Venice Falls
“Lord Alessandro!” came a call from the forward ranks. “The walls! The walls are down! We have broken through!”
Whirling around Alessandro peered down from the brow of the hill just in time to see the wall come tumbling down as a fireball slammed into the structure, weakened after hours of constant bombardment.
Grinning he mounted his horse and bellowed. “Send forth the light infantry! Get them through that gap before the royal guard can plug the gap!”
Without a second though the light infantry commanders began the charge, and their men followed. Alessandro had studied the art of war all his life, he liked to think he was an expert, but this was his first real battle, and this was the first time he had sent so many men into the fray, knowing most of them would perish. Sending a unit of highly trained men against a village held by peasants was one thing; send them into an enemy city was another. Alessandro and those brave men did have one thing in their favour however. The so-called ‘Elite’ of the royal army had even less battle experience.
Still, those men knew the risks and where willing to sacrifice all for the good of the Venetian state. Their diversion, an apparent full on attack against the city, would buy the heavy infantry and cavalry units the time they needed to spring the real trap. The storm was an added, and altogether unexpected bonus, allowing Alessandro to reposition troops without any of his father’s scouts relaying what was going on.
The light infantry crash through the breach in the city walls, to be met by cavalry and heavy infantry.
The light infantry could not hold the attention of the Royal Guard for long however, and so the rest of the trap had to be sprung quickly, but not to soon either… timing was everything.
Eventually, satisfied that his light infantry had done a good enough job of distracting the defenders Alessandro gave the single to begin phase 2 of the plan. Agents loyal to the prince had long ago entered the city of Venice and infiltrated the royal guard, with the single they had been waiting for for the last three weeks now given they jumped eagerly into action.
Minutes later the long term plan finally came to fruition as a massive explosion ripped through the gatehouse, destroying the heavy wooden doors and opening a second breach in the wall.
Without waiting for Alessandro to give the order one section of his heavy infantry units broke away and charged into the gapping wound the explosion had caused, the second charged towards the first breach to backup the light infantry.
The result was terrific; hundreds of royal guards trapped between the two breach points had nowhere to go and where slaughtered.
During the chaos that followed Alessandros brother, and former heir to the throne of the Venetian state, was killed by an unidentified member of the heavy infantry. It is unknown if the man was killed later in the battle or if he just failed to realise who one of the many men he killed that day was.
Eventually, with the bulk of the royal army dead and many of Alessandros committed troops also dead or wounded, it was time to enact the final stage of this battle plan. The final victory would come at a cost, as many of the men who had survived the first two stages of this plan would now be lost during a feigned retreat. But if the royal guard took the bate and followed them out into the field, victory would be achieved within minutes.
As the signal was given all Alessandros troops began to retreat. At first the royal guard appeared confused, shocked at the turn of events, but within seconds the remaining generals gave the order to chase down the ‘rebellious dogs’ and to show them no mercy, and with that decision they where defeated.
As the feigned retreat crossed back over the final bridges and reached the mainland the defenders caught up with them, only to release they had run right into a trap. As they crossed the brow of a hill they where met with much of Alessandros main heavy infantry force, held back in reserve and hidden from sight by the storm and the hill, the defenders had had no idea such an army lay in wait. Knowing they would never make it back to the city they had no choice but to fight.
As cavalry crashed into their flanks the entire army collapsed. Victory was achieved. Alessandro was now Doge.
The body of Alessandros father was found 3 days later, trampled and bloodied it appeared his own men had crushed him to death during the panic of the final few moments of the battle.
[SS AAR] An Empire Reforged
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Originally Posted by blekaut
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