Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Hail Cromwell: English v. Scots

Steve & Renfrey's English v. Mike & Mark's Scots

Both sides had 2 infantry divisions of 4 shotte & 2 pike & 2 cavalry divisions of 4.  The English cavalry was heavy, the Scots cavalry was medium, with 2 lancers.  The Scots also had 2 medium guns.  Jim umpired.  The Scots are on the left in the pics.
The English have advanced on both flanks.  The Scots are holding their horse back on the ridge on the far flank & slowly advancing to meet the English elsewhere.

The first combats are hidden by Mike's arm.  The English horse swept the left of the Scots cavalry away, but lost their own left where the Scots had some shotte support from the farm.
On the far flank the cavalry of both sides have regrouped with the Scots falling back.  On the near flank the infantry are engaged in a long range firefight.  The Scots are moving their right flank cavalry to the left.  The English are advancing in the centre.
In the centre the English horse charged the guns and the flank of the Scots horse.  Their infantry attacked in support on each side, but their horse on the far flank refused to advance.
The left of the English cavalry rode down the guns and joined their comrade's attack on the Scots horse in their sweeping advance.  The first line of Scots horse broke, but somehow the second line held their ground and the English bounced back.  The English infantry attacks were also beaten off.
All the players have retreated to the right side of the table to escape Mark's emissions.  Renfrey's infantry is advancing on the near flank.  The 2 Scots cavalry divisions, both on half strength are taking advantage of the English flanking cavalry's slowness to counterattack the English cavalry in the centre.
With English cavalry on the flank failing to assist, the English cavalry in the centre has been broken. Mike's infantry is attacking out of the farm putting big pressure on Steve's foot.  Mark is giving ground as Renfrey's foot advances in the foreground.
Mike's infantry pressure backed up by a cavalry charge has broken the English infantry division on the right.  That's 2 out of 4 divisions broken before the enemy has lost any, so it's game over and a Scots victory.

The English looked like they should have won this one.   Their cavalry charge in the centre was only stopped by some pretty remarkable dice throwing by Mark.  Their right flank cavalry should have swept down on the centre and cleaned up the Scots cavalry, but bad command dice kept it out of the action until the Scots won elsewhere. 

1 comment:

John Lambshead said...

Scots win: boo, hiss. :)