I love the Never Mind the Billhooks rules. I have done since they were offered as a freebie during lockdown. When Andy Callan released the Deluxe vesrion I started building extra armies to use. Burgundians naturally, Swiss obviously and because I already had a few Kern and gallowglass I set to building an Irish army. Like all my projects I painted more units than I will ever need, but thats the way I am.
So when it was my week to stage a game I decided that John and I should fight in Ireland with my Irish.
We opted for 220 points which gives a lot of units but a much more satisfying game for me and John.
The native Irish aren't allowed any artillery in the rules, very, very few fire arm troops, too expensive and only a small number of bill and longbowmen. Oh and the cavalry as they should be are light ones although one is allowed a unit of Lord Deputy spears that are quite good melee troops, apparently. My deputies ward consisted of three units of levy bow [ cheap] and one unit of veteran billmen.
Because each gallowglass unit has to have a minimum of two kern skirmish units I fielded four units of these annoying little buggers. I added Scottish mercenary axemen and a lot of bonnact, ie. formed kern. I attempted to make the terrain Irish like with three bogs and a lot of hills.
John fielded a typical WOR Lancastrian host, but with no artillery and no mounted heavy cavalry. I was initially glad of this, but during the actual game it didn't matter too much.
One of the mistakes I made was to amalgamate my gallowglass and bonnact into blocks in order to be able to issue orders. I also put my levy archers in long lines, again because of the lack of order chits. Each commander had only two orders to give each move.
I wont bore anyone with what happened in each move, lets just say I lost by the margin of 14 chits to 2. Thats a very sizeable defeat as two chits equals one unit. My Irish are fast, they pack a punch but die very easily if facing an arrow storm. My skirmishers weren't allowed to be effective and my mounted spears were wiped out in one charge where I also lost their commander.
Was it a good game? Absolutely. Will I field the Irish again? Definitely. So well done again Andy for writing a great set of wargames rules.
I will be at Fiasco this Sunday, so if anyone wants to accost me, you are more than welcome.
On the surface, a score of 14-2 looks like a real pasting. Still, superb looking game and you enjoyed yourselves.
ReplyDeletePeering under the surface, it still looks like a real pasting.
Excellent AAR, a vibrant and colourful looking game. Love all the flags and banners.
ReplyDeleteWillz.
What a great looking game and nice to see a less visited theatre of action getting an outing. Despite the pasting you received, you enjoyed yourself which is all that matters really!
ReplyDeleteNice looking game, some cracking figures on show and nice to see something a bit different. I always think results don't matter too much as long as much fun was had, you have to think like that if you lose heavily!!
ReplyDeleteIn the best Public School tradition I hope you remembered to thank John for the thrashing. Enjoy Fiasco, a show which is not on my radar anymore.
ReplyDeleteLovely looking toys Robbie…
ReplyDeleteImagine how delighted you will be when you achieve a victory…
All the best. Aly
Lovely looking game, if unfortunate result, I have started an Irish army of the period and will no doubt emulate you in having far more than I need eventually although I hope to avoid your results in game terms!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain