Yet Another ECW AAR - Baroque Rules

Monday night we stepped into the ECW with a scenario based upon the Battle of Stow-on-the-Wold, we used Baroque Rules. Dave and I commanded the Parliamentarians and George donned an outrageous plumed hat (not really) and took charge of the Royalists!

This game was delayed a week so the figures sat for a week on the table for a full seven days gathering dust and apparently straining!

To balance the scenario I balanced both of the forces point wise but kept them in true to history resulting in a slightly smaller and better quality Parliamentarian Army whilst the Royalist force was bigger but lacked quality.

The OOB's

The Royalists

2 x Reliable Leaders both with 6BU Command Range

1 x B Discipline Pike & Musket Regiment

4 x C Discipline Pike & Musket Regiments

1 x Forlorn Hope Unit

2 x Light Guns

2 x B Discipline Galloper Regiments

1 x C Discipline Galloper Regiment

The Parliamentarians

1 x Reliable Leader with 6BU Command Range

1 x Reliable Leader with 2BU Command Range

3 x B Discipline Pike & Musket Regiments

1 x C Discipline Pike & Musket Regiment

2 x Forlorn Hope Unit

1 x Light Guns

2 x B Discipline Trotter Regiments

1 x C Discipline Reiter Regiment

The Battle

The Royalists were deployed in a line covering two thirds of the table, facing them was the main Parliamentary force with about a third of their number entering the table top behind the Royalists left flank.

The Roundheads gained the initial move and their line advanced! The other Roundheads advancing on the Royalists flank units were horrified by this they were quite away from the fray! By advancing the Roundheads exposed themselves to possible combat with the Royalists before the flanking Units could engage.

Taking up the challenge the Royalists advanced all but two cavalry regiments to engage the main Parliamentarian force! The Horsemen moved to cover the Army's' left.

The first shots were exchanged between the Royalists Forlorn Hope and two Regiments of Roundhead Pike and Musket, the Forlorn Hope was blown away during the brief shooting match! The rest of the Royalist Army drew up to their opponents and a brisk firefight ensued the Parliamentarians getting better of the action. On the far flank the Cavalier and Roundhead horse deployed there engaged in a charge and counter charge in which the Royalist horse were soundly defeated, Roundhead Cavalry were loose in the rear of the Royalist Army!

The Roundhead flank force raced toward the action and engaged the King's horse that were screening their Army's Flank, again the Parliamentarians got the better of the fight destroying both the Royalist Horse Regiments for the loss a Foot Unit.

Meanwhile in the centre of the battlefield the Royalists still stubbornly attacked! Two of their Pike and Musket Regiments advanced and despite their heroic efforts the Parliamentarian Foot held them off!

The better disciplined Parliamentarian Foot at this point broke the centre of the Royalist attack and the Morale of the King's troops collapsed, they turned and fled from the field followed by the cheers of the Government's New Model Army.

It was a close run thing but a Victory to the Roundheads.

Some Pictures

The Royalists at the ready!

As were the men of the new Model Army!

The first shots are fired as both battle lines close, a good but costly tactic from the Royalists, their Forlorn Hope were wiped out as they advanced but they did use up up several of the Roundheads Regiments bonus first fire!

Both Armies continue to approach each other! The Royalist's Forlorn Hope can be seen in the centre of the battlefield shrouded in smoke as they fired on the Roundheads!

The Roundheads flanking force arrive!

The battle lines face off, the Parliamentarians are in the foreground...

Volleys are exchanged, the Roundheads better discipline kept their losses down as the Royalist casualties mounted.

The Royalist right flank charges the Parliamentarian left flank who naturally attempted but failed to counter charge!

The Roundheads were victorious sweeping aside the cavaliers, the Royalists right was unguarded!

Charge!!!!!

The Government's main flank attack develops and the Cavalry clash...

...whilst in the centre the battle was approaching its climax!

A crisis for the Parliamentary Forces as two big attacks by the Royalists scored multiple hits both requiring a roll of a one on a D6 for the Government troops to survive, both Units rolled ones, the Dice Gods favoured the Cromwellians!

The Royalist left flank was now open too as the Roundhead horse cleared the Royalist Cavalry covering it!

The battlefield at games end,..

I just love these Essex figures, en masse they capture what I imagine ECW Pike and Shotte Regiments looked like!

Afterwards Stuff

Well it was a great game! A good victory to the Parliamentarians, but in no way a certain one. The Royalists were in an interesting position at the start of the game with several tactical options to pick from, full defence, all out attack to the front, attack to the front and screen the flank, they chose the last one. The force balancing worked well and both sides could have won.

Two questions regarding the rules came up during game play I will pose to the authors they were;

1. Do Cavalry require a 'rally discipline test' to not not keep charging (from the tabletop) after destroying an opponent? We played it right as we read the rules and one wasn't required but some thought it could be worth ruling for certain horse units as it was a known occurrence.
2. Does a Unit that has fired in the current turn during its 'phase' have a option to conduct Defensive or Opportunity fire in the same turn? From our reading of the rules all units can attempt to react once per turn despite their 'status' so played it that way.