Don't Throw a 1: The Battle of Gibbet Hill 1461

It was War of the Roses time at Reject HQ on Sunday. Surj, Lee and myself turned up for the game, with Postie in charge as per usual.
I chose to play the Lancastrian's, giving Surj and Lee the Yorkists. we had a pretty even army of 19 units each. Surj threw badly, so the Yorkists had to set up everything before me.

Lee's report can be found here!

And here's the set-up

Both sides had 3 Battles that had to be set up in any of the 3 24 inch tiles.we also had to throw for how far each one set up. I throw 18,12 and 12, which wasn't that good, as Postie said I was the attacker.

My left flank, Commanded by the Duke of Northumberland

1 unit of Crossbowmen, I unit of Archers, 1 unit of Men at Arms

1 unit of Retinue Billmen and 1 unit of Shire Billmen.

The Centre (on the hill) was commanded by The Duke of Somerset

Containing 1 unit of Men at Arms, 1 unit of Retinue Billmen, 1 unit of Retinue Archers

1 unit of Shire Archers and 1 unit of Mounted Couriers

and on the right I placed my weakest Battle Commanded by Lord Trollope

1 unit of Men at Arms, 1 unit of Retinue Billmen, 1 unit of Shire Archers, 1 unit of Welsh Spearmen

and 1 unit of Peasants!!!

Well that's lunch sorted for the winner!!

Boooo!!!

The Rotten Yorkists start to move.

Surj gives a new slimline not so BigLee his orders!!

The Yorkists win the first move, which is bad news for me as it also means they shoot first!
So any casualties caused in their turn cannot fire back. I need to win first turn to allow me to attack.

In the centre, Surj moves behind the hedge for some protection.

Surj's archers smash mine, as I move my Crossbowmen into the woods for protection.

My Men at Arms in the centre take heavy casualties from Surj's two Archer units.

Jostling for position on the left.

My centre started at only 12 inches in, if only I'd thrown a 24!

But Surj's archers took a pounding!!

I still haven't moved or fired first.........yet!

So Lee stomps forward

My Men at Arms take more hits, they're not gonna be around much longer.

My CnC the Duke of Somerset

The Earl of Northumberland's Men at Arms

The Centre and right of the field

And the Left

I lose the movement and fire first again, but it's time for me to advance.

My Men at Arms (or what's left of them) move forward too!

There'll be a few charges on the left I think?

I'd like to charge my Curroirs, but the archers would make mincemeat of me!

My archers destroy Surj's archers in the centre, but not before he

virtually destroys my Curriors!!

Not going my way!

Its charge time!

Both side Billmen charge each other. But my Men at Arms fail to reach Lee's archers!

In the centre Surj charged his Curriors against my Men at Arms, while I charged my Men at Arms

against Surj's Billman. This caused a bit of controversy. Both units moved 1/4 moves, which meant my Men at Arms were now out of Surj's Cavalries straight line. So it ended as a failed charge.

Surj wasn't happy!

I on the otherhand was!

Another charge for me.

My Men at Arms hit Surj's German Handgunners, as these are a skirmish unit, they are

destroyed!!!!

The village on my left.

After his failed charge, Surj moves the Curriors up their full move to my Archers.

There's not many men left in the fight.

But I win, and rote Surj's Billmen, then follow up into the Men at Arms

I actually win the melee, but because I go down to a 1/4 left, my unit is removed from the field.

If I'd caused 1 more casualty on Surj, his unit would also have been removed.

My Men at Arms on the left were well beaten and knocked back.

In what turned out to be a very bloody melee, we went from this....

to this!!!

And I lose the melee, and route, straight threw my Welsh Spearmen!

Next turn back over to the left, I fail to win the first turn again.

Surj charges my Men at Arms, they take the charge at the halt.

While our Billmen charge each other.

This was the unit I feared the most the German Pike. I remember them running

riot in my last game against Richard.

And they did basically the same again. My Shire Bill, throw 10 dice, their front two ranks count in melee, while the Pikemen throw 15 dice, Three ranks count.

There could be only one outcome!

In this mad topsy turvy game, my Men at Arms are destroyed, while I push the Billmen back.

And follow up with another charge.

The Yorkists route.

My Billmen in full flow route, after being mauled by the Pikemen.

At the end of the turn, Postie announced that both sides had reached their withdrawal

numbers losing 6 units each. Which neither side knew????

But I had also lost 1 more unit, which was my fault entirely. Bot me and Lee had tried and failed to fire our useless artillery. On the last turn I managed to fire mine, but the bloody thing blew up, killing all the crew. That was the seventh unit I lost. Giving the Yorkists a very minor win.

Well done Lee and Surj!!!

T'was another cracker of a game, well done Postie. But Congrats have got to go to Lee and Surj, their dice rolling was quite superb, they demolished my army with firepower, it did help that they won the first move and fire for every turn of the game. I did have a few good throws but they were both ridiculous. 10 dice and 9 kills several times over! Not much I could do to be totally honest.

Better luck next time I hope???

But for a dogged fight I was awarded MVP.