Setting the Scene

Any refight of this battle must take account of the leaders and the relations between them.  

Edward IV was an exceptionally capable general whose battlefield record is five wins out of five.  He was known for inspirational prowess with his poleaxe as well as for daring manoeuvres.  Hastings was less capable but a sound and loyal subordinate, as was the 18-year-old Gloucester.  Clarence – Shakespeare’s “false, fleeting, perjur’d Clarence” – was thoroughly untrustworthy and it is not surprising that Edward kept him close by in the centre. 

On the other side, Warwick was no more than an average commander (two wins, two defeats).  Montague had a sound record of generalship but his loyalties were torn between his elder brother and the King he had served for many years.  His heart was probably not in the fight.  Exeter and Oxford had been sworn enemies of the Neville brothers for years and must have suspected that even now the Nevilles might do a deal with the Yorkists.  Exeter was regarded as an unreliable cypher, but Oxford showed perhaps excessive dash and enterprise in this and two later battles and could be regarded as a “rash” commander.