WOTR 1455-1461 - Wakefield

 

Date: Thursday 26th January

Table Size: 8x6

Context: After the comprehensive victory at Northampton, capturing Henry VI, the Duke of York has been pressuring parliament to accept his claim to the throne. This is unsuccessful, but parliament agrees that on the death of King Henry, then York would become the king. This, naturally, causes Queen Margaret to react as it is her children that will stripped of their birthright, so a Lancastrian army begins assembling and harrying Yorkist estates in the North.

Accordingly, the Duke of York gathers forces and marches North. With Christmas approaching, he stays at Sandal Castle, finding Queen Margarets army has gathered outside. Determined to sally forth and attack in spite of advance and aware that a reinforcing army of Yorkists is on its way, the Duke of York rides out to attack what he sees as an inferior force in front of him.

Battlefield Map:

Objectives - Yorkist: Attack in force, defeat the Lancastrian line and close down the counter attack.

Objectives - Lancastrian: Capture and defeat the Duke of York and any other commanders on the field.

Order of Battle - Yorkist: 6 Households, 1 Hobilar light cavalry, 1 Medium Cavalry, 2 Mounted Men at Arms,  1 Crossbows, 1 Handgonners, 2 Men at Arms, 1 Pike

Order of Battle - Lancastrian: 6 Households, 1 Hobilar light cavalry, 1 Medium Cavalry, 2 Mounted Men at Arms, 1 Crossbows, 1 Handgonners, 2 Men at Arms, 4 Pike

Deployments: One small Lancastrian Brigade must be deployed in the centre of the table, representing the advance force that has become the target of York. 

Margarets force deploys on table at the rear end. Other Lancastrians arrive at a later point in the battle.  

York deploys in force on the opposite edge of the table.

WOTR 1455-1461 - Northampton Battle Report

 Northampton (scenario here), a dank rainy day, Lancastrians have dug themselves in with plenty of support and waiting to face the oncoming Yorkists.

Initial table setup and deployments:

Lancastrian line

Yorkist Right

Lancastrian Centre

Lord Grey on Lancastrian Right

Yorkist Left

Yorkists advance nervously into the face of many many Lancastrian cannon lined up facing them, let alone the archers, crossbows and handguns.

Okay, so not all the Yorkists were advancing at pace.........the left flank stubbornly refused to move at all.

Oh so confident in those cannons, Lancaster neglects to keep the power dry and find on trying to fire them.........that the guns were soaked and completely useless. Paperweights!

This, naturally, led to much gnashing and wailing of teeth from the players on that side of the table.

A sigh of relief going up from the central part of the Yorkists, accordingly.

It is at this point that Lord Grey, commanding the Lancaster right, announces at volume........."I have been bribed with a considerable sum to change sides during this game. However, I AM AN HONOURABLE MAN AND REFUSE!"

Cue more exclamations from the Lancastrian team, who had no idea this was coming, and calls of BETRAYAL! from the Yorkists. Overlooking the ethics of paying one of the other players off for an advantage, naturally.

York responds by sending a couple of units up from the centre to kick the living shit out of Grey and advancing the right flank at speed to begin surrounding Lancaster - who hope their barricades can fend off the main line.

(Grey getting a well deserved shoeing for his abominable display of integrity)

Consequently, Grey breaks and runs for his life, leaving one side of the table dangerously exposed. York then pushes that advantage with all the households who have been making their way through the fields up to that side of the table. Its on!

Lancaster centre looks nervously on. Do they hold and wait for the main engagement or attempt to redeploy and hold the flank that is rapidly getting taken to pieces?

The York flank attack pays off - its an absolute rout on that side and drags the centre down with it. Much cheering from York!

Oh, why yes, hello York left. Didn't move all game, eh? 

Whats that.......you'll blunder and retreat to the rear? Well, thanks for coming boys, eh?

Its all over. Masses of casualties, York "rescues" the king and its a nigh total massacre.

Big win to York.

We all think that flank attack we set up is going to carry out perfectly, arrive on time and win the day, when setting up, don't we? Well, this game was one of the few times that actually happens! 

Although Lancaster could have been hard done by, had Grey turned (he 100% deserved what happened to him), the cannons not working et al, from the Yorkist side it was actually looking really really tough to attempt breaking through those barricades, especially as the York left (my lot) never really turned up.

One effect of the things mentioned above is that none of the players are feeling safe any more - whats on the table isn't essentially what might be announced as happening in the game at any point. Welcome to the Wars of the Roses, chaps, we all love a good betrayal narrative!

2022 Review and 2023 Thoughts and Plans

 Okay, lookback time. In truth, I've been reasonably busy all round, but gaming and painting are all in a good place really, so a much more balanced approach is forming to my hobby stuff. 

So, 2022 was expected to be:

1. VICTORIAN SCIENCE FICTION

Lol - well, I've painted some stuff and mooched the idea out, which met with approval. I can see this being one that just happens when it happens

Fail

2. FINISH THE DAMNED NAPOLEONICS

Err....has it been a year already? Well, I added a few more foot units to the French so we're not leaning on the Guard all the time. Still a number of cav to do, but NOT unhappy with this one. More on this in the coming year

Fail

3. LANDSKNECHT

Pretty much done, yep. Few stragglers, but just needing the prompt (i.e. scheduling a game that uses them) to get those done as its a handful of models.

Win

4. FRANCO PRUSSIAN WAR

Got pushed back a year, but work is beginning to happen on this and I'm actually working on some right now

Fail

5. FINISH THE DAMNED ZULU

Yes, done! Just the British and NNC to do!

Win

So, two wins and three fails. But there isn't a fail as its only a hobby and shouldn't be a pressure TBH.

And on to this year. Now, this is sounding like my work review where I plan out what is expected to come over the year, then I end up getting on with a load of other stuff that wasn't planned at all, but still end up being V productive.

1. Painting

Hit an odd place with my painting now. I'm def still painting, but only reached about 50% of the number I painted last year. Although over 500 models is still a fair tally! Now, the reasoning really is that I don't feel the pressure to attack my unpainted pile in the same way I have in previous years, mainly as I'm on an 80% painted to 20% unpainted ratio now, have loads to cover games, enough variety to switch things up and enjoy.

Theres also more time pressure on me now, so slightly less painting time and whatnot, but I'll enjoy doing what I do want to paint and will switch as needed. 

Not an especially SMART objective - oh, how HR would rue their wasted money sending me on that managerial course to teach me setting objectives for the staff and how to be a good reviewer, if ever they read this! - so to adjust that into SMART............I will paint and complete at least one outstanding project this year, to full completion.

2. NO NEW MAJOR PROJECTS

Remember to tell oneself "don't be a fool, you have more that you ever need or have space for. Put it down", which I'm not that bad at doing. the space being the biggest driver there. It'll also help save a bit of money, working on what I have. This isn't to say no new projects at all, but nothing big. If its adding to an existing one, fine. If its a small skirmish force..........check if I have something similar first. If not, fine.

How to measure this? Well, have I bought any new projects in a big way? No? Then pass.

3. FINISH THE FOLLOWING (related to #1)

1870 Prussians

1879 British

Epic Iron Warriors

Uruk Hai

Mordor

Medieval stuff (yep, all of it!)

That should be easy enough..............shouldn't it? Now this is when an announcement comes out of a new line of *insert X here* to make me throw all these plans to the dogs.

Painting Tally - December 2022

40 Uruk Hai (28mm)

2 Uruk Hai Champions (28mm)

Epic 40K Iron Warriors - 23 Bases

Epic 40K Iron Warrior Tanks - 17

Month Total - 82

Year Total: 539