By The Sword Divided - Week 1

"To His Royal Highness; King Charles I,

Your servant Tiberius Flasheart (Lord) wishes to report an encounter with rebel forces in the heartland of Cheshire.  The enemy, led by that notorious cad Stapleton-Smyth, firstly tried to force a crossing across the bridge and fords in the village of Northwich.   My forces, greatly outnumbered, fought courageously, holding the village, preventing the rebels from crossing the bridge at the point of a pike, and even driving them back across one of the fords before being forced too retreat by the enemies superior numbers which had found further crossing places and threatened to outflank my men.

I successfully stalled the same cad and his lapdogs further south, blocking the road known as the A49 near the village of Tarporley before being compelled to retreat by heavy losses.  It is with sadness I must inform your majesty of the loss of the village and castle of Beeston following this engagement, however I would like to reassure him that I will not rest until the fortress is back in loyalist hands.  With my control of the road to Shrewsbury I will call for siege specialists and they will not last long. 

Your humble servant,

Tiberius."

Translation:  

My Royalist forces, mostly consisting of pike blocks and shotte, foiled Aidans parliamentarian attempts to take the bridge and one of the fords in the village of Northwich.  However, his, much more mobile, forces had already outflanked me using the other ford to the north of the village, and my garrison of the village was only stalling for time before a probable defeat.  My troops moved with a sluggishness which was made more frustrating by the lack of powder for my musketeers which meant most of my troops were fairly useless by half-way through the game – my first order was a blunder, and perhaps that was a warning!   In the second game, on the outskirts of Tarporley Aidan’s troops once again attended to their orders with greater swiftness, advancing to meet me.  It was a pitched battle (I’d had enough of rivers) and I was bottled up in my own deployment zone and pressed in on both flanks before I could manoeuvre, with the battle well over before I finally struck my colours.  I think my army list could do with some work!

Whats next:  Lord Flashearts men managed to secure the southern part of the A49, but at the loss of Beeston Castle, and will be attempting to storm that bastion as soon as possible!

Brigadier Wolfe's horse (left of the bridge) unsuccessfully contest the bridge in Northwich while the  village is garrisoned by musketeers and dragoons.

Real mens fighting!  A push of pike across the bridge!  Sadly the rebels proved stronger with their supporting troops and Flasheart (seen behind Hopton's blue coated regiment) had to settle with holding the village end of the bridge.

More success further south as the King's Lifeguard in their red cloth push back  a number of rebel regiments to take the ford!