effective in a 12 figure unit.

Baltic militia functioning as bidowers. They are effective in tough going terrain and half of them actually survived the game.

My enraged peasants. They were not sure who burned down their village, the Mongols or Knights. They occupied space until the Mongols fired on them with devastating effect. The remainder sensibly ran away.

My friend's Mongols are true works of art and my pictures do not do them justice. I really like the snow effect on some of the units.

The Mongol left. I believe the fancier unit is the Chinese unit-just gorgeous! 

The Mongol center and far right. The variation in the Mongol horse armor was most impressive.

I decided that once the Mongols got close enough I would not the typical western knight thing and charge supported by the sergeants. 

The Mongol left which would engage my combined CB\SP unit, the Baltic militia and the unfortunate peasants. It actually turned out to be a trade off and I was pleased with that.

The Khan's unit featured a couple of camels. The Khan would lose his life in a duel with my Grandmaster but the Khan's bodyguard did not seem to care. My Grandmaster would later die doing what grandmaster's do. 

The only Mongol foot unit. The knights rode them down but they did their job by drawing out the Livonian horse units.

Horse archers are a pain in the you know where.

I believe this is the Korean unit. Beautiful! 

The stand off. It remained that way for much of the game. The terrain favored the knights over all.

Oh, oh, terrible mismatch coming.

The militia did well in the cover until the Mongols could gang up on them after the peasants fled.

The knights on their death ride. Cool!

The knights trying to roll up all the Mongols in the center and left. They got pretty far.

The brave Baltic militia!

The doe means two knights are dead but the Mongol units are not in great shape either.

So close, but yet so far

Remarkably, the combinedCB\SP unit held until the last turn when charged by the Mongol unit to their right.

They do look better on single bases. Knights need to be in a wedge!