One Last Bridge - Pike and Shot Meets Bill and Bow

Light Lancers in French service cross the main bridge while the English Prickers drive a picquet off the 1st bridge. The infantry marches on in the background.

Well the table was all set, just had to swap out houses and troops. My 1st thought was to pit Scots and English again but in the end I decided that the Landsknechts deserved an outing. So here we are, France, 1545, somewhere near Boulogne which is now in English hands. Two small forces clash at crossings over the Dur River. The 40mm armies are a motley mix including mostly original figures mixed with 3 vintage OOP toy ranges from the 60's, home cast Meisterzinn figures and a few figures each from Irregular, Sash&Saber, Doug Miller and Perry.   The rules are Rough Wooing developed by Rob Dean and myself from Joe Morschauer's rules.

THE ENGLISH

The Earl of Belmont.  Gendarmes General

Prickers (4 companies). Sir Henry Percy, Captain of light horse lancers, 3 light horse lancers
Vaward. (6 companies) Redcoats. Michael Alan, Captain of swordsmen, 1 swordsmen, 2 bows, 2 arquebusiers.
Main Battle. (6 companies) White coats. Sir John Smythe, Captain of Billmen, 3 Bills, 2 bows

THE FRENCH

Le Duc de St. Lambert. Gendarmes General

Scots (4 companies). James Douglas, Captain of light horse lancers, 3 light horse lancers
Vaward (6 companies). Jacob Nuremburg, Captain of Pike, 3 pike, 2 shot
Main battle (6 companies). The Rhinegraf, Captain of Pike, 3 pike, 2shot

The English light horse has driven off the single company of Scots that had been deployed to hold the French side of the bridge but their Captain was almost the first to fall. Leaderless, the northern horse spurred forward riding down some arquebusiers and spreading out to avoid the oncoming German pikes.

  While the French troops disperse the English cavalry, the English infantry seizes the 2 bridges. (There is a 3rd bridge but no one gets near it) 

A rain of arrows starts taking its toll of the lightly armoured pikemen. The Duc de St. Lambert orders his German mercenaries to counter attack and the pikes drive the English back across both bridges. Eventually the impetus slows and the bills and swordsmen hack apart the pike columns and the Germans break and run. The cavalry makes a desperate attempt to retrieve the day but it is beyond them and the Duc is forced to ride for his life, leaving the "Goddams" in control of the river crossings.

And that wraps up my wargaming for 2010!

HAPPY NEW YEAR to ALL 

Thanks for dropping in 2010 and I hope you'll be back in 2011