FoGR Oxford 1 Day Competition Game 1 Confederate Irish v New Model Army

I don't play many competitions these days for a variety of reasons but do still enter some of the Oxford clubs 1 day competitions.

Today was the ECW one with all the armies being from the ECW. Previously I'd used Scots Royalist and Later Royalist with some success but this year I thought I'd have a change. With the competition being 650pts and the rules changes making average troops better I decided to go for the rarely seen 'Confederate Irish'.

The Irish can have a lot of Highlanders, though they are bow armed, some musket* Pike and Shot and some previously useless but now improved average Determined Horse. Throw in some light spear armed Kerns and you can have a very large army with four commanders.

The first game pitted the Irish against Jerry's New Model Army. Jerry's army was considerably smaller but did have three powerful units of 'Ironsides' who were superior and armoured compared to my average unarmoured mounted.

The terrain fell quite well for the Irish and they deployed across the table with a few reserves then started rushing forwards:

On the Irish right the Cromwellian dragoons looked a decent target for the Redshanks while a unit of P&S moved up to stop the Ironsides getting at the Redshanks:

More Redshanks attack the isolated Cromwellian P&S unit while the other Redshanks prepare to deal with the Dragoons:

On the Irish left the Ironsides look on as Redshanks, Irish Horse and Kerns mob them. They are better than any of the Irish units individually but the numbers look overwhelming!:

Deciding that things aren't going to get any better the Ironsides charge the Redshanks and get hammered:

The Ironsides are wiped out. Now it is the turn of the Cromwellian firelocks in the orchard to feel outnumbered:

On the Irish right the second Redshank unit goes in against the dragoons while the Ironsides charge Irish P&S:

Surprisingly the Cromwellian dragoons and P&S hold on while the Ironsides are routed:

The Redshanks have destroyed the Dragoons and are heading for the Cromwellian camp. The other Redshanks have finished off a P&S unit:

On the left the Cromwellian Firelocks are overwhelmed:

The Redshanks on the right then happily looted the Cromwellian camp to break the New Model Army.

Jerry's army wasn't really big enough to face mine, he was outflanked on both sides and found it hard to get his much better cavalry into action in useful places. So far the numbers certainly paid off for the Irish!