Posties Rejects "The Battle of the Boyne" @ Broadside 2013

Warning!!!!

This is a looong post, so make yourself a cuppa and settle down for the evening.....

Its Monday evening and I'm still recovering from Sunday's show, I don't think I've ever talked so much!!!

As most of you know Posties Reject put on a demo game of "The Battle of the Boyne", using Barry Hilton's excellent rules Beneath the Lily Banners.

We only had time to playtest the game once which resulted in a very surprising Jacobite victory!!! So a few tweaks with the scenario and all was ready for the show, or so I thought???

A big thank you to all the Rejects for turning up at the show, and helping out, especially Reject Richard who umpired 99.9% of the game as I was busy chatting to people, I've got to admit to being quite amazed at how much attention our game got, which was the most pleasing aspect of the day for me.

I did mange to get a few pics of other games and I'll post them later in the week.

Also check our Fran and Lee's posts about the game if you haven't already that is.

Dave and me setting the table up

Smiffy and Surj helping out

Postie came up with a great idea for the roads, at Reject HQ we usually use bought road sections, but we both thought they'd not really fit the scenario, so we drew the roads in chalk on the boards then sprinkled flock over the top, it was really effective and extremely cheap!

The initial set-up

The Jacobites are on the left, while the vastly superior (in numbers!) Williamites are on the right.

I wanted the game to run as close to history as I could, so their were a few restrictions for the Willaimites, otherwise they'd just swamp the poor Jacobites. Ginkel's brigade, the cavalry top left in the above pic & the half hidden troops behind them, were not allowed to move until I said so, as you can imagine this frustrated, William and his chums!! 

The three battalions of the Garde te Voet (Dutch Blue Guards) cross the Boyne at Oldbridge ford.

Caillmotte's and Hanmar's brigades both start to cross the Boyne

The two Brigades of King James' Footguard move toward the river.

While the Earl of Antrim's move toward Oldbridge village.

The Duke of Schomberg is leading from the front as he did in the real battle. 

Wonder how deep the water is??

Ginkel's are still waiting for the tide to turn, its just too rough to cross.

That's a lot of troops!

The Earl of Clanrickard's are flying the yellow colours high while defending Oldbridge, but 

could they hold the village and for how long??

Two pics of Ginkel's brigade still waiting to cross the river.

King James' Lifeguard, patiently waiting for an order to move.

Cambon's Huguenots lead the way and are first to reach the opposite side of the Boyne.

The Blew Gardes move to deploy and attack Oldbridge.

King James' Footguard advance toward the river and give fire!!!

Henry Hyde aka Mr miniature Wargames/Battlegames mag takes some pics of the game.

Its not looking good for King James!

The Earl of Clanrickarde's wishing they weren't positioned in the village. 

The Williamites are getting in a little trouble, some of their units aren't able to form 

into line, there's just not enough room.

James' Footguards give fire once again and kill the Huguenots brigade leader Caillmotte.

The yellow markers are disorder markers.

Boissleau's two Jacobite units both move forward, to the road.

The Williamite infantry line 

Overkirke's Anglo/Irish join the front line, they were supposed to move 

around the back and cross further up stream, but the players were getting too overexcited!!!

The Willaimite infantry brigade commanded by Slangenburg await to cross the river at mill Ford. 

The Danish Horse finally get an order to move toward Yellow Island.

Facing the Danes across the river are the two Dragoon units under Lord Clare and Dongan.

Anglo/Irish units St John's, Hamilton's and Tiffin's cross the Boyne in column.

Nassau Saarbruken's fire their 1st volley into the 1st KJ Footguards. 

The Jacobite Mounted Piquets are the lone unit holding the Jacobite right flank.

The Blew Garde charge and take the perimeter of Oldbridge. Clanrickard's Battalion

 commander falls in the melee.

The Jacobite infantry line fallback, (not technically allowed in the rules, but he ho!)

Hanmar's and Nassau Saarbruken's can both be seen wadding back over the river after

 catastrophically both failing their morale checks.

The Jacobite Horse finally get an order to move.

Hamilton's move in column over onto the road, a very brave move as its just infront

 of the Jacobite Horse.

Ginkel's troops finally start to cross the Boyne at Mill Ford. The Mounted Piquets 

flee immediately the Horse start to cross the river.

Clanrickard's are beaten for the second consecutive turn and flee Oldbridge, leaving the 

3rd Battalion of the Dutch Guards as the sole occupants.

Lord Clare's and Dongan's Dragoon's spot the front of Ginkel's Horse crossing 

the river and halt their move forward in terror!!!! They sent a runner to the King, saying the flank was gone.

This caused an army morale check which the valiant Jacobites failed.

King James then led his army off the field.......