English Civil Wat at Writtle

Club day again and today we had agreed to put on an ECW game using Pike & Shotte rules.

Bob and I provided the figures, Allan the terrain & buildings.

Steve & Ian picked the Parliamentarians but Bob, Allan and I got the initiative for the Royalists.

Here's the view left of the Royalist line

and here are the Parliamentarians drawn up behind the church

This village is on the Royalist right flank and Allan has artillery here !

Some Parliamentarian officers have taken to the church roof for a good view of proceedings !

Each side has two guns - here is one of the Parliamentary ones

Allan has decided to keep his infantry out on the left of the village.

The Royalists get off to a fast and furious start - low dice rolls mean two or three moves straight off bringing the cavalry beyond the centre of the battlefield.

Mind you, the infantry are not slacking either !

and the Royalist guns have stayed limbered and moved up with the army

Charge !  The Royalist cavalry go head to head with the enemy, almost pinned on their start line.

Three regiments of them

The Parliamentarian foote are not so keen to get moving and loiter behind the church.

One limbered enemy gun has been ridden over by the Royalist and lost as they sweep past

Steve has managed to get his troops on the left of the Parliamentarian line moving but their are no enemy over here.

I know - the flag is Gerrard's, a Royalist unit but never mind.

So how goes the cavalry melee ?

Allan's foote don't care as they steadily advance on the Royalist right.

In the centre, the Royalist infantry and one gun do likewise.

Ah yes, cavalry - well the Parliamentarian "lobsters" have fled but two more regiments are behind them

Steve's men swing round as they have seen the enemy cavalry go by and now spy Royalist foote  coming

The Royalists now have five cavalry regiments into the enemy positions.

Ian's troops have at last stirred themselves and lined the churchyard walls

Steve gets some musketeers to fire at the Royalist cavalry but they are exposing their position in doing so

and other of his men exchange fire with Allan's men.

Naturally, at this point, just when a further charge might have swept all the Parliamentarian cavalry away, the Royalists fail command rolls and don't move !

Steve and Ian use this lull to get the gun firing and press infantry forward

Whilst a furious fire fight across the hedges has developed, the Royalist heavy cavalry have chased off some enemy musketeers that had been popping away at them.

Now the Parliamentary cavalry charge !

As other Royalist cavalry is shot at by the enemy musketeers

Two Royalist foote exchange fire with the enemy in the churchyard.

Honours even ! Both sides cavalry have seen units go from the fight 

Now its one against one.

as two Royalist cavalry units are bogged down because of enemy shotte

Steve gets his last infantry unit forward to threaten the village and Royalist gun there

The fight across the hedgerows has settled into a stalemate.

Neither side brave enough to cross the hedges into the road and beyond.

Maybe the cavalry in the centre can get the breakthrough ?

With casualties mounting, the Royalist cavalry commander has managed to extricate two units from the attack to try and reform them.

But guess what, whilst trying to reform, the Royalist "heavies' threw a double 6 which means a Blunder !  Rolling again, it turns into an uncontrolled charge against the enemy White coat regiment !

 Despite getting an extra unit into a firing position, Steve's infantry still seem unable to get to grips with the Royalist infantry

What are those "Lobsters" doing ?!!

Bouncing back with casualties ! Not a clever move.

However, two Royalist cavalry units are still behind enemy lines and now threatening the enemy remaining gun and infantry flank

But no movement - whats going on ?

The infantry in the centre now seek each other out

as Ian's extreme right unit crosses the tall hedges to protect that flank

The King's Lifeguard and gun seem disinterested and fail to move or fire.

Now Ian's Purple coats charge the Royalist foote

their last gun gone, one Parliamentarian foote unit forms a "hedgehog" to protect itself from the enemy cavalry milling about - one of which has just become disorganised from enemy fire.

The infantry melee continues unabated, neither side able to get the upper hand

Bob's cavalry have advanced again to provide some support to the Royalist foote engaged in battle.

With Ian's men across the hedges, at last the King's Lifeguard of foote swing around to face this threat 

After five hours of fighting - and snow coming down steadily outside the club, it was decided nobody was going to win today. With Bob in particular facing a long journey home, a draw was declared and the troops put back in their boxes

Shame, as we Royalists had thought we were going to sweep the field to start with but the dice Gods decided otherwise and attrition ground down the attack to a stalemate.

Nevertheless, an enjoyable morning and afternoon at Writtle.