Blood and Crowns, Naval game

Week 2 and a second amphibious game is rolled.

The French Merchant house o Jehan has sent the heavily laden great ship Melisende (draft 9) out from Rouen into the channel, only to have her be blown across and ground on the English coast in an unexpected squall.  The vessel has been spotted by the men of Romney, who close in despite the weather.  

In the previous game the Cog Alice de Dunkerque and her Captain Mince Henri or "Skinny Henry" was aground on this same Shoal. The Alice has been beached after springing a leak.  Jack Crowe's lads are repairing her.  

Melisende has the opportunity to Recapture the prize.

I've altered the core vanguard force for the English, using light archers instead of crossbowmen seems more correct.  The French keep their crossbows.

Romney Point

Beached Ship

Setup: 3x3' amphibious table with a land-mass that takes up 50% of the board and touches 3 sides of the board. Place a ship near the middle of the table, completely on land but touching the shoreline and parallel to the sea edge.  This is the Beached Ship.

This ship should have one deck for every two units in the Defender's Force (rounded up but limited to 4). This ship is not considered part of either Force

but represents the Defender's beached ship.

The wind is blowing from sea towards the land.

SCENARIO RULES:

Tidal flats: Models may move into water within 6" of the coastline (instead of the standard 3"). This shallow water is considered Rough Terrain and gives cover. The water between 6" and 3" of the coastline is considered Shoal terrain for ships (and

ships will still immediately run aground if moved within 3" of the shoreline).

DEPLOYMENT:

The Attacker must deploy all ships within 2" of the Attacker's board edge corners.The Defender deploys anywhere on land, but no closer than 4" from the Beached Ship.

OPTIONAL RULES:

Careening the Hull: The Defender gains a Gun Emplacement with a Medium Cannon for every 100 points included in their Force.

Wreckers' Salvage Operation: Starting with the Defender, take turns placing 4 Objective Tokens within 3" ofthe grounded ship, and at least 3" away from other Objective Tokens. These tokens count as Prizes and follow the rules for Prizes (See Search & Recover Scenario in No Peace Beyond the

Line). The Defender gains a Strike Point for every Prize controlled by the Attacker. Reduce the Beached Ship's Hull Integrity by half before the game begins. All units in the Defender's Force gain the Tough Special Rule.

GAME LENGTH:  Six Turns

OBJECTIVES:

» Defender gains a Strike Point if the Attacker has any units on land or the Beached Ship.

» Attacker gains a Strike Point if they do not have a unit within 4" of the Beached Ship at the end of turn 3 or later.

Additional Feats of Arms:   None

The Game

Jack Crowe of Romney and his cockboat mariners

John Crowe The Vintenar and his archers on the Alice

The Bailiff with the Romney Footmen ashore.

French crew of Melisende

Alain de Jehan, Ships Master 

French light Crossbows 

French mariners

French Footmen

Three units per side so ships move at each activation.

Romney Point

The Beached cog Alice

The Bailiff and the men of Romney

Jack Crowe and his mariners.

Melisende the Great Ship and light crossbowmen, Footmen and mariners.  I have her towing a boat.  This is a printed deck plan Mounted on foamcore.  Quite pleased with it.

Melisende shortens sail and turns.  I'm keen not to go aground again since the Tidal flats rule applies to this table.  The archers hit a single crossbowman  but it's saved.

Jack's cockboat is under sweeps and rowing into the wind's eye.  Even so the Great ship looks dangerous.  If I can ram him I will!  The crossbowmen target the boat and every shot is a miss,

My cruel Seas terrain almost matches the coastal battle mat!

Made a mistake of sorts here.  The mariners in the cockboat use Gads, essentially hand throwing weapons, but these are really meant for use thrown down from a fighting top.

Contact.  Bost vessels drift.

The French load a unit onto thier cockboat.

I am now alarmed as both vessels drift on shore.  The French boat makes for the Alice.

I realise I can't avoid grounding on the Tidal shallows.

Rhe archers make four hits as a defensive reaction but the boarding French spearman roll four eights and save the lot!

The archers also save the lot, but my canny Vintenar decides to run them away

The French Great Ship passes its grounding roll.  10 but needs a 15 to go onto the Tidal flats.

The French Spear get an uncontested turn aboard the prize.  I decide to set fire to her, she does have the tinderbox rule.

My Bailiff refuses to intervene on the prize.

And she's alight!  It's a renoun ation point

My archers ashore get a shot onto the Great Ship, which has drifted in but is still not aground.

But she toughest the land and is stopped.  The Bailiff charges aboard over the bow.

Fight on the Great Ship.  The Ships Master retreats to the aft castle.

And the great ship is captured.  The French arsonist  unit in the cockboat escape!

And the prize burns to the waterline, but a second undamaged prize has been taken.

Week 3 

Unseasonal Storms at sea.  Maybe that French Cockboat didn't get home!  I dice again and it makes Rouen safely.  I come up with a new character leading this group Guido of Bayeux, French Mercenary, arsonist and cockboat hero, who has salvaged some renoun for the French.  He is promoted to Grizzled Veteran.

The Rise of Jack of Romney

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.

Ships Master Jack Crowe of Romney
Pirate/Merchant Crew  Mariner.  

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.
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. 

Bausans

This special rule represents the ships of 

the Company flying red, silken banners 

known as bausans (“streamers”). Doing so 

introduces the No Quarter scenario rule. 

Further, all Leaders and all models with the 

Ship’s Master special rule gain the Wanted 

special rule.

Wanted

Eliminating a model with this earns the eliminating player 1 Renown. 

The Glaive, my Imagi-Nations version of the Medieval English Channel.

The Glaive, my Imagi-Nations version of the Medieval English Channel.

Scenario

Wullie Swineborne, the wool smuggler of Dengemarsh is working with the French! He is rendezvousing his second cockboat with a French Pyrate Cog, the Alice de Dunkerque and her Captain Mince Henri or "Skinny Henry" to his crew.

The Frenchmen have crossbowmen and footmen.

Scenario: Capture

Windward Edge:

Attacker Chooses

Objective Markers: 

None

Scenario Rule:

Prize Ship: in thus game the prize us a boat wrecked on the Shoal 4" from the shoreline. 

Deployment:

The Defender places the boat and defending crew then the attacker places all their groups.

Events

If the Men ofvromney draw an event they are joined by a group of Archers under the Vintenar Robin Crowe, Jack's brother

If the men of Dengemarsh draw a joker a French Cog comes on table with two groups aboard.  They will attempt to rescue thiervallies and the cargo!

Additional Feats of Arms:

Starting on Turn 6 during the End Phase the attacker gains +2 Renown if they have captured the target ship OR +1 Renown if they have control over at least half the sections of the ship rounding up. A unit controls a section if they occupy the section while not Engaged or Shaken.

The Game

First cards out and Romney get an extra unit of archers.

Jack's Footmen close in.

And the Archers dash forwards towards the wreck.

The archers loose and the smugglers are hammered.

Two dead

Turn three and the Dengemarsh Boys draw a joker.  A French Cog is inbound.

Oh dear!

But Romneys Archers continue!

Three more dead.

Big John is left all alone 

But he passes all his resolve rolls!  Come on then!

The Romney boys storm the boat.  John is a goner!

That Cog swims closer!  It's Alice de Dunkerque and her Captain Mince Henri or "Skinny Henry"

The archers scramble aboard the boat.  Some concern over those crossbows!

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!

The Romney archers clear the deck

And the Crossbows target the Romney Footmen.

One down.

Jack Crowe scrambles aboardcthe Cog.  It was within an inch and on the Shoal.  The French are nervous!

Four hits two kills and two Fatigue.  The French Footmen break.

The French Crossbows are then shot to pieces and routed and the leaky Cog is captured.  I award Jack five renoun points.

Notes

Mariners 

This unit profile covers the sailors who were conscripted into service and not experienced with battle at sea.

3 points.  Experience Level: Trained

(3-12} Arms: Standard Melee Weapon

Shoot  7/8   Melee   7/8  Resolve 5

Specíal Rules

Sailors, Arrested

Options: 

Gads (Unit Upgrade +4 points): Unit is armed with gads and gains the Gads special rule.

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, ikely 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 points

Experience Lebel: Inexperienced

(3-12} Arms: Standard Melee Weapon

Shoot  7/7  Melee  9/9  Resolve  6

Special Rules

Sailors, Arrested

Options

Gads (Unit Upgrade +4 points): Unit is armed with

Gads and gains the Gads special rule.

Able Seamen

This unit profile describes seasoned mariners who were

capable and motivated.

4 Experience Leuel: Veteran

{3-12} Arms: Standard Melee Weapon

Shoot 7/8  Melee 6/7  Resolve  5

Special Rules

Expert Sailors

Options

Gads (Unit Upgrade +4 points)

The Medieval Week

Naval Scenario

Amphibious Scenario

New Character introduced

Old Character retired

Event roll

Pay the lads

Naval

Battle

Capture

Burn

Salvage

Regicide

A Wanted Man

Anchored

Chased end

Listless

The storm

Amphibious

A wanted man

Captured The Merchant

Capture the settlement

Total War

Beached ship

New Character

Merchant rival

Noble

Pirate

Ship-board character

Newly reported French ship

Newly fitted out Local ship

Event

Storm

Shipwreck

Raid

Politics

Calms

Plague

The Campaign set up

The Quatre Ports

Romney

The Romney Company of Jack Crowe

The Bailiff's men

Bromehill

The Brome cockboat boys

Ancient Harry and the fishing lads

Dengemarsh 

Swineborne's Company

Young Cockboat Caleb Swineborne

Orwaldstone

Lord Cobham, the Warden's ship, Thomas,

The Norman Coast

Dunkerque

Aimery of Dunkerque

Alice de Dunkerque and her Captain Mince Henri or "Skinny Henry"

Fécamp

The nef Isabelle, Nicolas the boathook.

Dieppe

Eudes of Dieppe, the Cogge Saint-Pierre

The Cogge Lisanne, Mistress Jeanne

Le Havre - Rouen

House of Jehan, merchants, cogges Melisende, Katarin, Eloise, 

Caen

The round ship, Philippa, Jean de Caen.

Cherbourg

Gosse of Cherbourg, The cockboat King

Background

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

I added a pinnace, essentially a larger boat almost of the longship type

The Great Sedan chair race project

 

Starting the scratch build

Moves faster "long" with no passenger, and rolls only one d6.

Needs a d6 roll of 5-6 to turn 45°

Passengers may engage with pistols, traps or swords within the measure.

With a passenger;

Roll 3 dice

1 dice short move 

2 dice Medium move

3 dice long move

Don't roll any 1s.

A 6 and the passenger may take an action

A roll of 1 sees the leading bearer step in slippy sh*t.  He will totter, reducing the move to short, and rolls again.

1  tips the passenger out 

2 the bearer falls

3 unseemly swearing is heard

And ready for painting and filling.

On a roll of 6 the passenger may;

Risk a Pistol shot.  Needs a 6

Thrust a sword  Needs a 6 in the measure.

Call out an insult.

Lay a trap!  Players imagination on this one.  Marked on track.

But roll a 1 and the action unbalances the bearers with a slip as a result.

The track.

Interventions

Characters not in the race may intervene if;

The racers come within measure, splattering them with sh*te

A sedan chair calls an insult within 6.  Do you bite your thumb at me, sir?

Event cards.

Players can hold on to these and play at a later time rather than immediately.

Distractions.  A Lady, a drunk, an animal. 

Rough going   the washing line, the pail of water, the rolling barrel.

Getting nearer.  Painting done!