This week it’s an English Civil War game.

The Royalists deploy their infantry on the right behind the marsh with orders to advance to engage the Parliamentary forces protecting their line of supply. One command of horse is deployed to their right to mask the centre. The remaining two commands of horse are deployed on the right with orders to attack the Parliamentary left and then to sweep round the rear. The Parliamentary forces deploy in a more usual fashion with their two commands of infantry in the centre and a command of horse on each flank. They detach one unit of infantry and a battery of guns to guard their line of supply.

In the game, the Parliamentary infantry slowly advance across the table to the centre line to confront the Royalist infantry and central cavalry brigade. Two units of Royalist foot move slowly up the far left, around the marsh, to threaten the Parliamentary right. On the Parliamentary left, their cavalry move recklessly forward, exposing their Pistoleers to a massed charge from the elite Royalist horse who force them back. The Parliament trotters then charge the disordered Royalist horse once they have broken the Pistoleers. Two units of Royalist horse recklessly charge the Parliament infantry who were manoeuvring to protect the flank after their cavalry had been swept away.

The Royalists held their left hand side of the table with four steady infantry units and four steady gallopers, giving a total of 29 class points, Parliament disputed this with three units of steady infantry giving 9 class points, denying the Royalists the required 4:1 superiority, giving them only 10 objective points.

On the other flank, the over enthusiastic Royalist horse had swarmed the Parliamentary, left leaving a lone Parliamentary infantry unit holding the Royalist right, giving Parliament 20 points while swamping the Parliament right with 9 units of horse (37 class points) against only two Parliamentary infantry and a unit of forlorn hope (7 class points) giving them a 4:1 superiority and taking all 20 objective points.

On the other flank, only one unit of Royalist foot made it into the Parliamentary side of the table (3 class points) against one unit of Parliamentary infantry, five units of horse and two batteries of guns (19 class points) so Parliament had the  4:1 superiority to give them the full 20 objective points.

The Royalists had 85 percent of their army remaining, giving them 115 points at the end of the game. Parliament had only 70 percent of their army remaining, giving them 110 points at the end of the game. So, a narrow victory for the King.