Strike Fast ECW campaign - week 1

Our campaign opened with Cromwell launching an attack into Dumfries & Galloway to confront the Royalist forces holding that region. For this campaign the Royalist armies have a small force of loyalist English exiles, but are mostly Irish troops and Highlanders.

The terrain was mostly flat with a few low hills. The Royalists had a good defensive position on their right as a village and wood sealed-off the flank. Both sides placed victory markers in the enemy half, that counted towards the win. The Parliamentary forces deployed theirs wide on the flanks whilst the Royalists placed theirs centrally.

Both sides deployed most of their infantry centrally, but chose to load their Horse onto their own left flanks.      

Battlefield from the English left 

Battlefield from the English right

Irish foot in the Royalist centre 

The game opened with the English pushing a Storming Party into the village and ousting a small force of Royalist dragoons holding the position.

Parliament storms the village and ousts the Royalist dragoons

Cromwell moved quickly on his left to attack the enemy cavalry with his veteran Ironside troopers supported by commanded shot. The attack progressed well with the Royalists thrown back and leaving the Irish infantry holding the victory marker isolated.  

Ironsides attack on the left

Ironsides push back their opponents

Ironsides win the day - Irish troops are isolated on the flank

On the Royalist left, after some initial delays, they too launched their own attack but met with more mixed results. They managed to rout half the outnumbered Parliamentary Horse but were themselves halted by the other half.

Royalists attack on their own left

Highlanders are thrown-back at the village 

With the battle about half done the cavalry battles on the flanks were becoming settled. On their left the English had destroyed the Royalist Horse, turned the flank, and were threatening the main infantry line. On the English right the Royalists had an edge but were not able to threaten the main infantry line in the same way.  

The struggle continues on the Royalist left 

Sensing they were in trouble the Royalists began a general infantry advance led by the Highlanders. It was clear though that this attack was at grave danger from the flanking Parliamentary Horse and so the advance was halted.

English stand-too as the Highlanders advance 

Out numbered highlanders run into trouble

So the battle was declared a Parliamentary win as the Royalists felt they were bound to be broken before they could inflict sufficient damage on the enemy. Our post-match analysis was that perhaps the Royalists got trapped between partly attacking and partly defending, so lacked a clear plan of action. They could also have defended their right flank as the terrain was very advantageous for this.

Week 1 map