The Battle of Mill Bridge 1461 - A WotR Batrep

Edward IV is heading north towards Pontefract, the Earl of Warwick has joined him on his march north, Lord Fauconberg and his command are finding recruits for the Yorkist cause.
Meanwhile the young Duke of Somerset and the Earl of Northumberland hearing of Edward's march north have decided to leave the city of York and intercept the newly proclaimed King Edward IV as he heads north.
The Duke of Somerset has left the Duke of Exeter to defend York and find more willing recruits to joi the Lancastrian cause.
Thus both sides have met on the north road and have deployed for battle, the clash of steel and thunder of cannon will soon be heard across the countryside as two rival factions meet again, both sides led by commanders filled with hatred and revenge in theirs hearts. Who will win the day?

The Duke of Somerset, The Dukes Standard and the Earl of Northumberland

Only two Rejects turned up to play the excellent game, Richard picked out Edward IV therefore I had the Duke of Somerset. Its been a few years since we played the War of the Roses, so we were both a little rusty on both the rules and how to actually set up and play. Both of the factors would have a big impact on the result!

Postie made us set up in a very different way. We threw a D6 each, Richard threw the lower, therefore he had to throw again. He threw a 5, so 5 of his units had to set up, I then threw a 2. And so it went on until we had the setup above. Edward on the left Somerset on the right.

A bit wonky. but the main part of my command, the middle and far right of my lines.

My mounted Men at Arms and Couriers, with support from the Irish Kerns and Standard.

Crazy Welshmen

A great bit of Fog of War by Postie. We both had to throw a dice on a throw of 1, we would have Treason. So what did I go and throw? Yep a 1! But then Richard went and did the same!!!!
It was then up to us to pick a unit that would commit treason. We had to choose a unit at a time and try and fail morale. So naturally I picked the most useless unit I had, which was the Light infantry Irish Kerns, to fail I'd have to throw under their morale, which in their case was a 3. So I threw the D10 hoping for a 4 and above, but no I threw a 2! Damn! So I then had to choose the next unit which was the Irish Bonnachts who would you believe also passed. This went on for another 5 units and 5 throws each of which passed. I finally failed on a unit I really didn't want to lose. My French Crossbowmen. Luckily for me I threw well for the result. The only answer I got from Postie about the result was, "Pay them". Any other question I asked I got the same answer "Pay them" Both myself and Richard were looking at each other, wondering what the hell was going on. In the end I took out a 5p piece and placed it next to the unit. Postie then threw a dice and said "the payment has been accepted. Phew!!!
Now it was Richard's turn, I thought we were in for the long haul, but I thought wrong. Richard picked out the Welsh Spearmen to throw for. He failed their morale first turn. The result was perfect (for me) The Welsh abandoned the Yorkist friends and came over and were redeployed on my side of the table!
Get in!

Now this is where I should have placed my artillery.

But I placed mine opposite Richard's artillery.

Big mistake by Richard here, deploying a Shire bow unit behind his guns.

The artillery face off

Boom!

Damn I missed!

Holy sh!t

Richard won first move that also meant first fire.

He knocked ten bells of crap out of my archers all along my front line!

I did plan to sit and fire a few times before moving in, but if Richard won the first fire 

again I may not have anything left to fire with!

You can see the depleted units of archers in my front line. 

We faced our Horse up against each other.

The Yorkist Horse

Richard's centre looks very strong.

We both moved forward. My new Welsh now sitting in support of one of my Billman units.

I won first fire on the second turn and gave the Yorkists a bloody nose!

Damn him! Richard passed the morale check on the German Handgunners. I needed him to fail

so I could turn my fire on either the Horse of German Pikeman, just out of shot

next to the handgunners.

My archers kill all the crew on 1 of the Yorkist artillery pieces.

My Billmen finally get stuck into the Yorkist archers, but have lost 12 figures already!

They easily beat the archers, but theirs a Men at Arms unit just waiting behind them....gulp!

Down the length of the battlefield

Should be an interesting go next turn. Please let me win first fire!!

The Yorkist MaA move up to support the dying archers. While the Pikemen get ready to charge.

Just out of charge range! I sneakily attach the Lancastrian Standard to my Mounted Men at Arms

This will certainly help in the melee. Whoever loses these two melee's will be in serious trouble???

We're getting very close.

My Men at Arms facing two archers.

Look at that whole. my Billmen smash the poor Yorkists archers, the follow up

and the  hit a steel wall of the Yorkists Men at Arms and are smashed to pieces.

Another move forward, apart from my left, Richard outnumbers me with better 

quality troops, although my Crossbow men are moving around the flank.

And they're in!

So are the horse!

Gawd I hate pikemen.....unless they're on my side of course!

A mass of melee, but I have three untested units on the hill.

Oh my God!

In the best throw of the game I demolished the Yorkists Men at Arms

11 hits out of 15 dice. I lost 5 myself.

I also won the Couriers melee, pushing them back then catching destroying them in the 

follow up melee,

Now this could make a real difference on the field.

You can now see the open and inviting Yorkist flank.

The Yorkist Pikeman skewer and BBQ my troops, at least I have support?!?

A bit blurry I know

A clash of steal in the centre of the field.

Goes both ways, the Yorkists flee back, while the embarrassed Men at Arms step 

back, (fancy letting a Shire Bill unit beat you!)

Both sides are looking very worn and weary

Richard's Pink helmet flops forward (sorry Rich)

And gets shafted!!

The Pink helmet beaters stand erect waving theirs swords high in the air!

Knowing that victory is theirs!

This could be the end, the Pikemen fail a morale test and cannot move.

Remember my Irish Kerns?

They've stood unmoving the other side of the hedge all battle

Sounds like they could have been led by the ancestor of that ol' pal of mine

 Francis (Hedgehugger) Lee!

The right at battles end

And there the game ended. Richard called out retreat, handing me the game

The left at battles end

Postie did add up the points at the end giving me an 14-19 point victory.
The Yorkists had lost 8 units including and artillery, while the Lancastrians had lost 5 units.
We both had a damned good game and enjoyed ourselves. We both now realise our mistakes in setting up, lets hope we can make the most of this fact in our next game, lets hope we don't have to wait another 3 years to put our new knowledge into practice.
There were no complaints about the rules, although I said to Postie today that I'd like the archers to be able to shoot in three ranks, to shrink the frontage of the army. We had to pass morale for any unit that started the turn out of command range, that's why Francis' Kerns never moved. I couldn't get the buggers to pass morale the whole bloody game, apart from the first Treason role that is!!!

Great game Postie and well done to Richard fro making it such a hard game.
So that's my first game of the year done so I'm on a 1-0

Off to Cavalier in Tonbridge tomorrow, say hello if you see me!!!