The game lasted longer than I thought it would and ended up with us having a rather late night. While I have noticed before that this game starts quick but slows as the action builds, it wasn't helped by the need to explain the rules as we went, or the beer consumed as the evening wore on. I'm afraid I haven't sold them on these rules, especially Martin, whose cavalry (two units of knight and one of hobelars) set off with the king to turn the enemy's flank ...
... and encountered a block of bills and bows who were clearly the much-beloved love-children of the Dice Gods. This was not helped by King Edward's activation card coming up last in the pack on two successive turns!
Anyway, I'll draw a curtain over that game and move on to Sunday's WotR chit game (see Link for a description of a chit game) using DBM. With the exception of the terrain and the absence of any of the fog effects, except for 'Edwards Luck', this was a repeat of the Barnet game at the above link. Also, it was not played on a hex grid.
So, the battle started with Warwick moving out from his camp with the reserve to oversee the rest of the army commanded by his brother, John Neville, Marquis of Montagu; John de Vere, Earl of Oxford; and, Henry Holland, Duke of Exeter.
Coming up against them from the town of Barnet was the Yorkist army, led by King Edward IV seconded by his brother, Richard Duke of Gloucester and his trusted lieutenant, William Lord Hastings.
Almost immediately the absence of fog made itself felt as the Lancastrian guns started to take a toll on the advancing Yorkists, but battle was soon joined where the Yorkists hoped to make their better quality tell.
As might be apparent from the dice and rule book (DBM) in the above photo, and other bits in some later photos, I was fully engaged in this game and thus the photos are all game-in-progress shots complete gaming impedimenta.
Included in the next photo are the 'chits' or tiles with the commanders' coats of arms which are picked out by each player in their turn to decide which command they will play for that turn, drawing again for their next turn.
As the battle wore on, Lancastrian numbers continued to outweigh Yorkist quality until Gloucester's command became demoralised and started to flee the field; it can be seen fleeing towards the top of the photo below.
This event triggered 'Edward's Luck'[1], which almost turned the tide of battle - just one more mêlée win would've broken Montagu's command. But it was not to be and soon the remaining Yorkist commands were overwhelmed.
All that now remained was to determine the winner. No-one had compromised their secret identity during the game so no-one identity was correctly guessed by the other players. The score was therefore very much down to what had happened to the players' characters in the game. Unsurprisingly, Steve who, before the battle started, had secretly drawn Exeter, won, with 37 victory points (VPs). Martin, who revealed he was King Edward was left trailing a long way behind on a mere 5 VPs, mainly for managing to survive. I, as Hastings took the wooden spoon with -1 VP!
As ever, no-one was concerned over winning or losing as these chit games are so much fun players tend to lose sight on winning and just enjoy the ride.
Notes:
[1.] ‘Edward’s Luck’: in the fog Yorkists ignore friendly commands becoming demoralised and in Edward’s next bound he throws an extra PIP die which can be spent during his bound to control the victorious Lancastrian command, or one adjacent to that command, as if part of his command. This represents the confusion that occurred when a friendly fire incident between Montagu and Oxford's contingents triggered the collapse of the Lancastrian army as the various faction each thought the other was betraying them.
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