Punish the Village

Our second pre-SELWG game was a medieval skirmish.  The Peasants are revolting (aren't they always?) and the Lord is taking his retinue to punish them for their temerity.  I had command of the vanguard and gleefully charged my knights over the bridge with our surcoats flapping and the sun glinting off our armour - straight into the pits which had been dug on the far side!

Two of my knights went down and whilst the others managed to pull up before the pits they then cam under a hail of crossbow fire.  Obviously the villagers were not only prepared but had some help (from seven mercenaries it transpired - I think you can see whether this might be going...)

We advanced into the village with one of my rather impetuous knights trying to charge down some of the villagers.

He turned the corner to be faced by a barricade - which he jumped majestically - only to find himself alone and cut off from the rest of my troops.  Of course he was then mobbed, pulled from his horse and came to a sticky end.

The Lord and remainder of the retinue followed across the bridge somewhat more cautiously.

My remaining mounted knights rode on through the village and found some carts blocking the other main thoroughfare.  These were easily pulled apart and they advanced.

The villagers scattered once again and my knights pursued them into an alley where they tried to make a stand (somewhat more successfully than I was expecting!)

The remainder of my men on foot advance to the first barricade and encountered some rather better armoured and skilled opposition than we had been anticipating.  Meanwhile the villagers attempted to ambush my soldiers who were starting to fire their houses.  One of the villagers attacked one of my knights and was almost cut in half and the remainder were soon chased off and a couple of houses set ablaze.

With the Lord and his knights advancing on the left flank and my knights having pushed through the alley the mercenaries were near to being surrounded.  With a couple of their number having been killed they decided to withdraw and the day was ours - although with rather more casualties than we would have liked!