Royalist:
The first and only blunder of the game! The Royalist horse battalia rapidly retreat two moves!
Royalist Medium battery fire at the Parliamentary horse at long range and miss.
Royalist foot, in a desperate attempt to defend the perimeter, cause another casualty to Rawdon's Foot but do no damage to Oglesby's as both hits are saved.
Parliament:
The Parliamentary horse advance one move, chasing the Royalist horse.
Okey's Dragoons, with job done and being vulnerable are ordered to remount and pull back.
This allows Joseph's Foot to assault the wall and cause casualties and disorder to Newcastle's Foot, who are known as 'The Lambs' due to their white jackets.
In vicious fighting with musket, sword and fists the Royalist 'Blewcoats' save one hit but become disordered. The London Trained Band manage one hit on Rawdon's Foot but it is saved.
Ominously, the Parliamentary medium ordnance begin to move into position to bombard the house.
Whilst the light battery move and unlimber to attempt counter-battery fire.
Turn Sixteen
Parliament:
The medium battery now gain three moves, and unlimber in front of the house. Whilst the horse chase after the Royalist horse.
The battle of the house and grounds rages on, Royalist units take more casualties and Rawdon's Foot successfully pass a break test.
'The Lambs' take another casualty and save a second.
Royalist:
A renewed surge by the Royalist foot regiments see the London Trained Band recoil through casualties, become disordered and in the break test have to fall back one move. Oglesby's Foot also take casualties and become disordered. The Royalist horse attempt to turn to face the enemy but fail.
The L.T.B. are pushed back.
Newcastle's Lambs cause a hit on Joseph's Foot.
The royalist medium battery causes medium range hits on the Parliamentary light guns and forces them back out of range.
Turn Seventeen
The Royalist horse finally turn and charge. Rupert's horse score 6 hits on Ireton's horse which manage to save 4 of them!
In more hand to hand fighting, the Blewcoats inflict two further hits on Oglesby' foot which are now disordered and shaken. It is too much and they fail the break test.
Oglesby's Foot have routed from the field.
The L.T.B, are also now shaken but take no further casualties. The Lambs, cause another casualty to Joseph's Foot.
Parliament:
Seeking vengeance, Joseph's foot surge forward again and this time take the wall causing more casualties on the The Lambs who become shaken. They fail the break test, some slip away to the false safety of the house, whilst the majority, totally exhausted throw down their weapons in surrender.
The Lambs are no more.
Ireton's Horse score three hits on Rupert's Horse and put them in disorder.
Turn Eighteen
Parliament:
More desperate fighting in the grounds of the house see Rawdon's foot suffer more casualties but they pass the break test and so remove a casualty.
The casualty is removed, but is just false hope, as the now free and still bloodthirsty Joseph's Foot also pour musketry into them.
The result is devastating, huge casualties as well as becoming shaken. The remnants throw down their weapons in surrender.
The Royalist position is close to collapse, they are one unit routing away from defeat.
Ireton's Horse give them that unit! They score six hits with only two saves on Rupert's Horse. They reel under the onslaught and failing the break test, take to their heels in rout.
The battle is over, it was a close run affair, but the sudden collapse of three Royalist units in quick succession gave Parliament a much needed victory.
Sir William Brereton had suffered casualties in the victory, but had captured two batteries of guns, their crews and abandoned the weapons. Lord George Goring and many of his men were now his prisoners and the whole victorious force marched on to Wakefield to join with Lord Fairfax.
For Lord Newcastle, the defeat was irksome, though not disastrous. He would have to delay his march into Lancashire to deal with this new threat in his rear.
So there you have it, a 28mm scale battle on a small table, using small units. I had to compromise in a few areas, but overall the Pike and Shotte rules worked really well. I must admit in the heat of the battle, I totally forgot the small scale of the units and seeing three horsemen representing a regiment didn't detract from the spectacle for me.
Thank you to everyone for your support and comments on this series.
Hello. I've lately discovered this blog and have been enjoying your recounting of these games. I particularly enjoyed this one.
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