The following is a scenario I created for our big Sunday game at the Club. Please feel free to copy whatever parts you may need or convert it to your own taste. The board setup below is looking North, with the Oxford/Gloucester Rd cutting across the middle. Northleach is in the centre, with the Copse on the left straddling the Rd. Montfortian Forces enter on the left edge and Royalists on the right edge (as pictured). If the gaming table is 6ft x 4ft then play two commanders per side, as we did here, and ignore the Montfortian Militia retinue and Royalist Spearmen retinue. If you're using the full lists however then you'll need three commanders per side, so extend the board to 6ft x 8ft accordingly.
Scenario:
The
Second Baron's War:
The
Siege of Gloucester (Skirmish at Northleach) July 1265
Background:
During the 13th
Century, Gloucester was not only an important trading center, it also
held a strategic position in relation to South Wales and controlled
passage over the River Severn. For this reason, Gloucester Castle had
endured siege several times (and traded hands between Royalist and
Baronial factions). Its original Commander was Mathias Bezill, a
French Knight appointed by Henry III as Sheriff of Gloucester. At the
outbreak of The Second Baron's War, De Montfort's forces had seized
the Castle through subterfuge, and even had the Castle Carpenter
(caught under arms) throw himself to his death from the Battlements.
After another switch in ownership, Gloucester Castle was then placed
in the hands of Roger de Clifford by De Montfort but unfortunately
Clifford then switched his allegiances to the Royalists. Our scenario
begins at the point where Clifford and his men have been ejected, and
the Royalist army is marching once again on Gloucester.
The Montfortians.
The continuing war and
siege around Gloucester has created shortages in food and other
necessities. The Baronial faction have been forced to seek supplies
further and further afield in order to sustain their occupation of
the Castle. The main forces are two retinues under Henry de Montfort
(son of Simon) and a large number of Militia. They are currently
several miles outside Gloucester, approaching a small hamlet called
Northleach. Not only does Northleach hold out the possibility of
supplies due to it being an important stop-off point for travelling
merchants, it is also rumoured to harbour an escaped Royalist
prisoner – a Burgher of Gloucester who holds sensitive information
about the Baronial garrison. However, it's been confirmed that the
Royalists are advancing somewhere near the Gloucester-Oxford road
along which Northleach lays.
The Royalists.
Roger de Clifford has
firmly given his allegiance to Henry III and has joined with one of
the countries other most powerful Royalist lords, Roger Mortimer Lord
of Wigmore, to take back Gloucester. They have set out from Oxford
with their respective retinues with a large unit of Spearmen also in
support. Interestingly, locals have attested to a Baronial force
currently venturing out well beyond the town and seizing livestock.
This appears to show that the Royalist tactic of blockading parts of
the River Severn to supplies is starting to show on the garrison. The
Royalist aim is to prevent the Montfortians from gathering any
supplies, and also to rescue the escaped Burgher.
Special Rules:
The Forage Carts: You
must have a figure within 1” of a cart to secure it, but there must
be no enemy figures within 3” of it to start moving off the board.
The carts must be led off the same table edge from which the
capturing force arrived. If the unit controlling the cart is
destroyed, the cart is passed to the attacking unit. The exception is
if a unit is destroyed by missiles, in which case the cart stays
where it is. Routing units under half strength abandon the carts
automatically.
The Burgher:
Only the referee knows
which building the Burgher is hiding. He will not move unless
escorted, and will not engage in combat. As soon as a figure from
your force enters the correct building he is considered 'found'. Like
the Forage carts, if the Royalists find him he must be taken off the
table edge on which their force arrived. If the unit controlling the
Burgher is destroyed, the Burgher is passed to the attacking unit.
The exception is if a unit is destroyed by missiles, in which case
the Burgher stays where he is. Routing units under half strength
abandon the Burgher automatically. Important Rule – If the Baronial
Forces secure the Burgher he is executed immediately on contact. They
don't have to escort him off the table.
Victory Points:
Forage Carts – 10
points per cart.
Burgher
Captured/Executed – 6 points
Enemy Unit Successfully
Destroyed/Routed – 2 Points
The Forces:
Montfortian/Baronial:
John De Beauchamp
(Commander - Vulnerable)
6 Mounted Men-at-arms
(6 Points)
6 Mounted Men-at-arms
(6 Points)
12 Foot Serjeants (4
Points)
12 Crossbow (4 Points)
Total – 20 points.
Henry De Monfort
(Commander – Commanding)
6 Mounted Men-at-arms
(6 points)
6 Mounted Men-at-arms
(6 points)
6 Men-at-arms (6
points)
6 Men-at-arms (6
points)
Total – 24 points
Militia Force:
12 Foot Yeomen (3
points)
12 Foot Yeomen (3
points)
6 Men-at-arms (6
points)
12 archers (4 points)
Total – 16 points
Royalists:
Roger Mortimer
(Commander – strong)
6 Mounted men-at-arms
(6 points)
6 Mounted men-at-arms
(6 points)
6 Men-at-arms (6
points)
6 Men-at-arms (6
points)
Total – 24 points
Roger de Clifford
(Commander – Rash)
6 Mounted Men-at-arms
(6 points)
6 Mounted Men-at-arms
(6 points)
6 Men-at-arms (6
points)
6 Men-at-arms (6
points)
Total – 24 points
Royalist Spearmen
(Commander – Forgettable)
12 Foot Serjents (4
Points)
12 Spearmen (3 Points)
12 Spearmen (3 points)
12 Crossbow (4 points)
Total – 14 points
Roger Mortimer's Retinue Charges in!
A hard fight around the Ox Carts.
