English Civil War - Big Sunday Game!!!!

It was again time for a Big Sunday Game: this time ECW (some fictional scenario of two armies/infantries moving up against each other while the horse is away missing the first two turns. Peter and Bart and Fred were talking the Royalist standarte while me and Mike were conscripted for the Parliament.

The scenario design was for 8 players so we had many Cavalry to deploy between us. Bart was in his element! Both sides could muster up to 8 regiment of horse on each flank!!!

In the middle were a forrest and a city located that hindered initial deployment, so a fine case terrain decision for two different battles. Also who controlled the middle would control the battle with flank attacks. So we decided to deploy 4 of my horse regiment for the "middle", while I block the overpowering 8 Royal horses... if just the other flank would not break ... against Barts 8 horse regiments - he is renown for his cavalry attacks!

But then something happened ... or better nothing, as Barts cavalry seemed to lacked the will or the monetary funds to move forward, typically these royal mercenaries! Throughout the day Campbell kept the pressure up and Barts units were melting faster than snow in hell. As it turned out a major drain in the Royal funds!

Mike was first too quick advancing and loosing his veterans vs Peter in the centre, but that might be just a ruse just to assure them in their perceived security. 

I just advanced and took position and hold. After one unsuccessful charge I learned quick. My fire was just about better than the enemy, but enough to keep them in check. Even my newly recruits weren't even tested, as nobody approached them in the hedges.

The Royalists waited too long, bottle-necked their overwhelming cavalry opposite my lines, while Bart lost the other flank. It was just a question of some turns as finally the war chest of the king was empty...

A resounding victory for the Parliament and progress! The conservative approach of the Royalists did not helped them in the slightest to master this crisis before them ... when did it ever. ;)

The Parliamentarians on the right and the Royalists on the left

in the foreground left my flank ... ordered to hold

8 Royal cavalry regts vs my 4

a little forrest helped me in my deployment

And some hedges that were easy to reach

to link to the center

that was the complete battle bottle neck

and the hedges held too

while the rest of our cavalry could wreak havoc in the centre

2in1: Some Waterloo and the big Sunday game Renaissance, ECW, FK&P

2in1 this time ...

FIRST: the Waterloo board game from 1980, International games/Simulation games of the same - Me and Alisdair played the British fending off a overachieving Napoleon played by Bart.

It didn‘t looked good for the allies to cut it short, just as well (or worse) the French guns did with our infantry. Even before the Prussians arrived. We would have 3 or 4 turns of fit and aggravated French outnumbering us by the turn(s) ...

We sadly had to end because we were running out of time, so not even the Prussians were able to arrive to remedy the situation (if they would be able to...). A clear French victory - Congratulations, Bart! 

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SECOND: the 28mm big Sunday club game, English Civil War, rule set - For King&Parliament;

It was a feast on a very long table - due to IT issues I was first drafted to fight for the Crown, then they tried to "shanghay" me into Westminster lines, but in the end decided to fight for the ones with the better hair cuts. Besides I was able to play with a LOT of cavalry - what else do you need more?

I was on the royals right hand side and opposing me was Alisdair with some Scottish lancers and some horses, already outnumbered behind some stonewall fences. The King‘s plan was I just advance around the church and defeat the Parliaments horse and then we swoop up.

I must say Alisdair gave a very brave account of himself and every Scottish horse delayed my cavalier army a turn more. But in the end he had to give as I had the bigger numbers. - In the end a crushing victory for the crown!

Nonetheless I think I earned at least 12 coins for the King, who turned out was as usually very unthankful, hurting my cavalier honour, saying that my advance was too slow!! I guess the next time will have to throw my hat into for the parliamentarian cause. Let heads roll! ;)

The Battle of Soggy Bottom repeat - ECW

It was 28mm, and right in the English Civil War, while using "For King And Parliament" - our Sunday game ... Bart was the King and Campbell the Cromwell.

It looked like a nice uneventful afternoon so I decided to be Parlamentarian, with a couple of Pike&Shotte units bang in the middle not much to do just advance and weathering it out, while the Horse flanks will decide the battle.

But then in our war council, it was revealed how few and shitty our cavalry was and they would be expected to be run over soon ... any minute  -  so the infantry had to save the day, and act quick ...

So as I advanced with the lot in line, the King‘s veterans came closer nearly shot Campbell‘s Cromwell away... juuust about it.

Then we advanced and shot and advanced and shot, slowly grinding them down, and at the end I just shot and charged two units of the King off board - that were my 6 points (of course the others had much more kills/points!!!) towards a parlamentarian monarchy, and the end of a wholesome, organic, and vitamin rich (blood) ECW Sunday afternoon battle.

The rules worked a treat and the miniatures were splendid. Of course you could have done all with the Pike&Shotte rules, but then half of the crowd would have had me tarred and feathered ... or were at each others throats because of the interpretation of them rules... haha!

Please enjoy the actual photographical documentary, taken from historical tin-miniatures - no real humans or animals were hurt in the process.

initial set up 

with forrest at the edges!

jolly roundheads

and Cavaliers

and some Scotts

at first the Royalists advanced in the centre

my sector advanced further

supported by lots of cheese crackers

Then the cavaliers chargedin

some Scotts defending some racing grounds ...

and me troops advanced

and shot(t)

and shot the enemy away 

on both sides of my sector

to the point that royalist cavalry had to come and charge me in the flank ...

... without effect, but to withdraw a bit ...

while our cavalry made an more clever stance as it might appear 

the opposing flank charger  got the same of that treatment and the last Royal coins were ours!

Cromwell was happy!