Simple Prestonpans revisited

I was up for a change but still with a limited figure count on a small board as I was a bit short of time (and attention span!). I decided to revisit the Three Battles for the Jacobite Rebellion published in Wargames Illustrated 134 I have tried out before, since that really emphasizes a small number of units on a small board.

 First up is Prestonpans. The advantages are (nearly) all with the Jacobite Highlanders in this one: 5 units of good Highlanders take on 3 units of poor Government Foot and 2 units of poor Government Dragoons. The Highlanders get the first move, so there is every chance that the Government Army isn't going to last too long...

The Set-Up:

The set-up from behind the Government line: the 3 units of Foot are flanked by a Dragoon unit on each side; the dark area of road represents a ditch that units cannot cross.

Another shot.

The Battle:

The game begins with the Jacobites advancing; to be honest, that is 90% of what the Jacobites do in every game!

A bit of a turn up for the books here: all the Government troops hold firm, and both the Dragoon regiments charge home! Not only that, some of the Government Foot's musketry begins to tell on the Highlanders

...who break!

One of the Highland regiments is wavering in its fight against the Dragoons too (centre-left)

Things not looking great for the Jacobites!

Okay, that's a bit more like it - the Highlanders work around the Dragoons' flank and rout them

Meanwhile the Jacobites finally charge home in the centre, but the raw Government infantry is in no mood to be intimidated

The Highlanders in the centre begin to waver - can those on the right (left) help them out?

The Government Foot on the left fire a few volleys which persuades some of the Highlanders to retreat (left)...and the Highlanders are wavering against the Dragoons on the other flank too

Getting close to the climax of the battle now...

...and it is pretty much over! Two more Jacobite regiments collapse and run!

The Highland unit on the Government left charges home - this one sends the Government Foot running for it!

But the remainder of the Goverment troops wheel and pour fire into the Highlanders, who run too!

All hail General Cope, hero of Prestonpans!

Game Notes: 

Well, that was a turn up. Really the Government forces don't stand much chance here, but some really solid early dice rolls put them firmly into the game and they never let it go. They are so brittle that they could easily lose their entire army in two turns (pretty much the historical result!) but they can just about hang on. Of course, although it is fun to see how it turns out, there isn't that much too the game really - not many units, pretty straightforwardly a best option for the Jacobites, and limited options for Government troops even if they hold, so I don't think these will ever become a classic exactly - but for what they set out to do, they do okay. I don't think I really have that much to add from the first time I played this scenario with these rules, I think.What I do need to do is make some terrain which represents long thin ditches better on a flat surface!

Figures by Baccus 6mm.