Go Home Iron Men, Go Home or Die!

With the dawn, the Earl's army arrayed themselves for battle, and advanced.

The spears formed into two blocks while archers advanced on either flack to flush out any ambushes and the cavalry followed behind until their time arrived.

As expected, there were light troops lurking in woods and marshes or on the rocky hills but these did not stop the spears in the center from scaling the ridge and throwing themselves against the defending spearmen. The ensuing melee was fierce and prolonged.

On the flanks, the fighting was fierce for a short while but both sides were both more focused on protecting the flanks of their own center than on trying to expose the enemy's flanks.

The Midlish pikemen struggled to climb the hill and push back the defenders and as the day grew shorter, the Midlish line started to shrink despite the commitment of a reserve body of spearmen. The only hope was that the battered defenders had been weakened enough for the knights to break them.

Charge followed charge and the casualties were heavy on both sides but as the defenders right flank appeared to be open, stout body of armoured soldiers shaking their axes and two handled swords in defiance moved up from their hidden reserve position to fill the gap, while the defenders skirmishers finally drove off the last of the Midlish mounted crossbowmen on their right flank and started working around the open Midlish right flank. 

As the sun began to sink, there was time for one last desperate cavalry charge but it also was repelled and the battered Midlish spearmen began to fallback without orders. Fortunately for them, the enemy was too badly cut up and weary to pursue and were glad to rest on their spears and jeer their retreating enemy.

Note: The figures are 25mm from Garrison, Revenge (via Old Glory), a few Minifigs and various individuals from all sorts of places. Some of these were painted and started fighting for me in the 70's, others were painted here and then over the years with a few more still in waiting. Many of the figures have been converted or modified in some fashion

Rules: Gathering of Hosts (2024 version).