Lion Rampart. Penarth (Wales, UK) Normans vs locals.

 

Penarth has an active wargame club that holds at least one event each year.  If anyone wants to take this and run it there, please do!

About 1980 (I'm guessing) my old reenactment society, the British Plate Armour Society, opened a Motte and Bailey themed playground structure on the headland.

I remember a huge thunderstorm and everyone trying not to be the highest whilst wearing chainmail and waggling metal weapons.  Wet new wood and leather soled boots.

The local archery club put blunts on their normal, wood, field arrows (conical, with studs, will take down a fox), they shot clout into a depression.  Well that was the plan, but once the fighting started they got a bit "enthusiastic"  resulting in me getting hit on the ear whilst wearing a Norman style helmet.  Fortunately my lobe split rather than a burst eardrum.  There was a lot of claret.  I was out on my feet, a very strange feeling.

HUGE bonfire using up all the leftover construction timber.  I wonder now if we were supposed to do that?

This was pre internet so we got the plot from the county archeologist:  While the local lord was away fighting other Welsh, the Normans turned up and organised the locals to throw up a Motte & Bailey.  Local comes back and is miffed "get orf my land!" in Welsh.  For some reason these native chaps seem to think they own the land just because they've lived there a few thousand years!

This was bit of a rush job to fill a gap.  My plan was to use 4 armies straight out of the rule book (that I'd used before) and run scenarios.  Then I got to thinking that here was the makings!  I've added the forces used for the 2 battles.

History and plot! Lifted from the local history pages:  PENARTH is a parish about 4 miles from Cardiff. This place derives its name from two Welsh words "Pen" a head, and "Garth" a ridge. 

In the year 1088 the Normans landed at Penarth, and marched under the leadership of Robert Fitzhamon, to Hirwaun Wrgant*, in company of Jestyn's, (the last Prince of Glamorgan), army, against the Prince of South Wales, Rees ap Tewdwr** whom they defeated. 

Norman + Anglo Norman (HI)  vs 2x Welsh

The treacherous Jestyn refused to fulfil his promise to Einon, a Welsh chieftain, who went to London for him to engage the Normans.  

Fitzhamon's troops returned to Penarth. Einon went to Penarth Hill and made a signal.  Fitzhamon landed and attacked Jestyn who was with his army at the Heath near Cardiff; the Normans were victorious and the whole county was conquered. 

Norman vs Anglo Norman or Welsh.

Robert Fitzhamon kept the lordships of Cardiff, Dinas Powis and Kenffig in his own hands.

GOT or WOT? https://website.hirwaunhistorical.org.uk/history/hirwaun-timeline/the-battle-of-hirwaun/

If you have early medievals, a few Normans and Vikings you can have an excellent multi player GOT style campaign.

** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhys_ap_Tewdwr

The Forces Thus Gathered:

Normans				3x Cav. Crossbow. Skirmisher.= 24p
6p Elite Cav  6		Move 7+ 10”		Attack 5+  Attack V 3+ Defence V 5+
Courage 3+ Armour 4				Wild Charge. 5+  Counter Charge 7+
4p Crossbow  12		Move 6+ 6”		Attack 7+  Attack V 6+ Defence V 5+
Courage 4+ Armour 2		Shoot 7+ 4+ 18”
2p Skirmishers  6		Move 5+ 8”		Attack 7+  Attack V 6+ Defence V 6+
Courage 5+ Armour 1		Shoot 7+ 5+ 12”		Hard to target. Arm 2-12”   Skirmish/Evade7+.
Anglo Norman				2 elite cavalry OR Elite Inf.  2 HI, 2 Sk. = 24
4p    HI   12		Move 5+ 6”		Attack 6+  Attack V 5+ Defence V 4+
Courage 4+  Armour 3				Wall Of Spears
18p Elite Cav  6		Move 7+ 10”		Attack 5+  Attack V 3+ Defence V 5+
Courage 3+ Armour 4				Wild Charge. 5+  Counter Charge 7+

6p Elite Infantry   6		Move 5+ 6”		Attack 5+  Attack V 3+ Defence V 4+
Courage 3  Armour 4				Normal attack/defence in rough.

  Welsh  1HC  3LI Jav OR Warrior infantry 3 Skirmishers = 24

One Welsh army.  I ran out of troops!  Not only have I failed to do any more painting.   Although the cavalry are the same I used for Rohan, so some are finished.  I got a bit load planning to do a multi side not-Robyn The Hoode campaign, but there was no enthusiasm. 

The rules allow javelin (pointy stikke)  to make Wall of Spears making these very cost effective - don't get close!

4p Heavy Cav   6		Move 5+ 10”		Attack 5+  Attack V 4+ Defence V 5+
Courage 4  Armour 3		No shoot		Countercharge

4P LI Javelin 12		Move 5+ 8”		Attack 6+  Attack V 5+ Defence V 4+
Courage 4+ Armour 2		Shoot 6+ 5+ 6”		Wall of Spears

2p Skirmishers  6		Move 5+ 8”		Attack 7+  Attack V 6+ Defence V 6+
Courage 5+ Armour 1		Shoot 7+ 5+ 12”		Hard to target. Arm 2-12”   Skirmish/Evade7+.

4p  Warrior Inf 12		Move 6+ 8”		Attack 5+  Attack V 3+ Defence V 6+
Courage 4+  Armour 2				Flexible. Wild Charge.5+   Counter charge vs Infantry

Revolting Peasants 2, 3 LI, 3 Levied,  2  skirmishers

4p  Warrior Inf 12		Move 6+ 8”		Attack 5+  Attack V 3+ Defence V 6+
Courage 4+  Armour 2				Flexible. Wild Charge.5+   Counter charge vs Infantry

3P LI 12		Move 5+ 8”		Attack 6+  Attack V 5+ Defence V 4+
Courage 4+ Armour 2				Wall of Spears

1P Levied Fyrd 12		Move 6+ 6”		Attack 7+  Attack V 6+ Defence V 6+
Courage 5+ Armour 1

2p Skirmishers  6		Move 5+ 8”		Attack 7+  Attack V 6+ Defence V 6+
Courage 5+ Armour 1		Shoot 7+ 5+ 12”		Hard to target. Arm 2-12”   Skirmish/Evade7+.

Apologies.  Life, illness and doing has meant that I've let my blog posting slip.  Must do better.  Plus a new cheap phone - bad move.

We did the main game twice, all on a 4x4 table.  First Stephen and me.  I did what was common later, the Norman lord put his potentially unreliable ally in the front.  Stephen's Welsh formed a defensive crescent except for his far right, he sent skirmishers  into the rough and a LI infantry unit behind it heading for Penarth.  See below.  The crossbow did wipe out one skirmish unit, but consistently failed to move or shoot.  My skirmishers held the town, or at least the pub---.

A cavalry unit got sucked in and spat out.  But a second ploughed through, wiping out a unit of skirmishers once they were through the other side and threatening one general.

I pounded the centre of the line, hoping to break through but lost both generals and morale collapsed.

Second game was me with the Normans again vs Easton and Matt taking 1 Welsh each which is legal past Shrewsbury.  They adopted a tighter line formation and ignored the rough & town completely.  My mistake was in expecting a similar game to the first and putting my skirmishers and crossbow on the flank.  If I'd put them in the centre and concentrated on taking down the skirmishers?   My infantry slogged forward, broke one unit for loss of the allied general. My cavalry managed to wipe out some skirmishers  but the tactic of ducking behind the lines which could then pelt with javelins finished me off.

Penarth, (from second game) the rough and encroaching Anglo-Norman force, plus the skirmishers and crossbow from the Normans.

 

Those took about 2-3 hours each.  That left us with time for 2 quick 3 ways and away at a decent time.

I tried a Revolting Peasant army plus Easton with Anglo Norman with cavalry and Matt with plain Normans

I was the tip of the V with a light wood in the middle, dense scrub to the left and a rough wood to my right.  I sent my skirmishers into the wood, but they got shot - A lucky shot from the skirmishers on my warriors killed the general and my morale collapsed.  What was left tried to keep out of the way of the damned crossbow!

The Normans advanced in a relentless tide.  Once they had control of the central wood it was all over!