"Your favorite WotR battle..." Topic

Ok, after some time away from it, Im clearly back into my WotR obsession (my first wargaming period!).

So if you have a favorite WotR battle to game what would it be (or was it)? This is of course, If rules, miniatures, etc… were not a consideration what so ever (ie. your dream battle to game.

For me, it Barnet. The death of the Kingmaker!

Heres the list:

1st St. Albans,
2nd St. Albans,
Ludlow,
Northampton,
Wakefield,
Mortimers Cross,
Ferrybridge,
Towton,
Hedgely Moor,
Hexham,
Edgecote,
Barnet,
Tewkesbury,
Bosworth,
Stoke,
other (fill in),
not a medievals fan,
not a WotR fan.

Towton, just a few miles up the road from here in York and the right result too. You can visit Saxton churchyard where Lord Dacre is buried on his horse and the Lead Chapel, a lovely little disused church. There's also a great pub near the battlefield, the "Crooked Billet", nice beer and good food.

Towton for me. Here's my progress on it for next year:
towton-2011.blogspot.com

Just did a refight of Blore Heath today that went rather well. I reckon our demo of Blore Heath at Triples next weekend should be ok. I shall be posting photos of todays practice run and next week's session on my blog when I have downloaded them from my camera.

Towton for the spectacle and size, Hedgeley Moor because of the interesting battlfield and Shrewsbury as the (arguable) first battle of the Wars.

I like them all, as they give me the chance to kill Lancastrians.

Bosworth (the climax – I suppose) – then Towton (for the reasons already mentioned)

OK, if I'm going to get drawn into this one I'm going to say Towton is one of the most interesting in terms of the impact it must have had at the time.

Quite possibly the bloodiest battle to be fought on British soil and the psychological hangover for the populace must have been tremendous.

Darrell.

Tewkesbury. The fog at Barnet is harder to game.

I 2nd Blore Heath… it has Knights charging, billmen, fixed fortifications, arty, welsh spearmen, and of course lots of longbows…. what more could you ask for?

Joe Collins

I'd say the Battle for Erebor, with Dain Ironfoot standing his ground over the dying Brand King of Dale

Oops, THAT WoTR

Barnet if you can model the confusion, did it once in a blind game with an umpire when we didn't know in advance what battle we were doing.

Confusing for fun, especially when you get offered a chance to swap sides

Wukong, inspiring stuff!

Towton
Bosworth

The one with all of the fog, and blowing snow, drastically affecting the archery of the day, more detrimentally for one side than the other.

Name escapes me currently.

Just for arguments sake- but shouldn't Shrewsbury and the Battle of Pilleth be in there too?

Darrell.

"The one with all of the fog, and blowing snow, drastically affecting the archery of the day, more detrimentally for one side than the other."

That would be the very (so far) popular "Towton". Barnet had fog that affected its battle as well, but no snow.

Those two, along with Bosworth, are my current favorites. Tewkesbury is a good battle too, but lacks the epic scale of the others mentioned.

I'll probably game Mortimers Cross & Edgecoat at some point, just because I like the foreign troops present at both battles.

Atheling, my list is not comprehensive. I was going off of memory. Thats why I included an "other" catagory for any who like battles that I did not include. I almost included Richard the III's two campaigns against the Scots, but I'm not sure how much action there actually was in either of those. They would make for a nice game though!

Without a doubt it has to be Towton. Bloody hand to hand combat in a snow storm. Also I live 5 minutes drive from the battlefield. I drive through it regularly on my way to York and have noticed more and more the numbers of metal detectorists out there. I'm presuming they have permission from the landowner but isn't it a protected site that is listed on the English Heritage Battlefields Register (or does that not confer protection?) I'd hate to think that valuable evidence about this battle was being lost?

Bosworth….

"I'd hate to think that valuable evidence about this battle was being lost":

Absolutely! I you start an email or letter campaign to make it a protected site I'm sure you could get lots of TMP supporters on board!

;-)

Man, so many War of the Roses poll suggestions these days.

My fault. After a year in the closet (my WotR figures that is), I'm back to my first miniature love!

I did join the Towton Battlefield Society once upon a time? Went on an excellent guided battlefield walk with Phil Haigh. I also remember there being some threat to the battlefield from quarrying in the area but heard nothing more.