Border Reivers, The Battle of the Cross - The Rejects at Broadside 2015

It was an early start on Sunday, but not as early as BigLee's, (click here for his report)

We all met round Posties house and  after a quick 35 minute drive down the A2, we arrived at Broadside!!!!

There were many traders already there, but we were one of the first games to set up

Lee looks very happy to be there!

Nearly ready....

Milton Hundred in their nice bright yellow tops, we could see you everywhere, 

but I guess that's the idea!

Postie looks a little stumped?? 

Doh!

And we're off!

Walter Armstrong lights his beacon on the hill, to call for help from his fellow Scots.

But will any turn up and when?

This is a fictitious game set in the year 1590, somewhere in the Scottish Middle March.

Helen the young teenage daughter of Steven (Mad Dog) Stapleton (Surj) has sneaked away from the family home in England and crossed the border into Scotland, to be with her lover Robert (The Fearless), (Ray) son of Walter (Wally) Armstrong (BigLee). Since both families hate each other, Robert has pleaded with his Mother and Father to let Helen stay in the family home, this they reluctantly agreed to as they know it’s only a matter of time before the Stapleton’s arrive to claim their daughter back!

Thus the scene is set, can the Stapleton’s force their daughter to come home with Fire & Sword or can the Armstrong’s win the day by supporting their son and dishing out their own kind punishment to the English.

OOB

Defending the Bastille,  The Scots -  Armstrong’s Rejects BigLee & Ray

28 Foot (Not all on the table at the start)

8 Civilians

11 Horse

1 Dog

Attack Force, English – The Stapleton’s Rejects Surj & Smiffy (Who played a Mercenary Captain)

26 Foot

13 Horse

2 Dogs

6 Bundles of Faggots

1 Battering Ram

1 Pack Horse

Surj and Smiffy learned a few valuable lessons from our practice game.

Get in fast.

While myself and Lee decided to stay under cover and not advance.

We moved men inside the Bastille house straight away and didn't move a Horse forward.

"She's hiding in there, now how the hell are we gonna get her out"

Mad Dog screamed!

Mad Dog Stapleton led from the front, galloping fast to get his wayward daughter back!!

We were allowed to pick a sharpeshooter, we choose the chap in red behind the wall.

Lee then moved him into the Bastille, for more protection...it didn't work.

BAAAA!

We were out of range, and unable to fire.

My Horse wait in anticipation

The villages carry on as if nothing is happening??

Boooooo!

Smiffy leading from the front, decides he likes the look of the sheep?

Smiffies Mercenaries pass the Cross, the Scottish horse look to be outnumbered.

The English foot are running through the open ground.

Foot move 6 inches and add the throw of  a D4 to run.

While Horse move 8' and throw a D8 to run.

The first casualty of the day.

This figure and another 59 casualty figures were bought and painted by Postie in under a

 week from Hoka Hey Wargaming, check them out!!

At the end of the turn, we were very relived to receive some help, 

5 Horse from the neighboring village came to shed some English blood

We were unlucky, we kept missing the first turn, which meant we were on the

 back foot for most of the game.

Then in a just ridiculous turn, the dice gods deserted us and we lost all the Scots defending the

walls outside the House.

Smiffy and Surj needed to throw a 16 plus on a D20, which they managed with ease!

We fired back from inside the house and didn't hit a bloody thing!

.

 We loved Posties fire markers, made from Teddy Bear fur, wrapped around a pipe cleaner, then poked into the widows of the building.

Things didn't get any better for us, our newly arrived Horse were completely wiped out.

You can see what's left of them in the pic above, just above the red X.

The English had total control of the Battlefield, we'd lost every man outside of the Bastille House.

While they had only lost a mere 10 figures. Our reinforcement, just never arrived in time.

Much to Robert's sorrow Wally Armstrong raised the white flag and handed over Mad Dog's daughter.

And so ends...The Battle of the Cross

The Rejects

BigLee, Surj, Evil Postie, Dave, Little Oliver, Ray & Smiffy

We did have a part 2 

We restarted the game and  swapped sides, 

I'll maybe post a few pics of that game at a later date.

Cheers

Ray