The
penultimate game in our Wars of the Roses campaign was based on the action
fought at Ferrybridge the day before the decisive battle of Towton. Our game was fought between Richard Duke of
York (Tony) and Edmund Duke of Somerset (Rick)
Despite a
historical victory at 2nd St. Albans Queen Margaret’s victorious
army found the gates of London closed to them.
In the face of converging Yorkist forces under the command of Edward
Earl of March and the Earl of Warwick, Margaret was forced to retreat North.
As the
Lancastrians crossed the river Aire en route for York they made a half-hearted
job of destroying the bridge at Ferrybridge. After a fierce fight Warwick
captured and repaired the bridge.
The following
morning the Lancastrians attacked Warwick’s bridgehead. To steady his troops Warwick killed his horse
in their view demonstrating his readiness to fight and die. Despite this Warwick was forced to withdrew
across the bridge and rejoin the main Yorkist army under the command of Edward
Earl of March.
Remember this
game is not intended as an historical replay. The aim is simply to kill as many
of the enemy as possible. This is the
second of our historical “grudge” matches and each unit destroyed will attract
an additional campaign victory point.
Confident following his victories at Blore Heath and Mortimer’s Cross, Somerset
(Rick) stuck with his proven recipe for success and fielded an unchanged
army. The Duke of York (Tony) refined
the aggressive strategy he had adopted at Wakefield by further optimising his
army for hand-to-hand combat and favouring bills and heavy knights over missile
weapons.
The main feature of the battlefield was the river Aire separating the
two armies. On the day of battle the river was icy and fast flowing and
so was deemed doubly difficult to cross.
A low ridge dominated the ground on the Yorkist right facing woods
lining the river on the opposite bank.
Small woods dotted the landscape on the other flank.
Despite Somerset’s (Rick’s) advantage in light troops the Lancastrians lost
the scouting and were forced to start the set up process. Somerset (Rick) decided to set up on
the South side of the battlefield, deploying his retinue troops in the centre
of the field opposite the bridge. His
centre was under the command of Baron
Hungerford (Rick) and Lord Audley.
Tony
responded with a mixed force of shire levy holding the hills on his right
centre and heavy infantry covering the road and the left centre The centre of
the Yorkist army was under the personal command of the Duke of York (Tony) supported
by John Fogge of Ashford.
Somerset (Rick) then deployed his left wing consisting of retinue
and Welsh longbowmen with a stiffening of retinue bills and armoured men-at-arms. This wing was commanded by the Duke of
Somerset (Adrian) and sir John Roddam
York (Tony) faced off against this force with his retinue
longbows and his shire levy bills. The
Yorkists deployed in defensive positions on the low ridge on the right of the
army. Thomas Lord Stanley (David) and
sir John Melton were in command
Somerset (Rick) completed his set up by deploying his mounted
troops and his kerns on the open Eastern side of the battlefield. This battle was under the command of the Earl
of Wiltshire (Doug) and Sir Thomas Whittingham.
Completing the set up
York (Tony) deployed his left wing consisting of his mounted knights and
veteran billmen under the command of Edward Neville, Baron Abergavenny (Paul)
and Baron Cobham. 
Unknown to the Yorkists a unit of
kerns had become separated from the rest of the Lancastrian army. This unit would arrive at a random location
on the board edge.
The Yorkists meanwhile had successfully infiltrated a spy
into the body guard of a Lancastrian general with instructions to strike in the
heat of battle.
With the set up complete it looked like the decisive battle
would be fought on the Eastern, open side of the battlefield.
As battle commenced the Yorkist centre and left advance
aggressively toward the river Aire. In contrast the Yorkist right stood firm
defending their ridge.
In reply the Lancastrian left wing advanced to take
advantage of the cover provided by the woods lining the river Aire
Slow to move off the Lancastrian centre (Rick) stood,
awaiting developments at the bridge. On their right the Earl of Wiltshire (Doug) advanced
his battle in good order covering the possible Yorkist crossing points
The Duke of Somerset (Adrian) on the left of the Lancastrian
line pressed forward moving into the cover offered by the woods and bringing
the Yorkist right under fire.
Inspired by his fellow generals Baron Hungerford (Rick), in
the centre of the Lancastrian line, now stepped forward into longbow
range.
Seizing his opportunity The Duke of York (Tony) unleashed a
barrage of arrows putting an end to the leading Lancastrian billmen.
Responding almost immediately Hungerford’s (Rick’s) longbows
swept away the Yorkist billmen on the opposite side of the Aire.
Not to be outdone the Duke of Somerset’s (Adrian’s) wing,
now in a favourable firing position, showered the Yorkist right wing with
deadly fire wiping out the longbows on the extreme right, spreading disorder
throughout the Yorkist ranks and forcing the entire wing to retire behind the
cover of the ridge.
As death came calling
the Earl of Wiltshire (Doug) edged forward to challenge the resolutely
advancing Yorkist left.
Despite his infantry
being stalled on the banks of the Aire Baron Abergavenny (Paul) boldly charged his
cavalry across the river driving back the Irish kerns, shattering the
Northern Border Staves and wounding the Earl of Wiltshire in the ensuing melee.
Carpe diem! The Yorkist assassin struck but failed in his attempt to finish off
the Earl of Wiltshire (Doug).
Pinned by the knights to his front Baron Abergavenny (Paul)
now found himself outflanked by Sir Thomas Whittingham and his Currours.
Back on the Lancastrian left, having neutralised the
immediate threat to his front, the Duke of Somerset (Adrian) decided to cross
the Aire but not before despatching a unit of archers to forestall the
threatened Yorkist assault in the centre. Fortune favours the brave and as Somerset
(Adrian) successfully crossed the river in force the missing kerns appeared on
the extreme right of the Lancastrian line.
The Yorkists preparing to cross the Aire in the centre of
the battlefield now came under sustained missile fire. Calamity! The Duke of York (Tony) was struck
down by a lucky arrow.
On the Yorkist left the intensity of the battle raged unchecked
as Baron Abergavenny’s (Paul’s) knights were struck in flank by Sir Thomas Whittingham’s
Currors and swept from the field losing the army standard in the process. Pressing their advantage the Lancastrian
bodyguard, on the extreme right of the line, charged into the Yorkist Currors
only to be devastated by a ferocious counterattack. The Kerns, sheltering in the woods, on seeing
this fled in panic.
On the opposite flank Lord Stanley’s (David’s) shire levy
billmen turned to their flank driving off the troublesome Kerns from the table
but inadvertently exposed their flank to missile fire from the main body of the
Duke of Somerset’s (Adrian’s) troops.
Back on the Lancastrian right, the Yorkist bodyguard now aggressively
charged into the Lancastrian Currors only to see their target evade away and be
hit themselves by counterattacking Lancastrian knights who made short work of
them. Bravely leading the charge from
the front, the Earl of Wiltshire (Doug) received yet another wound and was
forced to leave the battlefield.
As these events played out on the Lancastrian right, the
exchange of arrows continued across the bridge in the centre of the field but
this time lady luck favoured the Yorkists as Baron Hungerford (Rick) was struck
down by an arrow in the throat.
The Yorkist centre now started to cross the river. In a cruel twist of fate the Lancastrians
counterattacked only to be cut down and destroyed losing their army standard.
With the loss of this unit the Lancastrian army broke and “sauve
qui peut” fled the field. Another Yorkist victory!
The Yorkists have won six
battles and the Lancastrians only two.
The Lancastrians are now battling for pride and the title of
Kingmaker.
The next battle will be Towton
between Edward Earl of March (David) and Henry VI (Adrian).
