Six Foot Scale Skirmishing

Just a post of the 'out of the ordinary' nature to prove I am still alive and well! It feels I like ages since I last posted anything.  This is a quick and easy post a I have just taken some photos of my creation for use at the ranges tomorrow.

I will be using my Brown Bess musket and as a result I thought I would take something a little more interesting than the modern black circle or modern 'Figure 11' running soldier (based on an East German 70's era I am led to believe).  So I created this!  A little trip to B&Q this morning followed by large applications of black paint with a big brush - and lo! We have a 1:1 scale Voltigeur ready to dodge my skirmish fire from my Bess.   It just seems a shame to shoot the fellow after the brushwork (the first figure I have completed for weeks!).

Here we have the military target - quite wrong to use the Bess on this chap I think!

I have entitled the post 6ft scale skirmishing - but of course, that's measured to the eyes....6 feet 8 should surely be the new scale to use...following wargaming fashion of course!

Pike and Shotte - ECW Battle Report

In July the 'Pike and Shotte' rules received another airing.  This time for a hypothetical game, a simple straight-forward 3 x brigade a side game with no trickery (hidden ambushes) etc but a conventional stand-up battle.

Both sides deployed a brigade in the centre with cavalry wings flanking.  This photo shows the full Royalist deployment, and will have to suffice instead of a map.  With a bit of time I will find some map-drawing software as some blogs have some outstanding maps and I feel that an illustration will just leave you feeling short-changed, if you have seen those maps.  I should also give names to my hypothetical battles, no doubt involving some use of double-entendres -alas this battle is un-named, known only to those as 'Ye 4 x 8 Field' to those who were there....

The view facing my Infantry

I took command of the Royalists and Ian commanded the Parliamentarian forces.  We threw for commanders ratings.  Waller received a good solid 8 and Hopton a 7 so I was going to be struggling a bit more with getting my orders carried out.

The first game turn commenced with a general advance of the Royalists. Orders were surprisingly obeyed and one turn of movement taken.  Parliament held their ground and put some ineffective fire down.

My brigade of Cornish Infantry at the commencement of the battle

Game turn two was similar to that of the first move.  Ineffective fire barely bothering my advance.  Could I reach the Roundheads without taking significant loss?

My Royalist Cavalry on my right wing

Game Turn 3 saw the Royalists advance again. My infantry closed further.  My cavalry advanced close to face the Roundheads but took fire from commanded shotte musketeers placed with the Parliamentarian Cavalry. These volleys caused my cavalry disorder and gave me two shaken units of the three.

More shots of the Royalist Infantry Advance

Game Turn 4 - now unfortunately here, my handwriting just went to pieces, and three weeks later I can't remember exactly what happened.  I just remember it not being pretty!  I tried to support my infantry by surprising the Roundhead Infantry.  This was from my left hand cavalry brigade as can be seen in the picture above, I have moved them in line with my infantry.  My infantry started getting really shot up in the centre and it became difficult to co-ordinate attacks as units fell into disorder.  

The battle in the centre - a hard fought action

On my right I made a do or die charge with my cavalry which was being depleted by the fire of the commanded musketeers.  This charge went in uphill against Haselrigge's cuirassiers.  I was surprised not to find any advantage in my melee to any units uphill of an opponent.  Being uphill did seem to be a desirable position (Waller at Lansdown etc), so we introduced another rule amendment here:

To Hit Modifiers: +1 for being uphill of an opponent in melee

The tweaks to the rules are getting less and less.  I think the rules are pretty well as we want them now (and we didn't ever make that many changes).

This amendment, however, did work against me as my desperate cavalry attack came tumbling back!

 Running up that hill - into a caracole of pistol fire

The Royalist Horse - beaten back and reforming

Game Turn 5. My note-taking stopped altogether - I'll blame the late hour and the complexity of the action which had by now engulfed the table. My cavalry attack on the right had failed and was beaten back where I rallied them. The infantry fight in the centre was brutal.

Although my notes became thin/non-existent, I can tell from the pics that some units routed, others recoiled back to reform while others battled on.

The only real positive for the Royalists was the left flank.  I occupied a stonewall enclosure with dragoons to secure the flank whilst I shifted my cavalry from the left to support the attack on the infantry in the centre (if I hadn't then my infantry would have broken).

The fire of my dragoons were ineffective and very disappointing however, even when firing at cavalry in column passing by them. It was bad dice throwing through and through rather than any failing in the rules, I hasten to add.

The dragoons should have emptied saddles - but alas more time on the ranges required! 

A lucky escape! One of my left flanking cavalry regiments intercepted the attackers still in column of march and chases them off!

The above pictures show the scary moment when my army was nearly outflanked by a daring route march by Ian's cavalry behind my left wing, risking fire from my dragoons.  Taking the road and defended bridge, the Roundheads nearly appeared in the rear of my army.  Thankfully I had an uncommitted regiment of horse in reserve which chased off the attackers.

The result and conclusion

Time ran out in the end.  In Pike and Shotte it must be remembered that there are a lot more units to move as each regiment of pike and musket is broken down to it's individual musket wings and pike block.  So each regiment has 3 parts to look after and throw for.  A brigade will therefore take a lot longer to play with (generally) in P&S than a brigade of the same number of regiments in Black Powder.

We declared it a draw, as my cavalry had been beaten on my right but won on the left and the centre was still heavily contested.  Both sides would probably have withdrawn come nightfall.

It was another excellent game and inspired me to do some painting of ECW figures.  I will post the pics sometime of these though currently real life has slowed my posts and painting right down.

I think the next game in a couple of weeks time will be Star Wars X-Wing, which might or might not result in pictures - depending on whether the laser fire gets too hot!

Wargaming Show - Devizes - 20 July 2014

My haul of new things - all the figures are plastic - something which wasn't intentional

 but surely shows the future main emphasis of the hobby

Today I went to the much looked forward to 'Attack' show at Devizes in Wiltshire.  Part of the joy of this show is the scenario on the journey down.  Ian drove so it left me able to enjoy the scenery on the road between Avebury and Devizes itself.  Certainly England at it's most splendid.  As much as I like to see acres of woodland, the ancient longbarrows lining the barren ancient hilltops along the sides of the road, does give an intense feeling for the history of the place.

The knowledge that Roundway Down is nearby also sets the imagination racing.  The site of this Civil War battlefield close to hand makes you wonder just how similar the landscape was in the 17th Century. Roundway Down is well worth a visit.  We toyed with the idea of going today, but decided that rushing after the show wasn't going to leave sufficient time.  Rather like Cropredy Bridge, a battlefield in such a magnificent landscape like that is worth spending the day exploring.  So no pics of Roundway Down today.

The 'Attack' show is in its 35th year, and I have attended most of these since around 1987.   It is one of my favourite shows.  It attracts interesting traders, not too much sci-fi but just enough to bring in a varied visitor group and has a very friendly atmosphere.  There is always time to chat to people and traders and there is no sense of rush or of having to race people to certain traders to get your goodies.  The show used to be held in the Corn Exchange in Devizes centre, which was a great location but was on the cramped side and it got uncomfortably hot upstairs on the upper level.  It has been held at a school in the town for a good few years now and this has plenty of parking, lots of space and lots of benches outside.  This is great as it means you can take a break and reflect on your madness before committing lots of cash to a new period of history to delve into.  Sitting in the sunshine with a reasonably priced cup of tea contrasted with my shopping strategy which ended up not being so economical!

A photo of my haul of new things is shown above.  As you can see, some kind of insanity gripped me.  That's five different period's of history there (plus Napoleonics which I shall get to shortly).

Since Renegade ceased trading this has left me with a nice but barely started Punic Wars Roman Army.  The Agema plastics look great and I couldn't resist getting a couple of boxes just to see how they look painted up.

The Gripping Beast Dark Age Warriors should enable me to finally make my Anglo-Saxon army playable! Hurrah - I only started it in about 1994, so finally I can get a game in with them!  Twenty years...hmmm maybe I should do 6mm for everything in future!

The Theban's I purchased because they look great and I have some of the Spartans and Athenians which Warlord Games now produce.  Hopefully I can crack on with these soon as I really want to see how they look.  Ian also bought some Athenians so Hoplites could soon be ready for action - watch this space (for about 20 years if the Anglo-Saxon Army of mine is anything to go by!).

I made another purchase too...Napoleonics.  I had bought some Victrix and Perry boxed sets but hadn't got far with painting them.  I had made a decision to do Napoleonics in 6mm just to get playing.  But today all this changed.  Ian was selling up some of his Napoleonics.  I saw them and had to have them....I shall cease typing now and leave you to view the pics of my purchase of Ian's excellent work.

The Battle of Cropredy Bridge - 370th Anniversary Walk

An excellent information signboard on Cropredy Bridge

 with illustrations that will be familiar to many of us

For many years I have wanted to walk the battlefield of Cropredy Bridge.  It's really a local battlefield to me as it is less than an hours drive away and in the same county, so to have neglected a visit for this long has been very remiss of me.  So having looked for a suitable weekend this summer, I was amazed to find that the best weekend for me was actually the 370th anniversary of the battle to the day, 29th June - quite a remarkable co-incidence!

 Ghosts?... or had others remembered the anniversary too?

A view over the side of the bridge of the now tranquil River Cherwell

Having walked the battlefield of Roundway Down on the way back from the 'Attack' wargaming show in 2012, my regular wargaming opponent Ian and I both felt that walking the battlefield was enormously useful in understanding the battle.  At Roundway Down in particular, the sudden drops off the sides of the battlefield were very impressive, even catching me out, who despite being on foot, managed to loose my footing and slid 12 feet down before stopping my rapid descent.  No wonder the steep slopes were the end of Haselrigge's cavalry there!

A good bunch of guys from the Tower Hamlets Regiment of the Sealed Knot

who gave up their Sunday to educate passing members of the public 

and to commemorate the battle

So armed with map,compasses, binos (primarily for spotting hidden stiles in distant hedgerows), battlefield books and lunch we set off on a circular walk starting from Cropredy bridge itself.  

I don't aim to present a history of the battle here other than to say that this is a particularly fascinating battle. The Parliamentarian Commander, Sir William Waller, watching the marching Royalists columns getting strung out (rather like the French at Salamanca) noticed a large gap appear and decided to attack and defeat the Royalists piecemeal.  The plan however, didn't survive the execution, and despite it's brilliance his army took the worst of the encounter.  There are excellent descriptions of the battle on websites and of course so many books.  This account is more a brief description of the walk and how it enhanced my understanding of the battle from the context of a wargamer.

 We aimed for Slat Mill first of all to the point where the Parliamentarian cavalry crossed and attacked the rearguard.  Finding an old disused mill and a crossing point, we took this, but alas on reflection I think that it was actually Cropredy Mill.  It was still an important part of the battle but it seems that the Parliamentarian cavalry crossed there also to attack the Royalist main body in conjunction with the forces crossing Cropredy Bridge. We should have headed further south to reach Slat Mill.

An advantage of crossing at Cropredy Mill was that by following the track and crossing a busy road, we were then able to cross join a footpath that went right across the centre of the battlefield.  This is below the ridge to the west of the village of Wardington.

Map of battle. Original source unknown (happy to acknowledge source when discovered!)

The village of Cropredy taken standing on the road between Cropredy and Williamscott. This field would have seen the Parliamentarian main force advance and then be repulsed back over Cropredy Bridge by the Royalist cavalry.

 Looking East towards Williamscott

The distant church tower very helpfully shows the location of Wardington.

Most of the action appears to have happened in the lower ground below the ridgelines, sloping down towards Cropredy. There is almost a bowl formed between all the main points of the action, and the footpath goes right across the centre, so you know that you are walking right in the middle of where it all happened.

Crossing near the centre of the battlefield and looking west towards Cropredy.

  This wouldn't have been the place to stand 370 years ago!

Crossing the battlefield we decided to walk to the most northerly part of the battle at Hays Bridge.  This is where the Royalist vanguard overturned a wagon and prevented Haselrigge's cavalry from making further attacks on them before driving the Roundheads off.

 The photo from Hays Bridge looks so peaceful but behind me its the the A361 and cars are going past my rear at 50mph plus with little room to spare

 A side view of Hays Bridge. It was a relief to get off the busy road.  There is no indication whatsoever of what happened on this bridge all those years ago. No signage - nothing. How can something so historic be so ignored?

The first view of the author on this blog!  The compass, book and maps were so useful.

A few pics of beautiful Cropredy which I took on the way back into the village.

The wonderful church which houses a small display about the battle. Also displayed is a replica of a pikeman's armour replacing an original which was stolen from the church three times (the third time being the last time it was ever seen sadly).

It was really nice to see that The Battlefields Trust and the Sealed Knot had left wreaths on the bridge to remember the fallen.

A bit more about the bridge.  Sadly the actual bridge at Cropredy standing now is not the one which stood during the battle. The Bishop of Lincoln must have been a strong fellow to have built it, but I guess it must have been a nice change from the church job (!)

I have to say that it was an excellent walk and I thoroughly recommend it. The countryside is beautiful and it's amazing that so much of the battlefield is accessible.  This must be pretty rare in this country!  It was quite easy to match the lie of the land to the key points and it was also possible to see where things could go wrong.  Topography played a major part in the battle.  The ridgeline to the west behind Cropredy gave Waller his view of the Royalist error and also formed the position where his army drew back to watch the Royalists on the opposing ridge at Wardington.  

It was quite something to see what both sides would have seen and get an understanding as to how things happened.  The command and control element must have been very difficult, especially in regards to the attack on Hays bridge.Units would have disappeared out of sight and Waller must have been blind to how things were on various parts of the battlefield.  When things started going wrong, they would have started going wrong quickly and the bridges formed natural choke points.  

I'm not so sure the whole battle is playable in 28mm without some some serious scaling down or a much larger table than the one that I have.  Slat Mill could probably be left out of a re-fight and just allow Parliamentarian cavalry to appear from the table edge from that direction, this would probably work quite well.  There are some interesting quirky unusual items required for this battle.  The Parliamentarians had 'two barricadoes of wood which were drawn upon wheels, and in each seven small brass and leather guns charged with case-shot'.  This sounds awesome - it would be great to field these on the board!