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!