Small Table 28mm - Battle of Wakefield Road. Turns 1 through 9.

So with the table set up, the troops chosen and the time to fight it, the battle can take place.

Setting the Scene.

January 1643, Yorkshire.

Royalist forces under Lord Newcastle are capturing town after town in the North of England. Parliamentary forces, commanded by Lord Fairfax are being hard pressed after two defeats in rapid succession. He realises that he had no hope of holding Pontefract and ordered Sir William Brereton, the town's commander, to move his force to join him at Wakefield.

Royalist intelligence discovered the planned move and Newcastle ordered Lord George Goring to take a small force to intercept, hold and if possible defeat Brereton before he could link up with Fairfax.

We join the scene at the junction of the Pontefract and Wakefield Roads.

Turn One

Royalist win initiative and successfully deploy Foulston's Dragoons who enter the field from the North West.
Parliament: fail initiative roll.

No sign of the Parliamentary army.

Turn Two

Parliament: fail activation roll.
Royalist: fail activation roll and halt to assess the area.

Turn Three 

Royalist: Dragoon's advance a leisurely single move of 9 cm.
Parliament: Okey's Dragoons finally appear on the Pontefract Road.

Turn Four

Parliament : dragoons one move forward.
Royalist: dragoons one move forward. Neither side in any hurry.

Turn Five

Royalist: a sudden urgency sees them move forward three moves (27cm)
Parliament : fail activation roll.

Turn Six

Both fail to activate.

Turn Seven

Royalist: Foulston's Dragoons move two forward and reach West wall of the house, also throw a 6 to allow the rest of the army to begin entering the field from the North West.

Parliament: A sudden urgency sees the dragoons move forward three and almost reach the road junction.

The head of the Royalist army of Lord George Goring enter the field.

Okey's Dragoons finally get a decent roll and approach the junction of the Wakefield Road.

Turn Eight

Parliament: another maximum move brings Okey's Dragoons to the South East corner of the house wall, But fail to throw a 5 or 6 to bring the rest of the army to the table.

Royalist: 2 moves allow Foulston's Dragoons to dismount, scale the walls and occupy the house and grounds. (I have substituted 6 dismounted for 3 mounted for effect, also will avoid confusion with a standard foot regiment). The Royalist army also have three moves and so the whole force is now on the table.

Three battalia of Royalists, one each of horse, foot and ordnance.

Turn Nine

Royalist: Dragoons move close to carbine range.
Main force just one move, horse regiments begin to veer South toward the Wakefield Road.

Parliament: Okey's Dragoons dismount and take up position behind the East wall.
Successful roll also means the lead units of the Parliamentary force now enter on the Pontefract Road.

Royalist horse battalia begin to head for the road.

The Parliamentary army starts to appear on the Pontefract Road.

 

A view from the lead elements of the Parliamentary army.

The whole Royalist army in view to the North West.

So that is the opening moves, I think the smaller unit sizes and substituting cm for inches is working just fine so far. Once combat begins it should be interesting.

So that is update one, please call back to the Tabletop Commanders Blog for the next instalment.