[Elias Nordling]

Så här ser uppställningen ut. De gula är de upproriska yorkisterna som gått i försvarsställning. De blå är Lancastrianerna, det vill säga den sittande kungens män.



sett så här på håll ser ju arméerna jämnstarka ut, men låt oss zooma in lite...

[Elias Nordling]

Här är Yorkistarmén under Salisbury. Som ni ser är en stor del av brickorna antingen fotanglar (caltrops) eller vagnar. Bägge är att betrakta som terräng som försvårar i synnerhet för kavalleri. Eftersom Men at Arms kan välja om de vill slåss uppsuttet eller till fots lär det bli att slåss till fots, åtminstone tills man hittat luckor bland fotanglarna (4 av 12 är dummies).

LB är Longbows, DM är Dismounted Men at Arms. Men at Arms är de tunga trupperna, medan inf mer har karaktären av uppbåd.

[Strv102r]

När jag tittar på dina bilder ser jag lite spridda retirerade enheter på blå sidans högra flank. Vet inte om det är några specialregler i detta scenario, men du är väl medveten om att i denna iteration av systemet är man utplånad om man inte kan retirera till inom en ruta från standaret?

Nej det misade jag nog. Då hade Lancasters förlorat ännu snabbare.

Eller rättare sagt, jag hade läst det, men glömde bort det under spelets gång. I grunden är det nog en positiv ändring då det kan bli långdragna spel annars med så många brickor i spel.

[Elias Nordling]

Switching to English, as this is a playtest report.



After 2 Lancastrian (yellow) activations and 1 Yorkist activation. The Lancastrian plan is to clear away the Yorkist archers in a long range gunnery duel so that the attacking men at arms won't be plastered by arrows. The Yorkists sit and wait, but open up the lines a bit, anticipating some retreats in the coming archery duel.

[Elias Nordling]

After a couple of more activations, the archery duel has started. So far, advantage Lancastrians, with 2 enemy archers eliminated, to 2 disordered.

[Elias Nordling]

The Lancastrian archers get 4 activations in a row! The chances for that are 2,4%. Needless to say, the opposing yorkist archer line is in shambles afterwards.

[Elias Nordling]

The Yorkists can't do much else but try to hope for a similar string of activations with their remaining archers. this fails, and the Lancastrians finish the threat of the enemy archers more or less.

Audley then moves up for the assault with his men at arms on foot. He is once again lucky, getting 3 activations in a row. here is the situation just before the third activation:

[Elias Nordling]

Audley actually gets 4 activations in a row. The results are pretty disappointing however with only a disordered archer and a hole in the caltrops line discovered.

[Elias Nordling]

Now it is Salisbury's turn. He actually gets 4 activations in a row too, and use them to orchetrate a completely devastating counterattack against Audley. His wedge formation is dangerously exposed and salisbury utilizes it to his fullest.

After 4 activations of this, Audley is dead, most of his Men at Arms formations are eliminated, the rest are first retired, but then decide to flee the field. Salisbury chooses not to pursue.



Note that if Dudley had been right behind Audley, Salisbury would now have been in big trouble himself. As is, there is no one in position to counterattack.

Current flight points: 11 for York, 24 for Lancaster. Lancaster now has to start checking for army withdrawal.

[Elias Nordling]

Dudley's formation is too far away to influence the rest of the battle now, but the Lancastrians give the yorkists a helping of arrows, eliminating a men at arms unit and killing Sir Thomas Neville. The Lancastrians pass their flight check. Two other units are retired in the following activation where Sir John starts to advance with his infantry to cause some damage to the enemy. The initiative then passes back again and Salisbury uses his free activation to rally the standard, barely putting him under the level where he has to check for withdrawal. the Lancastrians on the other hand fail this check. game over with a (historical) Yorkist victory.

There were some real swings of fortune in this game! After the uneven archer duel, I thought the Yorkists were done for, but then the Lancastrians completely blew their assault on the main line (which was kind of historical).

There are some real game choices for both sides in this situation. I can see many alternative ways of tackling the defensive position for the Lancastrians, and for the Yorkists you have to know when a counterattack is a good idea, because you are not going to kill anyone just by standing still.

Good fun!

[Strv102r]

Towton 1461. The largest battle on English soil. Seup below.



The lancasters (blue) have positioned most of their men at arms on their left flank to allow an attack on the Yorkist (yellow) right without getting in the way of their archers (the first rank). The Yorkists have positioned their men at arms for a frontal attack/defence, but have a small reserve with mounted men arms under Edward IV in the rear.

[Strv102r]

The Yorkists of course start by taking advantage of the heavy winds and snow that blows into the face if the enemy and fires away with their longbows with good, enhanced, effect. Since they are out of range for the Lancasters due to the wind conditions the Lancasters archers that are not disordered quickly decide to close range when the Yorkists fail the continuation. The others reform.







When the Lancs have approached into range for them they are met with a withering return fire that devastates the archers that had closed in. The Lancs realize  that victory must be sought with sword, axe and mace rather than bow and shaft.  As soon as they get the chance the infantry and men at arms start to advance. The idea is to close on their right (our left) and in the center while trying an outflanking move on their left.





The archers manage to disorder most of the oncoming enemy foot, and can hold the line pretty well by themselves.





The Lancs foot manage to inflict only moderate damage on the Yorkistst line and suffer heavily to the archers fire at short range. The Lancs retreat and instead attack on the left (our right) flank, with much better success.  Perhaps somewhat too much success for one unit...





The success  does not come cheap for the Lancs, but the threat of a continued flanking attack is too much to bear for Edward IV and he launches a counter attack with his reserve into the flank of the flanking Lanc force.

[Strv102r]

The Lancs form a new front to meet the attack to their flank.





Edward is not intimidated by the new front and attacks it as well. Without any spectacular success.





The Lancs then outflank Edward and fall upon his units from all directions in a string of uninterrupted continuations since the Yorkists try to enter Norfolk's reinforcements but fail repeatedly.  Edwards reserve is almost totally wiped out and the Lancs fall upon the Yorkists flank once again. The Yorkists archers are attacked in their flank and are brought over their battle flight level and they do flee! The Yorkists  lose their perhaps best weapon...






But right after the flight of their archers Norfolk does finally appear in the flank of the Lancs and they get to work immediately.





The flank of the Lancs battle is trashed but they manage to avoid battle flight despite being pushed over the threshold. They start to withdraw. The idea should be to use the archers that despite having to fire into the strong wind now have no enemy that can punish them at a distance with advantage.

[Strv102r]

Norfolk smashes the new front however and continues on towards the Lancs archers. These manage to unhorse most of the mounted men at arms that charge them, but then they are quickly dealt with anyway.





The Lancs archers break and flee the field. No one pursues. The Lancs activate Somersets standard to rally the vulnarable units gathered there, but Norfolks mounted men at arms still charge right over them. Somersets battle is now almost destroyed and he himself falls. That brings the Lancs over the armys flight level and the victory goes to York.

[Elias Nordling]

Nu är det jag som spelar Barnet, samma scenario som Ola började med.

Uppställningen.

Barnet uppställt. Dimma gör att kavallerichock inte är tillåtet och eldgivning har en negativ modifierare som gör den rätt ineffektiv. Men även i vanlig strid har uppsuttet kavalleri fördel, så Yorks riddare tänker slåss uppsuttna.

Blå är Lancaster, med Kingmakern Warwick (som stupade i detta slag) i spetsen, Gul är York med Edward IV i spetsen. Han har nyligen landstigit i England, men lyckades kämpa sig till en rätt säker kungatitel. När han dog tog hans brorsa makten som den ökände Richard III, vilket ledde till sista ronden av Rosornas krig. Sagde Richard för befäl över formationen längst ner till vänster.

Byter till engelska för speltestrapporten.

Yorkists elect to have their knights set up mounted.