Battle of Tewkesbury - a 28mm Wargame - part 2

 Good Morning Folks

As promised here is the latest battle report from our continuing saga of the Wars of The Roses. Monday night saw myself, Vince and Tony take on the roles of the Yorkists whilst Mark F, Alastair and Stuart lead the line for the Lancastrians. We were refighting the Battle of Tewkesbury. 

All the details of the battle including background, set up and orders of battle can be found in the previous post HERE 

This was a relatively tight battlefield with the centre dominated by hedgerows and fields. 

Our game opened with the usual maneuver phase which was cut short when the Yorkist commanders realised they should be battering the Lancastrians with their artillery before the enemy closed. 

In the far distance of the picture below the Yorkist guns opened fire on the advancing enemy, across the field the Lancastrians poured forward to secure the hedgeline.

On the Yorkist right flank Lord Hastings (Tony) hastily split his combined units and waited for the more numerous troops of Devon (Mark F)

Meanwhilst the Lancastrian general Wenlock (Alastair) sent forward his mercenary pikes 

The Centre soon became a solid mass of Lancastrian forces.

Sporadic fire erupted across the table from a few skirmish handgunners and crossbows.

By now the Duke of Somerset (Stuart) had started to force his troops forward into the waiting guns of Gloucester (VInce). The artillery barrage soon found its mark and swiftly decimated an advanced unit.

As the guns poured their lead shot into the mass of Lancastrians the hidden horse in the woods surged forward catching another unit in the flank (sadly no picture). As expected Somerset was going to have a tough time. Just like the real battle !

With the Lancastrian right under pressure Gloucester forced his men at arms forward. This combined unit of tin cans was going to take some stopping 

Back in the centre Wenlock was pushing forward to be met with a hail of Yorkist arrows.

Whilst Somerset and Wenlock were coming under serious fire The Earl of Devon was pushing forward. Somehow Mark F always manages to keep his troops in nicely drilled lines

With the centre now in contention the question was who was going to take the last hedgeline

Devons troops approach the Yorkist left wing commanded by Lord Hastings

The lone Lancastrian artillery piece takes aim...

Devon rushed his pike forward. Hastings let loose his archers decimating the pike block

A fierce melee was about to ensue as units jockeyed for position

Both centres held their ground waiting on the results of the flanks before committing themselves

Mid game and things were edging it for the Yorkists - the Lancastrian left wing was in danger of collapse and progress was slow on the right

Devon finally manages to get his archers into play

As the Lancastrian left was suffering Somerset, with few intact troops left, opted for a bold strategy. His personal retinue of men at arms charged the twice as large retinue of Gloucester.

A brutal brawl erupted with Somerset winning by one - Gloucester's force was forced to retire daunted

Meanwhilst back in the centre the mercenary pikes forced there way through the hedgerow and confronted the Yorkist archers. Stiff resistance was offered

With a few remnants of the Lancastrian right stll loitering the artillery opened up again. One gun exploded in a shroud of fire and smoke, the other two continued to ploy their gruesome work.

Fearing the battle was being lost in front of his eyes Lord Wenlock threw his own retinue into the fight. Forcing their way up through the 'evil lanes' a bill unit was swiftly dealt with.

Somerset's victorious remnant watch the numerically superior forces of Gloucester continue their retreat. Two units removed from the Yorkist flank. We will forgive Vince as this was his first game of NMTBH but he will learn that splitting combined units is less expensive in the long run.

The fight on the right was still going toe to toe - each side trading blows

By now Wenlock had reached the end of the lanes and was facing down KIng Edward's retinue or a unit of bills. 

He launched his assault against the weaker of the two

As Wenlock pushed forward the entire Lancastrian left moved forward en masse

Wenlock removed the bills and faced down a unit of archers. 

Kind Edward (Me) might have timed this wrong I just couldn't get my troops into action.

As the clock marched to 10.30pm - the end of the game was called and the morale token totalled...

The Lancastrian right wing had all but disappeared.....

Wenlocks forces, severely dented, were locked in combat with Yorkist infantry

and Devon and Hastings were battling it out....

The token count was even - we declared a draw.