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Monday, November 28, 2022

On The Table Today Is...

View from Bourton Hill
the Battle of Cropredy Bridge.  Well, my interpretation of this notable battle, that is.

Later today, four gamers from the UK join me in a remote game to battle it out for control of Cropredy and Hays bridges as my 30mm ECW collection takes to the field.  The contest will be waged across 6' x 8' feet of my gaming table.

Defending Hays Bridge

Each player was provided a Battle Briefing with my brief synopsis of events leading up to battle, QRS, and OB.

Battle Briefing
The Battle of Cropredy Bridge, 29 June 1644

The King’s army, nearly starved to death while trapped in Oxford.  Breaking out of Oxford in early June, the king was on the march. Waller’s army maintained contact with the King’s Army.  The king and Waller have been marching and counter-marching in attempt to gain a positional advantage over the other.  By 28 June, Waller was at Hanwell near Banbury.  The king, at Brackley, was warned of Waller’s movements and marched on Banbury.  Arriving on the 29th, The Charles spotted Waller’s Army deployed near Hanwell Castle about two miles west of River Cherwell.  Both armies set in motion heading for the high ground at Couch (Crouch?) Hill.  Waller got there first. Deeming Waller’s position too strong to attack, Charles marched north toward Daventry.  The King’s Army marched north along the east bank of the River Cherwell while Waller shadowed the king by marching north along the west bank of the river.
View from the north
Rear elements (about one-third) of the King’s Army became separated from the van of the column when the van moved quickly to intercept reported Parliamentarian horse moving south to join Waller.  This activity went unnoticed by Cleveland and the rear of the column.  While the van was about 1-1/2 miles north of Hays Bridge, the remainder of the army found itself almost two miles behind on the south side of the river.  Sensing an opportunity to defeat part of the Royalist Army before it could be reinforced, Waller struck.  Crossing over the River Cherwell at both Slat Ford and Cropredy Bridge, Waller aimed to isolate a portion of the King’s Army.  To accomplish this task, Middleton would drive toward Hays Bridge to prevent Cleveland’s escape and thwart Charles’ attempts to reinforce from the north while Waller attacked from the south.  Waller’s ambition was to catch Cleveland in a pincer movement between himself and Middleton and destroy it in detail before the King could intervene.

The stage is set.

Initial dispositions

Rules
A Reign Cut Short

Game Duration
The battle begins at the 12pm turn and ends on the 3pm turn.  By 3pm, the King’s van would be arriving back onto the battlefield.  If Waller wants to defeat Wilmot, he must do so before 3pm.  The battle will last ten turns unless a time limit set.
Parliamentarian Army deployed along the Cherwell
Victory, Sudden Death
Break the enemy army.  Parliament’s ABC=10.  Royalist’s ABC=8.

Victory with Turn Limit (10) or with Time Limit (3 hours?)
Set max playing turns or time.  When either turn or time limit reached assess victory as,
ABC differential:
0-1 Draw
2-4 Minor
5+ Major
View behind Cropredy Bridge
Terrain
River Cherwell is in flood and only crossable at Slat Ford, Cropredy Bridge, and Hays Bridge.

Barricades have been put in place at Hays Bridge.  The barricades count as a linear obstacle when charging and cover in fire.
Royalist Center
Terrain Objectives
Hays Bridge is a Royalist held objective.  If lost -2 points from Royalist ABC. Recapture cancels this loss to ABC.

Cropredy Bridge is a Roundhead held objective.  If lost -2 points from Roundhead ABC.  Recapture cancels this loss to ABC.

If Waller’s Army reaches the Ash tree and the tree is within his lines, Waller concludes that the Royalists will be beaten and he releases his reserves.  The two auxiliary foote regiments at Bourton Hill may cross the Cherwell.

Who will be victorious?

55 comments:

  1. Wonderful looking collection Jon 👍

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    1. Thank you, Matt! This could be coming to a screen near you...

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  2. The scene is set! 30mm is a slightly unusual scale Jon, what made you choose it for this period?

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    1. Your question on scale is a good one. It is a bit of “Truth in Advertising.” The collection is made up of of mostly Redoubt figures with a good amount of Renegade too. Although listed as 25/28mm, both manufacturers’ figures are HUGE. Really, classifying the collection as 30mm may be a slight understatement. These figures are much too large to field with other 25/28mm figures. There you have it; 30mm!

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    2. Ok, so you are just being more accurate then the sculptors and manufacturers then Jon?! I totally agree about the size of the figures, BTW, although I have Renegade and Bicorne in the same collection as Dixon and Foundry...I am obviously not as fastidious about scale!

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    3. I should not be so picky either but I find the Old Glory ECW just too small. Small enough that I chose not to add them into the collection when a friend was giving them away.

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    4. Ooohhhh....I can tell you have no Scots or Dutch genes then, Jon! The reason I have a few Foundry is because I got them off gaming mate Chris gratis!

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    5. Scottish but no Dutch. You should see the pile of unpainted lead. You might be tempted to turn down free figures if you saw my stockpile.

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  3. As always, the birds eye view of your battlefield is splendid. Plentiful cavalry, this is going to photograph really nicely.

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    1. Thanks! Well, that is if I remember to take photos during the action. I can get distracted juggling everything and forget to stop to take photos or screenshots.

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  4. All set for a ferious affray from the looks of that fplendid table.

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  5. That all looks great Jonathan. As I am sure we have discussed before I really like the Renegade sculpting style. They are always clean casts and, although bulky, never look out of proportion. It's just a shame they seem to be on a permanent break.

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    1. Lawrence, we have discussed Renegade figures before. I LOVE them and have many ECW and Roman Republic figures. It is such a shame that the business has not passed along to someone willing to produce the figures.

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    2. Totally agree Jon they are/were great figures at a reasonable price....maybe that's why they went out of business...??

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    3. Maybe. Especially when they regularly offered such great bulk discounts.

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  6. Great looking layout, look forward to seeing how the game unfolds

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    1. Glad you like the table layout, Neil! The battle outcome is in the books.

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  7. A fine looking set up and background fluff too Jon. Nice touches on when the reserves can be released and victory conditions as well. Certainly looking forward to seeing how this all unfolds:).

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    1. Thanks, Steve! Glad you enjoyed background "fluff" too! Given how very, very far I am in reporting battles, this one may have to jump the queue to see light of day this year.

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  8. Lovely table and splendid minis Jon. Looking forward to the next episode!

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    1. Thank you, Mike! This was another tough day for a Great Army.

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  9. That is a very nice setup Jonathan. I’ll look forward to reading the report.

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    1. Thanks, Mark! I will see about carving time out for a report. With at three games this week, time is short.

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  10. A nice table and set up, looking forward to the clash.

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    1. Thank you, George! It was a bloody fight. Very bloody for one army.

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  11. Splendid looking table of a favourite battle, really looking forward to it!
    Best Iain

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  12. Watching you set up a game is better than most AAR's. You are thoughtful of the game and the best way to show the models. Then you report on the battle and we get a second helping.

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    1. Joe, you are most kind! Thank you. I sometimes wonder if the follow-on battle report is anti-climatic given my pre-game hype.

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  13. Your battle is looking excellent. You inspire me to create a scenario for the 1623-campaign. Have to look for battles...

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    1. Thank you! Your work inspires me, similarly. I have Spanish and Piedmontese WAS infantry on the painting desk.

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    2. Wow! I have not much of Spanish already because I use French as Spanish because from a distance the uniforms are looking very much the same except the small cocades.

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  14. That's a smashing looking set up Jonathan. I can feel me getting a comfortable spot ready to enjoy reading your battle report. Now what drink is it to be... alcoholic or hot cocoa?

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    1. Thanks so much! Alcohol or hot cocoa? The choice may depend upon where your allegiance lays. Is it with King or Parliament? In this fight, a Great Army was destroyed.

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  15. That looks brilliant, Jon! A proper big battle. I look forward to the battle report - I will be rooting for Waller..

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    1. Thank you, David!

      Rooting for Waller? Well then, you will be pleased.

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    2. Sounds like Parliament might have had a good day then... :)

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    3. Take a look at this blog -http://prometheusinaspic.blogspot.com/- but be aware "Spoiler Alert"

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    4. Ah, but the devil is in the details!

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  16. Great looking table and troops. This remote gaming thing is still a mystery to this old man.

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    1. Thank you! Once you dive into it and stay a while, it becomes almost second nature. No mystery at all.

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  17. Pretty setup! Looking forward to this one!

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  18. Stunning action, got me itching to get my 28mm ECW out and play!

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    1. Thanks! Get your ECW collection out and onto the table!

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  19. It's got the look of a great game, Jonathan.

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    1. Thanks, Ray! One's perspective may be changed by which army you commanded.

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  20. An interesting tactical problem; double plus good being a pike and shot game!

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    1. This is an interesting battle not like the typical battle deployment. Yes, good to get the pike and shot figures out on the table.

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  21. Late to the fray as usual.

    I was wondering when I saw 30mm, thinking something along the lines of "surely he doesn't have a collection of old Stadden's and Willie's!" then looked at the pictures and thought "Nope". I was most disappointed when I ordered a "25mm" Naval landing party w gatling gun from Redoubt in the 90's, to flush out my Sudan armies, got them and suddenly all my Frontier, Partha, etc 25mm's looked like 10 yr olds dressed for Halloween. I found my landing party a new home.

    Anyway, the game looks promising!

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    1. Never too late, Ross! Comments are always accepted!

      Redoubt ECW (and Sudan) figures are huge. Renegade figures are equally large. Great figures but they are not "true" 25mm, 25mm, or even 28mm by my measurements.

      As for Frontier figures, I sure wish I could find 15mm Frontier AWI. Maybe one day they will be back in product? I have waited a long time. They are likely gone forever.

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