ECW Braddock Down

 Another week another game. I was invited down to Erik's for an ECW refight of Braddock Down with all his usual attention to detail. The scenario was for an historic action fought in January 1643 and on arriving there was once again a beautiful table set up, I noticed some new troops as Erik's collection continues to grow, they were on my side and we all know how new troops behave.

Anyway I was Parliament and was deployed on a hill facing the Royalists on another hill across a valley, I had an artillery train but it was only just leaving the town of Liskeard and would take quite some time to reach the front line. I could withdraw and meet the artillery or I could simply attack before the Royalists used their numbers to outflank me, I chose the latter.

The Royalists in the background.

Parliamentarian position.

Close up of the Royalists.

Erik had not expected such an attack and I got off to a good start, I sent one reserve regiment to my left and the other to my right along with cavalry to support. My dragoons lost a fight with some Royalist dragoons but I then swept these away with my cavalry, the enemy cavalry looked like they would accept my challenge but decided not to and kept withdrawing from danger. I had now moved a foot regiment to the right but this turned out to be a bad decision as Erik continued to funnel everything into the fight in the centre.

I move forward into the valley of death.

Shot flies.

I seemed to have the advantage in numbers on the edge of the valley and sent two Royalist regiments running for home, however more turned up and I had taken some quite severe casualties by now, but my boys held on. I am unsure now what exactly went on as I forgot to take pictures in all the excitement, but my tactical genius was now the end of me, as my men pursued down the hill they found themselves with enemy on both flanks, I was undone, the pendulum had swung. I was preparing for an early tea.

Things looking dodgy.

My cavalry victorious.

The end.

Two moves later my right wing cavalry had swept away a second unit of dragoons and the Royalist cavalry, riding down their artillerymen in the process. They now threatened the Royalist centre but it was too powerful and they instead turned on the Militia on the hilltop, sweeping these away as well, bravo! But it was not all going my way and I was reduced to the cavalry and one foot regiment. As the enemy closed in my infantry led by my commander in chief put up a stalwart fight while my horse manouvered to threaten the Royalist hedgehog. My guns had now arrived but proved useless while my mounted troops could not feasibly frontally attack the enemy, I called a halt as my last foot regiment collapsed and fled.

Now they turn up, too late.

A very good game, luck was almost even, Erik threw 6's a few times when he needed them and I managed three or maybe four snake eyes at the wrong time. Victory swung too and fro a couple of times and I was pleased overall with my performance, moving the infantry to the right was a bad decision I think it was still a good move to attack. An excellent little game and it was a pleasure to play it.

Nothing on the horizon yet for next week although I believe a trip to Matt's might be on. I am continuing with the Yanks and have completed another squad, the third is now on the tray. I will do what I can with them as I am still a bit busy with the last maps for the Atlas, 14+ to go and around 140 finished.

I was wrong about Alexander: God, King, Man, I thought it was a biography, it is more about his taking the Persian Empire, nonetheless it is a good read with some very interesting snippets spread throughout. Alexander captured 2,500 tons of gold when he took Persepolis, and there was enough left when the Romans took Macedon to cease direct taxes on their citizens for one hundred years. The oldest dirty joke was also found written down but the author fails to share it, and then there was the "A man walks into a pub with a dog" the punchline however is lost to us. Fascinating stuff.

I almost forgot that I took along Matt's super dice to Erik's hoping to have an easy time of it, yes, you are right, they didn't work. Matt is now looking for a discount should he buy them. 

I start systemic anti-cancer therapy (SACT) tomorrow, not over the moon about it but no alternative is available and they cannot cut anything more from my liver, I have fingers and toes crossed that I do not suffer badly from side affects, so, onwards and upwards.