Battle of Edgehill part 1

 So today we managed to get  8 bounds played which effectively takes us to around 3.30 game time.

Before I give a summary of the events so far I just thought I’d summarise some of the tweaks I’ve made to Tony’s rules.

Activation chits. I’ve made both commanders competent which means they will generate a d4+an average dice worth of chits each go. Because it’s a large game I’ve added that each cavalry commander generates one chit for their use ( Rupert generates 2)

Tony uses 1 hit per base  loss, for infantry I use 2 hits. In this battle it’s suggested the Parliamentarian regiments were larger but fought in a deeper formation so effectively had the same frontage. Royalist regiments of foot take 6 hits before being removed, Parliamentarian take 7. They lose a combat dice per 2 hits.

It’s also suggested the Royalist foot later in the battle suffered from shortage of powder and shot and that may be one reason they gave ground and the Parliamentarian foot gained the upper hand. To reflect this after the third round of fire Royalist foot shake a d10 - a 9 or 0 they’re out of ammo next bound it’s a 8,9,0  and the following bound 7,8,9,0. It stays at this level.

Troops that retreat are disordered and take a bound and a command to reform - lose a combat dice if they fire or melee disordered.

Cavalry can perform two charges and then horses are blown and can then take no offensive action. They can defend with-1 combat dice. They can recover by being stationary and unengaged in combat for 3 bounds!

So let battle commence.

Reports suggest that although Essex was waiting for reinforcements and therefore had no urgency to engage in combat it was his artillery that opened the battle, so to kick off the battle I allowed the two Parliamentarian heavy/medium guns to fire before the first bound, the gunners had obviously found their range and with their first shots targeted Belles foot regiment and destroyed their attached light gun and inflicted a hit!

So at 2.00 pm the battle started. Royalist gained 7 activation chits. Cavalry on both flanks advanced as did the dragoons on both flanks, the Royalist heavy guns opened fire on Mandevilles foot inflicting a hit.

The Parliamentarians only gained 5 activation chits but chose a wait and see approach, their artillery fired on Bolles again inflicting a further hit and the dismounted dragoons on their right advanced through the marshy ground in the hope of threatening the Royalist cavalry.

2.10pm Royalists threw well gaining 8 activation chits, the dragoons on the right dismount as do the dragoons on the left.The front line infantry regiments advance but the Royalist cavalry stood? The Royalist player was being cautious hoping to put pressure on the enemy dragoons and musketeers before unleashing them

The Royalist artillery fired but to no effect.

The Parliamentarian gained 7 activation chits

Their artillery again targeted poor Bolles foot regiment and scored a further 2 hits they were feeling pain for sure.

Their first line of Infantry also advanced towards the Royalist foot.

2.20pm Royalists gained 7 activation chits and still had 3 in their pool their dragoons on the right flank fired causing Ballards detached musketeers to retreat.

Prince of Wales cavalry start to enter the enclosures on the Royalist right which slows them down.

Rupert and Maurice’s horse advance to within charge range of the Parliamentarian horse as they do so 3 troops of Wallers horse in the Parlaimentarian lines advance, remove their sashes and declare for the King and join Maurice’s horse ( in real life it was one possibly two troops did this we threw a d3 and scored a 6!)

Bolles regiment of foot reeling from the artillery fire managed to rally off one hit.

On the Royalist left Wilmott’s front line of cavalry also advance to within charge range, the dragoons fail to cause any casualties on the enemy.

2.30 pm Royalists gain 8 activation chits and all he’ll let loose, Royalists dragoons Usher on the right fire and miss.  On this flank Rupert, Maurice and the turncoats charge.

On the left flank Wilmott likewise charges the three regiments of Parliamentarian horse.

Bolles seeks to rally off another hit but fails.

In terms of the melees on the left flank Caernarvon’s horse is held by Balfour but inflicts 4 hits and receives one.

Wilmott destroys Lord Generals horse and loses two troops horse of horse in pursuit, they make a breakthrough move and advances towards Fairfax.

Grandison only inflicts one hit on Fielding but causes him to retreat in disorder and he manages to halt right on the board edge, in a breakthrough move he attacks Fairfax’s foot and causes a hit and forces him to retreat.

On the right flank the 3 troops of turncoats attacked Ramsay’s horse inflicting 1 hit in the fight back Ramsay destroyed the turncoats.

Prince Maurice attacks Waller inflicting 2 hits and forcing him to retreat, in the follow up Maurice destroyed  Wallers troops. One troop of Maurice’s regiment was lost in pursuit.

Prince Rupert horse hit Goodwin and inflicted 4 hits and caused him to retreat, in the breakthrough move Ruperts men charged Holle’s regiment of foot inflicting one hit, in the fight back Holles men inflicted a hit on Ruperts horse.

Suddenly Essex saw both his flanks under severe threat and he needs to try and salvage something to apply pressure and buy some time to recover.

On the left flank Ramsay attacks the Kings lifeguard causing them to retreat and in the breakthrough move he attacks Byron’s cavalry in the Royalist second line inflicting 2 hits and receiving one. 

Brooke’s regiment of foot advances and fires on Maurice’s horse inflicting one hit and causing him to retreat disordered.

Goodwin rallies and reforms his troops on the base line.

Bedford advances with two troops of reserve horse from the hill towards Prince Maurice.

Holles remains nagged with Rupert .

On the right flank Fielding reforms his horse 

Fairfax fires a disordered volley to no effect and Balfour engages with Caernarvon inflicting a hit and causing him to retreat disordered 

2.40/2.50pm 

Suddenly the Royalists were struggling for activation with only 4 being allocated the King needed to to use his reserve pool to ensure pressure was maintained.

Rupert continues to attack Holles foot but with little effect he causes one hit but in retaliation Holles forces Ruperts horse to retreat in disorder.

The Prince of Wales regiment eventually has made its way through the enclosures and charges across the last one into the Parliamentarian horse it inflicts one hit but causes the enemy to retreat off the board, the regiment loses two troops in pursuit.

Byron continues his fight with Ramsay causing casualties and forcing a retreat he follows up but fails to rout Ramsay just causing a further retreat.

On the left flank Grandison  charges Fielding but gets the worst of it and is forced to retreat disordered. In the centre the Royalist front line Infantry have advanced and exchange fire with the Parliamentarian foot casualties are inflicted but nothing serious occurs.

In response during the parliamentarian turn Ballards detached muskets fire on Prince of Wales causing it to retreat disordered. Bedford joins Sandys regiment and charges Byron’s horse both sides exchanging hits

On the right flank Fielding charges the disordered Garndison causing him to retreat in the follow up both sides take hits.

In the Infantry exchanges in the centre casualties are caused and Duttons regiment of foot is forced to retreat disordered.

The 3pm turn saw action take place all along the field of battle, on the Royalist left only 3 troops of Parliamentarian horse remain, however all of Wilmott’s first line regiments were blown and Digby and Aston were some way behind. Again on the right flank there was very little left of the Parliamentarian horse although there are 4 troops of horse in reserve in the centre, Rupert doesn’t wish to launch another attack with his regiment as yet as this would mean horses would be blown and out of action.

In the centre the foot regiments continue to trade fire but some Royalists regiments are becoming concerned ammunition is running

Part two will follow over the weekend.