An
enjoyable Impetus game using Rob (B) 6mm Wars of the Roses figures
and the Nano- Towton
scenario available off the Baccus website.
Due to
my Yorksist leanings I volunteered to take control of Edward IVs army
and Bob took command of the Lancastrians.
This
game will be remember for my spectacular feat of managing to have a
unit of light horse successfully charged by a unit of dismounted
men-at-arms, uphill and in the flank! An achievement we believe
unequalled in wargaming annals! To be fair to me it was a simple
error in that the miniatures were so small I thought the men-at-arms
were facing the opposite way. (not the first time I have made this
mistake).
It was
decided that to reflect the fact that the Lancastrians were facing in
to the blizzard they would have a range modifier per turn. Their
range would be reduced by the score of an average dice per turn with
the dice being re-rolled every turn.
The two
armies closed and I made my first mistake by closing the distance
much too quick between me and the enemy and so negating any range
advantage I would get. The two armies were close enough now that
any range modifier against Bob had little effect.
My
Norfolk reinforcements arrived as an extra unit of Retinue Billmen
and marched up the road on my right.
Unfortunately
at the same time Bob launched a flank marched ambush from the woods
to my right.
I moved
my aforementioned light horse round on the left hoping that they
would give Bob’s right something to think about while I
concentrated on the centre. I was outnumbered and could not afford
to fight all along my line, as such I wanted to avoid contact on the
left, fight a holding action on the right and try and force the issue
in the centre where things were a bit more evenly matched.
This was
an OK plan apart from the fact that; as I said I had given up any
ranged advantage I had by closing too quickly.
An
archery duel now took place in the centre with each side trying to
cause enough disruption to the enemy bow to be able to advance to
contact.
Meanwhile
Bob’s heavy cavalry moved steadily down the road on my right.
Contacting and destroying Nolfolk who was only just approaching the
line. This meant that like an over zealous proctologist, Bob’s
heavy cavalry was now rather uncomfortably in my rear.
The now
infamous light horse incident happened. I trotted across the - what
I thought was the rear of some dismounted heavy foot in order the
threaten the rear of Bob’s centre. This unit was slightly uphill
of the foot. What I did not know is that Bob had in fact managed to
turn this unit round in a previous turn and they were facing their
rear. They promptly charged. I was caught in the flank so could not
evade and so took a massive impact from these heavy foot resulting in
an inevitable defeat and loss of that unit.
Meanwhile
Bob’s archers were starting to get the upper hand in the centre. I
was now outnumber 3:2 in the archers in the centre but did have an
extra base of heavy foot. I decided at this stage that I had lost
the archery so had to close as soon as possible and so began a
general advance in the centre.
At this
very point Bob’s heavy cavalry charged in to the rear of my centre
units going through them like a hot knife through butter.
A rapid
loss of 3 units in my centre including my general meant a loss of
that command and the army.
A
resounding win for Bob and the House of Lancaster.
I played
this game really badly. Concentration is always a problem for me as
I’m chatting away and too busy gassing to pay any attention to
little things like, a wargame going on! Still despite being
outnumbered the armies were pretty evenly matched and it was stupid
mistakes that led to a crushing defeat for Edward and a serious set
back for the House of York.
