Ga Pa.

Game of ECW Parliamentarians vs Royalists. 

Using Pikeman's Lament in 28mm.

Using terrain and models by Ian.
Organized and Umpired by Leslie.
AAR by Leslie.

Players
Royalists               : Billy and Phil.
Parliamentarians  : Leslie and Paddy.

An English Civil Wargame was arranged to try The Pikeman's Lament rules from Osprey.  The game was organised by Leslie using Ian's excellent figures. The players were Billy and Phil ( Godless  Royalists) and Leslie and Ian ( Saintly Parliamentarians). 

The armies were organised as follows,

Royalists 

• 2 units of Elite Gallopers (Armoured  Attack Cavalry).
• 1 unit of Forlorn Hope (Elite Assault troops).
• 2 Raw Shot.
• 1 Shot.
• 1 Regimental Light gun.
• 1 unit of Pike.
• 2 Commanded Shot (Skirmishers).

Parliamentarians 

• 4 units of Trotters ( Cavalry capable of limited firing).
• 1 Regimental Light gun.
• 2 units of Commanded Shot.
• 1 unit of Gallopers.
• 1 Shot.
• 2 units of Pike.

The scenario was for the "Ga Pa" mission as outlined in the rule book. This mission is based on destroying a greater number of enemy units than you lose. The difference in points scored being the deciding factor.  

The battlefield as the belligerents arrive (Editor).

The game began with the Parliamentarians occupying the woods on their left with Shot and sending a unit of Commanded Shot into a walled enclosure to their front. The Royalists advanced into the village opposite with Shot, Commanded Shot and the Forlorn Hope. They then advanced their gun to fire on the Parliamentarian Commanded Shot in the enclosure.  Unfortunately the Gun failed to activate and  the Parliamentarian Commanded Shot then skirmished out of the enclosure inflicting casualties on the gunners. The Royalist gunners failed their subsequent morale test and fled the table. Attempts by the Parliamentarian gun to fire continually failed over the next series of moves. At this point the Royalist commander went on the defensive and stubbornly remained in the village.  

          On the other flank after some initial and rather ineffective maneuvering  by both sides Phil skillfully used his Shot unit to block a flanking move by the Parliamentarian Trotters who were forced to withdraw back towards a hill and wood in their rear. Phil followed up this move with a rapid advance with his Elite Gallopers.  They  bravely charged and despite having no other troops in support broke two units of enemy Trotters and a unit of Gallopers including the Parliamentarian commander. This however led to the demise of both of Phil's  units of Elite Gallopers including his general.  One Royalist unit had succumbed in combat to a third unit of Parliamentarian Trotters  and the other had been forced to follow up into a unit of formed Pike and so suffered the inevitable consequences.  It was a matter of great embarrassment to both sides that when their armies took morale tests for the loss of their generals not one unit was in the least upset!

         On the opposite flank the Parliamentarian gun finally got to fire and routed a unit of enemy Commanded Shot. Return fire from the Royalists in the village then forced the gunners to rout.  The Parliamentarian Commanded Shot once again left the enclosure and  advancing took control of the main building in the village . From the safety of the building they inflicted casualties on the unit of Royalist Shot in the village causing them to flee the table. The Royalist commander refused to commit his unit of Forlorn Hope into combat in the building and so they remained in the open to be sniped at by the enemy Commanded Shot.

The game ended with the Parliamentarians winning by one point in what had been a very bloody action. The rules worked well and despite using the same mechanisms as Lion Rampant had enough variations to work in their own right and provide a fun game. 

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Photos curtesy of Leslie and the Editor.