Rules of War

Last night at club, I set up an ECW game using Warhammer ECW rules. I decided to make the two forces fairly mirror image, so as to enable a teaching game for one of our members just starting to collect this period, Stef.

Here we see the infantry deployments, with Parliament, my command, to the right, and the Royalists under Stef to the left. Note that steff deployed his firelocks in a skirmish screen in front of his army. Just out of shot below where the shot is taken are deployed a Saker each, and below that, we each have a regiment of 12 trotters with a brace of pistols and light armour.
I won the roll off, and began with a shot from my Saker into the Kings Life Guard regiment, and advanced my dismounted dragoons through the wood, and pushed forward with the pike and shot battallia. The cavalry edged forward cautiously, not wishing to commit to anything too early on.

The Kings Army, ably commanded by Goring fired the Saker, felling some of the Trained Bands (red coats), and a fusilade from the fire locks. The Life Guards advanced to the lower slopes of thier hill, and the Cav moved forward more boldly than the Roundheads.

parliaments Turn 2, and I decided a rather risky tactic to scare off the pesky Firelocks. I was at close range to them, and so fired a salvo. For those who don't know the WHECW rules, this allows both ranks to fire, expending 2 of the 4 shots you have in the game, but any hits result in the enemy having to take a morale check. The result was unsurprisingly poor, with only 1 casualty, but enough to satisfy the morale requirement rule, which Stef duly failed, sending the firelocks scurrying behind Gerrards regiment.

 This of course would leave me a little vunerable for a move, having expended move 3's ammo, but I considered that Gerrards too far away to do any real harm at present. however in Stef's turn he did rather well, shooting off several musketeers. On the other flank I fired my advancing firelock armed Dragoons, and fired the muskets of Col Green's Regiment, to the cost of a couple of Lifeguards.

IN Stefs move ,he elected to charge my cavalry, winning the fight by one point, I took my test and failed, the Royalist Horse then persued and ran down the hapless Roundheads. This caused a morale check on the Trained bands muskets and the Saker Crew, that up till now had been steadily knocking off Lifeguards. The Trained Bands passed...the Gun crew did not, and fled the field.
Turn 3 and I decided to press the harried lifeguards before Steff could turn his victorious cavalry round and threaten my rear

This resulted in a stalemate as I failed to get sufficient casualties inflicted, and the Lifeguards have the advantage of higher ground.

After a turn of firing at each other in Turn 3, the time Came for Push of Pike, and Steff charged my Trained bands in Turn 4, which I duly lost, with the whole regiment routed, persued and cut down.

Add to this the victoriuos Cavaliers back for more glory, and my Green regiment being slowly whittled away on the other flank, I decided to concede the game to Steff.
 Another great evenings Gaming, Next week, Romans Vs Celts, but this time my Romans Vs Derek's Celts in a 2000 pt engagement.