Saturday 17 January 2015

Lion Rampant Scenario #2 - Burn the Town!

The layout of the board is the same as the picture below (6ft by 4ft). This is looking North with the town placed on the Western side straddling a stream and woods toward the South. The road crosses Northeast to West.

The aim of the attacker is simply to destroy the town whilst the defenders have to stop them. Retinues start anywhere within 6" of the table edge.

Attackers start on the Eastern edge, defenders start anywhere on the Western edge.



The Retinues.

Choose 24 points per side. In the game we played, we had Early English as defenders, and Seljuk Turks attacking.

Terrain.

The stream and woods count as rough terrain, costing half movement. The buildings are classed as hard cover adding +2 to armour when occupied. The buildings cannot be occupied by mounted troops. The hills are gradual slopes, and do not effect movement.


Archers can use the woods to excellent advantage, especially against mounted troops!

Special Rules.

The attacking player has to designate two units as 'torch bearers'. They only exception being Mounted or Dismounted Men-at-Arms or similar. We had the idea that Knights probably wouldn't want to sully themselves with such things - better to leave it to the commoners! So, anything like bidowers, Spearmen, Yeomen infantry, even foot sergeants would be fine (you could maybe field a few figures actually carrying torches which would be a nice touch!). In our game the Turks had plenty of skirmish cavalry like horse archers, so these fitted perfectly. To start burning a wooden building requires an activation roll of 6+, burning a stone building requires 7+. All it takes is a single figure in base contact with the target. We didn't use any specific rules for putting out the fires, but the option is always there if you'd like to elaborate. We'd decided that once the fires were lit everyone would be too busy fighting anyway.


Fighting it out on the High Street.


The Seljuk Turks start a blaze at the Merchant's House!


Victory Points

Attackers earn 10 VP per building burnt, and 5 VP per enemy unit destroyed or routed off the board. Defenders earn 10 VP per building left at the end of the game, and 5 VP per enemy unit destroyed or routed off the table.


Sunday 4 January 2015

Lion Rampant Baron's War Scenario - Skirmish at Northleach 1265


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.