May 1330: Jack Crowe of Romney discovers a damaged and abandoned cockboat, of dubious provenance (believed to have been the property of Wullie Swineborne, a well known wool smuggler of Dengemarsh.) Crowe found the boat abandoned and damaged on the sand bar off Romney port with a wool bale cargo. The Mayor declared that whoever previously owned this boat had been traitorously dealing with French Pyrates and smugglers often seen cruising off the port. The Town Court judged the find flotsam and jetsam and declared the cargo "Ligan."
With his part of the profit Jack declared that he would cruise out at dawn against the French pyrates. Some considered this a bold notion, but he raised the "Romney Company," mainly from local fishermen, paying them well and promising more pyrate wealth.
Pirate/Merchant Crew Mariner.
vanguard Footmen | Able Seamen | Crossbowmen, Heavy | Archers | Ship’s Boys
reserve Men-at-Arms, Afoot | Veteran Men- at-Arms, Afoot
Special Rules
Bausans: During setup, a player fielding this Company
may choose to apply the Bausans special rule.
When this model is on a ship making a Sailing Test and it is not Engaged or Shaken the player may re-roll a failed result. Alternatively, the test may be voluntarily failed.
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| The Glaive, my Imagi-Nations version of the Medieval English Channel. |
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| The Glaive, my Imagi-Nations version of the Medieval English Channel. |
Scenario: Capture
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| First cards out and Romney get an extra unit of archers. |
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| Jack's Footmen close in. |
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| And the Archers dash forwards towards the wreck. |
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| The archers loose and the smugglers are hammered. |
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| Two dead |
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| Turn three and the Dengemarsh Boys draw a joker. A French Cog is inbound. |
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| Oh dear! |
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| But Romneys Archers continue! |
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| Three more dead. |
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| Big John is left all alone |
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| But he passes all his resolve rolls! Come on then! |
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| The Romney boys storm the boat. John is a goner! |
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| That Cog swims closer! It's Alice de Dunkerque and her Captain Mince Henri or "Skinny Henry" |
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| The archers scramble aboard the boat. Some concern over those crossbows! |
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| And I misjudge it entirely! It seemed that a forwards move then turn to starboard would clear the Shoal... guess not! The Cog starts leaking! |
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| The Romney archers clear the deck |
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| And the Crossbows target the Romney Footmen. |
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| One down. |
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| Jack Crowe scrambles aboardcthe Cog. It was within an inch and on the Shoal. The French are nervous! |
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| Four hits two kills and two Fatigue. The French Footmen break. |
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| The French Crossbows are then shot to pieces and routed and the leaky Cog is captured. I award Jack five renoun points. |
The Quatre Ports
Romney, Bromehill, Dengemarsh, and Orwaldstone
In return for their ship service, these towns receive various privileges, including:
Exemption from tax and tallage
Rights of sac and soc [jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases within their liberties]
Rights of toll and team [authority over the sale or passage of cattle and other property within their liberties]
Rights of bloodwit and fledwit [authority to punish shedders of blood, and those seized in an attempt to escape justice]
Rights of pillory and tumbril [authority to punish delinquents]
Rights of infangthief and outfangthief [authority to imprison or execute thieves or other felons]
The right of mundbryce [the right to enter private property in order to erect banks or dikes as a defence against the sea]
Rights of waifs and strays [the right to appropriate unclaimed property and stray animals]
Rights of flotsam, jetsam and ligan [the right to appropriate the debris and cargo of wrecked ships]
This means that in effect they were granted a degree of self-government, legal jurisdiction, and financial advantage. In many respects, the confederation was considered to hold a status equivalent to that of a shire.
From an early date (the 13th century) representatives of the ports sat in Parliament. The practice had been regularised by the end of the 14th century, with the five head ports and two ancient towns, and one corporate limb (Seaford), each being entitled to send two Members to Parliament.
Institutions
Many of the Portsmen were fishermen, and in pursuit of herring sailed annually to the Norfolk coast, where they claimed rights of "den and strand" on the sandbank at the mouth of the River Yare.
A Lord Warden of the Ports was appointed, and by the end of the 13th century permanently, combined with that of Constable of Orwaldstone Castle ( little more than a tower in reality.
The confederation had its own system of assemblies and common courts:
The current Warden is Henry Brooke, Lord Cobham, Seneschal of Orwaldstone Castle.
The Brodhull is a general assembly for representatives of the ports. "Brodhull" is a town close to Dymchurch inland from the ports. The assembly now meets in Romney. One of the principal tasks of the Brodhull was the supervision of the Great Romney Faire, and the appointment of bailiffs to manage it.
It meets twice a year, meetings following a parliamentary pattern, and presided over by a "Speaker": the speakership changed on 21 May each year, the right of appointment moving from port to port in geographical order from west to east.
Over the years the name "Brodhull" gradually became corrupted into "Brotherhood" and sailors from these ports are generally known as the Brotherhood.
The 100 point game
Men of Romney 2 cockboats @6 Leader +2. @5 5 mariners @15 6 footmen. @24 5 mariners @15 6 Archers. @36 101pts I'm replacing the light crossbowmen with ordinary archers for these English crews. It just seems more realistic.
The Frenchmen Ships master. @5 Cog @14 5 mariners @15 4 foot Men @16 6 crossbowmen light @30 4 crossbowmen heavy @32 102pts
Pirate/Merchant Crew Leaders Noble, Knight Banneret, or John Crabbe main battle Mariners | Footmen | Crossbowmen, Light vanguard Footmen | Able Seamen | Crossbowmen, Heavy | Archers | Ship’s Boys reserve Men-at-Arms, Afoot | Veteran Men-at-Arms, Afoot Special Rules Bausans: During setup, a player fielding this Company may choose to apply the Bausans special rule.
Standard Leaders (Sea battles only) Type Shoot Shoot Save Melee Melee Save Resolve Command Points Command Range Model Cost Unit Size Merchant - 8 7 8 5 2 6” 5 3-8 Unit Composition: 1 Leader and 2+ Mariners Options: † Musician (Unit Upgrade +3 points): Replaces a model in the retinue to grant Command Range x2 and removes the requirement to have Line of Sight to the Leader’s unit to receive Command Points, but the model may no longer perform melee or ranged attacks. If the model is eliminated this benefit is lost. † Compensated (Unit Upgrade +3 points): Removes the Arrested special rule from the Leader’s retinue. † Master Seamen (Unit Upgrade +3 points): Leader gains the Master Seaman special rule. Special Rules: Expert Sailors, Arrested, Ship’s Master
Able Seamen This unit profile describes seasoned mariners who were capable and motivated. @ 4 {3-12} Experience Level: Veteran Arms: Standard Melee Weapon shoot melee resolve 7/8 6/7 5 Options † Gads (Unit Upgrade +4 points): Unit is armed with gads and gains the Gads special rule. Special Rules Expert Sailors
Mariners This unit profile covers the sailors who were conscripted into service and not experienced with battle at sea. @ 3 {3-12} Experience Level: Trained Arms: Standard Melee Weapon shoot melee resolve 7/8 7/8 5 Options † Gads (Unit Upgrade +4 points): Unit is armed with gads and gains the Gads special rule. Special Rules Sailors, Arrested
Ship’s Boys Young men were used in varying ratios aboard ships of the medieval period, in a few cases making up a quarter of the crew. They were paid less than a mariner and were used far less on oared vessels such as the ballinger, likely due to their lack of adult strength and endurance. However, they were a source of manpower and helped keep the ship sailing, which assured them a place in any fleet. @3 {3-12} Experience Level: Inexperienced Arms: Standard Melee Weapon shoot melee resolve 7/7 9/9 6 Options † Gads (Unit Upgrade +4 points): Unit is armed with gads and gains the Gads special rule. Special Rules Sailors, Arrested
Archers @6 {3-8} Experience Level: Trained Arms: Standard Melee Weapon and Bow shoot melee resolve 6/8 8/8 6 Options † None Special Rules Defensive Reaction (Shoot)
Footmen This unit profile represents commoners or mercenaries with some type of training and/or reasonably equipped, such as the Welsh spearmen prominent in some English armies. 4 {3-12} Experience Level: Trained Arms: Standard Melee Weapon shoot melee resolve -/7 7/7 6 Options † Polearms (Unit Upgrade +5 points): Gain the Polearms special rule Special Rules None
Land games
Magnate. @11 Noble. @9 Banneret @7
French Army Crecy to Poitiers, 1345-56 Leaders Any Standard Leader, Bertrand du Guescalin, or Geoffroi de Charny main battle Men-at-Arms, Mounted @12 | Crossbowmen, Genoese*@9 | Crossbowmen, Light @5 | Feudal Levy @3 vanguard Men-at-Arms, Afoot @7 | Esquires | Footmen @4| Veteran Men-atArms, Mounted reserve Veteran Men-at-Arms, Afoot Special Rules *Genoese Crossbowmen have the Mercenaries special rule.
Noble Retinue Vet Mtd, plus armour plate @13 +6 =84 6 x Mtd MAA. @60 6 x Veteran MMA afoot. @9. @54 8 x Genovese Xbows @72 10 Feudal Levy. @30 300pts
English Army in France Crecy to Poitiers, 1345-56 Leaders Any Standard Leader or Edward The Black Prince main battle Archers, English @12 | Footmen (Spearmen*) @4 vanguard Men-at-Arms, Afoot | Footmen (Gascons) | Veteran Footmen (Gascons) | Welsh Archers reserve Veteran Men-at-Arms, Afoot | Veteran Men-at-Arms, Mounted | Men-at-Arms, Mounted | Veteran English Archers Special Rules Chevauchée: This Company may choose to add +2 to their roll when determining the attacker in a scenario. *Spearmen may not take the Polearms upgrade.
Banneret @7 Retinue x 6. 42 8 x Archers English @12. 96 7 x Archers English @12. 84 7 Footmen @4. 28 6 x Men At arms afoot @7 42 Vintenar @5 Musician @3 300pts
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| I added a pinnace, essentially a larger boat almost of the longship type |
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