First I must say that I think it is very difficult to play against bretonnians on 500pts. The reason is that because the enemy rarely can obtain some features or units that could stop knights. My enemy was a friend of mine, and we played a lot of times, but at that time both our rosters were unusual. The field was about 30 inches between our deployment zones, and about 40 inches width. We based our armies on border patrol rules, so I was able not to take bsb or realms, but was forced to take infantry.
So here is my list:
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Paladin – Sir Rober de Hotamart, on barded warhorse, having virtue of confidence, questing vow and two-hand weapon.
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Knights Errant – 8, with full command
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Mounted yeoman – 5, with shield and musician
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Men-at-arms – 17, with spears and full command.
It was played in the rules of 6 edition, so I have used two-handed weapon on my general almost always. The problem was that sir Rober isn’t actually a questing knight, so I was confused all the time I’ve played. With new rules, there is no problem anymore. Maybe I am the one knight who is little satisfied with new rules of our questing knights… 17 peasants are for four ranks of 4 peasants and 1 for reserve. I thought of all-infantry enemy army and prepared for the front battle with 12 swordmasters! Having initially +2 cr, I was thinking of holding line at first turn, while errant would charge and destroy spearman. And 2 ranks of 4 peasants each were able to kill one swordmaster. If the general would be with them, then my general would charge them, issuing challenge and killing enemy general without problem, while errants would charge spearmen alone. Yeoman was for flanking and absorbing enemy shooting… So musician was necessary. I expected bowmen, so was hoping that spearmen or swodmasters would be smaller, allowing my peasants and errants defeat them. This was based on knowledge that my friend is very fond of swordmasters and loves bowmen. But he failed to live up my hopes! So here goes his army:
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Commander – general on a barded horse, armed with heavy armor, shield, lance and sword of might, also with pure of heart.
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Silver Helms – 6, with shields, standard bearer and musician
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Archers – 10, with standard and musician
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Bolt thrower.
I was stunned by this army! At first, I don’t like all bolt throwers. But if you cease on a lance formation, common thrower cannot kill many knights, while repeater might be still very dangerous. Also, it is deadly for peasant and yeomen. Next, I was afraid that his silver helms might charge my errants, having ws4 and st5. To start deploying, we simply rolled a dices to determing who will be the first, and it was me. My final disposition was: on the left flank peasants, knights in center and yeomen on the front of them. Knights were fielded in one line. My opponent placed his rbt on the right, archers in the center and silver helms on the left flank. And here goes the battle!
Sir Rober was riding with a small squadron near the north seashore. He took part in the session of Curia of the King, but considered all those conservations unusefull and boring. But being king’s vassal he was supposed to help king with his advice, not only sword. But what does advice of a senior of small land mean? So he spent his time riding as far from Couronne as it was possible. And now he was riding near the sea, when, having climbed on the hill, he saw high elves on the opposite hill preparing for battle. It seemed strange for him – to see high elves here, especially fielding their bolt thrower! So sir decided that it was probably dark elves, masked for high elves. But whether it was so or not, they were going to fight with bretonnians. Sir placed his small squadron at the top of the hill in order to wait for opponent actions and to get some time to think over his deeds and to ask the Lady, whether he deserves his knighthood or not. He asked the Lady to bless his sword for the battle and fill his heart with fearlessness. He relied only on his sword because all of his soldiers were not his men. Peasants and yeomen were the militia of Couronne, and his knights were a band of young errants. Sir has got to the habit to fight along with his vassals, knights of his own castle. He have always been feasting and hunting with them, and their fidelity on the battlefield was undoubted. But nevertheless you can rely on other knights, and so did sir, but you cannot trust mean peasants, especially not your holders! Being of indulgent temper for his peasants and lightening their work and duty, he was loved by his them. His yeomen were especially loyal for his lord because sir frequently released his peasants from personal dependence. But you can never trust other peasants! So sir was worried of this battle and relied only on his own sword. He addressed to knights with suggestion to pray for the Lady and prepare to face with Silver Helms. And then he turned to waiting.
First turn.
Sir and his knights were waiting for the elves to start battle. And so they did it! First, thrower shot a couple of rather small arrows at knights, and they put forward their shields and relied on the Lady, but one knights was killed by foul weapon. Therefore knights have galloped to the enemy line, in hope to kill all mean elves and to take revenge of their killed fellow. Enemy archers shot at yeomen at the same time and killed one as well. They have had orders from sir and moved forward and slightly right according them. Peasant moved forward as quick as they were able.
Second turn.
Though knights and yeomen were moving, they couldn’t avoid elven arrows. Bolt thrower fired again, and one more knight was killed. What defense could mail provide against big arrows fired by elves? But others kicked off arrows with help of shields, though it was fatal for both shield and hand, or with the favor of the Lady. Archers shot their arrows from the hill simultaneously, and two yeomen were killed. And no wonder they have fled right now, even though sir was near. These mean peasant left battlefield, and it is doubtful that their musician trumpeted trying to bring them back! But knights hadn’t noted it and have kept on moving forward to the enemy, and so peasants did. At that time silver helms moved left bias and turned right to get possibility of flanking charging knights. By this maneuver they threatened the right flank and sir was thinking to attack them, but errants were galloping towards archers in anger, and there were no possibility to turn them. So sir decided to attack silver helms alone in order to save those unwise young knights. He leaved them and galloped to the helms with full speed and charged them. They were not ready for this, and were thrown into confusion. Having approached knights, sir issued a challenge, and enemy general couldn’t refuse it, he was actually alone. So he charged towards sir and engaged him in combat. But what were the chances of elven commander against bretonnian knight? He missed sir with his lance, while sir stroked him with two-handed sword. Commander had defended with his shield, but mighty stub chopped up it and fell on him, cutting his mail and wounding commander. But the next blow was deadly. Sir turned and carried horizontal blow, cutting out commander’s head… At that time six remaining knights errant charged elven archers on the hill, and even though they were firing almost point-blank, their arrows bounced of knights while their lances were deadly for four elves, and another one was trampled down by horses. Archers haven’t hold those mighty attack and fled, but there was no rescue, all of them were killed by pursuing knights.
Third turn.
While errants were pursuing and killing enemy archers, peasant marched to the rbt. But its crew fired at them in hope that those peasants would flee, and they were successful! Five of peasants were killed! So much that they have stopped and then fled away… That is usual! At that time silver helmes have come to their senses and attacked sir. Two of them have attacked him simultaneously, and sir was able to block only one blow, while the second fell on him, smiting some rings of his mail, but armor stood against blow. Then sir stroke one of those helms with mighty thrust, smiting his shield and plate and killing him. But he saw another foe targeting on him and at once stroke him, beating back his sword. Having pushed so hard, the remaining of helms slightly stepped back, giving sir an opportunity to rest some seconds. On the other side of the battlefield, knights errant turned back to ride off thrower, and moved towards it with full speed.
Fourth turn.
Having killed and banished peasant, the crew of thrower turned it to knights. They have almost approached this hell machine, but it fired at them, killing two knight. And it is hard to believe they fled at the time forsaking their commander alone at the battlefield! But sir has been restoring the glory of chivalry while this shame has been occurring. He was attacked by remaining silver helms, but the first missed him and was crushed immediately, and the musician shared his fate, while heroic standard bearer wounded sir with precise blow, penetrating his mail. But he wouldn’t get away with this and was slew. So sir turned to the rbt in spite of his wound. And so peasants did though it is unbelievable.
Fifth turn.
It was short… Sir was knocked down by an arrow from rbt... Those mean elves defeated sir with shooting… Damn! But it was draw! Remember pure of heart for elven general, and it costs 100pts! Exactly as the only remaining rbt costs! And I must say that sir was not slain! He was wounded hard, mean errants have returned to the battlefield and brought sir to Couronne, where he was healed.
Tactics 
