English Civil War

English: Mike, Chris & mark.
Scots: Jim, Mitch & Steve.
Both sides had 2 cavalry brigades of 4, 3 infantry brigades of 2 pile & 4 shot plus 2 guns.
Rules: Hail Cromwell.  Table 12'x6'.

The Scots are on the left. The English have cavalry on each wing.  The Scots have 1 cavalry on their left & the other as a central reserve.

The English made a general advance.  The Scots redeployed a little to meet the attack, keeping their reserve behind their centre.

On the far flank the Scots cavalry was simply ridden down by an equal English brigade in a shower of bad dice.  But on the near flank the English cavalry was met with a wall of hedgehogs, thought better of their attack & fell back. With their left already a brigade down, the Scots now advanced their right while forming a defensive position in the farm on what was now their left flank. 

As the English start their attack on the farm, the Scots cavalry reserve has attacked the English.  On the near flank the English cavalry has advanced again to meet the Scot's foot.

The 2nd Scot's cavalry brigade's dice were little better than the 1st & they failed to make the hoped for breakthrough.  A counterattack on their left by the victorious English cavalry was replused, mainly due to the Scots artillery in the farmyard firing into their flank. On the nea rflank the English cavalry is being well held by the Scots foot.  Between the cavalry fights the Scots infnatry advance has stalled in the face of Oakie's shower of 6's.

In the farm, the Scots are hanging on grimly.  On the near flank neither side can gain the upper hand.  In the centre, the Scots cavalry plug the gap despite heavy casualties.

The English are slowly pushing their way thru the farm. The Scot's hopes of breaking the English centre before their left collapses have now disappeared after another counterattack has failed to break thru against the English 6's.  The Scots are now just trying to hang on until nightfall. 

In the last turn before nightfall (10pm realtime) the Scotish infantry in the farm has broken.  The army remains unbroken with only 2 of 5 brigades lost, but the English have lost no brigades, so clearly the Scots have no alternative but to claim victory and retreat overnight in good order.

The Scots responded to the terrible performance of their cavalry on their left by trying to attack on their right before the English could use their now superior numbers.  The farm & their well positioned artillery bought them time to turn defeat into victory, but their counterattack lucked out, the English centre held them off, & the opportunity passed.