Laid low with "man flu" and keeping out of the cold weather, I decided to get the ECW troops off the shelf and have a solo game.
Two evenly matched sides face each other across the battlefield
Which was a bit of a shock for a Gentleman and his Lady who were just about to have a walk around their grounds !
A Royal force with cavalry on the right wing approaches
Hello ! They have even more cavalry on their left !
The Parliamentarians hove into view
With an infantry Battalia intent on capturing the gentleman's house it seems
Royalists advance on the right of the big house, cavalry with dragoons ahead
In the centre, the Royalist Foote have got to the house first after some lucky dice.
and their artillery is set up looking straight down the road.
Left of the settlement, another Royalist battalia is less keen to advance.
The Royalist horse on the left crash forwards aggressively
intent on hitting the enemy as quickly as possible
who are only too happy to oblige !
One Round Head unit has held back, is this wise ?
Parliamentarian foote have charged the Royalists besides the big house
Parliamentarian dragoons have dismounted beyond the house's hedging facing a Royalist Red Coat unit, as the Royalist dragoons continue towards the trees
Plenty of action between the buildings
A Parliamentarian cavalry unit has broken but the Royalists have to retreat to recover.
That done, in they go again !
The Royalist dragoons have dismounted now, as their cavalier colleagues canter past them
Another breather for the cavalry - but this time, the Royalist commander has a fresh unit at the front.
Parliamentary horse charge the cavaliers
as the Royalist red coats cross the hedge and head for the enemy dragoons
Its a "right old ding-dong" in the centre, with both sides determined to take the dwellings.
At last the other Royalist foote battalia gets moving, albeit slowly
The Parliamentarian cavalry are taking quite a beating and being forced from the field
Undeterred, their foote have launched an attack beside the village against the less active Royalists
So there are now two big infantry battles raging in and around the village and big house
The Round heads are having better luck out on their left, having frightened off the Cavaliers, they have now rounded on the Royalist dragoons and caught them in the rear
They break, just as the Parliamentarian dragoons do too, outnumbered as they are by the Red Coats.
Pikes, swords and muskets crash away against each other - who will prevail ?
Two great shots by the Royalist artillery see the enemy guns hit and disordered.
The Royalist Buff Coats charge the enemy flank
Although the cavaliers lost their first action, their commander is rallying them and they have not left the field.
I final push by the Royalist cavalry sees the enemy firmly defeated
Parliamantarians have broken through the village as the King tries to hold his men together
A Parliamentarian Blue Coat regiment sees its peril and turns to face the threat of enemy cavalry
Their gunners man handle the guns around too to face this threat
But this does present their flank to the Royalist artillery.
Come on cavaliers - we can do this !
With dragoons gone, the Round Heads now threaten the Red Coats flank
These tough Parliamentarians are holding onto the village and the King's men are wilting
The other infantry melee hangs in the balance
The Royalist cavalry commander rallies his men and turns them to face the enemy foote.
Should be a piece of cake !
Broken ! The King looks on in horror as his foote flee from the village
A Rebel green flag waves in victory.
Attacked on their flank and hearing that the rest of the battalia has broken, the Red Coats prepare to flee too
At least some Parliamentarian cavalry have something to cheer.
The Rebel Blue Coats back away from the Royalist cavalry as their friends battle it out with the Royalist foote.
But its 2 against 3 units
The Purple Coats break off, disorganised
Ha ha ! The Cavaliers have returned and charged the unexacting Round heads
Hurrah for the King !
Aware that all is not well behind them, these Rebel blue coats still stand firm.
Both commanders are trying to get their men reformed ready for the next clash
Its the Royalist blue coats who get their act together first - charge !
The King is relieved that they are doing their duty
just like his gunners who have pounded the enemy guns into submission
A Parliamentarian leader rallies his men behind the village
The Royalist Red coats withdraw to catch up with the rest of their beaten battalia.
But the flank is safe as the cavaliers have chased off the Round heads.
Come on men lets get these rebellious curs !
The Purple Coats are standing waiting as the Green Coats flee behind them
The Royalist cavalry slash at the infantry in front of them
Backs to the wall, aware that the rest of their battalia are behind them
In go the Royalist foote
and the enemy break !
Even though the Parliamentarians have the village, the rest of their force has broken and their flanks and rear in danger - time to withdraw !
Hard fought, but the King wins - just.
Well, that took my mind off the coughing and sneezing for a while.
