Calais, the Great battle, Game 4

GAME IV — “THE BATTLE ON THE GUÎNES FRONTIER”

Narrative

French forces gather near Guînes hoping to isolate Calais before Henry V’s return.

The English ride out to break the threat.

This is the final battle of my campaign.

Table

• 6' x 4'
• A wide battlefield.

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Terrain Layout

English Side

• Defensive streams
• Marshy flank
• Low hill with city walls

French Side

• Open fields for cavalry
• Orchard lanes
• Stream crossings

Getting ready!

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Forces

English

Richard Earl of Warwick, Captain of Calais

Captain Sir Thomas Neville of Blackmere, cousin to the Earl

• Retinue men-at-arms, dismounted
• Longbowmen

French.

French Commander, Marshal Enguerrand de Vervins Marshal of the Northern Marches,

Compte Jean de Créquy

The Iron Hawk of Saint-Omer

Dame Isabel de la Croix, Crossbow Captain Vintenar

+5, command points 1 command 

range 6”

Gautier Sieur de Bournonville

The Butcher of Sanghen

Mayor Étienne de Malrecourt town crossbow guilds.  

Captain Gaston de Varennes

• Men-at-arms
• Mounted knights
• Crossbowmen
• Militia infantry
• Raiders from Saint-Omer

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Campaign Advantages

Each prior victory grants one advantage:

Advantage	Benefit
Captured dispatches	Choose battlefield edge. ENGLISH
Local guides	Free pregame move. ENGLISH
Ransom money	Extra unit. None
Village loyalty	One reroll per turn.  None
Fear reputation	Enemy morale penalty.  FRENCH
Captured captain	Opponent loses command point. None

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FINAL TWIST — “THE SAILS OFF CALAIS”

At midpoint of battle roll a D6:

D6	Event
1–2	French reinforcements arrive
3–4	Heavy rain reduces archery
5	English ships visible offshore — morale boost
6	False alarm, no effect

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The Game

The French appear in force.

And it's the Marshal with his key henchmen.

Supported by some peasant levies to bolster numbers.

The English depoly among hedgerows.  Sir Thomas Neville takes a higher area over the stream.

And that is a strong position.  The Earl is badly outnumbered.

The French move forwards

And the peasants rush out to try to outflank the English hedgerows

The Longbows cut down a foot Men at Arms unit, shaking it.

And opposite the Earl the same thing happens.

The Earl is in a desperate position.

But the French lose men to those longbows, and begin to burn through their favours.

So the Marshal tries foot men at Arms into the gap.

A brave effort.

On the French left the foot man at Arms begin to lose to those longbows.

The longbows show no mercy to the advancing peasants either.  But another favour is burned.

Sir Thomas charges on the French left and drives them back.

But the French fight back.

Sir Thomas is left alone before the crossbows having driven the French Men at Arms off.

The French mounted charge the gap.  They burn the last favour and still lose three men.

The routed French men at Arms on the left quit.

Sir Thomas falls.

The spearmen charge those pesky peasants and drive them off.

The longbows break the surviving crossbows although it all seems a blur.  The French withdraw.

The French are battered, over 50% losses.  They break.  A Win for the Earl

Some art celebrating the battle

The Death of Sir Thomas Neville, from. The National Gallery.

The French Men at Arms attack the Earl

The Earl holds the gap.

CAMPAIGN ENDING

English Victory

Calais remains secure and Henry’s supply line survives.

The Captain rewards loyal men with:

• coin,
• land,
• and captured armour.

 

Calais Game III — The Flight to Guînes, 1415

GAME III — The Flight to Guînes
Calais, Autumn 1415

The roads south of Calais burn with panic.

What began as a swift English chevauchée against isolated farms and French sympathisers has become a desperate retreat.
The French have rallied faster than expected.

Captain Sir Thomas Neville of Blackmere, cousin to the Earl of Warwick, now rides hard for the bridge of Guînes, seeking to bypass the town, with the remnants of his mounted force. His men are burdened with stolen supplies, wounded retainers, and dangerous intelligence concerning French troop movements around the Pale.

Yet the bridge at Sanghen Marsh is blocked.  The anxious mayor Étienne de Malrecourt has armed the town crossbow guilds. Though nominally loyal to the French administration, the town’s loyalties are uncertain, and Malrecourt’s first concern is preserving Guînes from destruction.

A hastily gathered French force under Captain Gaston de Varennes, a hard veteran of border warfare, has been conducting a pressing pursuit of the English and his mounted French men-at-arms pursue the English column from behind, threatening to trap Neville between hammer and anvil.

Sir Thomas must break through and pass the town before the trap closes.

The English enter bottom right.

TABLE

Using my marshland battle cloth

Terrain

• Marshland counts as dangerous terrain.
• Stream impassable except at:
  • The bridge
  • One ford chosen before deployment
• Guînes occupies the top-left corner.
• Low scrub and hummocks provide scattered cover

Sir Thomas Neville of Blackmere and his retinue

FORCES

English Retiring Force

Commander

Sir Thomas Neville of Blackmere
Young, aggressive, proud of his kinship to Warwick.

Mounted Men-at-Arms (1 group)

• Veteran
• Fierce charge bonus on first combat

Mounted Archers (2 groups)

• May skirmish evade
• Carry partial loot train and wounded

English Objective

Reach Guînes with at least:

• Sir Thomas alive
• One mounted unit intact

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French Blocking Force

Commander

Captain Gaston de Varennes
An experienced marcher lord who prefers trapping enemies over glorious battle.

Infantry Men-at-Arms (2 groups)

• One deployed near bridge
• One in reserve

Crossbowmen (1–2 groups) Led by:

Mayor Étienne de Malrecourt

Merchant magistrate of Guînes. Nervous but practical. Determined to prevent English raiding from bringing ruin upon the town.  He has blocked the bridge.

Special Rule:

• Crossbowmen within short range of Guînes gain +1 Courage/Morale.

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DEPLOYMENT

English

Deploy on the right-hand table edge within 12".

They begin mounted and moving.

French

Deploy within 12" of the bridge and marsh crossing areas.

French infantry may begin in prepared defensive positions.

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PURSUIT RULE

Beginning at the end of Turn 1:

Roll 1D10.

On a 7+, French mounted pursuers arrive from the English table edge.

French Pursuers

Commander

Chevalier Lucien d’Arques

Mounted Men-at-Arms (1 group)

• Aggressive
• May activate immediately upon entry

Each following turn:

• Reduce the arrival number by 1.
• Automatic arrival by Turn 5.

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SPECIAL RULES

Loot and Prisoners

One mounted archer unit carries plunder and wounded.

• Movement reduced slightly.
• If destroyed or routed, French gain bonus glory.

Marsh Panic

Any mounted unit routing within marsh terrain risks bogging down:

• Failed morale retreat = disorder or casualties.

Guînes Uncertain

If English troops fire missile weapons within short range of Guînes:

• Roll immediately:
  • On high roll, townsfolk aid English.
  • On low roll, gates begin closing in fear.

This creates a tense finish as Sir Thomas races past the gates.

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VICTORY CONDITIONS

English Major Victory

• Sir Thomas escapes
• At least 2 units pass Guînes
• Loot preserved

English Minor Victory

• Sir Thomas escapes alive
• One unit survives

French Major Victory

• Sir Thomas killed or captured
• English trapped south of bridge

French Minor Victory

• Loot captured
• English badly mauled

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CAMPAIGN RESULTS

If English Win

• Warwick gains intelligence on French concentrations.
• Guînes morale improves.
• Sir Thomas earns reputation: “The Blackmere Fox.”

If French Win

• French pressure increases around Calais.
• Guînes becomes politically unstable

CHARACTER NOTES

Sir Thomas Neville of Blackmere

A younger cousin of Warwick. Brave, reckless, eager to prove himself before the Agincourt campaign.

Captain Gaston de Varennes

Scarred veteran of Gascon border wars. Believes English cavalry can be beaten through exhaustion and terrain.

Mayor Étienne de Malrecourt

A wealthy wool merchant turned civic leader. Publicly loyal, privately terrified that Guînes will be burned whichever side wins.

Mayor Étienne de Malrecourt and the blocking force

The Game

Sir Thomas Retinue.  I have a few mounted longbow men miniatures, and I added a pack mule.

Sir Thomas presses forwards against the crossbows

And the Mayor has his crossbows volley.

The longbow response is devastating.

The French use their first favour, no change in the roll, three casualties 

The English Men at Arms charge and throw the crossbows back.

A second French favour is needed but again, it's dreadful

And two French Men At Arms units appear 

And they press in on the longbows immediately.

The Longbow men are in trouble.  A favour is used and it helps.

The Longbow men fight back, limited success.

And they don't survive a second round.

The longbow unit is broken

Sir Thomas Men at Arms escape.

And the second Mounted Longbow unit escapes.

But it only escapes by drawing a higher card and moving first!

The end game 

Sir Thomas will have a reduced Retinue for the final game, but he does win clear.

The next battlefield goes down.