Battle of Barnet - 28mm wargame part 1

 Good Morning folks

I hope all is good in your part of the world? For my sins I have just had to spend two weeks of gloriously hot weather in Crete. Personally I don't like the sun and would far rather spend time in the shade, but Mrs Shed does, and what Mrs Shed wants is usually what happens. Splendidly both our kids wanted to join us for the two week trip and we all had a fabulous time.

I digress...back to the proper stuff.

In this post I am focussing on the set up for our latest WOTR game - the battle of Barnet. As per previous posts there will be a short background to the engagement followed by special scenario rules and the orders of battle. An actual battle report will follow shortly in a separate post

Background

The Battle of Barnet is the first and only battle where the two friends, Warwick and Edward came face to face with quite possibly a winner takes all outcome.

How did Neville (Warwick) fall out with his friend, Edward IV, the King of England. Well it all started with a woman - to cut this long story very short Edward fell in love with a widow, they then martied in secret and before Warwick could do anything about it Edward was showering gifts, titles and priviliges on this Widows family. To futher complicate matters Edward refused Warwick's request that his daughter marry Edwards brother, the Earl of Clarence. Warwick got the hump and ran away to France.

In France he started taking to Margaret - King Henry VI wife and mother to the Prince of Wales. Warwick struck a deal to return Henry to the throne. He landed in England and rallied the Neville family to the Lancastrian cause. Along with other Lancastrian rebels their army of 15000 men marched on London. Edward gathered his troops (12000) and marched out to meet them.

On 14 April 1471, the two armies faced each other outside Barnet. It was really foggy and the two forces were slightly out of kilter with one another. Both right flanks were overlapping their opposite sides. The Lancastrians attacked and quite quickly Oxfords forces were routing their opposite number on the Lancastrian right flank. Oxfords forces pursued their opponents towards Barnet. 

Whilst this pursuit was taking place the entire battle shifted on its axis and as Oxford returned there was confusion from the Lancastrian lines as top who these troops were. Fearing they were the Kings forces Warwicks men opened fire - a classic case of friendly fire. The resulting chaos gave Edward added impetus and his forces surged forward. Warwick was killed in the rout.

Special Rules

The Battle of Barnet was characterised by one of significant factor, the weather. This added to an already confused picture of the medieval battlefield. 

When the two sides engaged the field was covered in thick fog/mist, this meant that both right flanks of each side overlapped their opponents.

Deployment will be as described below…

 

To cater for the fog we have added a fog card to the turn deck. Each time this card is turned over roll a d6 to see how the weather changes. The table below illustrates the impact of the fog.

1-2 Misty condition ease – move up one step

3-5 – Conditions remain

6 – Conditions worsen - move down one step

The Battle starts with Dense Fog

Condition	Effect on Command	Effect on Missile Fire	Effect on Movement
Clear	No impact	No impact	No impact
Light fog	Command range unaffected,	Targeted Archery/Artillery fire limited to 12”	Roll d6 on a 1 unit moves 45 degrees to left/right
Dense Fog	Command range reduced to 3”	Targeted Archery/Artillery range limited to 6”,	Roll d6 on a 1 unit moves 45 degrees to left/right

The fog may affect Command, Missile Fire and Movement

Fog Effect on Missile Fire

We need to differentiate between targeted (ie the shooter can see its target) and indirect fire.

Targeted fire is limited by range visible within fog (see above)

Indirect fire has the same rules as per standard game but…

• .       It cannot hit skirmish units
• .       All units get +1 save as if in light cover ( artillery -1 to armour)

3.     When unit fires at a target it cannot see (indirect fire) roll a d6 – (1-2 the unit to left of the target is shot at, 3-4 – target direct ahead, 5-6 target to right. Note that if units to left /right out of range they cannot be hit. To hit rolls should be made after target is designated.

 

Fog Effect on Movement

Any unit moving in fog must roll a d6 for each movement action 

If the dice rolled is a 1 (light/dense fog) that units has somehow deviated off course in its direction of travel. The unit will march its full distance but at a 45 degree angle either left or right.

A unit could conceivably turn 90 degrees in an action.

Units may redress their direction in the following turn as an action. 

Should a unit bump into another unit there is the possibility that these troops might be misidentified.

Barnet was a classic engagement where friendly forces attacked one another because of the lack of visibility. Should any unit deviate in its movement and ‘bump’ into another because of the conditions roll a d6 – note if the unit ‘bumped into’ has an attached commander the following does not apply

1         - The bumped unit will attack the unit advancing into it

2-3  -  both units take a disarray token

4--6 – neither unit is affected

 

Morale:

Because the battle is being fought in misty conditions each battle has its own morale pot as opposed to one pot for the whole engagement.

 

Objectives

The first side to win the game by defeating all the battles or capturing/killing Warwick/ Edward V1

Generals

Battle Commanders may only command units in their battles. 

Warwick/Edward may command any unit on the table and have a rating of three. All other commands have a rating of two.

The Orders of Battle

Army size estimates taken from figure counts in Poleaxed books

Lancastrian – est 15000 men

Leader	Units	#units
(BC) Sir Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick - reserves	1 x MAA 1 x Bill 1 x Handgunner 1 x Artillery	4
Sir John Conyers	1 x Bow 1 x Bill	2
Sir Thomas Trussell	1 x Bow 1 x Bill	2
(BC) Sir John Neville, Marquis of Montague - centre	1 x MAA 1 x Bill 1 x Handgunner 1 x Artillery	4
Sir John Scrope	1 x Bow 1 x Bill	2
Sir Robert Harlestone	1 x Bow 1 x Bill	2
Sir William Tyrell	1 x Bow 1 x Bill	2
(BC) Sir John de Vere, Earl of Oxford - left wing	1 x MAA 1 x Bill 1 x Bow SK	3
Sir Thomas de Vere	1 x Bow 1 x Bill	2
Sir William Beaumont	1 x Bow 1 x Bill	2
Sir John Paston	1 x Bow 1 x Bill	2
(BC) Sir Henry Holland, Duke of Exeter - right wing	1 x MAA 1 x Bill 1 x Bow Sk 1 x Artillery	4
Sir Thomas Green	1 x Bow 1 x Bill	2
Sir Martin de la See	1 x Bow 1 x Bill	2
Sir Robert Booth	1 x Lt Cavalry	1
Total		36

 

Yorkist – est 12000 men

Leader	Units	#units
(BC) Edward 1V - centre	2 x MAA 1 x Handgunner 1 x Artillery	4
Sir Anthony Woodville, Earl Rivers	1 x Bow 1 x Bill	2
Sir Walter Blount, Lord Mountjoy	1 x Bow 1 x Bill	2
(BC) Sir Henry Bouchier, Earl of Essex - reserves	1 x MAA 1 x Bow Sk 1 x Artillery	3
Sir Humphrey Bouchier, Lord Cromwell	1 x Bow 1 x Bill	2
Sir Fulke Bouchier, Lord Bouchier	1 x Bow 1 x Bill	2
Sir William Bouchier, Viscount Bouchier	1 x Bow 1 x Bill	2
(BC) Richard Plantagenet, Duke of Gloucester - right wing	1 x MAA 1 x Bow Sk 1 x Artillery	3
Sir John Howard	1 x Bow 1 x Bill	2
Sir Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey	1 x Bow 1 x Bill	2
Sir Walter Devereux, Baron Ferrers	1 x Bow 1 x Bill	2
(BC) Sir William Hastings, Lord Hastings - left wing	1 x MAA 1 x Bow Sk	2
Sir John Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk	1 x MAA	1
Sir Edmund Grey, Earl of Kent	1 x Bow 1 x Bill	2
Sir Henry Grey, Lord Codnor	1 x Lt Cavalry	1
Total		32

Come back soon for the full battle report !!