The Great Rebellion - 1642–1651 in Oxford 2014
Scots Royalist vs Royalist
Game 1 Scots Royalist vs Scots Covenanters
Game 2 Scots Royalist vs Royalist
Game 3 Scots Royalist vs Scots Royalist
Second game followed hard on the heels ay the first, in a schedule which I'd nae fully anticipated, leaving me with a diet ay Custard Creams and tea instead ay a proper meal. Nice, but I imagine the Scots Royalists did'nae manage to get to the local Waitrose on many lunchtimes either.
The lists for the Scots Royalist and Scots Royalist from this game, as well as all the other lists from the games at Oxford can be seen here in the FoG:R Wiki.
What's Going on Here Then?
This was a proper Royalist army that the Scots faced across the table - clearly some sort ay internecine feud was ongoing at the time ay the battle. Whoever had arranged the fight also obviously did'nae like the idea ay many casualties either and had arranged for a lot ay terrain to clutter the table one one side and make it difficult for both sides to fight.
The side of the table my wee laddies were on was as bald as Sean Connery's head on National Say No to Toupee's Day, and added to that the fact that the Highlanders ignored most terrain anyway allowed a neat checkerboard setup on the Scots side ay the table, ready for an eager advance
The benefits ay having some Warriors in the army suddenly came to the fore, as the enclosed fields and rough areas on the opposite side ay the table were like magnets for the Highlanders, who raced across the table towards safety
Och Aye the Noo! The Scots army was more numerous than the enemy, allowing units ay Pike and Shotte to wheel outwards and put pressure on the enemy Horse on the wings - the enemy advantage in cavalry was potentially being turned into a weakness as Scottish pike and shot formations filled the board like earplug salesmen attracted to the World Bagipe Championship Finals
On the other wing, the opposite effect was happening as the English Horse struggled to fit in - they were forced to cross the broken ground as both sides flicked through the rules to try and understand what the "in rough terrain" rules actually meant before the Cavaliers hit the kilt-wearing Highlanders.
Scottish War Cries!
It was a bit ay a pile-up to be honest, with both sides jamming units together as they sought to come to blows. The Scottish Horse even flirted with proximity to the front lines, but to be honest they were just messing about - rear support only was their role today.
The English Cavaliers on the left had soon decided that fighting Pike and Shotte was nae a great plan, so started off on a big outflanking move, probably thinking ay baggage-raiding and whicky-drinkin' instead ay contact with the enemy
Cavaliers and Roundheads Explained, Musically
This was it - the combat would nae be avoided for much longer. Kilts waved in the breeze, and Cavaliers unsheathed their swords (no connection) and ate some pate. A nice tidy line, lots ay shooting, all round it was lovely stuff.
What's Going on Here Then?
The two armies have advanced, and are lined up for battle with the non-Scots hiding back in the terrain, and shoving some horse up to try and gain a small advantage. The Higlanders are mixed into the Scots line, and represent their best chance of a breakthrough
The Cavaliers piled in, lurching out ay the uneven ground and smiting the pale and pasty-faced Highlanders as they charged. This was a vital moment for the Scots - this could be a weak point in their line if things went wrong...
FoG:R hint The terrain rules say that "POAs and Cohesion test modifiers only applying in Open terrain do nae count if the base claiming the POA or causing the CT modifier even partly enters rough, uneven or difficult". So, even though the Highlanders are in the open, as the Cavaliers are in the uneven ground they do nae count the "Mounted vs Medium foot in the open" POA, nor do the Highlanders get a minus in their cohesion test for losing to mounted in the open. So, nae that bad really...
Och Aye The Noo! A huge blow was struck immediately, as the Highlanders crumbled under the onslaught - FRAGGED!
FoG:R hint Crap dice are still crap dice, no matter what the rules say
The deep-fried Highlanders routed, and at the same time the Irish Brigade to their left also turned and fled after taking a pasting from English shooting. This was a massive gap in the lines ay the Highlanders, with Cavaliers rampaging through it...
The Cavaliers just carried on, seeing they could soon be rolling up the Scottish line they went clattering at full pelt towards another block ay Highlanders - who were very definitely in the open, and were also about to be hit in the flank. The English Civil War was in full effect now...
English Civil War - The Clash
The Scottish army was having a very wobbly moment - and the English were taking full advantage as they closed in on the Scots infantry, blasting them with shooting and threatening them on all flanks
Things were pretty desperate now, but the sheer numbers ay Scottish infantry meant that they were still able to keep throwing units at the English lines, and from this point the only option was to push the attack at sword point and see if Scottish enthusiasm could overwhelm English tactics.
Tactics were winning, as the Scots left flank started to crumble as well - infantry collapsing against a Cavalier charge which left a train of discarded tartan bobble hats lying in their wake. Things were looking as bleak as a bleak night in Bleak Street in a particularly chilly Glasgow January for the Scots.
What's Going on Here Then?
Both flanks of the Scots have been nearly stove in, but their 2nd line is still fairly numerous, and the game is not yet lost. The Royalists don't realy have enough Cavalry in the right places to exploit the gaps they have created quickly enough
But with that the clock ticked round, and time was called. A 14-6 loss for the Scots
Click here for the report ay the next game in this competition, or read on for the post match summaries from the Generals involved, as well as another episode ay legendary expert analysis from Hannibal
Post Match Summary from the Scots Royalist Commander
Thes was a raither difficult gam, an' Ah was delighted tae manage tae hang oan against aw th' odds haur an' scart sex points it ay th' bottom ay th' barrel which will keep me still in th' hunt .
Ah woods hae preferred nae tae be sae unlucky wi' th' highlanders efter managin' tae pin th' cavaliers intae th' uneven grin an' gain whit in theory shoods hae bin a guid position - but dice coonted against us in th' end.
Ah hink 'at noo Ah will refill mah spirits wi' a scran ay healthy custard creams, washed doon wi' a cuppa an' 'en gie ready fur th' lest roon.
(In a 2008 interview, David Tennant (jokingly) suggested that he would like Wee Jimmy Krankie to take over the role ay Doctor Who)
Hannibal's Post Match Analysis
Away an Boil yer heed ye foolish fopster, and put your claims ay bad luck in the pot with them. Pure and simple you lost concentration here, and then compounded it with a lack ay rules knowledge as well - and rightly you were punished, and the only luck here was that time was called before you were utterly crushed.
So, put down your hopes and get it up ye klunge as only putting this farrago behind you wil alow you to move forward. Here your lack ay horse counted badly against you, and also your unimaginative tactics, simply advancing and relying on the fact that some ay your men had swords to win compounded that weakness - next time try actually thinking, and reading the rules too.
This was a prformance so limp that it's almost impossible to pour any more opprobrium on your undersized head. Be gone, and lets see the next game
Click here for the report ay the next game in this competition
You can also comment, "like" or give feedback on these reports on either the Madaxeman.com Facebook Page or the Madaxeman.com Blogger Site.
Game 1 Scots Royalist vs Scots Covenanters
Game 2 Scots Royalist vs Army2
Game 3 Scots Royalist vs Scots Royalist
Game 4 Scots Royalist vs Army4
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