A further medieval battle

[AndrewL]

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 (http://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.

[AndrewL]

The next photos show the road and the open fields to the west, looking towards Malterre's lines.

[AndrewL]

And here is Alan, the Duke of Beaumont, looking quite splendid in his gold-washed armour, surrounded by his household knights. The second pic is of Beaumont's own troops.

[AndrewL]

Here we have Count Chrodegang d'Alcarville, one of Alan's most powerful supporters, and his magenta-clad, bull-badged longbowmen and swordsmen. The next photo shows more of Alan's troops: closet to the camera is Orderic of Woodbridge (the old white unicorn on yellow & black), then the mercenary captain Hubert of Millburg and his crossbowmen [whom you may remember for the 'pivotal' role they played in my last battle], and furthest off, Picot of Flittlowe (white cross and fleur-de-lys on blue).

[AndrewL]

And as the Duke of Beaumont's army advances, more of his followers come into view, including Erchengar, baron of Aldcester (the Wolf Clan) and Payne de Saint Ivry (the blue and white quartered with gold fleur-de-lys special knights). [I'll point out the Beaumont's remaining supporters as we go along.] Alan has 204 men in total.

[AndrewL]

And here is Alan's opponent: Godfrey fitzWaleran, Duke of Malterre, bearing the blue,yellow and silver crowned lion (Godfrey himself has the yellow shield) and his sizable body of longbowmen, swordsmen and pikemen.

[AndrewL]

And here two shots of Godfrey's army in full array: he has a substantial force of horsemen, interspersed with missile troops and backed up with pikemen.

[AndrewL]

Here is an overview shot of Beaumont's army as they advance, and a detail shot of Beaumont's own troops.

[AndrewL]

Malterre's army moves south toward the enemy... Godfrey, with 236 men, outnumbers his rival.

[AndrewL]

An overview of the two armies as they approach each other, and then a view looking north, up the road toward Malterre's oncoming forces.

[AndrewL]

And a look down the road from Malterre's side toward the Duke of Beaumont's lines.

[AndrewL]

In the centre and on his left, Beaumont's and Count Chrodegang's longbowmen set themselves and loose the first volley of arrows...

[AndrewL]

The arrows fall among the oncoming horsemen and crossbowmen, striking down some of the knights of Berengar de Ville St Jean (blue and yellow quarters) and one of Eduard de L'Isle's men (the blue, red and white unicorn). One of the crossbowmen from the city of Granpont (green, purple and yellow) is also hit. [Granpont has long profited from the patronage of the Malterre dukes, and so the city elders have sent a force of crossbowmen under their captain Thierry to support Godfrey.]

[AndrewL]

On Beaumont's right, the black-and-forest-green-clad mercenary crossbowmen under Hubert let fly a volley of bolts...

And mercenary longbowmen on Malterre's left, led by John of Priestbury (wearing brown and yellow) reply with a volley of their own.

[AndrewL]

The knights of Ville St Jean, a body of Templars under their marshal Thurold of St Claire, and crossbowmen under Fulcher du Vast, sheriff of Middleport (in green, yellow and blue) advance on Malterre's right. Chrodegang's longbowmen facing them shoot another volley of arrows before his swordsmen form a shield-wall to hold off the oncoming charge. The sheriff of Middleport is struck down by one of the arrows, but his men advance, undeterred.

The crossbowmen from Middleport and Granpont fire a largely ineffective volley of bolts, and then the first wave of Malterre's cavalry forces go in...