Hail Cromwell 2

Jim's New Model v. Mike's Royalists

This was our second pike & shot era battle fought using modified Hail Caesar rules.

Both sides had 2 infantry & 1 cavalry battalia.  The New Model had better cavalry with 4 ironsides v. 4 heavy horse.  The New Model foot battalia had 1 pike & 3 shot (with 1st fire), the Royalist's 2 pike & 4 shot.  Both sides had 2 medium guns.  The New Model also had a dragoon unit.

All pics taken from behind the Royalist left.  Both sides deployed with infantry in the centre & their cavalry on their left overlapping the enemy line.

The New Model formed their cavalry into columns and marched them across the rear of their army to face the Royalist horse while their infantry formed a defensive position in the wood and the dragoons moved up into the village.   The Royalists advanced their horse while their foot blundered about.

The cavaliers have fallen back before the ironsides while their infantry struggles forward.  Parliament have moved most of their left flank battalia to reinforce the centre, leaving just one muskteer unit to support the guns on the hill.

The cavaliers were pushed back by the first charge of the ironsides, but didn't break.  In the centre both sides have formed opposing battle lines and are blasting away.  On the far flank the Royalists are attacking the forlorn flank guard on the hill.

The cavaliers have been broken and the ironsides are moving behind the Royalist left flank.  The parliament's left flank guard has been broken.  The firefight in the centre continues.

The Royalist left just managed to form hedgehog in time, but the hedgehog is all but surrounded and the Royalist right is a long way away.

The hedgehog has beaten off a pike attack, but is shaken, disordered and under fire from 2 foot and 2 cavalry units. The Parliamentary left is giving ground and buying time.

Turn after turn went by with the hedgehog living a charmed life.  The muskets & pistols consistently failed to get anywhere near the odds in hits & the hedgehog passed every break test.  Meanwhile, the Royalist right eventually lapped around the Parliamentary left and broke the Parliamentary foot battalia one after the other to snatch victory.

This was a frustrating battle for Parliament.  Yes, hedgehogs are supposed to be tough nuts, but this one held out far beyond the odds.  But despite the parliamentary frustration it was an enjoyable battle for all.  The modified Hail Casear rules worked just fine - the combination of troop type mix, appropriate unit stats and special rules is certainly sufficient to produce battles with a true pike & shot feel quite distinct from our ancient games.