The Warlord Game 1

The Warlord Game 1: The Village of Alsuum

Crispinus, a man with a huge cleft chin!

The Warlord, Crispinus de la Croix has been given the village of Alsuum by the Duke.  He is a coastal baron with a limited Frankish/Norman retinue.  

The campaign has six scenarios.

1. The Village of Alsuum

The villagers of Alsuum have delayed rents and refused labor on the dykes. Crispinus sends a force to “remind” them of their obligations.  Unfortunately the "Vikings" choose this moment to get involved.

2. The Rhine Crossing

A ford and crude jetty on the Rhine are being used to smuggle men and weapons. Both sides race to control it.

3. The Marsh of Broken Reeds

Local fighters vanish into the marshes, striking patrols and melting away. Crispinus orders a hunt.

4. The Forest Clearing

A clandestine meeting is taking place in the woods — elders, warriors, or rival lords. Violence may decide the matter.

5. The Dyke and Creek

A vital dyke has been sabotaged. Repairs must be protected while enemies harass the workers.

6. The Motte of Alsuum

The struggle comes home. The motte and hall of Crispinus de la Croix are threatened — by revolt, raid, or reprisal.

Campaign Impact:
Victory secures rule; defeat may end the campaign or force exile.

---

OPTIONAL CAMPAIGN LINK RULE

After any scenario:

• If the same leader participates in two consecutive victories, gain +1 Loyalty.
• If a leader loses twice in a row, roll on a Doubt or Defiance event.

Between Scenarios

Roll 2d6 both before after each scenario, the first is for strategic uncertainty, the second for narrative continuity. 

Game 1: Submission or Blood

The villagers of Alsuum have delayed rents and refused labor on the dykes. Crispinus and his retinue arrives to “remind” them of their obligations.

Primary Objective:
Control the village center (church or hall) at game end.

Secondary Twist:The Vikings arrived at the same time as Crispinus. Raiders, looking for loot.  The villagers must decide their fate.  But if missile troops from the Franks or villages fire on each other first, all their Foot units suffer −1 Courage for the rest of the game (uneasy consciences).

Terrain:
Clustered buildings, lanes, low fences, gardens.

Campaign Impact:
Victory here restores authority. Defeat fuels unrest in later scenarios.

Crispinus with his big chopper

Pregame

11 – Silver from the Abbey

Church support — for now.  Brother Anselm and the cross of the Holy toothpick accompanies Crispinus.  As a former "Crusader" Crispinius returned to the coast of Frisia with a tiny sliver of wood, bought in a market in Antioch, guaranteed by the merchant selling it to have once been part of the Cross of Jesus.  It has been a fixed to a silver cross and a monk from the abbey carries it as part of Crispinius Retinue.  Crispinius pays the Abbot for this service and the cross he gets his surname from is usually kept at the Abbey.

The Game

Crispinus de la Croix rolls 5 for his trait.  He is "Commanding." - May reroll one failed activation per game.

6 Mounted Knights (under Crispinus) Heavy Cavalry

6 Dismounted Knights (Hugh de la Croix) (Elite Foot)

12 Spearmen (Rainald the Fleming) (Heavy Foot)

6 Archers (Odo)

The Villagers

12 Spearmen under Odo of Alsuum (Light Foot)

6 skirmishers (slingers - under a house rule for the campaign)

The "Vikings" coastal settlers and pirates

6 Amoured axemen Huscarles (under Eric) Elite Foot

12 Warrior Foot under Odd

6 skirmishers (javelin men)

The terrain.  The Franks enter from the left, the Vikings the right.

Sleepy morning!

Deployments.  The stance of the villagers is still unknown.

Order of play, Franks, Vikings, Villagers

Hugh doesn't move, neither do the archers.  Crispin gets forward with the Heavy Foot

The foot under Odd refuse to move, everyone else goes for the village.

And the villagers stance becomes clear.  They favour the Vikings.  

I limited the slingers to six dice.  Even so they kill a knight.  Crispin is furious at the betrayal.

Odo joins the Vikings side.

Eric comes forward with his huscarles

Into a charge by Crispinus Knights.  So fast it's blurry.

Two Huscarles killed, one knight.

And Odd still refuses to move.  Must have been a bad argument with the boss.

The archers kill four of the village light infantry in one volley.  Lucky blow and Odo gets one in the eye.  

The Courage roll is a passed.  They hold but are in trouble.  Hugh charges his elite foot in.  

The villagers are routed.

Eric is battered by the Knights.  He retreats.

The Viking skirmishers are virtually wiped out by the Frankish bows.

And the useless village slingers are forced back again.

As Crispin reforms his knights Hugh advances.

Eric spectacularly fails to rally.  He is on a -4 and rolls a 3.

The slingers try one last whirl.  Nothing!

And having refused to move five times in a row Odd and his men decide to quit.

Crispinus is victorious and the village has to face his anger.

Great game.

I made the Elite infantry armour 3.  It seems more in keeping with the Dark ages.

I'm also not a fan of bidowers and the like.  Both they and the slingers were limited to 6 dice rather than 12.

The holy cross gives Crispin an extra command point.  That's how he kept his men moving forwards.  

Is this bloke really
trustworthy?

Hugh however needed prompting with Crispinus Command points (his own as Commander, and the extra one for the cross.) twice, and has been penalised on the loyalty table accordingly.  He is now level 1 – Defiant.  "Needs to make courage check before first activation," and "May act independently once per game."

Hugh commands the smaller retinue for the next game, crossing the Rhine, so this could get interesting.