1203 Continues

Three games using Scottorum Malleus rules.

Summer – after fruitless negotiation with Duke Arthur of Brittany King Philip II (Augustus) invades Normandy and attacks a number of castles in the surrounding region, believing the Duke is back in Nantes.

Duke Arthur meets him in battle with the support of the Bretons and some of the Norman lords.  The battle catches Philip unaware, and occurs near Rouen where the French King believed he was due to accept the fealty of the Normans.

Battle at Rouen

90 point

King Phillip of France

4 Mounted knights BR 5

2 Mounted Sergeants BR4

2 Spear BR3

5 Crossbow BR3

Duke Arthur of Brittany

3 Mounted knights BR 5

1 Mounted Sergeants BR4

2 Spear BR3

2 Bow BR3

2 Bidower

Battle of Rouen.  The Forces close.  I'm using 15mm for this game.

The French King, with his stripey pole.

The Duke steps his forces forward, but the French unleash the panzer attack of his knights.

The Bretons and Normans are using dismounted men at arms.

And it's an effective attack

Only the General can effectively battle back.

But the flanks have become dangerously exposed.

And suddenly its the French who look exposed

The dismounted men at arms prove their worth

And the Norman Cavalry clears up the struggling French foot.

Game over. A great win for the Duke.

August – Siege of Château Gaillard: Philip II gathers a new army to begin the siege at Château Gaillard as part of a campaign to drive Arthur from Brittany and reconquer the continental properties of John (Lackland). 

Battle of Château Gaillard

90 points

King Phillip of France

5 Mounted knights BR 5

1 Mounted Sergeants BR4

2 Spear BR3

5 Crossbow BR3

Duke Arthur of Brittany

3 Mounted knights BR 5

1 Mounted Sergeants BR4

2 Spear BR3

2 Bow BR3

2 Bidower

The field of battle.  Once again I had a stream and two woods.

Breton skirmishes and bowman have a pop at the French

And the Kings skill at rallying remains as poor as ever.

The French send Commune supermen forward in the other flank.

And the Duke attacks with the mounted charge across the corner of the area.

The lines close.

And it's a slugfest

The Duke leads a second mounted charge.

And the blind draw system for solo play seems to be working well.

And the Duke keeps that shooting going from the flank.  It's really working.

And it's the Duke who wins, sweeping up enough units to send the French home.

Winter of 1203/1204, John sends  William Marshal and a small army to Normandy in an attempt to recapture the Dukedom whilst Arthur and Phillip fight.  Arthur (or Phillip depending who wins at Château Gaillard) meets him in battle as he lands.

Battle at Calais

So Duke Arthur won at Château Galliard, but its King Philip II of France, campaigning to take Flanders who meets the English Marshal at Calais.  Both have reduced armies.

The steam represents the sea this time.  The English have almost no horse.

The French though, have brought their full game in chivalry.

The trundle nears the English line.

Blind draw, the Marshal keeps the initiative.

The attack is pretty hard.

But the French use those two shoot actions, one after another, across a corner, to unexpectedly win the game.

Autumn: The Oeselians ravage Danish Scania. The returning pirates later skirmish with the German settlers of Riga, near Visby in Gotland.  An Age of Penda game of the battle of Visby.

Economy

First evidence that the Temple in London is extending loans to King John of England. The sums remain small, but are often used for critical operations, such as the ransoming of the King’s soldiers captured by the French.

Autumn: 

Ragnall mac Somairle, declares himself Lord of the Isles.  He invites Benedictine monks to establish the abbey of Iona, amid claims that he worships the old gods in secret.  Indeed he is not above boring the odd Wicker Man.  He prepares to descend on the Scottish coast in 1204.