Wargaming the Nine Years War (1594-1603)

Wow a day's holiday and a chance of an all day game, what's not to like and finally a chance to put out all of the Irish & English for the Plantation Wars.....

But first the History lesson.

The Nine years War began with Hugh Maguire's revolt in Fermanagh, caused by the introduction of an English sheriff into his territory in 1593. Maguire soon found support from his neighbours in Donegal.

The Irish had numerous successes in battle in the early years of the Nine Years War. Maguire defeated the English at the Ford of the Biscuits in Fermanagh named for the English rations seen floating down the river, aid for the Irish came in the form of funds and arms from Catholic Spain, but it was not until 1601 that military assistance finally arrived.

The scenario represents a push by Spanish & Irish forces into County Cork against a small English Force who must hold the road until the end of the game to allow the English to muster their main force off table or at least damage the Anglo Spanish forces for future engagements....
The English are out numbered at least 4:1 but are generally a better quality than the bulk of the Irish forces.

The view from the Irish end of the table, the Spanish & Irish forces must enter on turn one and must clear the road to win the game, the English are hidden and can deploy from the walled enclosure backwards.

With three units of Musket armed trained bands and a detachment of German Heavy Cavalry they will be hard pressed as the Irish and Spanish out number them both in terms of missile troops and Cavalry.

 

I opted to play English, Turn 1 the Irish advance on to the table on a broad frontage, with Irish Kern on the right wing pushing through the bog towards the hidden English positions, in the centre light cavalry advance up the road, whilst heavily armoured Gallowglas and war dogs push through the orchard. Bloody Hell perhaps I had over done it on the figure front?

  

The English rise from their hidden positions, I opted for a forward defence allowing me to buy time to fall back hopefully breaking up the Irish advance. With a unit of Calivers lining the stone wall, I let fly a volley causing several casualties in the unarmoured Kern wading through the boggy ground, perhaps this was not going to be as bad after all, 7 Irish losses for no English.

 

Further back I deployed a unit of Flanders veterans armed with Muskets they carried a longer range and bigger punch than the Calivers and some good dice rolls again took several more Irish from out of the attack.

The Irish light cavalry push forward looking to outflank my advance units, but I counter this by bringing a detachment of Pistol armed Reiters to slow their advance. This heavy cavalry should smash through the javelin armed Irish Cavalry thought I.

The thunder of hooves down the centre track as the more numerous light cavalry look to close with the well armoured German Cavalry, for good measure I unmask my 3rd trained band and shot a number of cavalry from the saddle, that should help allowing me to break through in the centre and get behind the Irish lines.

Having scored several more hits on the Irish for no losses, I decided to pull back the first unit as the Irish and Spanish pushed through the field sacrificing firing for movement.

 

I unleash the last of my cavalry hoping to split the Irish command, being heavily armoured I gambled on their mobility and firepower, coupled with a saving through on a 3-6 would break the Irish lines. My infantry were falling back being harried by the advancing Spanish and I needed to distract the left wing of the Irish Army.

 

With the advancing cavalry pressing the centre the Gallowglas head up the high ground safe from the marauding cavalry, which forces me to pull troops from the flank of the Irish cavalry in the road, the chainmail made them a real tough opponent and the few rounds I was able to get off made no real impact on their steady advance.

 

The cavalry melee in the road ebbed too and flowed, I discharged my pistols as I closed but the Irish threw their spears and scored an unlikely hit killing the lead cavalryman, this was going to be tougher than I planned.

In the centre the Trained Band fell back as musket balls and spears peppered their position and the Anglo-Spanish closed on the centre field. I started to loss Infantry, the losses this turn were equal, I really could not afford that exchange rate.

 

Two English musketeers are caught at the hedge row, beating off the Spanish buckler men before joining their unit.

The Gallowglas press home their attack on the hill, musket rounds appear to make no difference and the last thing I want is to get caught in a bloody melee when faced with those two handed axes. I throw 3 Captains into the mix to bolster the position, but still the warriors come on. I am getting worried now... 3 Hours in and could I hold out for 2 more hours.

Unwilling to commit my scant resources for a hill outside of the main objective, I fall back leaving the hill in the hands of the Irish.

 

The trap is sprung, I knew I had released my heavy cavalry a turn to early but not winning the initiative forced me make my move, the heavy cavalry crashed into the War dogs, if I could break through I could turn the flank, but the crafty Irish poured fire into them from the hillside and then to top it all the Gallowglas charged into my flank surround several of the cavalrymen who were brought down under blows from double handed axes.... ouch...

 

Yet more bad luck and hoots of laugher from my Irish opponent, unable to hold the hedge row, Spanish buckler men and Gallowglas charged into the flank of my cavalry in the road, surrounded and unable to retreat they fell to the swarming attackers. My unarmoured Caliver unit could only look having moved they were unable to fire and stop the massacre. Things were really not going my way now.....

Surrounded by war dogs to their front, chainmail wearing axe welding fanatics to their flank and rear and musketmen lining the stone wall, the remaining cavalry are defeated one man at a time, whilst I could claim that they tied up numerous enemy forces for over an hour in reality the attack was a disaster.

With the trained bands in retreat the Irish Kern begin to flank the English musketmen, Spanish musket fire begins to take it's toll of the unarmoured infantry falling back in the field and 2 more Englishmen fell.

 

In the centre having defeated my Cavalry attack the Spanish and Irish pushed back the English Calivers towards the final barricades at the cross roads.

The trained band is pinned back against the building and tree line as the spearmen and buckler men closed in on them.

Heavy Irish cavalry swing round threatening my left flank, I have to bring my reserves into play under command of my colonel. I have nothing left to bring into play, it's not looking good for the English.

In the centre Irish charge down the road, with nothing but a few log barricades and the remants of the calviermen to stop them.

 

On the right flank Irish light cavalry leap the defences and close with the defenders from the hill, I am now under attack from all sides and the day is lost, it's now a fight for pride....

My Colonel heads into the thick of battle cutting down several of the unarmoured Kern and a Spanish Captain.

The Spanish CinC steps forward and enters into a dual with the English lord, what a time to throw a string of ones, my leader is killed, all around him Englishmen are dying and falling back....Good job he was not alive to see it.

A view from on high, out numbered by odds of 5:1 the last of the English are slowly being squeezed on all sides.. Cavalry have broken through my thinly held perimeter Irish Kern are seen crossing the fields the path to Cork is open........

Ok so an Irish victory, once I started to fall back, I lost a significant proportion of fire power which saw the Irish casualties slow and the English mount, killing the kern was easy, but the armoured foot was more of a challenge, perhaps I could have used my cavalry elsewhere to hit and run the advancing Irish, but I gambled on a full blood and guts charge which simply did not pay off.

A cracking days gaming for once played to completion.....
Just the push I need to finish those extra couple of Foundry units sitting on the painting table.

Played using the LOTR rules with a few minor adaptions for the Irish Plantation Wars, figures a mix of Foundry, Gripping Beast, Crusader, Pendraken Miniatures and Sgt Major Miniatures the old Vendal range.