Over and Under the River Wye – an AAR of sorts

Foy and environs

Baby-sitting duties meant that I was unable to play at the latest Herefordshire Big Game, but I did manage to pop in to say hi, and see how the scenario Giles and I had come up with held up (and take some blurry camera phone shots of the players’ groins).

 

Strangford Cutting

The action was split between two tables. Table 1 represented the main railway crossing over the Wye at Strangford. The Anglican League had to blow up the bridge, which was being repaired and widened by the dastardly Baron Foy in preparation for an attack on the AL stronghold at Ross-on-Wye. Obviously the Royalist/BUF force had to defend against this.

 

Foy

Table 2 represented the environs around Foy village, where the Royalist/BUF were tasked with defending against a possible flank attack over the footbridge that connects Foy with the village of Hole-in-the-Wall. The AL had to keep this force occupied and if possible see them off before pouncing upon the Royalists/BUF at the rear at table 1.

 

Anglicans on the railway bridge

During my research on the area, I came across a reference of a tunnel which under the Wye in antiquity linked Hole-in-the-Wall with a farm just outside Foy – a fact that I had to factor into the scenario! Therefore the AL were given the option of secreting a force in the farm (Giles’ recently purchased and rather stunning pre-painted farm from EM-4) at the Royalist/BUF flank near Foy.

 

Explosive milk churns on the bridge

By the time I had arrived, the AL had managed to place explosive milk churns on the railway bridge but were suffering from heavy fire from the defenders. I personally witnessed a section of AL militia being run over by two Royalist steam wagons. An Anglo-Welsh platoon of dodgy looking characters was meanwhile advancing along the road to Strangford at the Royalist/BUF flank.

 

Anglicans at the footbridge

Meanwhile on table 2 an AL cavalry section had valiantly surged over the footbridge, only to be cut down by enemy fire. The rest of that platoon now hung around on the safe side of the river, their tankettes being too large to cross the footbridge. However the Royalist/BUF defenders weren't resting on their laurels for long, as another AL platoon burst out of the tunnel entrance at the farm and advanced on their flank, capturing the BUF armoured car that had been parked there!

 

Emerging from the tunnel

Eventually the Anglican League managed to blow up the railway bridge and occupy half of Strangford, but only after suffering a severe mauling on table 1. Table 2 saw the AL unable to advance very far with the small amount of support weaponry they could get onto the other side of the river, and a stalemate ensued.

And so the battle ended with the forces of Baron Foy stranded on their fortified island, cut off from the outside world by the destroyed railway bridge and surrounded by battered, but victorious rebels. Both sides must now pause for breath as we consider what happens next – will Foy manage to break out? Will his rival the Interim Governor of the Marches intervene to save him? Will the Anglicans be able to capitalise on their success? How will the population of Herefordshire react to the news?

Full AARs can be found on Rob’s (playing the BUF on table 2) blog here, while Giles’ series of AARs can be found here, here, here, here and here.