The (in)famous Battle of Soggy Bottom - Table set up.

I have the battle set up completely now, all ready for the game with Barry and John tomorrow afternoon. The scenario, with plenty of tongue in cheek humor, is available for free download from Simon's "Big Red Bat Shop", here.

The rules to be used are "For King and Parliament, by Simon Miller and Andrew Brentnall. Simon ran this event at many UK shows last year. I plan to run it at HAVOC in Shewsbury, MA, next weekend, and then again at Historicon in July.

The forces of Parliament occupy the village of Soggy Bottom in the foreground, with the Soggy Botttom Marsh to it's front, and the church of St Lasiuruis Egregius  close by.The Parliamentary artillery is situated on Old Nick's Leap, whilst a Roundhead Foote battaglia hold Longbarrow Hill. To the lweft of the picture is the wooded ground known as The Bishop's Copse.

View from the Parliamentary Left.

View from behind the Royalist position; the King, his Gentlemen Pensioners, and his Artillery are all atop the appropriately named "King's Hill". 

View from the Cavalier Left. The rocks mark the boundries of the original map, which is just 8 boxes wide by 12 long. The table at Havoc is 8 feet long by 5 feet wide, and this set up is 6 by 8 feet. I think I will make a new cloth with an 8" grid for Historicon; the figures will fit better ion the larger grid. 

For King and Parliament - Color Summary Sheet

With quite a number of games with "For King and Parliament planned in the next 4 months, I figured it was time to develop my own Summary sheet for these rules. The ones provided are adequate, but I think they could cover a lot more of the play of the game. Here's what I came up with; I may see if I can squeeze a summary of the Pursuit rules in somehow as well!

For King and Parliament - © 2018 Simon Miller and Andrew Brentnall

No Activation penalty

Any move or charge that is straight ahead through clear terrain for any troop type, regardless of quality or status (i.e., including raw, disordered, rabble, or highlanders)

Any move or charge made by dismounted dragoons or Forlorn Hope, regardless of terrain, quality, or status*

Shooting  (except: Field/Siege Artillery attempting to shoot a 2nd or subsequent time in the same turn.

Activation penalty -1

The unit is Out of Command

Any permitted move or charge other than straight ahead by other* units that began the battle with 1 or 2 hits

The move or charge is through terrain or across a linear obstacle that impedes movement.

The unit is disordered and/or raw, and/or is highlanders or rabble, and is not  moving straight ahead through clear terrain. Note that this modifier is not cumulative!

Activation Penalty -2

Any permitted move or charge, other than straight ahead, by units that began the battle with 3 or 4 hits

Field/Siege artillery moving, changing formation or unlimbering; or firing for a 2nd or subsequent time in  same turn

Attempting to Rally from Pursuit.

Activation Bonus +1

All Veteran units (They still always fail on an Ace, however)

Foot may

Move one box directly or diagonally ahead, sideways, or directly backwards, maintaining facing

Charge into an enemy occupied box that is directly or diagonally ahead.

Turn 90 or 180 degrees

If pike-armed, form hedgehog, or form line (facing in any direction) from hedgehog.

Exchange places within a box with another unit from the same Brigade.

Interpenetrate a Forlorn Hope or Artillery unit.

Horse and Mounted Dragoons may

Move (or charge into an enemy unit) one box directly or diagonally ahead.

Move one box directly ahead, and then move into (or charge an enemy occupied) box that is directly or diagonally ahead, so long as this move or charge is not across linear or rough terrain, or into rough terrain.

Move one box diagonally ahead, and then move into (or charge an enemy occupied) box that is directly or diagonally ahead, so long as this move or charge is not across linear or rough terrain, or into rough terrain.

Turn 90 or 180 degrees, then move one box directly ahead; OR Move one box sideways, maintaining facing

Exchange places within a box with another unit from the same Brigade

Interpenetrate a Forlorn Hope or Artillery unit.

Horse may

Move one box directly ahead and fire Pistols, OR fire Pistols, turn 180 degrees, and move one box directly ahead

Artillery may

If Limbered, move one box directly or diagonally ahead, maintaining facing

Unlimber, facing in any direction

Turn 90 or 180 degrees

For King and Parliament - © 2018 Simon Miller and Andrew Brentnall

Shooting: Hit on 8+ (9+ if shooter is disordered)

Pistol: Range 1 Box, each shot expends 1 ammo. Play 1 Hit card. “Swedish” Horse may prefer to use in melee.

Musket: Short range 1 Box 1 hit card; or 2 hit cards, expend 1 ammo into box directly ahead (not Drag., FH, raw)

Muskets: Long Range 2 Boxes, play 1 Hit card, expend 1 ammo

Artillery (Short/Long):   Light 2/4, Field 3/6,  Siege 4/8. Play 1 Hit card, expend 1 ammo

Defensive Fire: If charged through one of its three frontal boxes, may play 1 hit card (costs 1 ammo for Pistols, Artillery, and Highlanders)

Return Fire: a unit shot at and surviving the fire may return fire if able, expending ammo or not as appropriate

Salvee Charge (Veterans only): expend 1 ammo as part of a charge activation – play 2 hit cards

Save Modifiers that apply when a unit is shot at  (TWO saves versus Long Range Fire)   all +1

Cuirassiers, except when shot at by Artillery

In cover. Units under cover within fortifications may make two saves, except when fired upon by Siege Artillery

Forlorn Hopes, Dragoons, or Artillery

Melee: Hit on 8+ (or 9+ if disordered)

Base Hit Cards: All Foote battalia, most Horse, all Highlanders, Rabble – 2 Hit cards

Base Hit Cards: Forlorn Hopes, Dragoons, Artillery, Scots Horse, Poorly Mounted Horse – 1 Hit Card

Horse expend DASH during a charge or counter charge  1 Bonus hit card (enemy not in rough terrain/linear obst.)

Horse charging foot lacking Pikes, who are not in rough ground or beyond linear rough terrain – 1 Bonus hit card

Scots Lancers expend a Lance marker – 1 Bonus hit card

A unit with Pikes in melee with a unit with fewer or no pikes, and neither unit is in woods – 1 Bonus hit card

“Swedish” Horse expend an ammo in melee – 2 Bonus hit cards

Highlanders expend an ammo in Melee – 2 Bonus hit cards

Save Modifiers that apply when a unit is involved in Melee Combat  all +1

Cuirassiers

Foot or Artillery when charged Uphill, or within buildings or fortifications

Foot or Artillery when charged frontally across linear rough terrain

Save Modifiers that apply when Rallying (to the Save only, not the activation attempt) (No rally in ZOC*)
An Officer has joined the testing unit  (*Officers w/ “The Rock” may rally attached unit in enemy ZOC)	+1

Rout test: When a unit is lost, all friendly units within the same box, or orthogonally adjacent, must test

Units in the same box play 1 save card; all others play 2 save cards. **No test required for loss of single hit units**

Officer Saves         Gallant officers +1 to injury draw,  Cautious Officers -1 to injury draw
Any officer who has joined a unit must test to see if he is injured each time that the unit is hit. The officer will fail to save on an Ace, and in this event must draw a further card to determine the extent of any injury:
10 or 11	The officer is killed (lost).
8 or 9	Officer retires from the field seriously wounded (lost). After the battle, draw a card to determine his fate.
5 to 7	Officer receives a light wound, carries on, but will be killed if he receives another light or serious wound
3 or 4	Officer takes a blow to the head and is stunned; for the remainder of this player turn, and the whole of the next friendly player turn he may not replay cards nor exert command; his units will likely be OOC
0 to 2	A manly scar is inflicted upon the officer; it has no impact on this battle

The Earl of Northampton's Regiment of Horse

The Earl of Northampton raised this unit of Horse in 1642, and it served with the Oxford army until 1646. One source says the regiment wore green coats, so I went with that.

The Colonel, the 2nd Earl of Northampton, was killed in action at Hopton Heath in 1643, the title and the regiment then passing to his son .

The exceeding useful British Civil War Regimental wiki  says the unit had blue coronets with blue and white fringes, but I liked this flag better, with the green field complementing the coats.

The motto on the flag is an insult to the Parliamentarian commander, the Earl of Essex, "whose wife was notoriously unfaithful".

My color printer remaining uncooperative, I printed out the flag in black and white and then painted over the design. The flag is from the Dux Humunculorum blog; there quite a few more ECW flags on his blog.  (Somehow the inscription makes me think of a political figure and his alleged pastimes in Moscow, but we'll leave it at that!). 

Oliver Cromwell's "Ironsides"

Surely there can be few more famous regiments of Horse from the English Civil War than Cromwell (later Fairfax's) "Ironsides". From a troop at Edgehill it grew to a double sized regiment and more over time. 

They are known to have worn red coats. I have used Orange/Tawney sashes for the officers etc, although white sashes may have been more likely, especially later in the ECW.

The "coronet" carried by this unity is that of Captain Robert Swallow's troop. The inscription reads "Ascendia Cura Sionis" (? possibly "Incendia") - "Burning with the Care of Zion."

From 1642 to 1645 the regiment saw extensive action, including the battles of Grantham, Gainsborough, Winceby, Marston Moor, and 2nd Newbury.

I didn't mirror image this flag due to the effect upon the text. 

Lord John Byron's Regiment of Horse

Sir John Byron was an ardent supporter of the king. he served as Sheriff of Notinghamshire in 1634, and MP from the same region in 1624 and 1628. he had no children, and upion his death in 1652, the title passed to his brother Richardf, who was the ancestor of the famous romantic poet, the 6th Lord Byron, "Mad, Bad, and dangerous to know!"

He commanded a troop of cavalry during the Bishop's War, and raised the first regiment of Royalist cavalry in August 1642. His regiment fought at Edgehill in 1642. 

Byron and his regiment distinguished themselves at the battles of Roundway Down and 1st Newbury in 1643, Sir John commanding the cavalry wing in both battles. He was created a Baron by the King at the end of the year. 

In late 1643, he became Filed Marshal in charge of the Royalist forces in Cheshire, Lancashire, and North Wales, gaining the nickname "Bloody Bragadaccio". He fought at Muiddlewich, Nantwich, Marston Moor,, and Montgomery. 

John Hampden's Regiment of Horse

John Hampden was a key opposition leader in Parliament. He raised a regiment of green coated Foote, but evidently may also have raised a Troop of Horse, which I have raised to a Regiment!

The men chiefly came from his estates in Buckinghamshire. I have them mounted, far too uniformly, but in my usual toy soldier fashion, on Roan steeds. 

Hampden and his men fought at Edgehill and the siege of Reading. Hampden was mortally wounded in action in June of 1643. 

These are Old Glory 25/28 mm figures, "Cavalry in buffcoats and helmets, charging", with an extra officer from the "High Command" set. That way I can get two small regiments of 6 each by using the 10 figures in the set, plus a couple of extra officers. 

French Napoleonic Army - my 8th Infantry Division

These are a set of "class photos" of the "early Imperial" French infantry in my army. 

The "early French in Bicorne and campaign dress" Fusiliers I painted a few years back have been united with the early Grenadiers and Voltiguers I painted in January. 

The 4 units of Ligne combined with the early Legere in side plumed shakos make up one French "Division" in my organizational scheme.

I have sufficient additional lead to raise another Division in Bicorne, etc., which would be the 9th. It is only now that my French army exceeds the number of Ligne units that  my original  forces (largely Jack Scruby figures) had when I started re-doing my French Army, starting a little over 20 years ago!