Garden Wars Returns for 2016 - English Civil War: Warr Without an Enemie

On the Victoria Day Monday, 23 May 2016 I had the opportunity to run a rousing Garden Wars game of Warr Without an Enemie and put my English Civil War miniatures into action in the back yard.

Garden Wars returns in 2016

The scenario was built using the troop selection methods from the rules set by the Wyre Forest Gamers.

We ended up with rather large Horse forces and limited Pike and Shotte.  Indeed I pushed my collection of horse to the limits and beyond, as I have only been building a Parliamentary force and have just started on some Welshmen to begin a Royalist opposing force.  Indeed I was able to tap a Cossack contingent to finish up one of the Horse elements of the Parliament force.

I mowed out the lawn this time to show three woods areas and a set of hedgerow enclosed fields.

forests and hedges

 My opponent had not played ECW before, he has seen the pictures of Garden Wars and heard from others about the fun and as he had the time available we were able to throw down minis and have at on the field.

The field narrowed down to the left corner of the hedgerows here Parliament are deployed along the whole hedge line on the left of the image

Dragoons and "the Shepherds"

Royalist Welshmen

Royalist Welsh horse and foot

Parliament's lines before the town and out from the hedges

"The Shepherds"

Closer to the center of Parliament's positions, horse on the left

The Giant Welsh dragon flag was not to be missed.

First moves were all about getting the Royalist horse to drive deep into the right flank, while the dice rolls for the movement of the Royalist foot were terrible (lots of 1's).  Parliament was mostly happy to await the Royalist arrival.  Though the Dragoons and a regiment of Pike and Shotte, known as 'the Shepherds' did have to redeploy from the right flank to the left as quickly as possible as it was clear the Royalists were going to mass their attack on the left corner of the enclosed fields.

Parliament's position shifting

the Parliament commander

still more foot slogging through the fields towards the hedgerows

the command die rolls were low and this kept the foot commander falling back from his men

the foote brigade had problems keeping together

including crashing horse into the backs of the Dragoons

yes that is a Parliament regiment being used as a Royalist ... my forces are mostly Parliamentary

The Parliament Horse was in readiness to shoot up the advancing Royalist horse

the moves of the Royalist horse had them in Parliament's 'charge threat' range, yet not in pistol range for the Northern Horse which had been ordered to advance to fire range

many lines of Royalist horse were bearing down to rush into close pistol range

Turn 3 had no photos ... we were rushing to get the move in just in case it rained as the clouds were building.  Mostly it was Royalist horse being shot up and doing less to the Parliament horse while the Royalist Foote continued to press into the hedgerows.

hedgerow area turn 4

the corner of the hedgerows, Parliament horse lower left, Royalist horse upper left; Royalist Foote in the field still not quite at the hedgerows

the horse flank clash from behind the Royalist right flank

second line of Royalist Pike & Shotte as they close in on the hedgerows

now the two lines of Parliament horse had shot away and driven off the Royalist horse

at the edge of the hedges 'the Shepherds' were blasting away exchanging volleys with a group of Royalist Dragoons

the main Royalist line had emerged from the hedgerows into a hail of pistol and matchlock fire

clearly the Royalist horse were no where to be seen

more Parliament foote was advancing

while Parliament horse were screening and holding back Royalist pike & shotte at pistol range cycling in carrocole

Laird Guat Rage decided that after the loss of all of the Royalist horse it was better to retire from the field than lay down the lives of all of the foote as well

I am certainly happy with the turn out from the first game in the Garden Wars for 2016.