A Minor Scrap

At last various Scots and their weapons were reunited, a wounded highlander with two broken ankles healed, and a replacement for one fatal casualty modified and painted. 

I was ready to play.  

The English objective was to seize the major road exit with a minor victory being awarded if they managed to take the minor road exit. (behind the Highlanders). There was an unmarked ford on the English left. They knew of it but had to find the exact location.

The old Rough Wooing rules still work, as does one of the later versions, but I no longer like their style, especially for solo or multiplayer games. After casting about for ideas, I stumbled on a reminder that for me, the latest version of the Gathering of Hosts rules work just fine for this period. At least they will once a handful of notes are properly written up! So, I went with that.

The Scots artillery and Highland archers took a heavy toll of the English Whitecoats but their archers and artillery served the Highlanders even worse!

The scenario was also improvised. Having drawn a random cloth from the cupboard, it turned out to be the river one and a river crossing as scenario suggested itself. Since my English outnumber the Scots when the French aren't around, I made them attack.

There wasn't much to the scenario. Smaller force on hill line, river with one bridge and one reported, but not yet identified, ford. (Once per turn, the light cavalry may roll one die needing a 5 or 6 to find the ford.) 

I'm afraid both commanders may have been a little preoccupied with non-battle concerns at times as there were some very poor tactical choices made early on by both sides.....(That's my excuse anyway.)

However, despite there being several occasions when one side or the other seemed doomed, the advantage swayed back and forth. 

The Redcoats were plagued by command indecision forcing the Earl of Belmont to ride over in person. 

The various Anglo-Scots wars have a special place in my heart and mind, probably due more to the Classics Illustrated #67, "Scottish Chiefs", (about William Wallace), backed up by reading too many Nigel Tranter novels in my teens, than to some internal conflict between my English and Scottish genes. 

 

As the day light faded, and the Whitecoats began to waver, the Earl sent in his cavalry to sweep away the Border Horse. To everyone's surprise, they threw back the the Demi-lancers.  Both armies paused and stepped back. Neither side was quite ready to flee but neither were willing to attack and both were too low on ammo to continue the contest.
(ie they had lost 1/3 of stands but not 1/2)

The English army was going to have to try again another day or find another route.  

However, while the Anglo-Scottish wars saw some interesting and balanced battles between very different armies, with victory going sometimes to one side and sometimes to the other, the vast majority of the fighting involved sieges, often of small strongholds, and raids which are more of a  skirmish level. Neither of these are my "thing". 

So, the temptation that always arises to add more Scots is best soothed and a return to the continent scheduled. Anyway, the unpainted Landsknechts in my cupboard are getting a bit unruly!