War of the Roses Library

Well I have just finished reading 'Richard III and the Bosworth Campaign' by Peter Hammond and my initial feeling from reading the book is that Richard really went out in a blaze of glory. It's interesting to think what drives a man when he has lost his wife and child. Not only had he lost his own family but his three brothers and his father as well. I suppose it was a sign of the times and we shouldn't put twenty first century ideas in the minds and bodies of those living and fighting at the end of the fifteenth century. Being a converted Ricardian I feel a sense of 'what if.' I think it was a sad loss for England. Richard had tried to establish so many positive steps in his short reign. His downfall was that he was not his brother, the late King Edward IV.

My next book to read is 'The Red Rose and the White' by John Sadler. The book promises to give a comprehensive account of the campaigns, battles and sieges of the conflict and it also discusses the men involved, the tactics they employed and the weapons used.

Bosworth Orbats - Second Revision

Having played a game of A Coat of Steel I have decided to revise the Orbats for the respective sides. This hasn't adversely affected the size of the units, but it has allowed me to base miniatures according to their quality. MAA/pike - 4 models to a stand Retinue Bowmen/levy billmen/crossbowmen - 3 models to a stand Levy bowmen/hand gunners - 2 models to a base This also means that I'll have more miniatures to go round which means that in time I'll be able to put on the Battle of Towron as a large club game...hopefully! One aspect of A Coat of Steel is that Men At Arms and Retinue Billmen are not discreet units, rather they are combined on a stand. This will allow me to be a little more creative with how I want the models to look on their bases.

A Coat of Steel - First Play

I had the opportunity to get a first play of the rules today at my local war games club. I kept it simple and my opponent was most helpful with the interpretation of the rules.I must say that they were easy to follow and they play really well. I was using my 15mm miniatures based on 30mm square stands. The game flowed really well. Shooting and close combat were resolved easily. I even used the Black Shield cards rather than dice. The game lasted around 3 hours with a narrow Yorkist victory. We did make a few mistakes but that's to be expected. I look forward to the next game. The rules are ideal for a club set and I am keen to get the rest of my 15mm minis finished. I think I will base the levy troops according to how the rules suggest, 2 levy bowmen to a base. I'll have to check on the levy billmen.