World War of the Roses - May 22 & 23 - results and next year....

[Norm]

Lovely scenes / pictures.

[Eric the Shed]

The table is almost ready to fight the First Battle of St Albans, once the boys bring down another 9 buildings on Saturday. I have purposely left lots of open ground, as we have bucket-loads of miniatures to pour onto the table.

Looking great - not sure if it helps but my orders of battle and special rules for St Albans are all on my blog here

http://shedwars.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-first-battle-of-st-albans-28mm_29.html

because of all the street fighting we wished we had pushed our town closer to the centre of the table - best of luck on Saturday

[FierceKitty]

(Tolpit village. Enter King Edward as prologue)
King: Though two months' wait have crept their tiresome way,
Like unto a friend who, late for the game,
Hath not turn'd up and wears the patience out
Of those whose smalltalk is exhausted quite
And cannot drink more coffee without risk,
Yet is the day of battle now arriv'd,
With high plumes dancing o'er his burnish'd helm
And proud, bright trumpets calling men to arms.
Now long the dice to rattle in the tower,
The rules neglected to be read again;
And now the warlike figures are unpack'd,
10 mil or 28, 15 or 6,
Ready to act in little scale and space
Great feats of courage, mighty histories,
And crimes to make the page of record blush.

[FierceKitty]

(another part of Tolpit village. Enter severally two clowns)
Clo. I:   Save thee, neighbour. Is the world run mad,
   That such great hosts do march upon our fields,
   And, if report say true, our goodly king,
   Henry of Lancaster, fortune e’er attend him,
   In presence with the beauteous Margaret?
   Have they no business in London keeps them there,
   But huddle in this corner of the realm?
Clo. II:   Why the blank verse? In these scenes of low life among the common folk, we should  speak earthy prose, mixed withal into a scramble of worn-out idioms and heavy puns.
Clo. I: Aye, if only to allow the leads time to scramble into their armour and cast an eye o'er the script for the big speech to the army.
Clo. II: But tell me, friend, why do they fight these wars? I do wonder what they will do with the crown after they win it at the cost of so much bloodshed.
Clo.I: Marry, worry for the rest of their lives over who intends to steal it from their heads, and perchance their heads from their shoulders too.
Clo. II: First thing that I’d do, I’d kill all the rules lawyers. Is’t not a shame that because Phil Barker could not write good plain English or understand a tapster’s arithmetic, the Sabbath afternoon of games should end in broken friendships?
Clo. I: Aye, and broken heads at that. Come, shall we drain the ale in yon hostelry before the thirsty soldiers steal it all?
Clo. II: Lead on, I’ll follow thee.

[FierceKitty]

(Queen Margaret adressesses her army)
....And, though unskilful, why not Ned and I
For once allow'd the skilful pilot's charge?
We will not from the helm to sit and weep,
But keep our course, though the rough wind say no,
From shelves and rocks that threaten us with wreck.
As good to chide the waves as speak them fair.
And what is Edward but a ruthless sea?
What Clarence but a quicksand of deceit?
And Richard but a ragged fatal rock?
All these the enemies to our poor bark.
Say you can swim; alas, 'tis but a while!
Tread on the sand; why, there you quickly sink:
Bestride the rock; the tide will wash you off,
Or else you famish; that's a threefold death.
This speak I, lords, to let you understand,
If case some one of you would fly from us,
That there's no hoped-for mercy with the brothers
More than with ruthless waves, with sands and rocks.
Why, courage then! what cannot be avoided
'Twere childish weakness to lament or fear.

[FierceKitty]

(King Edward adresses his forces) He that hath no stomach for this fight, let him depart.
                                                  His passport shall be made... (Richard of Gloucester whispereth to him,
                                                  secretly, in his ear).
                                                  Right, forget I said that. Go get 'em, boys!
Clarence (aside):                         Ever too thirsty for the Malmsey-wine,
                                                 Our brother shall be king despite himself.
                                                 Hast sharpened thy sword?
Gloucester:                                 Aye, that I have. (aside)Belike more than thou shalt relish, by the by!
                                                 Let's to it, pell-mell!

[Norm]

Sire, every man shall don their armour
and by sword, by bill, with conviction of the righteous and by virtue true
we shall suffer our enemy
to kneel before their new King this day.

[FierceKitty]

Sire, every man shall don their armour
and by sword, by bill, with conviction of the righteous and by virtue true
we shall suffer our enemy
to kneel before their new King this day.

Our real enemy is the Duke of Clarence, who has deserted with all our cavalry, such as it is! Fortunately, Stanley, commanding the Lancastrian horse, is ignoring orders.

[FierceKitty]

Advance report: battle was a draw, both armies being compelled to withdraw with shaky morale. Hastings, Pole, and Clifford fell in the battle, Clarence deserted. A proper AAR and photographs will follow, but it's dinnertime in Siam.

[FierceKitty]

AAR:
Behind Yorkist lines, facing the village of Tolpit.

[FierceKitty]

Lee was allowed a strong vanguard by the random cards (as well as extra beer, which steadies troops who might otherwise recoil).

[FierceKitty]

Richard of Gloucester flanked by the Lords Hastings and Bourchier. I hoped these would pin the Lancastrian centre while we waited for brother George to bring the off-table flank march into action. A wise plan.

[FierceKitty]

The Lee manouvre; move your general (Neville, Earl of Warwick) into a town where artillery can't reach him, and wait with a strong reserve for an opening.
The Lancastrian player's real name is Krisanan, but she likes the nickname.

[FierceKitty]

Courtenay's retainers were facing my guns, and very aware that their pavises wouldn't stop a cannonball. Herbert's retainers were well aware that the guns were shooting at Courtenay, which they considered a satisfactory state of affairs.

[FierceKitty]

Lord Stanley, backing Lancaster at this stage, decided to sit out the first four rounds. William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, had read "Richard III" and moved up to cover his flank in case Stanley turned his coat.
Alas, my own knights, under George Duke of Clarence, were sent off to turn the enemy flank, and decided to stop off at Peterhaven for a drink or two. Or three. Or four....