Pavia 500 - Battle Report

Like many others, I suspect, we decided to play a Pavia game to mark the 500th anniversary of the event - we managed to get ours on the 26th, so not quite on the exact day.

Unlike many others, I suspect, we did zero prep and decided to do it a week before the game occurred. Handily, we had enough stuff between us to get a respectable couple of forces together. The only way to do things, frankly.

Bit of a photo dump, this, in truth................

Landsknechts milling about in the gardens

Imperialist cavalry advance

Imperialist main force on the advance as well

Waiting French. Will they move at all? Lets see.

Advance cannons begin putting down some fire

View from the far side of the French forces.

.............and a view from the opposite side of the table. Rogue tape measure not a participant in events.

Imperialist Landsknecht on the way

More French line

Imperial advances

French try to make an advance to meet

MORTAR DISASTER 

Imperial milling about in the centre.

Nice empty patch of field? Not sure whats going on there.

Something vaguely resembling a line begins to develop.

Hooray, a fight!

French start advancing around the back of the houses.

Some of the centre begins engaging.

Stand off ensues on the French right flank

Imperials begin to press. Or try to.

Bit of a ruck occuring on the French left flank as the battle for the HQ heats up

Yes, that organ gun will cause some trepidation.

HQ's begin trying to get some glory.

Was all v messy at this point. Seriously, neither side was really giving good command results

Move cavalry battering each other.

.............and the French commander is captured and shanghaied away quick by the Imperial light cavalry.

Ah yes, the infamous French right flank. This is where they finished - about two moves from where they started. 

March to the guns, Msrs, March to the guns.

Imperials start pressing their advantage in the centre.

Inside the HQ were cowering/bravely defending (delete as appropriate) unit of French Zweihanders. You can knock, but I don't think they'll answer.

And with that, the game was done. Chaos, frankly, pure chaos. Neither side really had a glorious push of command and there was a huge amount of confused milling about, advance, retreat and all the fun stuff that we want.

It finished fairly close to the actual battle TBH - confused!

Great fun though and good to have done.

English Civil War - Escalation at Wendle Plain - Battle Report

Time for big hats, flouncy shirts, appalling trousers and the world turn'd upside down!

Table layout and intial deployments.

Parliament supply camp and limbers 

Royalist advance party begins moving in

Met by some solid Parliament guns

Both sides advance to begin airing their disagreements

Royalists begin to march out of Wendle, towards the fighting

Central fight in the table

First brigade of Parliament arrives

All begins heating up across the entire line as more troops arrive.

Solid defence of the town is established by the Crown

Gah, the dreaded Royalist mortar. Damnable thing had a solid aim!

Newcastle advances up to the hedgerows

Good solid line of the Royalists pike holding the centre firm.........

..........although watching their allies get hammered in the centre and forced to fall back.

Ha, the Royalist mortar goes up in smoke and ruin!

Parliament makes a strong attack on one side.

But find the centre still solidly held by Royalists.

Fairfax confers/abuses/persuades his brigades into advancing on the far left of the Parliament line. They are supposed to advancing in force on the town, not discussing local goodwyfes and prayer books!

Centre continues to exchange fire - its all on who gets the break, here.

That parliamentary artillery could be the decider here, mind.

Prince Rupert arrives, finally, before blundering and exiting again from a different side of the table. Thanks for making a show, lads.

Wendle Town still solidly held.  Some cavalry will fix that!

Said cavalry FINALLY arrives for Parliament.

Just in time, Rupert turns up after being unable to find the baggage, and gets stuck straight in.

Parliaments left flank advances on the town, now the cavalry is in support.

A rather threatening Royalist central defence. Too late for flowers and apologies now, Gentlemen!

A second brigade of Lobsters forces the Royalist centre into defence formations. This could be the break.

Royalist left flank continues the advance, as the cavalry continues battering one another.

Strong advance on the centre now, with Parliament being dominant.

The very DEVIL observes the table from above.

Parliamentary cavalry begins forcing the issue in the centre and pushing the Royalist line back

Cavaliers vs Roundheads still exchanging choice vocab

 on the other side of the table. Classic! 

However, Parliament gets the advantage and turns things.

Cue a solid advance upon the town

Royalists begin to give ground in the centre, past the burning mortar.

That cavalry is in choice position to force the withdrawal........

SEE in the bottom right hand corner. A rare glimpse of the other brigade of Royalist cavalry, who may as well have dismounted and walked into the battle, for all the impact and advance they made! Bloody gymkhana.

...........and its all over as they pour through the hole in the line.

Parliament win. A good solid one, too. No major mistakes on either side (Ruperts on table/off table antics being an exception and highlight. Didn't he have enough cash without needing to go for the baggage so urgently?), so a proper stand up fight.

ECW is always a good one, it really is.