King John 1201-03 AD

The Forces involved:

The King of England and his loyal barons.

The Rebel English barons

The Marcher Lords

The Welsh Prince

The King of Scots

The Irish Pale

The Irish Kings

The French King

The Norman, Breton and Anjou Nobles

The Flemish Wool Citys.

The deck

1. 1.      French Invasion of Normandy
2. 2.      First Barons War
3. 3.      Second Barons War
4. 4.      War with Scotland
5. 5.      Welsh Marches raid
6. 6.      War with the Welsh
7. 7.      Revolt of the Irish Kings
8. 8.      Revolt of the Marcher Lords
9. 9.      Battle of Bouvines
10. 10.    Pope threatens excommunication Unrest +1 per year until the King pays.
11. 11.    The Royal treasure lost in the wash
12. 12.    Royal marriage. Unrest -1
13. 13.    A powerful Earl or Bishop in play Unrest -d6
14. 14.    Magna Carta is raised Unrest -d6
15. 15.    Reform of the English legal system Unrest +1
16. 16.    Bad harvests double all prices and Unrest +1
17. 17.    Scutage is levied on all of the King's nobles. Unrest +1
18. 18.    French Pirates in the Channel.  Unrest +1
19. 19.    Revolt of a noble character in play.
20. 20.    Royal Birth or Death, Unrest -1

 

Troop types

Good Cavalry. 5. BR

(May dismount as foot knights. 5)

Average Cavalry. 3 BR

Good Infantry. 4 BR

Average infantry. 3 BR

Good Missile infantry. 4 BR

Average Missile infantry. 3 BR

Skirmishers. 2 BR

Nobles in Play

1. Robert Fitzwalter
2. William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke
3. Prince Louis, Dauphain of France
4. William Longsword, Earl of Salisbury
5. William Earl of Arundel
6. Ranulph Earl of Chester
7. King David of Scotland
8. King Louis of France
9. Simon De Montfort Earl of Leicester
10. Theobald Lord  Butler of I Ireland
11. De Burgh, De Braose, De Lacey. Lordship in Ireland
12. Geoffrey Fitz-Henry, Archbishop of York.

1200 AD

John retreated back to England, lucky to escape the defeat of his forces in Normandy by his Nephew Arthur.   The unrest roll for Normandy is a -5, turning the Duchy over to Arthur.  Anjou and Maine are taken by King Louis as payment for his assistance, but he will probably not help Arthur again so John gets a breathing space.  

 English unrest now -4

John draws Theobald, Butler of Ireland as an active character and decides to campaign there for the rest of the year in the hopes of recovering his finances and reducing the unrest in England.

In Ireland John defeats a rebellious coalition of Irish Kings, regaining 4000 marks in ransoms, and +1 Unrest for England.

England -3 (0)

France -5

Normandy -5

Scotland -3  (-1)

Wales 0

Flanders +2

For 1201 AD King John rolls d6 =4, another 4000 marks.  Things are looking healthy.  French Pirates appear in the Channel  backed by Duke Arthur of Brittany and Normandy.

John calls parliament but only secures 2000 marks as scutage.

He spends 3000 marks to reduce unrest in England to Zero.  He pays another 2000 to buy off the Scots to -1.

He hires the Low countries cities to pressure Duke Arthur for 2000 marks, leaving the Royal treasury at 4000, and hoping no campaign comes this year. 

New cards in the deck

The deck

1.      Arthur of Brittany invades.
7.      A High King of Ireland is raised up.
18.    The Crusade of William Longsword

 1202 AD

England 0

France -5

Normandy -5

Scotland -1

Wales 0

Flanders +4

John calls Parliament in 1201.  -1 unrest for 1202.

He raises 3000 marks from his lands and tenants and 3000 Scutage.  The Royal treasury is 10000 marks.

The Pope threatens John with excommunication unless he pays 3000 marks.  He refuses.  England -3 unrest.

William Longsword is persuaded to go on Crusade.  1000 marks. England now at -1 unrest.

Longsword however makes friends with King Louis of France and goes on crusade to placate the Pope.

Scotland slips -1 unrest, as do Wales, and Ireland.

Longsword joins the 4th Crusade 1202AD  this takes him out of the picture for the following year.

1203

Spring: The Marcher Lords rebel.

John faces a rebellion on the Welsh border, lead by the Earl of Chester.

William de Braose, one of Johns favourites is sent to the Welsh Marches to quell the Rebels, and bring the Earl to heel.  

Battle at Shewsbury

60 points

De Braose

3 Mounted knights BR 5

1 Mounted Sergeants BR4

2 Spear BR3

2 Bow BR3

Earl of Chester

2 Mounted Knights

2 Spear

1 Bow

Allied Welsh

1 Mounted Sergeants

2 Bow

Feudal Shrewsbury, a bit plague infested, according to my copy of Kingmaker.

The field of battle.

The King's forces South of the town.

The Earl of Chester and the Welsh.

The King's forces advance, pushing their armoured cavalry forward quickly.  Opposite the Earl and the Welsh move to take up position on the hill above Shewsbury.  I'm using the old undersheet hill trick again.

The King's forces use Mounted Charge but are on a steep slope.

In terrain only fives and sixes count, but even so the Welsh are knocked out.

The Early attacks the Marcher Lords cavalry supporting the King.  The Welsh allies have bailed out on him.

The King's men reply with Untoppable force, two extra dice.  Fives and sixes only again but it is a massacre.

And the Earl is done. An abortive rally attempt fails.

But de Braose and his cavalry deal with the Earl leaving his infantry unsupported.

The end game as the Shropshire bow and Spear close in on the Earl's Cheshire men.

A win for the King.  England, at least, is settled for this year.