BIG Billhooks Weekend-Barnet and Tewkesbury-The Plan!

-Our BIG Billhooks Weekend-

My good friend and regular adversary Mark Taylor and I have talked about doing a Tewkesbury game ever since we first met and at last, we decided to do something about it. Gathering 10 Billhookers together we set a date and made our plans. At some time during this phase, let’s call it the “blissfully innocent hugely ambitious phase” one of us, and it may have been me, suggested we should also do Barnet and we should do it all in one weekend 

We played at Bristol Independent Gaming. The table was 16 foot by 6-foot consisting of 4, 6x4, tables set edge to edge. We had two normal sized, 6x4, tables, one at each long edge to place our army boxes under and our casualties up on.

We booked the place from 10-6, I reasoned it would take a couple of hours to organise ourselves and that would leave the whole afternoon to play, one of the lovely things about this event was no one was in a rush and we all savoured the experience

The game was to be Umpired by me “if in doubt the Umpire will make something up!”

Theme This was to be a Wargame rather than a reenactment although the set-up and Special Rules should reflect the circumstances of the Battles and influence the games in the direction of the historical results and to this end there were also to be themed scenario specific Special Events cards and Player Specific Briefs for each Battle.

Army Organisation Each Army had a CIC, and several Battle Commanders. Each Battle Commander will be represented by a Player and will have one or more Leaders under them. Each Battle Commander would have the same powers as a CiC in a normal game of Billhooks

All Leaders would be Level 2 with the exception of Edward, Montagu and Somerset who would be Heroes.

Reserves The General in charge of the Reserves had a special role, a supporting role to the other Generals. If he was not yet active himself then he would help the other Generals running melees, moving troops under the direction of the General he was assisting, removing dead units, keeping track of coin loss, morale tests and generally helping out to ensure the smooth and constant running of gameplay and keeping the table tidy.

Activation- The table was be divided into West, Central and East. Each area had its own Playdeck consisting of the opposing Leaders and Bonus cards. The Umpire would roll for the Weather at the beginning of every turn from turn two would draw a Special Event Card every turn.

-Units-

All units were to be “double sized units.” Infantry units consisting of two normal companies of 12 figures in line, so, 24 figures in two ranks of twelve. LC squadrons consisted of 16 figures. Guns had two models. Double sized units will now be referred to as Companies. Two Companies could join together as usual to form Combined Units, of 48 figures in four ranks of 12 figures, these may consist of Bills and Bows or one of each. Bows may combine with MAA. MAA may combine with MAA. All the usual rules apply. We kept Skirmishers in units of six.

Figures were not removed as casualties, instead casualties were recorded with 2d6 and the whole unit of 24 figures was removed when it had taken 12 casualties.

Command Range was increased to 12”, movement and missile ranges were the same

-Casualties-

We used dice to track casualties and whole unit removal. This prevented little odd piles of casualties piling up and reduced the possibility of mislaying our lovely figures.

To keep track of casualties growly wargames genius Mark Taylor invented the “dice jigger”. Each jigger had a flat board with two or three dice cells glued to them. Two red dice would show how many men the unit currently had and an extra yellow one for the archers would show how many arrow storms they had left.

Each jigger had an area covered with ferrous paper for which I made a small heraldic badge on a piece of magnetic paper for each of the units so we could see at a glance, who commanded which Company, here is Warwick’s command

-Special Rules-

There was to be no manoeuvre phase.

We treated the Dummy Card as a Wild Card and players could use it as a Perk, Forfeit or Reroll card. We had a Special Event every turn, with some unique Events for each battle

All LC units had an attached Dolt who activated on the Skirmisher card

 

-:Barnet:-

-The Battlefield-

There are many conflicting opinions on where the battle actually occurred, all based on the same five pieces of contemporary or nearly contemporaneous evidence. Extensive surveys of the area, most recently in 2018 have produced very little in the way of archaeology to support any of these options.

Maps There are very many different opinions on the location of the battle; after looking at all of them and some extensive reading, I created a map for this battle which my son has very kindly turned into a nice computerised version. As it happened, in our excitement, we completely forgot to use the terrain and just played on a flat table!

-The Forces-

Apart from the obvious Edward IV, Gloucester, Hastings, Clarence for York and Warwick, Montague, Oxford, and Exeter for Lancaster there is little solid evidence for any other of the great lords being present. It is not known whether Somerset was present and is assumed that he was not as surely, he would have been in charge of least one Ward. I do not know whether Warwick and Somerset had an amicable relationship, it seems unlikely to me that they would be bosom pals and I think we can be happy that he was down on the South coast raising support for the lady of the daisy.

Which raises the question of who else was there and who commanded the reserves, if reserves there were!

Giles Shapely, Eric the Shed, used The Poleaxed Source book, which in turn claims its sources are from Freezywaters Coveny books when he replayed these battles in his WotR series-see Shed Wars blog https://shedwars.blogspot.com/p/shed-wars-does-war-of-roses.html  . The Poleaxed OOB battle is impressively detailed considering how little historians know of the battle and the Roll of Honour has to be questioned as to its accuracy, particularly as the Coveney books do not carry all that much information nor do they declare where that information was gleaned from. I suspect it has been gathered from various family histories claiming an ancestor at the battle as happened at Agincourt and more recently Waterloo.

In short, the main resource for information for this battle is based on very little evidence, however, we can rest assured that there are no better sources so we have to accept what we have.

So, I allocated Generals to Players and Players filled their Wards with whatever units they already have or felt were appropriate!

-Barnet OOB-

House Of Lancaster-

Van Right Flank Chris May BC Oxford MAA 2 Bow/Bill 1Thomas deVere Bow/Bill 2 William Beaumont Bow/Bill 2 LC 1 Skirmishers 3

Figures 313 + 18 skirmishers =331

Main Centre Mark Taylor CIC Montagu MMA1 Sir Robert Harleston Bow/Bill 2 Sir John Scrope of Bolton Bow/Bill 2 Skirmishers 3

225 figures + 18 skirmishers =243

Rear Right Flank Graeme Battison BC Exeter MAA1 Sir Clive of Clivedon Bow/Bill 2 LC 1 Skirmishers 2

122 figures + 12 skirmishers=134

Reserve Rob Squires BC Warwick MAA 1, Bow 1 Bill 1

75 figures

Artilley 3 Gonnes

801 figures

House of York-

Van Right Flank Steve Blease BC Gloucester MAA 1 Sir Phillip Mede Bow/Bill 2 Sir John de Kemys Bow/Bill 2 LC1 Skirm 3

Figures 241 + 18 skirmishers=259

Main Centre Ben Mallet CIC EDIV MAA 2 + Deveraux Bow/Bill 2 Thomas de Lynne Bow/Bill 2 Skirm 3

Figures 249 +18 skirmishers =267

Rear Left Flank Leigh Parslow BC Hastings MAA1 Sir John de Barre Bow/Bill2 LC 1 Skirm 1

Figures 132 + 6 skirmishers =138

Reserve BC Simon Wilde Bourchier Bow/Bill 1

Figures 51

Artillery 3 gonnes

733 figures

1,534 figureS on the table

Committing the Reserve – The Reserves may not be used unless they are triggered by a Special Event Card or if one of these conditions are met.

They are attacked either by melee or missiles

A friendly Unit within 12” is charged

A friendly Ward is routed

8 coins have been lost in total

-Directives-

In order to better represent the aims of the Commanders on the day, each General was issued a player brief at the beginning of the game. Each brief specified not only any objectives the General had to meet but also a playing style. The Generals could of course choose to ignore these but failure to comply would lead to loss of a coin. Some of the Briefs contained Rewards, these however could only be claimed if the brief had been met.

These were delivered to the Generals immediately before hostilities began in fine cream manilla envelopes ...

sealed with the red wax seal of the Heralds!

-Barnet Special Rules-

Fog as per Eric the Shed rules with some adjustment from me

Shed Wars Fog Rules

Fog Effect on Movement

There are three levels of Fog -Dense, Light, and Clear. Each turn the Umpire rolls a d6 for the density of the Fog.

1-4 stays the same 5-6 conditions improve by one level

Any unit moving in Light or Dense fog must roll a d6 for each movement action. A roll of 1 means that unit has deviated off course. The unit will wheel 45 degrees in the decided direction then march 6” directly forward.

Should a unit collide with another unit there is the possibility that these troops might disrupt each other’s formation or even be involved in a scuffle. Barnet was an engagement where friendly forces attacked one another because of the lack of visibility and the political atmosphere of mistrust. Should any unit deviate in its movement and ‘bump’ into another roll a d6

1                 the unit bumped into loses d6 casualties, some of these will be men running away crying “Treachery!”

2                 Both units take two Disarray tokens

3                 The Bumped unit takes two Disarray

4                 Both units take one Disarray

5                 The Bumped unit takes 1 Disarray

6                 Both units apologise and move on with no loss

The fog also affects Command Range and Missile Fire

Fog Effect on Missile Fire We need to differentiate between targeted (ie the shooter can see its target) and indirect fire. Targeted fire is limited by the range that units are visible at within the fog. Indirect fire has the same rules as per standard game but cannot hit skirmish units. All units get +1 saves from Archery as if in light cover. Artillery- Instead of causing an instant kill, Gonnes have a -1 factor to saving throws

The Battle starts with Dense Fog

Eager Units All units in Oxford’s command are eager! Any of Oxfords units that win a melee must follow up and must pursue! Victorious Oxford units whose enemy Break from a Melee must immediately pursue them for12" and take two Disarray Tokens for their pains. If they go off the table, they must take a Morale test, if they pass then they can return to the table next turn from the point where they left it, with two Disarray Tokens

-Special Events-

Send in the Reserves! You may activate your Reserves!

Confusion to your enemies! Choose two adjacent enemy units, they have bumped into each other in the Fog as per the Fog rules

A Fortuitous Gust of Wind- Briefly clears the Fog away from your units you may shoot as if the air is clear x2

Bog! This unit have wandered into a bog. Place an area of Bog-Hard Going in front of an enemy unit

-Winning The Game-

The Game can be won by defeating the enemy Army ie taking all of their coins or by killing Warwick or Edward IV

-Tewkesbury-

-The Battlefield-

Unlike Barnet, the Tewkesbury battlefield is well known and documented. There are many sources of information and a fair few maps.

The central portion of the table, between the dotted lines, is raised slightly representing the ridge of Gupshill across which the armies fought. This also rose gently to the North with the Lancastrian’s being uphill of the Yorkists, this a gently rising slope and so does not really need recreating on the table.

Missing from this map is Gupshill Manor which would have been just forward and to the left of Edwards position and “Margeret’s camp” which would be just right and North of the centre of the table. The ground before Somerset’s position was “tangled and broken” with “Foul Lanes and deep dykes and many hedges with hills and valleys: a right evil place to approach as could ever be devised” Somersets men found this such hard going that they manoeuvred around it

 

-The Forces-

Tewkesbury is a much better documented event than Barnet mostly due to the “Historie of the Arrivall of Edward IV in England” the account of Edward’s return to England and the subsequent events. We know that Edwards army was very similar to the one that fought at Barnet with the same commanders and was well served in artillery and firearms.

The Lancastrian host had completely different commanders and had a lot of French and other nationalities represented mostly as mercenaries and probably did not boast as many Great Gonnes. They were supposed to collect such ordinance from Bristol but may have been too hurried to bring it away with them. It is likely that they had far fewer guns than their opponents. They were led by the fiery vengeful Somerset, the cautious and indecisive Lord Wenlock, and the inexperienced Earl of Devon. Although Wenlock commanded the Main ward its most likely that Somerset was actually the Commander in Chief

Again, as with Barnet, none of the lesser Lords are named in any documents and so we only really have the Poleaxed source book to rely on, as for Barnet, we filled our ranks with whatever we had in our collections.

The Plump was a force of 200 spears that Edward commanded to wait in a nearby wood quarter of a mile from his left flank, and he directed them to “employ themselves in the best wise that they could” Historians have surmised and mostly agree that this Plump must have been mounted, probably the light cavalry armed with lances or long spears known as Prickers.

One of the problems with recreating a battle like this is that we have the power of hindsight. And gamers who know their history. And I know Somerset's, that is Mark Taylor’s, gaming head very well indeed. From a gaming point of view there is no reason at all why Somerset should advance into the “Right Evil Place” exposing his rear to the charge of the plump, it’s a far better idea to sit comfortably and safely on top of the hill and wait for the Yorkists to advance through the “Evil lanes” and suffer from the arrows of Somerset’s archers. Knowing that the Plump will arrive from the trees, Mark could simply turn a unit or two to face the direction of the trees and the Plump would be completely ineffective.

But we had an Umpire and with an Umpire you can do things differently.

  So, I decided that I would not decide the strength of the Plump nor where it would enter the table until I thought the time was right. Above all I wanted everyone to enjoy the day and get a sense of what happened…and the Lancastrians are already outnumbered.

As for Somerset...well…there was a brief!

-Tewkesbury OOB-

House Of Lancaster-

Van Right Flank Mark Taylor CIC Somerset MAA-2 Sir John Beaufort Marquis of Dorset Bow/Bill 2 Sir Hugh Courtenay Bow/Bill2 SK-3

249 figures 18 Skirmishers =267

Main Centre Pete Nethercott BC Wenlock MAA-1 Sir John Lewkener of Goringe Bow/Bill-2  Sir John Delves of Delves  Bow/Bill-2 SK-3

225 figures 18 Skirmishers =243

Rear Left Flank Chris May BC Devon MAA-1 Walter Courtenay Bow/Bill 2 Sir Edward Pomeroy Bow/Bill 1 SK-3 LC-1

208 figures 18 Skirmishers =226

Reserve Lloyd Lewis BC Edward/Longstrother MAA1 Bow 1

51 figures

Artillery 3 Gonnes

787 figures

House of York-

Van Left Flank Leigh Parslow BC Gloucester MAA 2 Bow 1 Sir Phillip Mede Bow/Bill 2 Sir John de Kemys Bow/Bill 2

273 figures 24 skirmishers =297

Main Centre Ben Mallet BC Edward MAA2 John de Mowbray Duke of Norfolk Bow/ Bill 2

 Sir Walter Deveraux Bow/Bill2 SK 4

249 figures 24 skirmishers =273

Rear Right Flank Steve Blease BC Hastings MAA1+ Sir John de Barre Bow/ Bill 2 Thomas Talbot Bow/ Bill 2 SK 2 LC 1

265 figures 12 skirmishers = 277

Plump Simon Wilde BC Bourchier (Reserve) LC? =32

Artillery 4 Gonnes

879 figures + unknown plump (32)  1,666 figures in total

-The Table-

There was a raised section to the middle of the table, Gups Hill, stretching from one long edge to the other and about 8 foot across. This was created from sheets of XPS which were covered with fleeces.

The Right Evil Place was represented by a piece of grass matting three feet by 12 inches, strewn with lichen and flock and was placed directly in front of the area where Somerset would deploy

There was a wooded area on the Western edge of the table some three feet long by 12” deep.

Gupshill Manor, a large half-timbered building with a walled garden is on the Western side of the elevation just in front of Edward’s Ward. We created this from two of Oshiro’s lovely town houses and an outhouse. This was rated as Hard Going

Margarets camp, a 12” square area of Hard Going, consisting of beaten down tents, brick-a-brack and the detritus left by an army in a hurry was placed just in front of Wenlocks’ Ward.

 

-Special Rules-

A Right Evil Place- The Tangled Terrain in front of Somerset’s position which will cause one Disarray per move and limit movement to one action only.

The Plump- TBA

Margarets camp and Gupshill Manor- are Hard Going but provide no cover

-Special Events-

Somerset Blows His Top-Angry Somerset, loses his rag and attacks his nearest Leader

D6 1 They are killed remove them from the game 2-3 they are wounded 4+ they are too frightened to do anything and miss their next activation

Local Knowledge- Somersets men find a farmer with local knowledge who can lead one unit through the Evil Place with no Disarray

Wenlock Sits on the Fence- No unit in Wenlock’s command may move forward this turn

Wenlock engages his Curate in an Interesting Conversation on the Purpose of the Battles of Men in God’s Almighty Plan-Wenlock can issue no orders this Turn; his Leaders may still be used as normal.

Send in the Reserves! You may activate your Reserves!

-Winning The Game-

The Game can be won by defeating the enemy Army ie taking all of their coins plus one more or by killing Prince Edward or Edward IV

 

Next! The Batreps!