Battle of Lessie's Moor - King and Parliament Playtest Scenario

Barry, John, and I got together today for a game using the semi-final draft of For King and Parliament, the forthcoming rules for the English Civil War by Simon Miller and Andrew Brentnall, based upon Simon's excellent Ancient Rules, To the Strongest! This (fictional) playtest scenario was devised by Andrew. I understand that the characters are based upon an extraordinarily long running BBC radio soap opera, "The Archers", which unfortunately means little to us Yanks. Even without that cultural background, they are an interesting lot!


The Battle of Lessie’s Moor – 1643

As spring turned into the first summer of the Civil War, the thoughts of the young men of Borsetshire turned from love to war.  The long winter had been spent in muttering over ale pots, and many had determined to take to the field in support of one or other of the great families who intended to raise an army for King or Parliament.  For the Crown, Nigel, Lord Pargetter, had turned Lower Locksley Hall into an arsenal, and called both his friends and tenants to a muster on May 1st. Nigel was not the brightest of his breed, but he was stolid and loyal.  Depressed by the complexity of events brought about by this “Warre without a freynde” as he called it (spelling was never his strong suit – that was usually spades, curiously), he approached the war with little enthusiasm, but an endearing desire to “do his bit.”   Prominent among those who answered his summons were the Archers and Aldridges, good yeoman gentry, and Sir Sidney Perks, a recently knighted merchant who specialised in brewing. They had gathered together a sizeable force, some 3,000 foot and 1,000 horse, and were ready to take the field. Their only lack was artillery, as the arsenal of Borchester had fallen into the hands of their arch enemy, Alderman Joseph Grundy, an octogenarian curmudgeon, and his dissipated cronies, Sir Rex and Sir Toby Fairbrother.

Although Grundy was a cunning son of the sod, and a natural pot-stirrer, the brothers were both natural cavaliers, but had fallen in with Grundy in the hope of enriching themselves at the expense of the Archers. Oliver Sterling, their only professional soldier, was just back from the wars on the continent, where he had learned to fight, and had, after a life-threatening experience, converted to one of the more extreme forms of Calvinism. Faced with the beautiful interior of Ambridge parish Church, St Stephens, he fell down in a faint. Once revived with a good brandy, he made straight for Borchester to offer his services to the armies of Parliament. Here, the town poor combined with the ignorant ploughmen, and a selection of ne’er-do-well younger sons, to form the nucleus of the Eastern South West Association army, Parliament’s premier force in the region.  As April turned to May, they numbered some 3,500 foot and 2,000 horse, well equipped if indifferently trained.  Alderman Grundy bemoaned the cost of equipping and maintaining such a host, and urged his headstrong son, Edward (who, if truth be told, needed but little urging) to take the field as early as possible and bring the enemy to battle.

Nagged by his father, his wife, and two sons, Edward concurred, and the army lurched out of Borchester. Initially marching eastwards towards Felpersham, Edward shifted south once past Lower Locksley and headed to cut the Royalists off from their supplies by marching on Darrington.  As he approached the town, he saw Pargetter’s host already drawn up on the slowly rising ground in front of him – Lessie’s Moor.  He deployed for battle, and Oliver Sterling led the army in prayer.  The fate of Borsetshire would be decided this day.

Meanwhile, back in Oxford, developments in Borsetshire were being viewed with some concern. To add to the worries involved in leaving responsibility in the hands of an inexperienced idiot like Pargetter, Prince Rupert was also troubled by the arrival of a parcel of his younger brothers from France, led by the precocious and obnoxious Prince Philip Frederick.  Rupert’s fertile brain concocted a solution to both his problems.  Philip Frederick, a right royal 16 year old pain in the neck, was appointed commander of a ‘Flying Column’ to relieve Lord Nigel of both his worries and his command. Consisting of Horse, Dragoons and Musketeers it could be ill spared, but needs must when the indigent relatives come calling!

The later named “Battle of the Three Ninnies” was about to begin. As tradition dictated, each general carried his personal cornet, dripping with symbolism, at his side.  Lord Nigel’s banner was of plain white damask, his closest sycophants said to reflect the honesty, openness and purity of his character. His true friends, and many of his enemies, opined that it reflected the emptiness of his head!

Prince Philip Frederick flaunted his brother’s cornet, blazoned with the arms of the Palatinate. Rupert would be furious when he found it was missing!

Captain General Grundy, wise to all the secrets of heraldry, carried an azure banner, betokening loyalty, chastity, truth, strength and faith. Not that he possessed any of these qualities, but one could always dream, and it was a snip at only 9 pence 3 farthings the yard.

Royalist Army	Ammo	Dash	Hits	Save	Melee to Hit Cards	Medals
BORSETSHIRE ASSOCIATION
NIgel, Lord Pargetter, C-in-C	-	-	-	2+	-	4
Foot Brigade
Colonel David Archer - gallant	-	-	-	2+	-	1
Ambridge Trained Band Pike heavy, traw, untried	0	-	3	8+	2	3
Penny Hassett Trained Band Raw, untried	2	-	3	8+	2	3
Colonel Aldrige’s Regiment Trained, gallant gentleman	3	-	3	7+	2	3
Colonel Kenton Archer’s Regiment Trained	3	-	3	7+	2	3
Colonel Snell’s Regiment Pike heavy, Trained, gallant gent	1	-	3	7+	2	3
Colonel Perk’s Regiment Pike Heavy, Raw, untried	0	-	3	8+	2	3
Horse Brigade
Colonel Josh Archer - gallant	-	-	-	2+		1
Lord Pargetter’s Lifeguard Dutch Cuirassier, trained, small	1 P	3	1	6+ *	2	1
The Hon Frederick’s Regt Dutch Horse, raw	2 P	3	3	8+	2	3
Tregorran’s Regiment Dutch Horse, raw, untried	2 P	3	3	8+	2	3
OXFORD FLYING COLUMN	Ammo	Dash	Hits	Save	Melee to Hit Cards	Medals
Prince Philip Frederick gallant CinC	-	-	-	3+	-	4
Horse Brigade
Prince Philip’s Lifeguard Swedish Horse, trained	1 P	3	2	7+	2	2
Prince Edward’s Regiment Swedish Horse, trained	1 P	3	2	7+	2	2
Prince Gustavus’s Regiment Swedish Horse, trained	1 P	3	2	7+	2	2
Foot and Dragoons Brigade
D’Arcy’s Dragoons Dragoons, trained, untried	2	2		7+	1	1
Heathcliffe’s Commamnded Shot, terained	3	-	2	8+	2	2
Lord Stokes’ Commanded Shot, trained	3	-	2	8+	2	2
Victory medals to lose:						18

Parliamentarian Army	Ammo	Dash	Hits	Save	Melee to Hit Cards	Medals
Eastern Southwest Association
Edward Grundy, Captain General	-	-	-	2+	-	5
Borsetshire Brigade
Borsetshire Trained Bands Trained	3	-	3	7+	2	3
Borchester City Regiment Trained - gallant gent	3	-	3	7+	2	3
Borchester City Auxiliaries Regt Raw, Untried	2	-	3	8+	2	3
Oliver Sterling’s Brigade
Colonel Oliver Sterling - gallant	-	-	-	2+	-	1
Alderman Grundy’s Regiment Trained	3	-	3	7+	2	3
Sterling’s Regiment Trained	3	-	3	7+	2	3
Toby Fairbrother’s Regiment Raw, Untried	2	-	3	8+	2	3
Nicholas Carter’s Regiment Raw - gallant gent	2	-	3	8+	2	3

Fairbrother’s Brigade
Colonel Sir Rex Fairbrother	-	-	-	2+	-	1
Sir Rex Fairbrother’s Regiment Dutch Horse, Trained	2 P	3	3	7+	2	3
Toby Fairbrother’s Regiment Dutch BHorse, Raw, untried	2 P	3	3	8+	2	3
Sir Robin Fairbrother’s Regiment Dutch Horse, raw	2 P	3	3	8+	2	3
2nd Brigade of Horse
Elliot’s Regiment Dutch Horse, Raw	2 P	3	3	7+	2	3
Bellamy’s Regiment Dutch Horse, Trained	2 P	3	3	8+	2	3
Horrobion’s Regiment Dutch Horse, raw	2 P	3	3	8+	2	3
Grundy’s Regiment Dutch Horse, raw	2 P	3	3	8+	2	3
Battery of Field Guns Trained	6 A	-	1	7+	1	1
Mc Creary’s Dragoons Dragoons, raw, untried	1	2	1	8+	1	1
Titchner’s Dragoons Raw	1	2	1	8+	1	1
Victory Medals to lose:						21

The field of Lessie's Moor; the Loxley Barrett Manor House is in the foreground. I chose to have it occupy 2 boxes for a better scenic effect.

The wooded box is the "Elves Copse", the scenario didn't specify it as impassable, so we treated it as just difficult terrain. Note, as usual, how the grid is barely detectable. 

I didn't have nearly enough hedgerows for this battle, so I substituted fences around Loxley Manor. fences  A low rise can be seen in the distance.

Overvew of the Moor, with the armies about to close. The rocks mark the boundaries of the scenario map, but I added extra space around it for a more fluid game. 

The forces of the King to the Right, and those of Parliament to the Left... of course!

View from Captain General Gundy's side of the field.

View from the far side; I left this un-cropped to show that we don't play in a pristine room, but rather my unfinished (and cluttered!) basement. On the other hand, the shelves holding (most) of my collection in the background are impressive. Indeed, all but these English Civil War figures ordinarily reside there. 

Some close up shots, starting with the parliamentarian Left:

Titchner's Dragoons (raw) line the near hedges, with Elliot's Horse (raw), Bellamy's Horse (trained), Horrobion's Horse (raw), and Grundy's Horse (raw) near to far. Barely visible in the foremost hedges are McCreary's Dragoons. Made up of tavern dregs lead by a disreputable Scotsman, they are both raw and untried, and thus liable to break and run at the first sign of trouble! This large brigade of Horse and Dragoons lacks an effective leader, which will make ordering them difficult.

The front line, is made up of Oliver Sterling's Brigade.  Left to right are:

Nicholas Carter's Regiment (raw, with an accompanying Gallant Gentleman) - Bluecoats,

Toby Fairbrother's Regiment (raw, untried country bumpkins)- Browncoats,

Sterling's Regiment, accompanied by the Colonel himself (trained) -Redcoats,

 and Alderman Grundy's Regiment (trained) - Purplecoats.

Behind them are the few field guns known to have been present at the battle. 

In the Right rear is the Borsetshire Brigade of Foote, also lacking effective leadership. It's units:

Borsetshire Trained Bands (rear, near - trained) - Orangecoats

Borchester City Auxilliaries Regiment (raw. untried, far rear) - Greencoats (some of the men carrying ancient bills from the city armoury pressed into to service in a different century!)

and the Borchester City Regiment (trained, w/ a gallant gentleman) - Orange Coats.

Finally there is Colonel Sir Rex Fairbrother's Brigade of Horse, near to far:

Sir Rex Fairbrother's Regiment (trained) - Yellowcoats,

Toby Fairbrother's Regiment (raw, untried) - Greycoats, accompanied by Sir Rex,

and Sir Robin Fairbrother's Regiment (raw) - Yellowcoats.

Of note, all of the Parliamentary Horse are fighting in the  deep, Dutch style (aka "trotters"), take 3 hits, and are depicted using at least 3 stands. 

Mustering out for the King are:

The Foote and Dragoon's Brigade of Prince Philip Frederick's Column (no Colonel):

D'Arcy's Dragoons (trained but untried) - whitecoats, 

Lord Stokes' Commanded Shotte (trained) - redcoats

Heathcliffe's Commanded Shot (trained) - bluecoats

and the gallant Colonel Josh Archer's Horse Brigade;

Tregorran's Regiment (Dutch, raw, untried) - redcoats

The Hon Fredericks Regiment (DUutch, raw) - redcoats, accompanied by Col. Archer,

and off in the distance can be seen the small troop of Lord Pargetter's Lifeguard (Dutch, Cuirassiers, trained, small). 

Lord Pargetter is seen near but not with his Lifeguard rear center.

Next is Colonel David Archer's Brigade of Foote:

Kenton Archer's Regiment (trained) - greencoats,

Snell's Regiment (pike heavy, trained, w/ gallant gent) - redcoats,

Aldridge's Regiment (trained, w/ gallant gent) - whitecoats...

and the Penny Hassett Trained Bands (raw, untried) - yellow coats, with bills in place of pikes,

Ambridge Trained Bands (pike heavy, raw, untried) - blackcoats,

and in the distance Perk's Regiment (pike heavy, raw, untried)  - bluecoats.

Pike heavy units are at an advantage in melee with other foot, but are disadvantaged in shooting. 

Finally we have the Horse Brigade, lead by the gallant Prince Philip Frederick:

Prince Gustavus' Regiment (Swedish, trained) - bluecoats,

Prince Edward's Regiment (Swedish, trained) - buffcoats (near, w/ flag),

and Prince Philip's Lifeguard (Swedish, trained) - buffcoats (far), accompanied by the obnoxious young Prince himself. 

Swedish Horse (aka "gallopers") have only 2 hits, but gain extra hit cards in one charge when discharging their pistols at the last moment. 

Close up of McCreary's Dragoons. They feel rather vulnerable in their exposed position. "Ach, I jus' signed up for the sodding drink, mates! I nae hae a good feeling 'bout this, I don't!"

And with that, we shall have to leave the affairs in Borsetshire for the time being. Never fear, our faithful correspondents, reporting for the Borsetshire Bull, will be reporting in regarding he action afore long...