BLAM Wars of the Roses battle report - pseudo-Wakefield (ish). Loosely.

[Captain Blood]

Here’s a battle report from our medieval game at last week’s BLAM, British Lead Adventure Meeting.

The lovely rugged moorland terrain was by Steve ‘Silent Invader’ Marshall – designed for a Game of Thrones, but here serving very well as a proxy Yorkshire, in a very (very) loosely based scenario along the lines of the Battle of Wakefield.

The figures (250 individually based) are by Silent Invader (the Yorkists) and myself (the Lancastrians). Purists, please ignore the fact that the liveries and standards don’t match up in all cases! (I explain the large number of liveried Yorkists in the Lancastrian ranks by appointing George Duke of Clarence, who turned his coat at least twice, as one of the Lancastrian commanders).

The rules used were Silent Invader’s new all-purpose generic rules for all periods and setting, which worked very well for the most part, although, as you’ll see, the effect of longbow fire proved a bit more bloody than anticipated! But it made for a fairly quick game.

The Lancastrians were played by Overlord, Romark and myself. The Yorkists by Slade44, Dr Zombie, and Hu Rhu.

A general view of the virgin battlefield from the ridge at the Western end of the field, with the Yorkist positions on the left and the Lancastrians crossing from the stream to the right.




The armies assume their positions. The Yorkist defensive line between the derelict fortifications and the farmhouse. The advancing Lancastrians arrayed behind the stream.




The Lancastrian line advances across the stream. Battle is joined as the first arrows fly from the Yorkist ranks, and the two sides exchange desultory cannon shot.




But wait, someone has obviously not told the numerically inferior Yorkists they are supposed to be defending! Their armoured men-at-arms in the centre rush out to meet the advancing Lancastrian line.




Straight into the teeth of the Lancastrian longbows - ye Gods! - with fairly devastating consequences later…




Meanwhile, near the Eastern end of the field, the Lancastrian men-at-arms watch in consternation as the Yorkist light horse make an early move from the cover of the farm…




The entire Yorkist line now advances to catch up with their on-rushing men-at-arms, with even the Yorkist longbowmen abandoning the safety of their stone walls on the Yorkist right, to join the general advance…




The Lancastrian commander sees his chance and throws his heavily armoured mounted knights across the river in an attempt to turn the Yorkists now undefended right flank…




…whilst the Lancastrians prickers and scurrers swarm across the stream to meet the threat from the advancing Yorkist light horse…




…who begin to come under sustained archery fire from a body of longbowmen on the Lancastrian extreme right.




A general view of the battlefield at this point in proceedings. With the Yorkist men-at-arms, still hell-bent on getting stuck into the Lancastrian line.



Meanwhile, at the Western end of the field, the Lancastrian heavy horse clatter into the Yorkist longbows. Unfortunately, this did not have quite the devastating shock and awe effect, as they managed to arrive at a trot rather than a gallop, somewhat drawing the sting from what should have been a devastating charge. (Note meanwhile, that the kamikaze Yorkist men-at-arms have been decimated by longbow fire as they close with the Lancastrian line… )




As a body of Yorkist billmen swing right from the Yorkist centre to join in the melee, the Lancastrian heavy horse are thrown back by weight of numbers. Which the Yorkist master gunner decides is an opportune moment to let rip...




In the foreground, the York billmen swing into the flank of the Lancastrian mounted men-at-arms; in the distance, on the far left of the Yorkist flank, the York billmen are thrown forward in support of their light horse who have ridden into the teeth of the Lancastrian arrow storm; in the centre, the rest of the Yorkist line decides to hold, as they watch their few surviving men-at-arms from the vanguard rush heroically towards the Lancastrians…




Meanwhile – Paf! The Yorkist gun open up at point blank range, devastating the Lancastrian mounted men-at-arms, now reduced from a 10 man unit to just two! (Who needless to say, break for the river).




Finally the Yorkist men-at-arms close with the Lancastrian longbows. Unfortunately, despite their superior armour and skill with weapons, they are swiftly overwhelmed and killed by sheer weight of numbers. A heroic but ultimately doomed charge, ended at last.




Meanwhile at the other end of the field, the Yorkist bills have smashed into the Lancastrian right flank, and a confused and bloody melee ensues…




In the thick of it… Can you tell who’s who? No? Well, this indeed was part of the problem in the Wars of The Roses!




The Yorkist light horse having largely been destroyed by arrow storm and in a few hand to hand flurries, the Lancastrian commander is able to summon his own light horse back towards his left flank. Or to attempt to sweep through the large hole that has appeared in the Yorkist centre…




With the battle now breaking up into small struggling knots of men, on the Lancastrian side, the Renegade George, Duke of Clarence, is undecided on a course of action - so stands with his men in the middle of the ford and shouts encouragement instead…




At the Eastern end of the field, the Yorkist bill attack has been whittled down to a few desperate men, who are finally flung back…




The last of the Yorkist light horsemen is cornered on the banks of the stream and taken down by a band of Lancastrian men-at-arms…




All that remains of the Yorkist centre… That company of longbowmen has just done sterling work however, wiping out the ENTIRE unit of 20 Lancastrian longbowmen facing them in just a single double volley (yes, the rules are brutal when it comes to close order men in the open at a reasonably close range – perhaps a mite too brutal: Silent Invader is adjusting as we speak!)




Despite the grievous loss of their centre company of longbowmen, the battle seems to have reached a tipping point… Lancastrian billmen rush forward to attack the Yorkist right flank, and the Lancastrian commander rallies the last of his mounted men-at-arms to join in the fray.




Whilst in the centre, the Lancastrian prickers and scurrers swarm onto the last isolated company of Yorkist men-at-arms and their commander…




Not many figures left on the table!




A brutal melee on the Yorkist right / Lancastrian left begins to edge the way of the Lancastrians…




The Lancastrian light horse ride down the Yorkist men-at-arms… And the Yorkist commander yields.




And that’s about that.
More or less fought to a bloody standstill, but just about edged by the Lancastrians, who had rather more men left on the field and mustered in more intact bodies of men.


What would have happened had the Yorkists held their defensive position? Who knows - but likely a very different outcome, because longbows turned out to be very powerful under these rules.

There again, the game was a loose ‘homage’ to the Battle of Wakefield, where Richard Duke of York unaccountably DID ride out from the safety of Sandal Castle, and was duly killed, along with Earl Warwick father's, Salisbury and a large part of his army lost. So not entirely implausible, and bravo to the Yorkists for having the chutzpah to sally forth. It was a close-run thing.

I hope you enjoyed the spectacle. Thanks to Steve for the gorgeous terrain, new rules, and half the figures. And to my fellow LAFers - a truly multinational force of English, Welsh, Irish and Danish, for playing the game

[painterman]

Great to see your figures (and terrain) in action.

[Phil Robinson]

Most spectacular indeed.

[Jeff965]

Excellent battle report Richard, the figures and terrain are fantastic. Everywhere you look there's a diorama 

[OSHIROmodels]

It looked great on the day 

cheers

James

[Silent Invader]

Thanks for the wonderfully detailed report Richard - most appreciated. 

It was a great learning experience for the rules, with the large number of minis (relative to what has been played before) serving to highlight the changes required. 

[Romark]

Great report Richard,looks just like I remember it,sorry I had to leave before the end but pleased that you and Overlord managed to see it out to a Lancastrian victory 

Cheers

Keith

[m4jumbo]

Fantastic looking game and report!

[Dr. Zombie]

Great write up. I really enjoyed this game. It looked spectacular and Silent Invaders rules were really good I think. I am keen to give them a go with my own collection.

As for the battle it self. I think it could have gone completely different if my fellow generals had taken my advice to take out the opposing archers and light targets first. In stead of insisting to shoot on the most heavily armored men at arms. As it turned out it really was the archers who decided this battle.

Not completely unhistorical. But as said a bit to powerful.

[Furt]

What a wonderful looking game!     

Congrats to all involved. So much color and confusion!!

Love the plate clad gent impaled on the stake in the 2nd last shot. 

[Marine0846]

Love the look of the game and the figures.
Gaming at its finest.

[Gracchus Armisurplus]

Gorgeous terrain and models, looks like a great day out!

[sukhe_bator]

Well jealous - looks like a fab game... very atmospheric!

[Melnibonean]

Great battle report with some lovely figures and terrain.
After some recent success with making nice new hills I'll have to lift my game and make some decent terrain boards.

[Steve F]

A very good looking game and nicely photographed.

Given that all the minis were individually based, did you ever find yourself losing track of which were whose to the extent of affecting the game?