Wars of the Roses Campaign
We will be using the Sword and Spear rules to fight the main battles of the Wars of the Roses.
These will be fought in the spirit of the battles rather than a complete historical re-enactment.
Rather than go for a straight fight between Lancastrian and Yorkist factions we thought it would add more flavour if we chose individual leaders from the period. Stephen chose the Duke of Somerset while Jeremey went for the Earl of Salisbury. Guest commanders will no doubt make appearances in the battles of the campaign.
Each battle will be between 700 to 900 points per side.
Battle results so far are:
First Battle of St Albans – Lancastrian Victory
Battle of Blore Heath – Yorkist Victory
Battle of Northampton – Yorkist Victory
Battle of Wakefield – Draw
Battle of Mortimer’s Cross – Yorkist Victory
Second Battle of St Albans – Yorkist Victory
Battle of Towton – Yorkist Victory
Battle of Hedgeley Moor – Yorkist Victory
Battle of Hexham – Lancastrian Victory
Each battle has its own report bellow so you can read what happened.
First Battle of St Albans – 22 May 1455 – Lancastrian (Duke of Somerset) Victory
Scenario Type: Prepared Defence
Defender: Lancastrian (Duke of Somerset)
Attacker: Yorkist (Earl of Salisbury)
Yorkist Loses
6 Units of Longbows (18 points)
1 Unit of Crossbows (3 points)
1 Unit of Welsh Spearmen (3 points)
1 Unit of Billmen (3 points)
Total loses 30 points (Army break point 30)
Lancastrian Loses
6 Units of Longbows (18 points)
2 Units of Northern Boarder House (6 points)
1 Unit of Scottish Pikemen (6 points)
Total loses 30 points (Army break point 37)
Battle of Blore Heath – 23 September 1459 – Yorkist (Earl of Salisbury) Victory
Scenario Type: Prepared Defence
Defender: Yorkist (Earl of Salisbury)
Attacker: Lancastrian (Duke of Somerset)
Special Conditions: Lancastrian (Duke of Somerset) must have at least 4 mounted units.
Yorkist Loses
3 Units of Longbows (9 points)
1 Unit of Crossbows (3 points)
1 Unit of Spearmen (4 points)
1 Unit of Guns (2 points)
Total loses 18 points (Army break point 38)
Lancastrian Loses
2 Units of Mounted Men at Arms (8 points)
4 Units of Currours (16 points)
2 Units of Billmen (8 points)
2 Units of Militia Longbowmen (6 points)
2 Units of Welsh Longbowmen (6 points)
Total loses 44 points (Army break point 43)
Battle of Northampton – 10 July 1460 – Yorkist (Earl of Salisbury) Victory
Scenario Type: Prepared Defence
Defender: Lancastrian (Duke of Somerset)
Attacker: Yorkist (Earl of Salisbury)
Special Conditions: Lancastrian (Duke of Somerset) must have an Artillery unit.
Yorkist Loses
3 Units of Longbows (9 points)
1 Unit of Spearmen (4 points)
2 Units of Billmen (8 points)
Total loses 21 points (Army break point 35)
Lancastrian Loses
2 Units of Dismounted Men at Arms (8 points)
1 Unit of Billmen (4 points)
5 Units of Longbows (15 points)
4 Units Militia Longbows (12 points)
2 Units of Artillery (4 points)
Total loses 43 points (Army break point 31)
Battle of Wakefield – 30 December 1460 – Draw
Scenario Type: Ambush
Defender: Yorkist (Earl of Salisbury)
Attacker: Lancastrian (Duke of Somerset)
Special Conditions: Both sides must have at least 4 mounted units.
Yorkist Loses
4 Units of Longbows (12 points)
2 Units of Militia Longbows (6 points)
3 Units of Billmen (12 points)
3 Units of Currours (12 points)
Total loses 42 points (Army break point 39)
Lancastrian Loses
4 Units of Mounted Men at Arms (16 points)
2 Units of Currours (8 points)
2 Units of Border Horsemen (6 points)
1 Unit of Dismounted Men at Arms (4 points)
3 Units of Longbows (9 points)
3 Units of Militia Longbows (9 points)
Total loses 52 points (Army break point 49)
Battle of Mortimer’s Cross – 2 February 1461 – Yorkist (Earl of Salisbury) Victory
Scenario Type: Standard
Special Conditions: Lancastrian (Duke of Somerset) must have a Mercenary unit
Yorkist Loses
5 Units of Longbows (15 points)
1 Unit of Militia Longbows (3 points)
1 Unit of Spearmen (4 points)
1 Unit of Dismounted Men at Arms (4 points)
1 Unit of Mounted Men at Arms (4 points)
Total loses 30 points (Army break point 48)
Lancastrian Loses
2 Units of Dismounted Men at Arms (8 points)
2 Units of Currours (8 points)
2 Units of Billmen (8 points)
4 Units of Longbows (12 points)
2 Units of Kerns (6 points)
Total loses 42 points (Army break point 39)
Second Battle of St Albans – 17 February 1461 – Yorkist (Earl of Salisbury) Victory
Scenario Type: Custom
Yorkist Player: Deploys 4 units at the start of the game. Must include a camp and an artillery unit (artillery facing toward own table edge). Other two units must be made up of artillery, cavalry or light infantry if their army contains either of those (if not then players choice).
Lancastrian Player: Deploys 4 units at the start of the game. Units must be made up of artillery, cavalry or light infantry if their army contains either of those (if not then players choice).
Unit deployment once the game starts:
All unit dice are put in the bag (even for those not present on the table at deployment). Units can be brought on from the table edge by giving them an appropriate activation dice.
If a player has a General off table then activations for units waiting to deploy are considered to be in command range. If all of the players General’s are on the battlefield then all units waiting to deploy are considered out of command for the purposes of activation.
Yorkist Loses
5 Units of Longbows (15 points)
2 Units of Militia Longbows (6 points)
1 Unit of Spearmen (3 points)
1 Unit of Currours (4 points)
1 Unit of Guns (2 points)
Total loses 30 points (Army break point 44)
Lancastrian Loses
2 Units of Men at Arms (8 points)
2 Units of Hand Gunners (4 points)
2 Units of Billmen (8 points)
7 Units of Longbows (21 points)
1 Unit of Pikemen (6 points)
Total loses 47 points (Army break point 40)
Battle of Towton – 29 March 1461 –Yorkist (Earl of Salisbury) Victory
Scenario Type: Standard
Special Conditions: Neither side is allowed Artillery
Lancastrian (Duke of Somerset) must have at least 2 Men at Arms units.
Wind, roll 1d4 at start of battle to indicate direction of wind (from one side of the battlefield to the other). all ranges firing into the wind reduced by one range unit, firing with the wind all ranges increased by one range unit.
Yorkist Loses
2 Units of Militia Longbows (6 points)
1 Unit of Longbows (3 points)
1 Unit of Mounted Men at Arms (4 points)
2 Units of Currours (8 points)
Total loses 21 points (Army break point 58)
Lancastrian Loses
2 Units of Currours (8 points)
3 Units of Mounted Men at Arms (12 points)
1 Unit of Billmen (4 points)
5 Units of Longbows (15 points)
2 Units of Border Horse (6 points)
2 Units of Kerns (6 points)
2 Units of Crossbows (6 points)
Total loses 57 points (Army break point 51)
Battle of Hedgeley Moor – 25 April 1464 – Yorkist (Earl of Salisbury) Victory
Scenario Type: Standard
Special Conditions: None
Yorkist Loses
1 Unit of Militia Billmen (4 points)
4 Units of Longbows (12 points)
1 Unit of Crossbows (3 points)
2 Units of Currours (8 points)
1 Unit of Spearmen (3 points)
Total loses 30 points (Army break point 46)
Lancastrian Loses
4 Units of Mounted Men at Arms (16 points)
3 Units of Billmen (12 points)
5 Units of Longbows (15 points)
Total loses 43 points (Army break point 38)
Battle of Hexham – 15 May 1464 – Lancastrian (Duke of Somerset) Victory
Scenario Type: Standard
Special Conditions: Must have River, Lancastrian (Duke of Somerset) must deploy 2 DU forward of the River, dense woods positioned on the Lancastrian left.
Yorkist Loses
4 Units of Militia Billmen (16 points)
4 Units of Longbows (12 points)
2 Units of Militia Longbows (6 points)
1 Unit of Crossbows (3 points)
1 Unit of Spearmen (4 points)
1 Unit of Dismounted Men-at-arms (4 points)
Total loses 45 points (Army break point 46)
Lancastrian Loses
2 Units of Dismounted Men at Arms (8 points)
2 Units of Billmen (8 points)
5 Units of Longbows (15 points)
3 Units of Militia Longbows (9 points)
1 Unit Militia Billmen (4 points)
Total loses 44 points (Army break point 45)
Battle of Barnet – 14 April 1471
Scenario Type: Standard
Special Conditions: Fog, roll 1D3 at start of battle, all ranges reduced by dice roll for the battle
Battle of Tewkesbury – 4 May 1471
Scenario Type: Standard
Special Conditions: Lancastrian (Duke of Somerset) player places all terrain
Battle of Bosworth – 22 August 1485
Scenario Type: Standard
Special Conditions: Both sides must have must have at least 4 mounted units and at least one Artillery unit.
Battle of Stoke – 16 June 1487 – Tie Break Battle if 6-6
Scenario Type: Standard
Special Conditions: Yorkist (Earl of Salisbury) player must have a Mercenary unit