The Battle of Wakefield 1460

Richard joined me in testing the Battle of Wakefield scenario in a one-on-one game.  My main goal (besides having an enjoyable game) was to see if the scenario might offer enough of an interesting situation to broadcast to multiplayer audiences.  The version of the battle I am grounding the scenario on presents an asymmetrical challenge for the Yorkists especially.  Among the many and varied rationalizations for the battle (or no battle!), the scenario emphasized the Rescue Party and Hubris theories while discounting some of the Deception theories.  After laying out the situation in a Battle Briefing, Richard jumped at the chance to take command of the underdog Yorkists in his attempt to overturn history.  Richard's battle report is found at Battle of Wakefield 1460.  Do pop over and visit Richard's blog to read his account if you already have not.  Good stuff!  

Initial Situation.

The battle opens with the foraging party on its way back to Sandal Castle under pressure from the enemy.  The Duke of York decamps from Sandal Castle and launches an aggressive attack toward Somerset to protect the foraging party.  As York moves north, Northumberland arrives on the battlefield pulling up alongside Somerset.  As the forage train plods south, Rutland turns his archers to face Northumberland.

York moves up to support the forage train...

as Northumberland comes up in support of Somerset.

After letting loose a volley of arrows, York guides left and passes his melee lines through his archers.  Northumberland is the target of this attack.  Northumberland's archers let off a volley before retiring through his own melee line.  In the close combat, York is stopped but Northumberland recoils back through his archers when his troops panic.

York attacks!

York's attack is stopped... 

but Northumberland panics.

With York not having yet recovered from his setback against Northumberland, Somerset leads his men into the already wavering York.  York is pushed back.  Somerset does not follow up mainly because he is carried from the field wounded.  Having rallied his men, Northumberland leads a counterattack back into York.  In heavy fighting, York's MAA are destroyed and York goes down on the field, dead.  York's billmen have seen enough.  They scatter.  York's Battle breaks before Salisbury can come up in support.  Clifford arrives onto the field of battle to Somerset's left.

Somerset attacks...

followed up by Northumberland's attack.

York falls, dead on the field, his Battle broken.

With York dispatched, Salisbury has the unenviable task of delaying the advance of the enemy alone.  The forage carts are making slow progress along the road.  Salisbury must trade space for time to allow the forage party to reach the castle. 

Lancastrians converge upon Salisbury.

In a desperate move, Salisbury launches an attack into Northumberland in order to neutralize one Battle before the other two blows fall.

In hard fighting, Northumberland's MAA scatter as both Salisbury and Northumberland go down leading their troops.  Salisbury's melee line presses forward into Northumberland's archers as well.  The Lancastrian archers fall back.  The momentum of the attack carries Salisbury's troops into Somerset.  The Yorkist attack is repulsed with heavy casualties.  Somerset advances with Salisbury's archers falling back before.  Somerset smashes into Salisbury.  Salisbury's MAA are cut down.     

Northumberland's MAA scatter as Salisbury presses on.

Somerset counterattacks, driving the enemy back.

Salisbury teeters on the breaking point.

With one last push forward, Somerset hits Salisbury's wavering billmen.  As expected, the billmen collapse and so does Salisbury's Battle.  The Yorkist army reaches the breaking point and retires with what remains of the army.

One last shove and the Yorkist Army collapses.

For the Duke of York, this battle is truly over.  Leader casualties were extremely high with four of the six Battle commanders going down in the fight.  For the Yorkists, Richard and Salisbury were dead.  For the Lancastrians, Northumberland was dead and Somerset wounded. 

In the end, Rutland escaped this battle unharmed.  Otherwise, the narrative of the game followed the traditional narrative quite closely.  Did the Yorkists have a chance?  Well, perhaps not much but had York's initial attack against Northumberland gone in Richard's favor, the outcome could have been very different.

Post-game discussion focused on modifying the scenario to make a more even contest.  While the game produced the historical (and likely the most expected result), we discussed allowing more easy passage through the hedges lining the road and allowing Salisbury to come one turn earlier.  Game duration was about 90 minutes.  

Interesting battle and a very good game.  Thank you, Richard!