The Battle of Whitehouse's Cross

 This week sees not one, but two Wars of the Roses battles fought across our tabletop battlefield here in GHQ: the Battle of Whitehouse Cross firstly, against Phil, is the focus of this blog entry. The scene before the onset of hostilities ~

The Yorkist faction, commanded by Phil as Edward, drawn up ready for battle and their destiny ~

The Lancastrian faction, lead by myself as Henry VI, ready to give their all for the one true king ~

The game opened by the Yorkists winning the initiative, though from their subsequent timid advance you might not have noticed ~

Full of vim after triumphing in Game #2 Henry VI urges the Lancastrians forward. Largely it should be noted to negate the long range fire of the Yorkists' bowmen!

The are keeping their cohesion as they advanced on a broad front, though suffering some losses to the storm of Yorkist arrows!

Well, that didn't last long: Disorder and Retreat in Good Order/Disordered rather spoiling their developing attack!

Warwick finally urges his Ward forward, while wondering why Edward's Ward is falling back! Reaction to losses from Lancastrian fire sees one retinue Shaken. Not looking an auspicious start!

Edward's Light Artillery is suffering losses and Disorder! His Ward withdrawing might have been a poor decision on reflection!

Mind, in the Lancastrian lines Giffard's Retinue have Retired in Good Order twice now, leaving an inviting gap for Norfolk to exploit perhaps?

Warwick's bold attack gets off to a slow start. One Shaken retinue holds back apprehensively! 

Seeing Warwick's confusion and Edward's hesitancy Henry sends two retinues boldly forward in an attack, which falls just short!

It's not all joy for Henry though. In the centre losses are accruing and Orders being misinterpreted or ignored!!!🎲🎲🎲

Giffard's Household have had another loss of martial spirit and Retired in Good Order, again. Somehow my first painted unit lacks a warlike spirit!!!!

Mind, the Burgundian mercenaries facing them couldn't hit a barn door at close quarters!

By now fighting has intensified in the centre. Both factions' losses are accumulating and Disorder is spreading to more units.

Clifford's MAA are routed by Edward's knights and flee for their lives, disrupting the Lancastrian centre!

Wenlock leads his Household to rescue the situation while Buckingham's bold cry of  "Follow Me!" leads his knights and mounted MAA to smash into Warwick's Shaken retinue! In the ensuing carnage Warwick escapes with his life, but not his honour!

Buckingham's men sweep forward and smash into Warwick's second retinue!

Men and horses are blown and the fighting settles into an inconclusive impasse. Edward is holding firm against Wenlock, whose men are Disordered and Shaken, but holding on!

At this point you might be wondering about the far flank {commanded by Oxford for the Prince of Wales}. Well, mercenary Scots and Burgundians are showing little enthusiasm for the fray.  Perhaps their pay has been delayed, or even appropriated?

But then, the Burgundians finally get their act together with crossbows and handgonnes finally finding their target. It's all too much for Black George and his laddies, they break and flee the field!

But back in the centre and on the nearest flank the Yorkists are crumbling  under sustained pressure and with mounting losses. Warwick's Ward is irretrievably Broken and Edward is hard pressed.

The Yorkist centre reaches crisis point and Edward quits the field leaving Henry battered, bruised, but victorious! Edward has lost not only his and Warwick's Wards, but also all of his light artillery! A comprehensive defeat denying his pretentions to the throne of England!

All over in 9 Turns in a little over two hours play. Hail Ceasar Mk2 delivers what we desire in games nowadays, unpredictability being foremost for both of us. We are still thinking through the suggested rules in the dedicated supplement, some are finding more alignment with our approach than others so far. After today's game with Paul though the collection will go into storage for a while, nothing further having been planned here in GHQ then until mid December. Hopefully this will give me painting time enough to progress the final Yorkist Retinue and Lancastrian base of MAA to completion, at least for this year!