29th March (Palm Sunday), Towton, North Yorkshire

TOWTON BATTLEFIELD ANNIVERSARY EVENT

The day after the BattleDay I was up to Yorkshire for the annual Towton Battlefields Society Palm Sunday event.

This year was special in that (and notwithstanding the changes in the calendar since the 15th Century) the anniversary (29th March) actually fell on Palm Sunday (as it did in 1461 and which is the traditional Sunday on which the TBS host the annual commemoration).

I was up with the Northampton Battlefields Society and we were in the windy barn ...

I have tagged some of the other exhibitors ...

The Battlefields Trust and the Scottish Battlefields Trust were there, as were battlefields Societies from Stamford Bridge, Tewkesbury, Northampton as well as Towton and others, plus some period traders and arms dealers and Societies including the Lance & Longbow ... battle themed and Wars of the Roses themed, mostly.

We were supporting the heritage message, showing the cannonball pictures and displaying the battlefield model

(Northampton 1460 on show at the Towton Palm Sunday event 2015)

In many ways what was started at Northampton on July 10th 1460 was finished 8 months later on Palm Sunday at Towton in the bloodiest battle on English soil.

Here's a chilly model of the Battle of Towton with its dusting of snow (using Peter Pig figures)

(Towton 1461)

And the Lance & Longbow Society had a participation game going of the Battle of Hexham

(Hexham 1464)

Outside there was a good turn out of Living History and Reenactors ... I was particularly pleased with the guns which seem to match the bore of the piece that fired the shot found at Northampton.

Here's one of their slightly oversized rounds (so it can't actually be inadvertently loaded whilst chatting) alongside Northampton's real one (that is smashed by the impacts following its firing) ..

So you get the idea of the size of ball shot at Northampton ... small by Napoleonic standards but capable of smashing men horses and masonry.

It will be splendid to get one of these guns down to Delapre and have it fire again.   I can see it now, by the Eleanor Cross, on the anniversary of the battle, firing a salute ...

(commemorating Northampton 1460 ... an image from the 2013 evening walk)

Something to aspire to.

Otherwise outside the were some scenes being recreated ...

At the end of the afternoon the blustery day was clear enough to allow a visit to the field of conflict itself ... 

(Towton battlefield ... the main action)

(Towton battlefield ... the sun dipping down as we overlook Cock Beck where much of the slaughter occurred) 

Many thanks to our hosts and volunteers.  A grand day out for all and well worth noting in your diary for next year if you haven't been - it'll be on Palm Sunday.

After the massive victory at Towton, Edward, whose men had been first over the rampart at Northampton was crowned King Edward IV but the issues of the Cousins War were far from settled.

Northampton 1460 on Facebook

Towton Battlefield Society

28th March, Bletchley, MK

The Society of Ancients BattleDay 2015 ... The Hydaspes

Apologies for the delays in updating Ancients on the Move ... I have had a large number of pictures to organise and edit following the last weekend in March which saw the Society's BattleDay on the Saturday and Towton's annual Palm Sunday event on the Sunday.

This year was the best supported BattleDay so far ... answering that rhetorical question about what happens when the battle pits Alexander the Great against an elephant army ...

The day started with an introduction by Professor Philip Sabin and a Q&A with Sabin and Duncan Head ... 

(Richard Lockwood introduces Professor Sabin to a packed room)

Phil made some points about the wide range of interpretations of the battle then produced a graph which amply demonstrated that there is plausible interpretation window which can help us filter out some of the less likely accounts.

Phil also argued that the wargame model better tested these theories because it introduced 'time' to the reconstruction in a way that text and diagrams did not (thus, some reconstructions look good on paper but quickly become implausible as soon as you start moving things around against the battle's internal clock) ...

Time, says Sabin, is an important parameter in ancient battle as, allowing some exceptions, whatever has to happen in the battle has to be achieved within the hours of daylight (ancient commanders have limited time within which to win a battle) ...

Anyway, here are some of the games ...

I can't begin to give you a fair flavour of them all ... I played in the AMW game and had good 'nuts and bolts' discussions over the Armati game and Vincent's WiP project ...

The range was from an old classic from 30 years ago (WRG 5th) to the very recent DBA V3 or Sword and Spaer and a project so new it has yet to be published.   And this year I saw from 10mm to 28mm.

Although the presentation was from minimal to elaborate, in all case the finish and attention to detail was admirable.

Here are some close-ups ...

The packed day finished with the usual light-hearted honourable mentions ... from the splendid Hail Caesar terrain to the seamless improvisation of War & Conquest ... 

For a full account of all these games ... Hydaspes background and game-focussed orbats, keep an eye on forthcoming issues of Slingshot

I will update and/or correct this page as I can enhance the information ...

8th March, Wolverhampton

Alumwell's 2015 Show

Sunday saw the West Midlands show at the familiar Aldersley venue - and a busy and enjoyable day it was ...

I took along a Basic Impetus version of the 1214 Battle of Bouvines (one of the most important battles in English history ... but less well known than many) ...

The battle was presented in glorious 15mm on the adaptable ceiling tile terrain layout that I use for short projects.

Bouvines was the key battle on the Magna Carta timeline: the culmination of a generation's worth of diplomatic work to strangle the French in a combined campaign from England, Flanders and the Empire.   

(the flower of chivalry line up on the open ground North-East of Bouvines)

(the game in play ... with markers showing the current VBU of affected units)

The French army was caught crossing the river Marque at Bouvines and found itself trapped against the marshy river by a peremptory allied attack.   This might potentially have caught the French in some disarray but, in fact, Philippe's army was able to get into battle order very efficiently - particularly the hard pressed battle under the Duke of Burgundy.

(French baggage slowly negotiates the passage over the Marque)

The emphatic nature of the French victory at Bouvines doubtless diminished King John in the eyes of his barons, and left Philippe strong enough to support the baron's rebellion with an army under his son prince Louis.

It is almost certainly a direct consequence of this battle that King John found himself obliged to put his seal to Magna Carta in 1215.

I will post more about recreating the epoch making battle of Bouvines in a future post.

Many thanks to the visitors and enthusiasts who joined in the game or discussed the battle during the day.  It was great to meet you all.

Our pitch at WMMS was again next to the Lance & Longbow Society who had a splendid participation table of the Medieval Baltic demonstrating Lion Rampant.

The game was particularly note worthy for its atmospheric glittering snowscapes ...

(the Lance & Longbow Society's Lion Rampant game)

Had I not been manning the Bouvines game I would have been keen to give this one a try.

Another great ancients game, this time WRG 6th edition (old soldiers never die) from the Border Reivers on beautifully sculpted terrain boards ...

Another busy day, but I got pictures of a few more games (not really ancient/medieval, but here's a collage) ...

... and if that wasn't enough to keep people browsing, there are always living history groups and a well supported modelling display.

And I liked the Anglo-Sikh game ...

Well - plus the shopping, that's an enjoyable day out for any enthusiast ...

As last year, someone foolishly set off the fire alarm which meant evacuating the building for a few minutes ... I think some visitors took that as their cue to go home as, post interruption, the show didn't quite resume its previous activity level (and quietly tailed off to home time) ...

Everyone I spoke to seemed to have had a good day, however ...

8th February, Coventry

The Mercian DBA V3 tournament ...

In which some of us got to see what we'd learned of the latest version of the rules and how well we could apply it under the stress test of 6 quick-fire tournament games. 

Pete had set a theme of armies that would have fought in historical Mercia (Mercia is, of course, an Anglo-Saxon kingdom in the true heart of England, and is famous for building a dyke along the Welsh border).

Consequently, I chose to give an overdue run to 'Arthur's' Sub-Roman British (though I took my new Vikings along just in case) ...

This is the army featured in what has become AoM's most popular ever post so please do click that link for a closer look ...

The snowy bases were a deliberate reference to that Clive Owen film, and although a bit of the glittery white flock has worn off, people still seem to get the idea.

The venue was a pleasant little Community Library which unfortunately I drove past a couple of times before locating (and after a number of other excursions I put down to navigating solo while driving head on into a low winter sun ...) ... 

(wargamers in the library ... )

Anyway, I got set up pictures from some of my games .. No logic to which - I think the first game came and went too quick, and the game against Arnaud's elephants was too compelling to remember to take pictures ...

But I fought against ... Norman, Roman, Ancient British, Norman, Hindu Indian and Feudal English. As you can see, the theme was not compulsory and there was an elephant theory to test out (and actually I very nearly defeated it) ...

(Game Two - won)

(Game Three - lost)

(Game Four - drawn)

(Game Six - drawn)

The draws were bloody affairs in which the play evened up to produce no winner within the time limit.  They were, however, close and entertaining games.

What did I learn?  Well, some might say I never learn ... in Game Three I suffered close on a 'fools mate' by getting my Knight General killed by doubled-up light horse conceding the overlaps which then allowed Warband to quick kill my Spears.  Game over in one inept round of die rolling.  Now, I do know that can happen if put the commander on offer.   I used to do the same with the Axumite elephant general.

But, spear-based, the army has a much better feel to it and all these Dark Age/Early Medieval battles create plausible game narratives.   And I quite like the mounted recoilers passing through (most types of) foot.   I hadn't really absorbed that option so it was nice to see it in play.

(photos courtesy of Martin Smith's endeavours)

I used an edifice in Game Four ... just to see what would happen ... interesting, and in one of my six games the plough turned rough (which is about right, of course).

I forgot to take my road ... but I did kill an enemy general ... and my peers generously voted my army best in theme (for which I was awarded a fridge magnet featuring Coventry's Lady Godiva ...) ...

SoA contributor Martin won, Arnaud came second and Martin M third.  I came next to last but my cup was running over with fulfilling games and a proud outing for my little men.

Very enjoyable even, smiled on by the weather and I hope it returns next year ...

And its goodbye from him ...

(organiser Pete does a convincing Al Jolson ... and Richard takes the biscuit)

The Mercia DBA was part of the current Society of Ancients UK DBA League ...

... and some games were counted towards The Championship ...

Full results are published on Fanaticus/Mercian DBA ...

New Features for 2015

I have had a major tidy up over the winter and rationalised the use of labels here (which started out haphazard, then stopped altogether) ...

Now all the major themes have labels, as do the shows and events ...

so you might like DBA Armies ... or you might like to look back on, say, past Salute shows ...

The following historical battles get one or more mentions (click the link ... there will usually be at least a picture of a wargame, maybe even an entire scenario) ...

Battle of Al Qadisha, Battle of Arsuf, Battle of Bagradas, Battle of Bibracte, Battle of Bosworth, Battle of Bouvines, Battle of Callinicum, Battle of Chaeronea, Battle of Chalons, Battle of Cravant, Battle of Cunaxa, Battle of Cynoscephalae, Battle of Edgcote, Battle of Gabiene, Battle of Gaugamela, Battle of Hedgeley Moor, Battle of Illipa, Battle of Issus, Battle of Kadesh, Battle of Magnesia, Battle of Mantinea, Battle of Montaperti, Battle of Mortimer's Cross, Battle of Naseby, Battle of Nicopolis, Battle of Northampton, Battle of Plataea, Battle of Poitiers, Battle of Pydna, Battle of Raphia, Battle of Sellasia, Battle of Sentinum, Battle of St Albans, Battle of Tewkesbury, Battle of Thapsus, Battle of the Granicus, Battle of the Trebia 218 BC, Battle of Towton, Battle of Verneuil, Battle of Wakefield, Battle of Zama 

I will endeavour to keep this new system updated ... you can find all the labels in the panel at the foot of the page ...