Pike & Shotte Reprise

Been a while since we have posted on the blog.  The flurry of activity getting the boards ready and then getting the article out took a lot energy.  However, we managed a couple of games  - a couple of Auldearn refights, it really is hard to for the Covenanters to win – the terrain obviously played a big part on the day.

We also had a go at Warhammer ECW the other week as this is what we set out to use initially.  Much more bloody, with figures getting lifted off by the dozen. Lists are still blighted by highland supermen, Oirish Imperial Guard and don’t get me started about Macolla!! But, the bloody canister makes up for it, with artillery being the lord of the battle field (when it manages to fire).

So last Tuesday we played a game of Pike and Shotte – a pick-up game of 600pts. Covenanters had two foote brigades of two battalia, one of which had an attached medium gun, and a cavalry brigade of two regiments. The Royalists had Macolla and his bodyguard along with one Irish Regiment in one brigade, with Gordon leading two foote in his brigade.

We ran a scenario where the royalists had to traverse and exit the board before the Covenanters could intercept them. Terrain was a broad valley with a couple of woods and farms steads. The Irish were deployed closest to the Covenanters and the gun duly took a couple of shots at them, succeeding in hitting MaCollas body guard.  However, the Elite special rule meant that the disorder was rolled off and now the covenanter Brigade would be playing chases for the rest of the game.

On the right, the cavalry seemed reluctant to join the fray, moving slower than the infantry brigade, and then proceeding to blunder off the field.  The leading Covenanter regiments caught MaColla’s column, blasting him and his body guard, forcing them to retire.

The Irish veered for the hills but eventually were caught and attacked. The combat was bitter but their Pike was destroyed exposing the shot to the full attentions of the Covenanter foote.

Meanwhile, MaColla and his merry band, shrugging off wounds like dead midgies, were caught by one of the Horse regiments. In the combat, their two handed swords made short work forcing the horse to retire.

Gordon by this time, after a desultory advance across the field, finally exited the board. The Irish decided to make a break for it but most, along with MaColla, were finally caught and dispatched.

It was a great game – blunders and command roles really made it swing back and forth.