English Civil War : Pike & Shotte

Yesterday, we got together at Graham's place (Bob, Graham & I) for a game using Graham's superb collection supported by one or two of my troops.

A peaceful pastoral scene - about to be ruined by our battle !

Graham's Royalist army arrives

 complete with artillery

Commanders decide on their plan of battle

This country house marks the other extreme of the battlefield

which is this

Parliamentarian cavalry in force on their right wing

faced by Royalists

who swiftly close with their foe

In no time we have a melee !

Honours even after the first round

One Roundhead unit falls back

This will continue no doubt

Crash !  Here they go again !

They will fight all afternoon until one side finally collapses

In the centre, Bob advances a Battalia. The Earl of Essex is on the hill beside his guns

Roylist Foote move forward too.

Graham despatches dragoons towards the mill stream

Lengthwise view at this point

Another Royalist Battaglia on the move

This is the Parliamentarian left flank hemmed in behind the mill stream and marshy area

The large house has a perfect view of the cavalry clash in their grounds !

Regiments are becoming disorganised and picking up casualties nearing their limits

But they keep on hammering away at each other !

Suddenly, a Royalist unit breaks and a big hole opens up

which the Roundheads try to exploit

Charging in again

Graham's dragoons have dismounted and line the water's edge to fire at the enemy the other side

Royalist infantry now line a hedge line in the centre of the battlefield

Pikes and firearms

Here's the Royalist commander, Prince Rupert.

A second Royalist cavalry unit has gone, meaning that brigade is broken.

But the Parliamentarians are not in great shape either

but they have to try and destroy the remaining enemy horse if they are to threaten the enemy centre.

Those pesky dragoons !

Disturbing the residents of the mill !

A brigade commander urging his men on.

Withdrawing horse from a gap, Royalist pike and shotte move forwards again.

Bob's troops keep trying to get to grips with the Royalists in front of them but are thwarted time and again by bad command rolls or disorder from enemy fire.

The final thrust by Roundhead cavalry to clear the field

The face off in the centre continues

With one cavalry brigade finally dispensed with,

My Roundheads now find Prince Rupert has sent cavalry from the Royalist right wing all the way across the battlefield - and these are fresh troops against my weary warriors.

This does not bode well for the Parliamentarians !

Meantime, Graham has charged his Blue coated shote against the disordered enemy pikemen in front of them

but the Pikes still manage to throw them back. Worth a try though.

Prince Rupert's fresh cavalry now set about the Roundheads.

Chaos ! Two regiments are shaken the other disordered.

With Bob gone to pick up his wife, I now have charge of the Parliamentarian centre and left.

Frustrated at the lack of progress, I elect to try and get fresh reserve infantry past the disordered front ranks - bad idea !  There command throw of ONE lands them right on top of their colleagues in arms, disordering everybody !

That plus a failed charge on the left by cavalry leaves Parliamentary forces in complete disarray

Time to declare a win for the King.

Good fun, the game gave us hours of fun and interesting decisions to make. We do like Pike & Shotte.