Having read your new rules I must take issue with a restriction you place on the Scottish schiltrons. You permit shieldwalls to charge and countercharge but not schiltrons. While I am sure you have the documentation for charging shieldwalls, I can only find Largs where the shieldwall was a defensive position to regroup and it dissolved when the attack began. However the Scottish schiltron was a combat formation used both for offense and defense.

True, most think of it only as a defensive formation and Falkirk comes to mind. But one must remember at Falkirk the whole Scottish army assumed a defensive position as the Scots at that time had no experience with the Welsh longbow.

The schiltron, while providing excellent defensive protection [except from missile troops] also proved deadly when used on the offensive. I would refer you to Bannockburn. Now what happened at Bannockburn? The best I can figure is this:

On Sunday, June 23rd, the English cross the Bannock. They are met by Moubray [the English governor of Stirling] who had skirted the Scottish flank. He warns Edward II that the road is blocked as are the paths through the forest. Moubray considers himself technically relieved as the army of Edward II is within 3 leagues of Stirling castle and he is in contact with them. He advises the English to go no farther. This was because there was excellent cover to conceal an army. To the west are hills and broken country; while to the north and west there was boggy carseland.

Edward II's response was what one would have expected from his father but is novel in the son. He dispatches Henry Beaumont and Robert Clifford with a force of hand picked cavalry and orders them to relieve the castle. They take the bridle path and just below Saint Ninian's Kirk are spotted. The force of knights comes out of the woods and there before them, just two miles away across the carse is Stirling castle; rising like a clenched fist out of the ground. It is a stirring [emotional] sight for the confident English. Just as the English are a stirring [galvanizing] sight to the Scots. The English see no Scots as the English force is in effect above the Scots.

Randolph's scouts never see the English till they have passed and are proceeding peacefully towards Stirling. Robert [Bruce] seeing all of this unfold sends a messenger to Randolph. The message is "Oh Randolph, lightly have you thought of the charge committed to you? A rose has fallen from your chaplet."

Stung, Randolph takes his 500 men out of the safety of their woods and hurls them in front of the English. He is in schiltron. Gray, a knight with Beaumont, whose son becomes the future chronicler, tells Beaumont that because of the bog the English must attack. Beaumont wanted to ignore the Scots as his orders were to relieve the castle.

A William Daynecourt [D'Eyncount] mocks Beaumont and Gray as cowards. Challenged, Gray spurs his horse towards the Scots. The others promptly follow. Lances down the English thunder home. D'Eyncount is killed in the first rush. Gray's horse is killed and he is taken prisoner.

Randolph and his men emerge unbroken. Beaumont and Clifford withdraw and charge the Scots again and again. The encounter devolves into a small group of poorly armored men out in the open totally surrounded by heavily armed knights and are holding them at bay with long spears, determination and resolve. The engagement becomes a wild swirling melee.

Frustration

Dust begins to rise from the dry ground and the hot noon summer sun begins to wear more heavily on the armored knights and their laboring horses. The English are amazed and frustrated. NEVER anywhere at any time had infantry in the open held off mounted knights. Finally in complete frustration the English begin to throw their hand weapons at the Scots. [Think about it. Throwing away their personal weapons...]

The Scots in the back ranks bring out their short bows which could prove deadly at this range. Most of the Scots are skilled with the short bow, they simply did not use it often as a weapon. It is far more common amongst the Highlanders. Protected by the spearmen to their front, they begin to pour shots into the knights and more importantly into their horses. The knight's destriers were armored in the front. But when the horses were prodded by the missile fire, the horse would rear. Then someone would jump out of the schiltron and gut the animal's underbelly.

The knight would fall and the Scots would finish him off at their leisure as there was no way squires could venture out to help their lords.

Douglas and his men watch this melee. They were under orders to hold their position. Douglas becomes extremely worried about his friend and asks Bruce if he can engage the English. Bruce refuses. As Randolph and his men continue to be the only troops to engage the English, Douglas continues to send multiple requests to Bruce to go to Randolph's aid.

All are denied. "You shall not stir a foot." Robert tells Douglas. "Let Randolph extricate himself the best he can. I will not alter my order of battle and loose my advantage whatever befalls him." Douglas replies "My Liege; I cannot stand by and see Randolph perish when I can help him." Bruce eventually consents to let Douglas reinforce Randolph.

Screaming Out of the Woods

Douglas and his men come screaming out of the woods and plunge into the raging dust storm. Again in schiltron. But when they are actually capable of seeing Randolph's men and not just the swirl of action around them, they see that Randolph and his men are not in any apparent great danger. It was the English pack of dogs against the Scottish porcupine.

Douglas halts his men which allows his friendly rival Randolph not to have to share his victory.

Douglas's appearance disheartens the tired English who decide they will leave the field to the Scots and regroup. However there is confusion. Some fall back to the main force, others go to "relieve" the castle. The Scots on foot have no chance of catching the English. Randolph's men turn to Douglas's men and while grateful for the support probably assume a swaggering no big deal attitude. [where's lunch? What no beer?? Heck they were only Englishmen...] But all present know Randolph did what no force of infantry had ever done before. It broke all the rules.

Randolph's casualties were extremely light. John Morris in his book Bannockburn [available from Pallas Armata; see ad elsewhere in this issue. How is that for a free plug Garth?] on page 68 states " Clifford had indeed turned the Scots position and had a clear way before him to the castle. But when Moray [Randolph] appeared from the wood with 500 spearmen on foot, the English preferred to fight rather than effect a formal rescue of the castle.

Time

They formed up to charge, but first gave the Scots time to form their national ring, even as Wallace drew up his rings at Falkirk. The 'hedgehog' or 'hyrcheoune' of pikes corresponded to the hollow square of muskets against cavalry.

The English could not break in, they only impaled their horses on the pikes, they had no archers in attendance to shoot down the Scots, and vainly threw darts and knives, swords and maces, at their steady foes. Douglas, whose brigade supported Moray begged leave of Bruce to move up. But already Moray WAS BEGINNING TO ADVANCE [emphasis added] on the baffled horsemen and the sight of Douglas only completed the rout."

Barbour gives the number of English horse as 800 while Gray puts the number at 300. Gray also mentions that the Scots advanced out of the woods into the open field against the English horsemen.

So there you have it. Unarmored Scottish spearmen advancing out of the woods and advancing to engage the English knights. Nor is this a numerically lopsided affair in favor of the spearmen. At best to the English, there were 5 spearmen for every 3 horsemen and at the worse for the English there were 8 horsemen for every 5 spearmen. Whatcha think?

[Well...first of all, a schiltron is allowed to move into contact with an enemy unit, it cannot charge into contact, but it may certainly move into contact under MW rules. I feel that this allows you to replicate the situation at Bannockburn.

I'm sorry, but I cannot see how a body of men, in an eliptical formation, could maintain any semblance of order while charging. From my reenactment days, I can say with absolute truth that it was nearly impossible to keep a line moving solidly forward, much less an orb shaped body. But the Scots could certainly stolidly move forward, rolling into the English, rather than crashing into them. Of course, once out of schiltron, and in line or column, the Scots could charge to their hearts content.]