Montrose Turn 1, April 1644

The campaign began with Montrose launching attacks into Lower Highlands and Ayrshire.

Upper Highlands - Determination 

In this game both sides scored points from getting units over the centre line, with the Pike & Shot battalia worth double the other units. The terrain was hilly with scattered scrub. 

Montrose at the bottom of the picture

Both sides advanced with their cavalry on the eastern side of the field. The Royalists pushed their veteran Irish units up the centre. Other units were used by them to outflank in the west and their horse held back.     

Montrose Irish

The Royalists were able to push through in the middle and attack around the outside in the west. The cavalry battle was tussle where the Royalists had a slight edge.   

Covenanter foot counter the Royalist flank moves

The final score was 6-4 to the Royalists. Royalists Win.

Ayrshire - Forlorn Hope

In this game both sides began with 2 units and their guns deployed forward and the remainder of the army looking to catchup. Points were scored for kills with the forlorn hopes scoring extra.

Royalist forlorn hope 

In the pre-game movements the Parliamentary forces caused some damage on the Irish troops while the Royalists looked to advance their cavalry as a screen to protect the Highland units seeking to outflank the Parliamentary forlorn hope.     

The Parliamentary forces had the better of the cavalry battles but Montrose horse hung on long enough to let the Highlanders attack the forlorn hope and push them back. Meanwhile the Irish on the Royalist right punched through the Parliamentary battalia opposing them.      

Highlanders get around the corner

Losses mounted on both sides but the Parliamentary armies morale gave way and they retreated in the gathering gloom. Royalist Win. 

Campaign situation

A good start for Montrose with both Lower Highlands and Ayrshire coming under his influence.  

 

Spanning the centuries

The last 10 days have been pretty busy on the gaming front - thank goodness I'm retired as I've never have the time!

First up some WWII using the latest iteration of Keith Flints Startline battalion level rules. They have a strong heritage in the classic 80s WRG rules but cleaned-up and sped-up. We cracked through a 1944 scenario in an evening and there is interest in doing a Monday-night club campaign.   

Germans hiding in wait

British attackers

We're now almost ready to start our Montrose campaign so we did a final practice game that introduced the Scottish/Irish troops. They are more fighty than the Covenanters but shoot less well.  Not shown I also played a 20mm game with Roy but the intense heat forced us a to halt before the end.  

Highlanders attack

Irish getting stuck in

It was also monthly Beneath the Lilly Banners time with us once again fighting Ottomans vs Russians in the Great North Wars. This game has a distinctly colonial feel and was a resetting of the Battle of of the Pyramids. We called in a marginal victory for the Russians as they took the riverside village and withstood fierce Ottoman attacks which broke up the front square but did nt rout it. 

Front Russian square - they would bear the grunt of the casualties 

Finally some Blucher - the Battle of Mincio (1814) river which pitched French/Italians against Austrians in an encounter game where both armies were divided by a river. Both sides opted for a left flank movement with the French looking initially to be too slow. 

6mm Austrians

The French centre was able to hang-on while their comrades on the left destroyed all the Austrians west of the river. Units were traded in the centre allowing the French to break the Austrians when their losses hit 50%.  

 

French attacking the Austrian centre and flank

Finally finally (not pictured) was some Deadzone scifi skirmish. I'm playing in  a tournament in August so some practice was in order. I was nt entirely happy with the Enforcers I used (AKA space marines) so will return to my trusty cyborgs from the evil Mazon Labs list