Post by diades on Jul 25, 2020 16:11:32 GMT
In 1121, King Henry of England took his army into Powys to punish Maredudd ap Bleddyn (Meredith son of Bledwin) for having raided in Cheshire. Previously his English troops on the Marches had been criticised for their inflexibility. It is conjectured that this was due to their lack of training in becoming lighter troops for Welsh terrain, a thing Harold Godwinson's troops had been so effective at. Records include an episode where Henry was hit on the breastplate by arrows in an ambush. So, what really happened?
So, I face the might of the Norman King of England, Henry, again. This time, I know he is coming. I will take him at the ford. The river runs before me, but it is low, I hope the rains have been heavy in the hills overnight. Where the road fords the river there is a small wood on the right of the road on my side of the river. On the far bank to the left is a large steep hill. My javelinmen hide in the woods to halt anything coming down the road. A third of my archers cover anything that may ford the river to my right and come around the woods. The rest are drawn up in two rows facing the hill. With my uchelwyr I wait behind to the right of the road.
King Henry has dismounted and holds the road, with a unit of treacherous Welshry behind him. To his left are Feudal sergeants and town militia. His own archers (Ps) appear on the crest of the hill. His knights wait behind his heavy foot.
My front row of archers on the left wheel, so their left touches the river and they can fire right, across it towards the road. Henry and the welshry advance along the road, his archers charge off the hill opposite my archers and his knights move to extend his line off to his left. I bring most of second rank of archers out to my left, whilst a unit join my javelins in the wood. The middle unit of enemy archers flee back to the hilltop under concentrated longbow fire. Ha! Another unit soon follows them. Ha, again, but then the enemy foot reach the river over to my right and cross it easily (paltry), the rains have not come. Henry now occupies the ford.
Henry despatches his Welsh light troops into the woods and soon follows them. By the time his heavy infantry have advanced and my archers on that flank have retired, both of my javelin units have been destroyed. I advance all of my bows on the left across the river wheeling right. The surviving archers from the woods and my uchelwyr line up on our side of the river facing the ford. Henry has sent a single unit of militia across and up the road and further back down the road one unit of Knights lurk. His main infantry and knights continue to advance on my right.
Our archery causes much disruption, but only that. The English spear advance from the road to attack the flank of my archers, but are surrounded and destroyed (payback, ha). The archers advance to threaten the knights on the road and the rear of Henry's army, but he is able personally to close with my right flank archery with welshry and foot sergeants. Half of my line is destroyed. I have lost again 4-1.
As per history, Henry was recoiled by longbow fire, but unscathed. It will cost me 10,000 Head of cattle to settle this! Ouch!
I was lucky to get the terrain, but the placement rolls were unkind, my second steep hill did not feature. The river let me down and I rolled far too many low PIPs. Briefly there had been a chance to charge Henry (4Bd gen) with my cavalry general, close the door with Psiloi from the woods on Henry and the 3Ax in column and add bow support on the other flank. I would have been 4-2 up with a quick kill opportunity to take the General and another unit. I rolled 1 for PIPs and the chance never came again. That's the rub!
So, I face the might of the Norman King of England, Henry, again. This time, I know he is coming. I will take him at the ford. The river runs before me, but it is low, I hope the rains have been heavy in the hills overnight. Where the road fords the river there is a small wood on the right of the road on my side of the river. On the far bank to the left is a large steep hill. My javelinmen hide in the woods to halt anything coming down the road. A third of my archers cover anything that may ford the river to my right and come around the woods. The rest are drawn up in two rows facing the hill. With my uchelwyr I wait behind to the right of the road.
King Henry has dismounted and holds the road, with a unit of treacherous Welshry behind him. To his left are Feudal sergeants and town militia. His own archers (Ps) appear on the crest of the hill. His knights wait behind his heavy foot.
My front row of archers on the left wheel, so their left touches the river and they can fire right, across it towards the road. Henry and the welshry advance along the road, his archers charge off the hill opposite my archers and his knights move to extend his line off to his left. I bring most of second rank of archers out to my left, whilst a unit join my javelins in the wood. The middle unit of enemy archers flee back to the hilltop under concentrated longbow fire. Ha! Another unit soon follows them. Ha, again, but then the enemy foot reach the river over to my right and cross it easily (paltry), the rains have not come. Henry now occupies the ford.
Henry despatches his Welsh light troops into the woods and soon follows them. By the time his heavy infantry have advanced and my archers on that flank have retired, both of my javelin units have been destroyed. I advance all of my bows on the left across the river wheeling right. The surviving archers from the woods and my uchelwyr line up on our side of the river facing the ford. Henry has sent a single unit of militia across and up the road and further back down the road one unit of Knights lurk. His main infantry and knights continue to advance on my right.
Our archery causes much disruption, but only that. The English spear advance from the road to attack the flank of my archers, but are surrounded and destroyed (payback, ha). The archers advance to threaten the knights on the road and the rear of Henry's army, but he is able personally to close with my right flank archery with welshry and foot sergeants. Half of my line is destroyed. I have lost again 4-1.
As per history, Henry was recoiled by longbow fire, but unscathed. It will cost me 10,000 Head of cattle to settle this! Ouch!
I was lucky to get the terrain, but the placement rolls were unkind, my second steep hill did not feature. The river let me down and I rolled far too many low PIPs. Briefly there had been a chance to charge Henry (4Bd gen) with my cavalry general, close the door with Psiloi from the woods on Henry and the 3Ax in column and add bow support on the other flank. I would have been 4-2 up with a quick kill opportunity to take the General and another unit. I rolled 1 for PIPs and the chance never came again. That's the rub!
