the Miniature World of Mike Peters: The Billhooks Bash part 2 What a lot of Billhooks!

So, I entered the Billhooks Bash. Pete Harris, the event organiser, was very helpful in the weeks leading up to it. I told him I didn’t have the requisite 120 points army, “not a problem, I can lend you what you need” Robbo Roddis also offered to help with troops through the Facebook group. The group also provided ideas of where to stay, where to eat and most importantly which pubs to visit. We are, as I have always known, a very supportive community with appropriate and well considered priorities.

I managed to increase my army by one unit of MaA (see previous post) and a band of skirmishers so that my force consisted of

His Grace Sir Henry Holland 3^rd Duke of Exeter Commander in Chief

Sir William Berkely, 2^nd Baron Berkely

Sir Thomas Talbot, Viscount L’Isle

1 company M@A @ 24 pts

3 companies of bows @36 pts

3 companies of Bills @36pts

1 band of skirmishers-bows @ 6 pts =102 points

Boosting two of the archer units to veterans @ 3pts each brings this force up to 108 points, I just needed to borrow 1 company of bows or bills

His Grace address’s the troops before leaving Bristol

An interesting diversion

Arriving in Derby, after a horrendous 4 ½ hour motorway journey, I attempted to rendezvous with Robbie for a pre battle beer, however technology failed me, I could not get a signal, so after several frustrating, fuzzy almost phone calls consisting of one or the other of us saying “Hello…hello……hello!” we gave up on it. I strolled over to the venue to have a look-see. I tapped Boards and Swords into Google maps, set it to pedestrian and followed the little line.

Engaged in looking at my phone, I didn’t really pay much attention to where I was walking and it led me through Derby City Council Commercial Waste and Vehicle Depot. I innocently wandered past the security office, oblivious, it was only when I looked up and found myself surrounded by huge gritting lorries that I realised there might be an error. Still, I was on a clearly marked pedestrian way with a sign stating that I was to stay on the marked path, so I did.

After about ten minutes of walking through dusty old refuse vehicles, dump-trucks and some huge nondescript machines I found myself stood at a thirty-foot-high brick wall, which Google insisted was Boards and Swords.

I turned to get my bearings and became aware of a group of men in dirty Hi-vis overalls staring at me as if in disbelief. I guess it’s not every day they see someone sporting a trilby and a blue striped blazer staring at a wall in their Depot.

It made their day! It was quite some while before they could stop laughing. Then one of them would make a joke about “Dave on security” sleeping at the desk and they were off again. They took a selfie with me, to show Dave, and redirected me. “Down there, 200 yards, through the gate, turn left, it’s about half a mile down that road”

The gate was locked! I had to retrace my steps and snuck past the security office trying not to tiptoe and desperately trying not to break into a run. I don’t know why, guilty conscience, I guess.

Boards and Swords

I found Boards and Swords, realised what I really needed was a beer and some grub, grabbed a cab into town had a very good pint of ale in the Exeter Arms, a lovely boozer! It was packed.

The next day, I arrived bright and early at Boards and Swords, an excellent venue. The shop itself carries a wide range of the usual gamer merchandise and the front of the shop has about a dozen tables where maybe 3 or 4 dozen young people were playing board games.

We were upstairs. Nine 6 x 4 tables, each laid out with a scattering of hills, woods and cornfields. Engaged in various stages of unboxing and deploying whole armies of 15^th century soldiery, were a gathering of men, mostly of the “punk-rock” generation. My stately, silver fox hair shade was not the only one of its kind, there were a few younger men

Boards and Swords proved to be an excellent venue. A happy buzz of busy gamers provided a background hum from all the younger hobbyists doing their own thing in the shop below, matched by an equally happy buzz from the busy Billhookers.

Total Billhooks

A very busy looking Peter Harris, explained that the format was Yorkist v Lancastrian, that there were two teams of six and that we would play one game in the morning and two in the afternoon. This is where I had to confess to having never actually played the game. I didn’t expect to win anything, I was there to have fun and to learn how to play.

Andy Callan gave us a short and rousing speech. It’s his fault I was there at all. I had read a copy of the rules shortly after they were published and decided it was a game I wanted to play. It is a happy combination of old school “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it -Andy Callan” and more modern wargaming, with its use of cards to influence play and determine which leader is activated when.

At that time, I didn’t own an army, luckily my wife bought me a few boxes of Perry miniatures for Christamas which I have been slowly adding to.

The First Battle

My first game was against Pete himself! Just my luck to draw a veteran in my first ever game of Billhooks! Pete’s army was quite different to my own. Two bands of skirmishers, a company of light horse and a gun! I suspected at once that this was an infinitely superior idea to having a less mobile force of infantry like mine.

I hadn’t read the artillery rules. It has been my experience that in most wargames rules, artillery is somewhat overpowered, so I sent Berkely’s ward and the skirmishers, to take it out.

I decided to refuse the left flank, I was hoping that my MaA would be able to protect it from the light cavalry

Turn 2, things happen quickly in this game! My attacking ward reaches the corn field. My skirmishers do well against Pete’s and take half of them out.

His light cavalry are already in a good position behind the hill, to attack the rear of my centre

Turn 3 My skirmishers kill Pete’s gun crew, his cavalry get up close and personal to my centre ward. He holds them back, saving his charge for a decisive moment.

I decide the best tactic is to ignore the cavalry, I can’t counter it anyway, so I charge mindlessly and rely on blind luck

Pete’s army of Faulkenbergers brace themselves for the impact

I have incredible luck with my rolling and, as is often the case, my opponent rolls the opposite.

My heavily outnumbered MaA prove themselves to be doughty warriors, unphased by being outnumbered or by the cavalry to their rear

The vicissitudes of war are reflected nicely in Billhooks with it's card system and a fortuitous use of the Forfeit card stalled Pete's charge with his light cavalry for just long enough for my desperate attack to work

And with that the hapless Yorkists break and run. Pete has the consolation of seeing his light cavalry finish off my stalwart Men of Arms.

I have won! 7:1

Pete was gracious in defeat; I have not met a Billhooker who isn’t a great sport.

I am sure if he hadn’t had constant interruptions and distractions throughout the game, he may well have triumphed.

Being absorbed in our game I hadn’t kept track of the other games but as Organiser Pete of course had to. After one game the results looked like this

Pete Harris (Y) v Mike Peters (L) Lancs won

Nick Simmerson (Y) v Richard Robinson (L) York won

Andy Callan [standing in for Chris Breese](Y) v Dave Gretton (L) York won

Steve Wood (Y) v John Csonka (L) Lancs won

Robbie Roddis (Y) v Ralph Dutton (L) Lancs won

Richard Bason (Y) v Ian Callan (L) York won

In total York 3 Lancs 3, level pegging then…

The Second Battle

My second battle was against Richard Bason. Don't let that warm smile and friendly face deceive you, he's a shrewd tactician and a tough fighter who rolls a mean hand of dice.

Like Pete, Richard also fielded Light cavalry and two bands of skirmishers.

A brief exchange of arrows in the first turn convinced me that here was an opponent who knew how to use his archers! So, I abandoned all pretence of subtlety and adopted the old reckless mindless charge

And met with success. My bills and MaA fell on the unfortunate archers of Stafford’s companies like a tactical nuke. I am sure for every 5 or 6 I rolled Richard rolled a 1 or a 2!

And I rolled a lot of 5’s and 6’s!

9 archers bite the dust for the cost of one MaA

Worse still Stafford wanders into a sharp spiky thing and turns his toes up too!

In Billhooks The death of the Commander in Chief loses the battle, but there were two melees going on in this turn and so at exactly the same time as Stafford was killed His Grace Sir henry Holland 3^rd Duke of Exeter, my CinC was also shorn of his mortal soul.

The game was tied! Something that even Andy Callan has not seen before.

After 2 games the table stood like this

Robbie(Y) v Richard R(L) York won

Steve(Y) v Ralph(L)York won

Chris Breese(Y)v John(L) Lanc won

Richard B(Y) v Mike(L) Draw 0.5 each

Nick(Y)v Dave(L)York won

Pete(Y)v Ian(L) Lanc won

York 7.5 plays Lanc 6.5 ooh a slight lead developing there…

The Dog's Billhooks

I was unable to follow all the games as I was concentrating on my own, so it’s time for a montage sequence…

There was busy murmur of quiet satisfaction from all and the constant rattle of dice with the occasional shout of hooray provide a happy accompaniment to the day’s proceedings

There were some great conversations going on. Discussions, comparisons about basing techniques, use of wet palettes, which brushes were best, which figures were from what manufacturer…

Nick Simmerson, v David Gretton-

Dave’s Azure and Or livery was quite striking, as was the standard of Sir Willoughby of the Bat

Robbie Roddis v Ralphie Dutton

Pete Harris v Ian Callan

Ian Callan’s Scots spearmen were a thorn in Pete’s side.

John Csonka came all the way from Hungary to play his games! A very likeable man, John's posts were a great inspiration for me when I started researching banners to paint for my WotR forces.

TheThird Battle

Chris Breeze was my third and final opponent of the day! Another lovely encounter with a really nice guy. Chris had a company of light cavalry too, but no skirmishers. Facing a force very similar to my own, I was expecting a tough game.

Chris was sporting a rather fine looking, well painted Perry Yorkist army under the grandaddy of York himself, Richard Duke of York, the man who would be king, but pretended he didn’t want to be king, but did want to be king really, but never actually became king. One of the less confusing stories from the wars.

In Billhooks each side takes it in turns to place their wards, as Chris outnumbered me with cavalry, I placed my first ward first, then we alternated until all were placed. Then comes the manoeuvres phase where we each take turns to move a unit until one side or the other starts loosing arrows.

Not a brilliant pic, but you can just make out the beautifully rendered surcoat Chris has painted for His Grace.

Having learnt from the master archer, Richard Bason, I had thought to keep my bows on the hill and pepper Chris as he advanced, but he had different ideas and refusing his left flank he started a march on the right.

At this point he realised his light cavalry, led by John Smith, dolt, were in charge range of my stalwart MaA. He charged. I think it’s safe to say that it did not go well.

They suffered 8 casualties for the loss of one Man at Arms. They were broken and had to rout 12 “

Their subsequent flight through their own lines set off a cascade of panic in units within 12". Chris needed to roll 5 on two dice, he rolled 4’s and 3’s and three of his units joined them in running away.

Unfortunately for Chris, His Grace, Lord Richard, Duke of York, literal pretender for the throne, ran away with them.

This is a defeat exactly as if His Grace had snuffed it.

Chris had been really unlucky rolling 2/1 twice for his units and then he remembered that the CinC gets to reroll any roll of a 1

He rerolled. It was a 1. Game Over.

So, the results from game 3 were

Steve(L) v Richard R(Y) York won

Richard B(Y) v John(L) York won

Pete(Y) v Ralph(L) Lancs won

Nick(Y) v Ian(L) York won

Robbie(Y) v Dave(L) Lancs won

Chris(Y)v Mike(L) Lancs won

York 3 Lancs 3

Which meant that overall, the Yorkists won by 10.5 victory points to 9.5 By the narrowest of margins, the Yorkists had won The Bash!

Well, it was an excellent day! I can’t remember when I last had so much fun in this hobby. There was a constant hum of happy chatter all day and I learned an awful lot about the game and also about the history of this amazing period. There is great fund of knowledge in this group. I think we all lost ourselves in our hobby and the time flew by. I don’t think I have ever felt so comfortable in a crowd of strangers before. As we sat nibbling our pizzas at lunch and chatting hobby-stuff and history, I had an incredible feeling of companionship, of belonging, of not being strange. I think I have found my Clachan.

Pete did a splendid job of organising and running the day, Andy Callan was excellent too, clarifying and explaining the fine points of the game with a constant flow of stories from the period, Steve Wood of Arcane Scenery provided a fantastic goodies bag and Boards and Swords were the best of hosts, providing free drinks the whole day.

Oh yeh, and I won the Best Painted Army Award, an incredible compliment considering the quality of the armies on display. I was completely overwhelmed by this, so unexpected, something that I will always treasure. I have been asked by some of the Lead Adventurers to include some pictures of the” best painted army” so here they are, some of which are courtesy of Steve Wood