Hexham again

Family commitments restricted wargaming to an evening session this week rather than a full day.  Steve decided to reprise the Hexham game we ran at Britcon in August, with slight adjustments to the balance of forces to see if it gave a more even game. Using the Impetus rules meant that even though we only had a maximum of three hours play we managed to run through the scenario twice.

In the first game the Yorkist right wing attack stalled when faced with the unerring accuracy of the  Lancastrian peasant archers.  However, this success was balanced out by the shortage of arrows for the remainder of the Lancastrian archers (who were of better quality of course).  We have a local 'house' rule which incorporates an extra dice roll into the missile fire to allow for the supply of arrows to run low and on this particular evening it had quite an effect. As the arrow storm slackened the Yorkist advance rolled forward and the decisive melee between the opposing units of nobles took place in the centre.  Even though they enjoyed the advantage of the higher ground Somerset's men were routed, and he was cut down in the crush.  With their commander killed the Lancastrian forces decided to quit the field.

The Lancastrian right advancing on the Yorkist archers

 The re-match also produced a slogging match between the two units of nobles,but not before the Yorkist right flank forces had their revenge on the peasants opposing them.  A flanking manoeuvre allowed the Yorkists to concentrate their fire on the peasants and in no time they were running from the field.  Further along the line the arrow supply problem again came into play.  A positive rash of '1's meant that over half the archer units had no arrows. This presented a problem of what to do with these units.  The rules prevented them from charging, even opposing archers and with no arrows they were rendered useless.

The two central battles prepare to meet

An attack by the billmen on the Yorkist left was stopped in its tracks by the one Lancastrian archer unit which still had a supply of arrows and the casualties they received made the billmen vulnerable to a counter attack.  In the centre Montague tried to seize the initiative and attacked Somerset's main body.  The melee was prolonged and could have gone either way, but in the end it was The Yorkists who ran and the Lancastrians could celebrate a victory.   

The rules give a good fun game with ample opportunity for lady luck to play a part.  It looks like a bit more play-testing will be required before we can decide if the arrow supply rule exerts too much influence.