War of the Roses archers

Another unit of 12 archers. I generic blue and white Lancastrian colurs

Perry plastics of course. 

Lion Rampant War of the Roses

Once more to General B.'s for some more Wars of the Roses gaming.

Taxmen had arrived in Ilkestoyne. 

Hearing this Kerbye rallied his men, hoping to seize the taxmen's loot from under Ballroom's nose.

Once more the Percy Archers joined Kerbye and his retainers

The Irish Mercenaries too were pressed into service

They were eager to hunt down a taxman or two

The Percy bill took up position on a hill overlooking Ilkestoyne

A taxman was spotted on the road out of town

Whilst a taxwoman raced across a nearby hill

The Irish raced forward

And the bill advanced more steadily

Kerbye's Scouts grabbed the hapless taxman

As the Irish closed in on his female associate.

And the Percy bow claimed another tax collector

Ballroom and his men decided to intervene

His archers soon lined a fence

Whilst their fellows raced through the streets of Ilkestoyne to grab another taxwoman

The Scouts had retreated to the woods but turned to shoot at the Ballroom arches

In turn they advanced on the scouts

Ballroom's men took another taxman into "protective custody"

Kerbye himself was galloping back and forth exhorting his men.

On the hill the Percy archers delayed their withdrawal

And exchanged ineffective bow shots with their Ballrrom opposite numbers

Ballroom's knights closed on the archers on the hill

Kerbye and Ballrooom fought out another duel

Honour satisfied they both retired unhurt

The Percy archery proved devastating and the knight's charge faltered

The Northumbrians taunted their opponents

Kerbye succumbed to a rush of blood and charged into Ballroom's retainers 

He was duly cut down and with that the battle soon drew to a close with Ballroom in possession of most of the tax collectors and, more importantly their taxes!

A great fun game - expert archers are brutal in these games and so they were again in this one.

We experimented with a Random Boast Generation system. Each of us was dealt three cards each with one of the boasts from the rulebook on. Players *must* keep at least one and may keep up to 3 points worth of boasts

These were the two I settled on

A few bonus phone pictures:

Lion Rampant Wars of the Roses

Over to General B.'s to resume hostilities between the Lords Kerbye and Ballroom.

24 point stand up fight withe the village of Ilkestoyne forming a bottleneck.

Kerbye's Percy allies check their bowstrings

Kerbye and his men-at-arms decide to take the direct route in to the village.

Scouts scuttle into the wood as the rest of the Percy retinue assemble

Kerbye's cavalry prepare to sweep around the flank.

The green rolling fields around Ilekstoyne 

Off go the horse

Ballroom's retainers draw a bead down the main thoroughfare

Pushing up to control the village

As Kerbye's men advance

With one of the Ballroom archer units battered the cavalry dare to cross open ground

The Percy men, protected by the wall are winning the exchange of arrows

Ballroom's bill are well hidden behind the sturdy timber framed houses

The horse ride down the archers!

The archers melt away!

Ballroom launches his retainers at the horse, who countergharge

The scouts make hard work of advancing through the village

Ballroom's men control the streets

Kerbye orders his men on

Emboldened Kerbye advances down main street

Trusting in his armour to hold off the Ballroom arrows

Kerbye springs his trap as his bill burst upon the unsuspecting Ballroom archers

The narrow streets impede the billmen's work

The fight does not go to plan and both sides retire battered

Kerby, free from the threat of archery advances and Ballroom's bill vault the fences to engage them

the narrow streets run red with blood

His bill vanquished Ballroom can only look on.

Seizing his chance Ballroom issues a challenge.

Kerbye, no shrinking violet, accepts

"Leave him Your Lordship, he's not worth it!"

Insults are exchanged and weapons swung

But to no real avail and both men fall back to their men.

The retinues at last come to blows

After some to-and fro Ballroom stands alone

Kerbye prepares to make the decisive move

In the ensuing fight Ballroom is cut down and victory goes to Kerbye an his men

A great fun game with plenty of drama. The duel was hilarious, with no blows landed on either side. My Perct billmen disgraced themselves in two combats - whereas their fellow archers wrought grave damage on the Ballroom retinue.

I want to paint some more Wars of the Roses models now!