ReG ECW Parlimentatian Eastern Association vs Swedish

*CAUTION! The following post contains images of unpainted and unbased figures that some wargamers might find upsetting, those of a Neophobic disposition are advised to look away now!*

Well, it's been a while since I played ReG.

The last time was back in 2018 in Oxford. Since then the rules and lists underwent quite a redraft and lots of testing, and I had decided, in my own insanity, that I should hold off playing until they were released for real as I knew I would confuse the old version with the new. Also, two years of Lockdowns, but we won't go on about that.

So, ECW Parlimentarian, Eastern association. My old friend Dave had recently sold me his 15mm ECW collection from the late 90s when he played DBR, they were undercioatedm but not much more.  I was determined to get them painted and used, which is why the army has some painted but unbased troops.
Why Parlementains?
Three reasons,
one: an ancestor is James Whalley, a regicide (allegedly).
b) I live in the East of England, but grew up in the West, so it was a close call whether I used Western Association.
iii) I'm a republican, so nah!

Neil kindly agreed to take me through the rules, many of which I was familiar with, others I was not, and brought down his beautiful Swedish Army to face the forces of the East. His force had an artillery (light) four Swedish foot and 6(!) units of superior Swedish foot, and that's only 9000 points! All his stuff is better than mine, with lots of interesting rules such as Salvo Fire. Squeak!

My list is two superior foot, four average foot, two normal protected pistol armed foot, two aggressive sword and pistiol armed horse, a medium artillery and two dragoons.
One of my superior foot and and average support my cavalry on the flank, knowing my horse was somewhat outnumbered. My two dragoons hold the fields and my artillery and remaining superior foot and average foot hold the centre. I was bound to lose, but by how much was open to question.


I move my dragoons into the open to target Neil's left hand foot. My artillery target Neil's red unit, while my main chequerboard move up on his two foot. Four to two, would it be enough? On the left the Swedish horse in two lines advance quicky (well, they are aggressive) towards my two rather avaerage parlimentary horse and my Ironsides, led by Cromwell himself (LEGEND!).


And they really do come on quickly! His three vs my four, plus my rather ineffective shooting from my supporting foot (black dice vs foot, not good).


The black bases really don't help with the unfinished look. As we close with the foot, the shooting helps push back each other, when all the S are rolled your bases get 1BW push back. This is abated by superior and the chequerboard rule, and we are taking hits between us, hoipefully enough to disrupt the Swedes and stop the charge. It's three hits to kill a base in ReG opposed to two in MeG, but KABs are utterly lethal, more on that later...


This is what the impact of 6 TUG of heavy caalry looks like in ReG then! To the far right my ordinary Cavalry will take the brunt of the impact, even with their own attached general. The good news is I have a spare unit on the right of aggressive Cromwell's Horse, and a Legendary general with cards to spare...


When you are hit by aggressive (+1) Superior (+1) sword and pistol (+1) who can shatter (could be +2), the results can be somewhat painful for pistol armed horse (+1). All three units lost a base on impact, to one wound in return. Serious ouchies!

Even with Cromwell attached, it was looking grim, thank the gods for flank charges as my horse advance... (Why not the infantry, simples, they take hits if they even enter the flank zone)


Charges go off for the next turn, the unengaged Cromwellian horse get their flank charge. However, salvo foot and Swedish horse have my dragoons pinned (so that's a lesson learned, dragoons don't appear to have an evade option), but my superior foot redirects itself to help deal with this extra threat. Swedes also charge my charging horse.


On the right in the infantry section, things are getting going. My superiors sit in the middle and wait for the inevitable.


After munching one dragoon unit (0-2), Neil eyes up the second unit, which also has shown me how lethal KaBs are in ReG, one wound is automatic, no matter the quality, the other is a roll from a normal die (yellow in my case). But hey, my first dragoon had at least done a wound!


Whammo! Neil's infantry go in. Salvo foot get shoot and charge, but at skilled shooting level. Nasty. Their shot goes first. Any return shot is at a lower value due to losses. Clever mechanic, nice one! My right hand unit has three stands wiped out on the charge, so needs only a hit to evaporate (oh yeah, Swedes get shatter on foot too, all the toys!). The left hand unit takes a base and two wounds, my superiors lose a base. Neil is rather unscathed.


Back on the left, in the cavalry mess, Cromwell and his horse break through (2-2), with a flank charge teed up on the next unit of Swedes. leaving the other unit of his horse to fight a general and a superior Swedish horse.


However, it's not going all my way. My two rather weakened weaker units are smashed to pieces. Well, they tried, looks like they might have done two wounds to each unit, actually that was the KaBs from seeing their friends break! (2-6) Two KaBs hit Cromwell's unit and their friends, but at least the Swedish horse is weakend.


Over on the right, my blue unit cracks under the strength of the yellow foot (they're only average, but I can't hit for toffee. (2-8).


The charge goes in, flank (+4), aggressive (+1) sword & pistol (+2) legend (+2) vs superior (+1)


However, even with supporting fire in the back (ohhh you get a bonus for that) on the other Swedish horse, they are still in the flank of my dragoons and the nasty foot are running rampant.


On the right, things are looking grim for my foot, my superiors are holding well, and have actually killed two bases but my green unit to the left have been hammered and are about to break.


Which they do...
My grey unit cannot withstand the Yellow foot's salvo or charge, and are off too, ( 2-10) my second dragoon unit is slaughtered (reminder to myself: don't leave them in the open) (2-12) but both my units of Cromwellian horse breaks their facing Swedish horse (6-12), but it is too little, too late, as my Green unit of foot also breaks (6-15). I might need to rethink my infantry tactics, but Cromwell's horse is amazing!


Cromwell's moment of glory as the rest of his army disappears, he knows he will get used again.


Great game, really enjoyed it. Thank you Neil. The changes since 2018 are noticable, and make a better, stronger and very enjoyable game, so good that my dragoons are on the painting table and my next match is next Friday against Andy at Aylesbury 

 

(You know, if you look really carefully, the Swedish chef has a wedding ring. I wonder who he married?)