Dear All,
What with one thing and another, I've not been very active here for many months, and indeed I haven't had anywhere near the time I would have like for things Playmobil-related. But several months ago, I did manage to fight another battle with my armies of knights, and now I've finally gotten around to sharing the pictures. As before, this is a made-up battle, fought using my own rules (and yes, I will try to write them down eventually!).
The backstory [for which I have shamelessly plundered various bits of English history]: in a kingdom neighbouring the country in which my last battle took place (
https://gardenwargaming.playclicks.com/forum/index.php?topic=1395.0), political tensions have escalated to the point of civil war. Old King Henry died slightly more than a year ago, leaving his four-year-old grandson Michael as his only (legitimate) heir. The infant king's father (also called Michael) died two years previously when his ship was lost in a storm. Old King Henry had been going senile even before the death of the elder Michael, and the loss of his son pushed the old king further into a despairing melancholy. After the death of the elder Michael, his widow, Alys, was not able to keep the great peers of the realm from taking more and more power into their own hands. The governance of the kingdom has now largely fallen into the control of the mightiest lords, and the 'king's justice' is now the king's only in name.
The peers of the realm have always been rivals, and the lack of a firm royal grip has meant that their rivalries have spun out of control. Many of the leading nobles have divided into two factions, led by the two most powerful and influential dukes (both of whom have potential -- if distant -- claims to the throne themselves): Alan d'Acard, Duke of Beaumont, and Godfrey fitzWaleran, Duke of Malterre. The two dukes and their factions are now in open conflict. The prize, of course, is control of the child-king Michael, the widowed queen Alys, and the position of sole regent until young Michael comes of age. But who knows if Michael would live long enough if either duke were to take power...
Alan and Godfrey have each assembled armies of their adherents, and have marched along the Great North Road, Alan from the south, Godfrey from the north. Both men are confident, and each seeks to knock out the other in a single blow. Their armies now confront each other along the great road, near the village of Ramspark.
The first photo shows an overview of the field, looking east: you can see the tree- and fence-lined road running north-south, with Alan's army on the right and Godfrey's on the left.