Dublin Part 3
This match is being retold in the medium of Irish Traditional Songs.....mostly
Lucky, lucky you...
Oh, I was playing Pechenegs.
My
Army she was fair, and my Army she was kind
And cruel were the Pechenegs that we Faced off that day
For fighting Light Horse was a thing we was never inclined to
They faced my Army that morning - with a big fat Hill in the way ..
In
valley green, on towering crag
Those Damn Horsies stood before us
Ready to be pushed off the same old baize
That's loudly trampled o'er by us
We're children of a fighting race
That never yet has known disgrace
And as we march, the foe to face
We'll chant a soldier's song..
From
a county Beijing town came some men of great renown
As Bowmen and as Riders there was none bolder
They went to stare down those Pechenegs at an early bound
As Cavalry those LH they'd planed to ride straight over
Then reinforcements took them by surprise, against Nobles would they Survive?
As from the Pecheneg back lines the Boss came and arrived -oh
So Six Archers were called out, and those Nobles they shot at
And freedom then they sought for Old China!
In the hills and farms the call to arms was heard by one and all
and from the glens came brave young men to answer China's call
twas up the Hill we faced the foe
the Bright Green brigade and its Boss
And at his word they marched on fow'ard
that China might be free!
There are wild and rocky hills, on the edge of Pechenggal.
And their Horsemen prove so hardy brave and free.
And the big Chinese Pedestrian push, was never quite just enough,
To fight them off and flee them back into the sea
Once they was happy and had a good wife
They had enough money to last them for life
Then those Pecheng Nobles met some bowmen as they went on a spree
They got taught a harsh lesson and turned to smokin' and drinkin' whiskee
You've heard of General Wellington
Who won at Waterloo,
But there's a good old Chinaman
I'll
introduce to you
He comes from dear old Beijing
He's a man we all applaud
For he always finds an Umbrella
Far more hardy than a sword.
He's good old General Chariot
He's a soldier strong and stout
Found on every battlefront
He can't be done without
His noble name has worldwide fame
Preserved through thick and thin
Hurrah for General Chariot
And the Chinese Wheelie Bins!
Now Pechnegs of an outlaw band sat up on yon mountain high
With cavalry and infantry to take them we did try
They laughed at us with scorn until 'twas said at end of day
By sheer damn weight of numbers they were cruelly betrayed
Now we're fighting in the daylight
It's caught me in its spotlight
It's alright, alright
fighting in the daylight
On the long hot summer night
Guess who just got here today?
Those Green-clad boys that had been away
Havent changed, havent much to say
But man, I still think that hill is taken
They were asking if those horse were still around
How they was, where they could be found
I told them they were going down hill
Driving all the old men crazy
The boys are back in town!!
Now Brennan being an outlaw upon the mountains high
With cavalry and infantry to take him they did try
He laughed at them with scorn until at last 'twas said
By a false-hearted woman he was cruelly betrayed
I want to ride down the Wagons that shoot me tonight
I want to reach out and touch the wood
But my factors are no good
I want to feel, clear air on my face
See the Pechenegs disappear without a trace
I want to take max points from this wretched game
But the factors are just not the same...
They were very fine craft, they had lids rigged fore-and-aft
And oh, how the wild drivers drove 'em.
They had twenty-three spokes and withstood several pokes
And they called them the Chinese Rovers!
When ManChu commanded his armies to stand,
We leveled our bowsights right over the land,
We levelled our bowsights a victory to gain
And he slew my light horseman on the way coming hame.
The dove she laments for her mate as she flies;
"Oh where, tell me where is my darling? " she cries
And where in this world is there one to compare
With my bonny light horseman who was slain in the war ?"
We had fought seven turns, but those Wagons ne'er burned
And Auxilia came up right beside 'em
And the Chariot' merry crew was reduced unto two,
'Twas myself and a bright red and yellow 'un.
There's been a lot of talk about this next combat, maybe,
maybe too much talk. This is not a decisive moment combat. This combat is
Another Bloody Combat!
I can't believe the news today
I can't close my eyes and make them go away
How long, how long must we play this game?
How long, how long
Tonight we can make them flee, tonight
Broken Wagons under spearmens's feet
And bases strewn across the rear base edge
But they won't heed the battle call
They still fight on, with their backs up against the wall !
They were the Spearmen, table edge they could see
They were well on their way before "Light Horse! oo-ee!!"
They were back fighting , they had to turn on a thread
Now they stand accused and a recoiled makes DEAD
We had one million bales of old spearmens' flails, 
We had two million Chinese on wheels.
We had three million hides stole from War Wagon sides,
We had four million snapping at their heels.
We had five million blades, we had six million spears,
And seven million Light Horse for the slaughter.
We had eight million bows shooting right at their foes
In 2 square feet of the Pecheneg's Table.
It's
alright, it's alright, it's alright
We fight in mysterious Combats
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright
Sometimes there's no way out of Mysterious Matchups
The Pecheneg fell! But the Chinese steel
Could not turn that proud flank under;
The Tank nearby, its guns spoke again,
And tore those knaves asunder;
It's
no secret that the Pechenegs are jammed against the wall
It's no secret that the Chinese think they will have it ALL
They say that the light horse is sometimes pinned by a spear
You know I don't see why when the dice are not here
It's no secret wagon shooting can often be a pain
It's no secret that the answer is to initiate combat yet again
They say a victory is something you steal from one other person
So I'm telling you, child....
I have climbed the highest mountain
I have run through the fields
Only to not flee you
Only to not flee you
I have run, I have crawled
I have scaled these wagon walls
These wagon walls
Only to not flee you
But I still haven't won like I'm hoping for
But I still haven't won like I'm hoping for...
Post Match Summary
To all intents and purposes a simple summary - I wasn;t in any particular danger of losing, however I didn't push the Pechenegs off the table, with a number of factors responsible.
- The effect of the sole gentle hill which held up my thinned-out spearmen by giving the light horse an extra factor, and with me only being able to be one rank deep it proved enough to slow me down
- The difficulties I found in of killing off the wagons positioned at odd angles - even when I got supported spear into them,
- Because the Pechenegs were so cluttered in the final quarter of the table many of the flees they did make were not straight back, thus buying extra time for them
- The spreading of the Pecheneg WWg command across the table made it difficult for me to pick on one area of the board and concentrate the casulaties I was dishing out onto one command.
- Some fairly poor pips in the initial few bounds from me also gave the Pechenegs time to rush forward and gain a vital few inches of table (9.5 would be average with 3 dice, but I failed to beat this score until bound 6, and then not again until bound 9!)
So, a draw from a game I was never
really in danger of losing, but also never quite managed to win.
