The Wedding Gatecrashers

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The Barons’ War Scenario | The Wedding Crashers

Sir John (Lord Lincoln) has promised his old friend and recently widowed Sir Guy (Baron Oxford) his youngest daughter Matilda’s hand in marriage. Distraught at the news and the idea of being married to Oxford (thrice widowed and 30 years her senior) Matilda has despatched one of her handmaidens to inform her one true love Sir Hugh (heir to the Baronry of Martins) of the impending nuptials. Knowing of Matilda’s true feelings, Lincoln has arranged imprisoned Matilda in the local church awaiting Oxford’s arrival for a hasty ceremony.

Receiving word, Sir Hugh quickly gathers his forces and with the help of his mentor Sir Geoffry, rushes to rescue Matilda.  Unbeknownst to Sir Hugh, Sir Geoffry has great hatred of Oxford and sees this as an opportunity to embarrass his foe, more than assist Sir Hugh’s romantic urges.

Table Setup

6’x4’ table with buildings, walled road and scatter based on above

Force A (Lincoln and Oxford)

Mission objectives:

  1. Prevent Matilda from leaving the church or escaping with Sir Hugh
  2. Kill or capture Sir Geoffry

Special Rules:

  1. Start with 2 units each on the table deployed up to 12” in from the Church table edge
  2. On the first turn must roll a D6 before activating a unit to enter from the table edge.  On a roll of 1 or 2 it can only deploy from the 2nd turn.

Force B (Sir Hugh and Sire Geoffry)

Mission objectives:

  1. Rescue Matilda and escort her off the opposite table edge to the church
  2. Kill or capture Baron Oxford

Matilda Special Rules

  1. Sir Hugh controls Matilda and her retinue and moves at the end of each Game Round. Marion has a movement of 8” (faster than her retinue)
  2. When in the church Matilda can be activated to leave the church by rolling a D6:
1 Scared and will not move
2-3Will move from door with less enemy troops, Sir Hugh may choose if unclear
4-5Leave from any door
6Any door and cannot be targeted next Game Round
  • Once over halfway the forces of Lincoln and Oxford may choose to target Matilda as an enemy with Shooting attacks
  • Matilda may leave her retinue of 4 Sergeants at any time
  • Matilda may join any Force B unit by moving into Unit Coherency with them
  • Force A may apprehend Matilda by using any action to move into Unit Coherency with her. If Matilda’s retinue is still in unit coherency with her, they will move to intercept and must be defeated first.

Victory Points

For each unit destroyed or flees the table:

  • Green 2pts
  • Irregular 3pts
  • Regular 4pts
  • Veteran 5pts
  • Commander 10pts

Lincoln’s Forces

  • Apprehends Matilda 10pts
  • Returns her to church 10pts

Oxford’s Forces

  • Oxford personally Kills Geoffry 10pts
  • Apprehends Matilda 10pts
  • Kills Marion in enemy table half 5pts

Sir Hugh’s Forces

  • Sir Hugh personally rescues Matilda 10pts
  • Escort Matilda of the table 10pts

Sir Geoffry’s forces

  • Sir Geoffry personally Kills Oxford 10pts
  • Sir Geoffry personal rescues Matilda 10pts
  • Escorts Marion of the table 10pts

The Forces

Baron Oxford (750 Pts)

  • BARON (MOUNTED) | Regular | Formidable, Holy Relic, Experienced Tactician | Barded Horse, Sword, Mail, Medium Shield | Banner
  • KNIGHTS(Mounted) (Regular) x5 | Barded Horse, Sword, Mail, Medium Shield 
  • SERJEANTS | Regular | x8 | Courageous | Sword, Padded, Medium Shield
  • BOWMEN | Regular | x6
  • BOWMEN | Regular | x6
  • SPEARMEN | Green | x6, Padded
  • SPEARMEN | Green | x6, Padded | Raise Shields | Spear, Padded, Medium Shield

Lord Lincoln (748 Pts)

  • LORD (MOUNTED) | Veteran | Cruelty | Horse, Sword, Mail, Medium Shield | Pennant
  • KNIGHTS (MOUNTED) | Regular | x4 | Horse, Sword, Mail, Medium Shield
  • SERJEANTS (MOUNTED) | Regular | x4 | Horse, Sword, Padded, Medium Shield
  • BOWMEN | Regular | x6
  • CROSSBOWMEN | Irregular | x6
  • SERJEANTS | Irregular | x5 | Falchion, Padded, Medium Shield
  • SPEARMEN | Irregular | x8 | Spear, Medium Shield, Padded
  • SPEARMEN | Green | x8 | Spear, Medium Shield

Baron Geoffry (747 pts)

  • BARON (MOUNTED) | Veteran | Horse, Sword, Mail, Medium Shield | Banner
    KNIGHTS (MOUNTED) | Regular | x6 | Horse, Sword, Mail, Medium Shield, Lance
  • BOWMEN | Regular | x6 | Bow, Padded
  • BOWMEN | Regular | x6 | Bow, Padded
  • KNIGHTS | Veteran | x6 | Sword, Mail, Large Shield
  • KNIGHTS | Regular | x6 | Two Handed Weapon, Mail

Baron Hugh (749pts)

  • BARON (MOUNTED) | Irregular |Follow Me, Open Up, Inspired Leader | Horse, Sword, Mail, Medium Shield | Banner, Musician, Priest
  • KNIGHTS (MOUNTED) | Regular | x3 | Open Up | Barded Horse, Sword, Mail, Medium Shield
  • SERJEANTS (MOUNTED) | Regular | x6 | Horse, Sword, Mail, Large Shield
    BOWMEN | Regular | x6
  • MILITANT MONKS | Green | x8
    CROSSBOWMEN | Veteran | x6
    SERJEANTS | Irregular | x6 | Spear, Padded, Large Shield
    LEVY | Green | x4 | Improvised Two Handed Weapon

Lady Matilda

  • SERJEANTS | Regular | x4 | Sword, Padded, Medium Shield

The Battle

Round One

In the early morning light, Sir Hugh and Sir Geoffry proceeded to march their forces onto the field of battle. Many became weary as they ran forward and then moved to secure cover within the woods and behind walls. From behind the church, Baron Oxford‘s retainers arose from their slumbers and made their way onto the field to await the orders of their lord. Lord Lincoln’s followers’ hungover from a hard night’s celebrating the impending wedding staggered on piecemeal.  Inside the church lady Matilda peered from the windows in trepidation.

Round Two
As his remaining men stubbled on to the battlefield he struggled to organise them for battle. Although subjected to withering fire from Sir Geoffry’s archers, Lincoln’s bowmen remained unscathed, albeit becoming a cork in the bottle of the men marshalling behind. The Monks from Sir Hugh’s local abbey, rushed forward down the road to entreat Lord Oxford to let true love run its course, falling to their knees and praying for God’s intervention in front of Oxford’s archers.

Emboldened by the pious brothers, the levy followed them and soon the road was blocked allowing Sir Hugh’s knights and Sergeants to proceed into the centre of the village unimpeded.  Sir Geoffry and his retinue trotted forward onto the church’s green with his foot knights running along behind.

First blood came from Sir Geoffry’s archers firing into Lord Lincoln’s archers who failed in their return fire.  Oxford’s archer’s downed two levy who stood firm knowing their lordship was right behind them. Seeing Geoffry’s men in the woods, Matilda was tempted to sprint from the church only for bodyguard to reign her in, knowing to do so meant certain recapture.

Round Three

Sir Hugh’s bowmen engaged Baron Oxford’s archers, forcing them on to the defensive. Enraged by the ungodly events unfolding before their eyes, the Monk’s charged Oxford’s archers only to be repulsed and subsequently attacked by Oxford’s sergeants.  God was with them and despite loosing two monks they remained strong.  Not wanting to be exposed to a charge from Sir Hugh and his knights, the sergeants consolidated back, whilst Baron Oxford secured on exit from the Church and his remaining men followed forward. Seeing an opening Sir Hugh’s mounted Sergeants charged over the low walls and attacked Oxford’s Bowmen who held them off with no loss, but opening the road for some brave, some might say foolhardy action from the remaining levy who ran forward into the breach to stave of the advance of Oxford’s spearmen. By now the exits from the church as Matilda was beginning to worry for her virtue.

Round Four

Desperate to save his love, Sir Hugh’s heart spurred his head into action to charge through the monks into Oxford’s sergeants. As an ‘infantry screen’ the monks survived the horses hooves unscathed and the knight’s ‘first charge’ caught the sergeants unaware, causing many casualties.  ‘Courageous’ to a man the Serjeants held strong as Sir Hugh and his knights broke through to ‘ride down’ on to the hapless spearmen trailing behind.

Despite only inflicting one casualty the charge cause disorder amongst Oxford’s men as his shouted commands went unheard in the din of the melee. Repositioning to avoid a potential charge from Oxford, Sir Hugh saw Sir Geoffry thunder into Lincoln’s bowmen, leaving them broken and charge onward into his sergeants who also took casualties.  Matilda as eyeing a run for it when suddenly fortune’s coin was flipped. Seizing the opportunity Oxfords bowmen charge and destroyed the remaining levy causing the sergeants morale to crumble as a inopportune time. 

Round Five

With Sir Hugh and Lord Lincoln both concentrated on rallying their broken units, Oxford seizes the chance to charge his enemy Sir Geoffry.  As Oxford’s knights are too close he doesn’t get the benefits of ‘first charge’ so Sir Geoffry opts to attack back and test his armour.  Thanks be to god, Sir Geoffry manages to win, and Oxford is repulsed leaving No quarter fighting sees Oxford’s sergeants and Sir Hugh’s monk dissolve and Oxford now has broken troops requiring his attention. This leaves Sir Hugh and Sir Geoffry time and space to consolidate their position and leaving a corridor for Matilda to escape through.  Alas the trampling hooves has raised so much dust that Matilda is too frightened to leave the church leaving an opportunity for Lincoln and Oxford to still force the marriage.

Round Six

Sir Hugh and Sir Geoffry win initiative!! Sir Geoffry loses his head and decides to charge Lord Lincoln and wins, breaking through and riding down into the crossbows behind and forcing their withdrawl.  This then leads the way open for Sir Hugh to charge in from another angle to wipe out the remaining knights accompanying Lord Lincoln, causing him to break and their riding on into Lincoln’s irregular spear.  

Sir Hugh consolidates in front of the church only to have Oxford and his knights charge through their infantry screen and smash into Sir Hugh (having needed and got a six on the strength of charge to make it in).

Thankfully Sir Hugh has one remaining action left go on the ‘defence’ and manages to save all defence and shield rolls (nb defending with barded horses and parry on shield rolls can be a saviour), bouncing Oxford and leaving space for Matilda to finally make her dash for freedom.

Sir Hugh consolidates in front of the church only to have Oxford and his knights charge through their infantry screen and smash into Sir Hugh (having needed and got a six on the strength of charge to make it in) who thankfully has one remaining action left and manages to save all defence and shield rolls (nb defending with barded horses and parry on shield rolls can be a saviour), bouncing Oxford and leaving space for Matilda to finally make her dash for freedom.

Round Seven

Lord Lincoln rallies and curses under this breadth as he sees Matilda sprinting towards here rescuing forces. Matilda’s sergeants left her to run and imposed themselves between their lady and Oxford.  Sir Geoffry’s knights set a defensive shieldwall and Sir Hugh seizes the opportunity to canter to Matilda’s side as the rest of Sir Geoffey’s men move forward.

After falling to rally his spearmen, Baron Oxford is charged by Sir Geoffey and his knights.  Ferocious fighting sees loses on both sides with Sir Geoffry breaking through once more and finding space in a sea of enemies. Weary and broken, Baron Oxford is caught unawares by Sir Hugh’s crossbowmen who have snuck into short range, killing his retainer and causing such injury to Oxford that his days of desiring a young bride have vanished for ever.  

With Oxford capture the battle is over.  Sir Hugh’s priest dismounts his horse and escorts the young lovers back to the church and presides over a battlefield wedding where a reluctant Lord Lincoln gives Matilda away and the young lovers married under the sight of God.