A English Civil War Game

Today's game was an English Civil War game. A Royalist force of six pike and shot units and five cavalry, supported by four guns, were holding a vital road junction. A reinforcing column of three pike and shot units and a cavalry unit were marching to their support. Facing them was a Parliamentary force of eleven pike and shot units, eight cavalry and five guns. 

For we Parliamentarians it was an awkward approach through a series of woods that acted pretty much like a funnel. Knowing out opponents well, we expected the Royalists to come forward in an attempt to try to  prevent us from deploying while their reinforcements came forward. We planned to take advantage of this. For this we pushed the cavalry forward on the wings while the infantry in the centre was to move to drive a wedge between them.

Unfortunately they got the jump on us and moved and took a good position that indeed delayed our deployment. On our left flank the cavalry clashed first and the Royalists got the better of us, routing one of our units then pursuing it to destruction. But that Royalist unit then found itself well in front of its lines and was caught in the crossfire of two pike and shot units and destroyed. 

On our right the cavalry also clashed. While one of our units was driven back, the other routed the enemy and then broke through on a raw pike and shot, routing it also. At the same time a unit of highlanders attempted to charge against one of our pike and shot units, but it was shot up and halted then destroyed when we advanced.

Things now began to turn against the Royalists and they attempted to pull back, with some success at first, but when we wrested back the initiative we managed to attack their retreating units, breaking two of them. 

On our right the Royalist reinforcements came up and took position on the heights in front of the churchyard. There they made a good stand, resisting our attacks for several turns. But numbers began to tell and we managed to over run the Royalist left centre and the cavalry was passing beyond their left flank. 

Here the game was called as a Parliamentary victory.