Nantwich IV - Encore un Foy

So Nantwich was replayed this afternoon. It took under an hour for [fanfare] a Royalist victory. The CnC system really does work quickly, unless I'm being duly inattentive and missing something. To be fair I probably didn't spend a lot of time thinking through the tactical nuances so I would get taken apart by an able general. Crikey, even I took myself apart.

To an extent the Royalists were helped by some lucky shooting, but that's the way the baked comestible falls apart. As soon as they were able to the Royalists charged in with both their horse units and two foot units. William Fairfax's horse fell apart pretty quickly. Thomas Fairfax's got a couple of hits and two retreat flags, then was scattered to the winds with another charge. Meanwhile a foot unit was finished off with musketry (Ranged Combat) and the fifth and final unit (Brereton's) was finished off by the battery. Things were looking bad before this last turn for the Roundheads and in a forlorn attempt to wrest victory from defeat, Lambert (H) successfully charged Gibson (F) while Brereton (already on two hits) gambled on chasing off the gunners. They inflicted one hit on the battery but on the fightback they suffered their third and final loss (the old whiff of grape). Byron's horse will probably claim the plaudits, but star performers were the guns.

Final score 5:2.

With the baggage train a tempting target, Fairfax would no doubt have been able to extract his forces, and maybe even the guns, but the relief of Nantwich was over. The good burghers well be heatedly debating whether they were prepared to risk another storming. Committed Parliamentarians in the town no doubt packing their portable valuables for an exit during the winter night.