Thursday 10 June 2021

Barnet 14 April 1471 - Test of Resolve

The battle of Barnet - a final playtest from the upcoming Wars of the Roses Scenario book - available August 2021 at testofresolve.com/ .

In the fog (visibility 6") the armies move towards each other, but their right battles have no-one opposing them .. Lancs (Tim) on the left of the picture [Left: Exeter; Centre: Warwick; Right: Oxford], York (David) on the right [Left: Hastings; Centre Edward IV; Right: Gloucester]



Lancaster gets a lot of early movement:




and continues to do so, their centre having taken some losses to good Yorkist archer and handgun fire from Edward's missile troops 




Edward then counter-attacks Exeter's battle, while Lancastrian centre is still waiting for Oxford to join in from their right








Oxford now turns and hits Hastings in the flank  



and .. er .. Gloucester is just continuing on his merry way



Hastings dissolves under the pressure.. utimately failing a Battle Morale Test



and Oxford fails Pursuit & Plunder test, so also leaves the table .. but he will be back .. maybe ..


Meanwhile the fight gets ugly in the centre with Edward holding off 2 Lancastrian battles. "Where is Gloucester?" I hear David ask.... 



"Oh, there he is ..." <sigh>




A change in fortune and York gets some serious movement. Will Gloucester be able to arrive in time to save Edward? - who has 1 melee company left (blue/green die) and is trying to practice Social Distancing with some degree of success .. actually he's picking off archer units in his travels ..




Gloucester's battle fights on, but is equally matched .. and Edward and his weakened company are still alone... apart from archer-bashing ..




Then Oxford returns from his journeyings, and arrives on the flank of Gloucester and Exeter. Identity Confusion tests follow. Does Exeter think Oxford is the enemy and have to take a Battle Morale Test? [No] Now it's Gloucester's turn .. does he think Oxford is a friendly reinforcement so he won't fight him .. until he finds out differently [YES]. 





A different outcome was probably Edward's only hope .. and to make it worse, his company, with 3RP loss showing rolls a 1 on an attempt to Strengthen Resolve, and so loses a further RP - and the company is eliminated, leaving Edward all alone..



from which he makes a smart departure, leaving the battlefield to the Lancastrians .. till the next time!!



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