Tuesday 17 November 2020

Preparing for war! Dungborough 1471



It is early 1471 and England is in turmoil. The stability of Henry VI’s position as King is under threat with open Yorkist intention and conspiracy fermenting. Increasing instability across most regions is giving witness to rivalry and contest between local families, with their private armies, clashing and raising tensions even further. 


Dungborough falls under the control of Lord Darcy, who has Lancastrian leanings and is pro King Henry. He is starting to get reports that Yorkist supporter, Lord Trebian, is assembling his forces in the neighbouring district of West Rottingham.


Darcy, with good reason, suspects that Trebian intends to strike at the Parish of Piggy Longton. The taxes on local estates have just been collected and are presently held at the Merchant’s House in Piggy Longton. This money is due to be transferred to Darcy’s Manor, with a significant proportion destined to then be sent onward for King Henry, who is in desperate need of tax revenue for his War Chest. Trebian no doubt intends to intercept that money.


Darcy has already sent out heralds to various parishes, with a call to arms for his men to assemble at Piggy Longton. His mounted household have been sent out scouting to the west, to get early warning of any enemy movement.





With the enemy expected to attack across Smoggy Bank Bridge to advance on Piggy Longton, both forces will be concentrating their troops around the area highlighted in blue (above).


With preparations underway, a contingent of billmen have been posted to guard the treasury at the Merchant’s House in Piggy Longton and ox pulled carts have been sent to collect the taxes and get them safely out of the parish.





Posted to guard the Merchants House (above). These men will fight to the last, rather than see their hard earned taxes stolen by the rebels.





Ox and Cart (above), readying to get the taxes out of the Merchants House and out of the parish, to the safety of Lord Darcey's manor.





Mounted cavalry (above) rushing back over the bridge with news of the first enemy sightings. Their indecent haste suggests that the Yorkists are quite close.





A friendly Column of Earl of Tredington’s contingents (above) are coming in to the Parish on the road from the south, passing Beacan Farm and leaving them a few chickens lighter.





Friar Evian (above) greets a newly arrived contingent outside the tavern. Blocking the doorway to the tavern, he dissuades them of drinking, giving them his best and most fearsome Fire and Brimstone talking to, before sending them on their way to do duty by their Lordship.


With the Yorkist advance, pressing ever nearer to Piggy Longton, will the taxes be saved?


There should soon be a full report of events in the Dungborough Chronicles!


RESOURCE SECTION


A full description of the Piggy Longton Parish can be found in this earlier post. LINK

http://battlefieldswarriors.blogspot.com/2020/10/a-battlefield-to-fight-over-often.html


33 comments:

  1. A great bit of background fluff to the game and love the fact that the action is taking place within an area of the map. All good stuff and looking forward to the AAR and more of the same:)

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  2. Wonderful figures and pictures...Sounds great!

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    1. Thanks Phil, some more of the same due I hope :-)

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  3. Thanks Steve, a lot of fun to move around the terrain and play with the camera for a bit. An order of battle has built up around a few fictitious characters and it will be interesting to seen how 'this nobility' get on!

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  4. A splendid aperitif for things to come. Love your place names all so very English.

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  5. Thanks Phil, I’ve even got myself looking forward to it now :-)

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  6. Oh Norm splendid stuff ....table looking fantastic and I so want to start my WOTR project. Looking forward to the encounter !

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  7. Thanks Matt, good to see you getting drawn into ‘another’ project :-)

    Campfires are lit and blades are being sharpened for the hard fight on the Morrow!

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  8. The stage is set! Super photos, Norm!

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  9. Thanks Jonathan, I hope to press another unit and leader across the painting table to take up their posts!

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    1. Looking forward to the new figures!

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    2. I have been enjoying some of the research for these. I have the metal figure ‘Longstrother’ from the Perry foot leaders pack. At first I thought he was a churchman and needed some info to try and get a flag for him. Turns out he is Sir John Langstrother (d.1471), Treasurer of England, but also Prior to the Knights of St. John, with links to the Knights Hospitaller. Anyway, for colours, I have found a white cross on a red background to be a likely candidate. I quite like all that kind of stuff.

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  10. Nice narrative leading into the game and the units are looking splendid.

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    1. Thanks Peter, doing a bit of research as well has been part of the overall fun.

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  11. Lovely build up to the main event! The merchants house is excellent!
    Best Iain

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  12. Thanks Iain, It is a Conflix building, but the box has the Bachmann brand name on there, so it looks like they either own or have commissioned some pieces. I have a couple of other buildings in the series.

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  13. Great looking table and narrative. Is Frire Evian a conversion? Or a regular model?

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  14. Hi, thanks. Friar Evian is the ‘Longstrother’ leader from the Perry Lancastrian foot leaders pack. I used him for the shot and storyline, but am now moving him on to a leader base as Sir John Langstrother together with a part armoured standard bearer, using the Knights of St. John flag (white cross on a red background).

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    1. Thanks! I thought I recognized him. Just don't remember the armored arms. Great idea by the way. And a way to have a more, "unique" character.

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  15. Brilliant, this is gaming at its best. Love the ‘fluff’ back story and photos to me all add to the end product just wish I had the imagination to create a Piggy Langton 😀

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  16. Great stuff Norm, I will be following the progress with interest mate. When I complete some more mad war figures I will be putting together a campaign myself .

    Cheers
    Matt

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  17. Thanks Matt, I have been following your blog and enjoyed the shots of your local battlefield. Look forward to your campaign thoughts. This is the third slice of action to fall out of the bigger parish map and hopefully, with differing orientations, it will give up a lot more actions in the future.

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  18. Nice looking stuff and a very enjoyable read.

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    1. Thanks, I am enjoying this table and hope that as battle unfolds, it continues to interest.

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  19. Wonderful narrative Norm, had me smiling all the way through it :) Shame the Friar dissuaded the guys from drinking in the Tavern, a bit of 'Dutch Courage' can work wonders! Looking forward to the action.

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  20. Thanks Lee, glad you enjoyed it, I think the Friar was worried there wouldn’t be any booze left for him! He is rather well armoured for a friar .... I think he has some surprises for us :-)

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  21. I think the internet are my earlier comment, so I’ll say it again!
    Lovely job setting up the scenario! It was fun to read and I liked the pics of the little vignettes. It also looks like your map is working as intended to generate the terrain for the game table. 😀

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    1. Thanks Stew, the semi 'imaginations' aspect allows for a bit of fun. I think this map is going to be more functional than I even thought from the outset.

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  22. Great to see your first outing on the "battlefield for all seasons/ages" and look forward to reading what eventuates!

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  23. Hi Keith, is has sent my painting desk into overdrive! :-)

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  24. Great photos Norm, the figures do look the part.

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  25. Thanks Ray, there is much to enjoy. I hope to move to the action over the next couple of days.

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Thanks for taking the time to comment