Death and Taxes part 3

Scenario 3 - King Richard's Messenger, "The monk" awaits the messenger on the beach as two ships fight it out in the estuary. But is he really a monk?

Sc 3 - King Richard's Messenger: The monk awaits the messenger on the beach. But is he really a monk?  Meanwhile a pair of ships battle in the estuary

Sc 4 - The Rebellion.  Robin of The Hode escapes the Bishop's dungeon in Cestria and seeks the aid of Lords Lumley and Lambtun.  Both declare support for King Richard, and a battle is fought on the Burnt Moor.

The Italian great ship, Il Vento d’Oro,"the Golden Wind," has been chased into the estuary of the River Weare by a cog load of French pirates.

Giovanni di Valtellina, Captain of the "Oro" is delivering a messenger to the northern barons from the King; Sir Thomas of Alnwick, whose mission is to rally the barons.  

The "pirate" ship is the "Corbeau" (Raven) under the notorious Pierre "Le Corbeau" du Havre, a captain currently employed by the French Crown, seeking to disrupt King Richard's return.

The Game

I began by adding medieval style fore and aft castles to my bronze age Sea Peoples ships.  Work in progress, I'll be adding decorated shields hung on the castle sides.

The Weare estuary.  First time I've used my Warlord Games sea mat.  It looks great.

The Monk arrives but with him is Sir Richard of Lambeth, keen to meet his old crusader companion Thomas of Alnwick..   

The ships come onto adjoining edges.

The Oro is packed with Men at arms and Crossbowmen

The Raven is loaded with veteran Sergeants (some of my Norman figures) and archers.

The Italians shoot, despite the distance two archers killed

But the archers get a pair of f crossbowmen too.

The hulls come close as the pirate beers in.

At point blank the crossbows roll five hits. Three archers are killed and they are shaken.

And the collision comes.  The ships grapple and are now drifting.

It's a fight across the aft-castles.  The Italians lose a man at aems

And the French also lose a man.

The crossbows have reloaded using the third action from a club and kill three French Men at arms.  One man remaining and he is shaken.

The Italian men at arms board the aft castle an as both ships ground. Pierre "Le Corbeau" is taken.

Game over as Sir Thomas is delivered.  News of King Richard's return can be spread.  The Bishop, as a supporter of Prince John will not react well to this.

The last game in this mini campaign will be "The Rebellion."  Robin of The Hode escapes the Bishop's dungeon in Cestria and seeks the aid of Lords Lumley and Lambtun.  Both declare support for King Richard, and a battle is fought on the Burnt Moor.

The scene is set