Lancastrian Victory

What is the easiest (and earliest) way to secure a Lancastrian victory in the *War of the Roses for the forces of King Henry VI, with a POD after 1454?
 
Capturing (but not killing, so he can't be replaced) the opposition's leader in battle often does wonders, as you can lock them up in the Tower and leave their faction leaderless and defeated, taking some of the resolve to fight out of the enemy. It doesn't guarantee that the enemy lay down arms immediately but it can reduce their support enough that, if they decide to keep fighting, one more victory can end them - especially when the war in general is a civil war where said enemy can't fall back to their own country to regroup over the years. So, fiddle with a battle I would guess. Maybe change things at the first Battle of St. Albans so that the Lancastrians aren't caught off-guard in the middle of the city, the two armies meet for a piecemeal battle and the Yorkists lose?

Just throwing ideas out, didn't really think very hard about it to be honest.
 
Capturing (but not killing, so he can't be replaced) the opposition's leader in battle often does wonders, as you can lock them up in the Tower and leave their faction leaderless and defeated, taking some of the resolve to fight out of the enemy. It doesn't guarantee that the enemy lay down arms immediately but it can reduce their support enough that, if they decide to keep fighting, one more victory can end them - especially when the war in general is a civil war where said enemy can't fall back to their own country to regroup over the years. So, fiddle with a battle I would guess. Maybe change things at the first Battle of St. Albans so that the Lancastrians aren't caught off-guard in the middle of the city, the two armies meet for a piecemeal battle and the Yorkists lose?

Just throwing ideas out, didn't really think very hard about it to be honest.

Fair enough, but assuming the Lancastrians manage to (heavily?) defeat the Yorkists at the first Battle of St Albans and capture Richard, what then? Will Queen Margaret and her allies realistically be able to maintain hold over the realm?
 
Fair enough, but assuming the Lancastrians manage to (heavily?) defeat the Yorkists at the first Battle of St Albans and capture Richard, what then? Will Queen Margaret and her allies realistically be able to maintain hold over the realm?


Probaly. Previous rulers like John and Henry III had hit bad patches and yet weathered them.

Particularly helpful would be if the Earl of Warwick is killed in battle or executed. He has no son, and holds the Earldom only in right of his wife, so if she is married off to a reliable Lancastrian - probably a Beaufort - that's a large accession of strength to the Lancastrian side.

The other possible PoD is if the Earl of March (Edward IV) is killed by a stray arrow at Mortimer's Cross. That leaves 11yo George as the new Duke of York, so the Yorkists probably collapse.
 
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