Tuesday 14 February 2012

Hoggerton Moor 1643 [Hypothetical]: Part IV - My Battle with a Wing of Horse

As George Orwell said, "Four Legs good, Two Legs bad". I would say "Two Legs 100 paces (with Pike), Four Legs 200 paces (250 if charging)". In short "Four Legs wins the foot race", even if they get shot up a little on the way in and disorganised by two Parliamentarian Saker Cannon (see below):


Somehow I managed to form a semblance of a column to expand out from, although how legal some of the moves were is at best dubious. In the spirit of the game, as in "we don't really know how to do it otherwise", the Parliamentarian forces ending up looking like thus (see below):  


Meanwhile the "big boys" were getting to grips with each other  in the center of the table. Parliament was looking to be at a disadvantage and would need some excellent dice throwing as the Royalists were about to lap round an exposed flank (see below):


Oh "Darn", on my flank I found to my annoyance that (not surprisingly given the laws of physics some would say) Cavalry are faster and can out manoeuvre Infantry (see below): 


Even if the Infantry deploy out of column quick as a flash (woof, woof [BlackAdder II]), my flank was always being turned (see below):


Again back in the middle matters were getting "hot" (see below) as the Royalist left Wing of Horse chose it's moment to attack. The Parliamentarian horse braced itself in trepidation, their mettle was about to be tested, just a few loses would take the command away as the Parliamentarian Horse fought in 'supported line'. A case of 'win' or 'lose' big (see below):


In the middle the Parliamentarian Infantry staged a counterattack but the Parliamentarian right was refused awkwardly waiting a hammer blow, just a few loses here (as they fought in supported line) would take the Parliamentarian Right command out of the game (see below):


Two thirds of the Royalist Arm was effectively hitting less than half of the Parliamentarian Army. I could see no good coming of it, even wearing my tightest Puritarian breeches. I saw and felt pain!

No comments: