Mortimer's Cross II

Last week, Peter (Grid based wargaming) joined me in a remote refight of the Battle of Mortimer's Cross.  Peter's account of the battle can be read at the link above.  Before the game, Peter, announced that he would take command of the Yorkist Army (red dice).

Edward's Central Battle

The reason given for choosing that army was that the briefing showed the table layout from behind the Yorkist lines.  I clarified that there were cameras behind both army lines, so he did not need to stick to commanding the Yorkists.  Peter remained steadfast and commanded the Yorkist Army in this refight.  The Lancastrian Army carries the blue Combat Effectiveness dice.  The objective is to break two of the three enemy Battles before the enemy can return the favor.

Army deployments

Army deployments

Let's see how the battle played out.

The battle opens with Tudor's advance on the Lancastrian Right.  Herbert counters that movement by putting his own ward into motion.  Herbert's archers hit Tudor's archers will missile fire.  Rather than retiring in the face of volleys, Tudor's archers absorb the damage and stay put.  Within striking range of Tudor's Battle, Herbert's melee line attacks.  Faced with unfavorable odds against Herbert's MAA, Tudor smartly withdraws his archers having delayed the enemy just long enough to prevent them from closing this turn.  Perhaps retiring the bowmen earlier would have been a better choice?

Herbert attacks!

In the center, Pembroke's archers send a volley of arrows into Edward's archers.  Perhaps a bit surprised by this long-range missile exchange, Edward's bowmen turn and break for the rear.  The archers' response was so chaotic that even Edward's leadership could not stop the race to the rear.  Not a good start for Edward although he does press forward toward Pembroke with his main melee line.  On the Lancastrian Left, Wiltshire's poor archers are driven off by Devereaux's bowmen.   

Edward's archers break...

and head to the rear.

Wiltshire's archers are driven off!

On the opposite wing, Tudor advances into Herbert as both melee lines collide.  In frenetic hacking and slashing, both Battles are worn down before Tudor's infantry are forced back.  Exhausted, Herbert cannot follow up to press his advantage.

Tudor crashes into Herbert!

Melee grinds on...

as casualties rise...

until Tudor is driven back.

Action in the center sees much the same.  A tremendous clash between Pembroke and Edward puts Pembroke's main melee line to flight.  Only Pembroke's household prevents Edward from pushing straight through the enemy to his front.  

Pembroke's melee line breaks!

With both Tudor and Pembroke teetering off balance, only the Lancastrian Left hangs on.  That stability quickly does an about face when Devereaux drives Wiltshire back.  All across the battlefield, the Lancastrians are hard pressed and being shoved backwards.  Could the battle be over almost before it begins? 

Wiltshire driven back!

Even though knocked about by Herbert, Tudor does not give up his position easily.  Still under orders to engage the enemy to his front, Tudor's melee line moves through his archers.  To counter Tudor's ambitions, Herbert's melee line passes through its archers to take the fight to Tudor.  Swapping positions as they bear down on the enemy, Herbert's billmen take the lead.  Hitting Tudor, Herbert forces Tudor's melee line backwards.  This retrograde uncovers Tudor's bowmen who choose to stand firm.  Letting loose a volley of arrows as Herbert closes, Tudor's archers stop Herbert's attack!  Hoorah!

Tudor's melee line advances...

only to be pushed back...

but Tudor's archers halt the enemy's attacks.

In the center, both Pembroke and Edward bring forward their Household to contest the ground.  After a lengthy and very costly melee, Edward's Household troops retire.  On the Lancastrian Left, Wiltshire, having already taken heavy casualties, once again dives into Devereaux.  This time, Wiltshire prevails and Devereaux falls back onto his archers.

Households smash each other in the center...

while Wiltshire fights Devereaux.

Situation from west as both armies are ground down.

Having seen his Household thrown back in the center, Edward orders his melee line of MAA and billmen forward into Pembroke's Household troops.  In hard fighting, Pembroke's Household holds on to see Edward call off the attack.  Edward retires.  This reprieve allows the Lancastrians a chance to rally.  

Edward counterattacks in the center...

but makes little progress
 as both combatants grind each other down.

Pembroke gets a reprieve in center.

Back on the Yorkist Left, Herbert continues to press Tudor vigorously.  Already weakened from earlier efforts, Tudor's melee line crumbles when Herbert's archers deliver a punishing volley.  Tudor's MAA scatter as his billmen fall back behind the cover of his own bowmen.    

Fighting on the left...

leads to the destruction of Tudor's MAA.

Lancastrians pushed back everywhere!

In an attempt to reverse recent fortunes, Pembroke gathers his Household supported by MAA and lunges forward into Edward.  While Edward's MAA are destroyed in the fighting, his billmen cling on and see Pembroke's heavy foot repulsed.  Poor Pembroke!

Pembroke attacks in the center...

and is repulsed!

By this time in the action, both armies are becoming brittle.  A good shove anywhere might send one Battle over the edge and then to the rear.  This is exactly what happens in the fight of Wiltshire against Devereaux.  In hand-to-hand, Wiltshire's melee line pushes into Devereaux's billmen and the billmen scatter.  Devereaux's Battle breaks!

The destruction of Devereaux.

Getting word that the Yorkist Right has collapsed, Herbert, on the left redoubles his efforts against Tudor.  In the fighting, Tudor's billmen are driven back but Herbert's Battle is wavering as well.  Even in a weakened state, Herbert presses on.  First his melee line forces Tudor's archers back uncovering the barely hanging on billmen.  Moving his archers forward, Herbert delivers the coup de grace to Tudor's billmen.  Tudor breaks!   

Herbert drives Tudor back!

Tudor breaks!

With each army now having a wing broken, the race is on to break one more formation.  Wiltshire, on the Lancastrian Left, and Herbert, on the Yorkist Left, turn inwards toward the center of the battlefield.  Wiltshire is on Defend orders so must change orders before attacking inward toward Edward.  Herbert, however, remains on Engage and pushes on!

The wings turn in.

With Pembroke already locked into combat against Edward, turning to face the new threat from Herbert is not possible.  Wheeling to his right, Herbert's bowmen send a volley of arrows into Pembroke's already weakened retinue.  His household routs!  The clash in the center is fierce but Edward gains the upper hand and sends Pembroke's billmen packing.  Casualties mount as Pembroke's MAA finds themselves in an uneven affair.  Finally, the Lancastrian MAA scatter and Pembroke breaks.  Wiltshire is confined to the role of spectator as he cannot change his orders to possibly save the day.

Herbert turns in toward Pembroke.

Scrum in the center between Edward and Pembroke.

Edward gains the upper hand...

as Wiltshire looks on.

The Lancastrians see defeat!

This battle is over!

Congratulations to Peter for a very well-fought and battering contest.  Both armies put on a good fight but Peter and his Yorkists prevailed in the end.  There must have been a leader casualty or two along the way, but any such casualties are lost to time.  Did Wiltshire's reluctance to join into the center fray spell defeat for the Lancastrians?  We will never know.  In the words of Nathaniel Bedford Forrest, Peter got there the firstest with the mostest!     

Only Pembroke's archers remain.

Great job, Peter, and thank you for a very enjoyable game.  The Butcher's Bill does not look too lopsided but Peter caused casualties where they mattered most.  with such a back and forth clash, an even allocation of casualties is not surprising.  Play time was about two-and-a-half hours.

Great fun!