The new campaign brief

For those interested in the core brief that the players are working to, here it is.  Obviously, there are specific emails and later, I hope to reveal and publish some of the role play style email that we share, as well.

Campaign:    2^nd Hardican Civil War – 1608  :  Player Brief

Introduction

Hardica is a country somewhat like the UK in climate and peoples (Although a lot larger). So, it is temperate cool with maritime influences and the people range from celtic type, northerners from seagoing invasion, some more southerly continental and islanders.  From 644, they were ruled by a single king and although dynasty change did occur, the form of government varied little until the War of (Hardican) Succession from 1438-1442 when the growing role of the House of the People led to it beginning to wield some power.  During the years down to 1588, it contested with the monarch for certain rights and privileges.  In that year, the King, Henry VI (The Despot) dismissed the House, arresting fourteen key members and declared that the nation would revert to the constitution of King Simon I (The Scribe) of 1338.

Civil war followed.  Five long years of struggle and indecision followed before the House was victorious, led primarily by Charles Langley, Earl of Sedgewater, his second in the creation of the army, Lord Thomas Kirby, Marquess of Raffham,  Sir Ralph Hopton, Earl of Shellborough and Lord Patrick Stirling, Earl Stewart.

Five more years have passed but life has not been smooth. The House, with a Lords Council as its control, has wrangled and delayed with leadership shifting often. Finally, frustrated by the apparent failure to make headway after sending the king into exile, the key political figures coalesced into two factions, one believing that a Lord President should ead rhe council with king-like powers to balance the house and to rule from day to day. This faction is headed by Charles Langley who has been proposed as Lord President.  The other, appalled by the idea of restoring a king after the pain of removing one is led by Sir Thomas Kirby. They believe the House ought to have all the power with an elected council that is within the house led by one man but whose power is limited by the vote of his council and ultimately by the house.

The Brief

You are one of the lead figures in the conflict. The email to which this is attached will give you a character and background, known friends and faction, starting base and any other information.  You may change faction if you wish but you should have good reason and it is liable to lose you all your friends.

Your aim is to ensure that your faction wins the war. You don’t have to kill the opposition, after all, they were your friends, once.  You need to neutralise their ability to wage war.

If a main character is killed or captured, a new one will take over that faction (you will nominate which of your captains will take up the general’s hat).  You are only effectively out of the game if you cannot raise points and maintain a force any further in which case, you can only play a political role, thereafter.

Raising and Maintaining Troops & Movement

You start with 20 points of supply.  Your base will be sent on the email and will be worth so much from the 2^nd round onwards. At the outset, you can raise men from your base settlement but it has a limit (see table attached) of men it can raise in a time period (12 turns).  Once it has raised its limit, it can raise no more until 12 turns have elapsed. After that, it may be possible to revisit.  So for example, a 6 point settlement can raise a maximum of 6 points/turn and support a maximum of 6 points for the next 12 turns so perhaps it will raise a cavalry unit in turn 1 (6/4 ongoing) then in turn 2, a mixed foot unit (3/2 ongoing).  That is now 6 per turn, its maximum capacity in available men.

The following are the main costs;

Pike Unit (300-350 men)                     costs 2 to raise             costs 1 to maintain/turn

Musket Unit (250-300 men)                costs 3 to raise             costs 2 to maintain/turn

Scout Cavalry (150 men)                     costs 5 to raise             costs 4 to maintain/turn

Standard Cavalry (150 men)                costs 6 to raise             costs 4 to maintain/turn

Mixed Foot (50-50 Pike & Shot)                      costs 3 to raise             costs 2 to maintain/turn

Guns can only be bought when offered for sale.  

Other units will be offered at specific prices when the game is in progress.

Movement

Each map square is 50kmx50km.  Foot can march about 15-20miles/day even at top rate. Cavalry can easily double that. Messages have to be conveyed by riders or footmen so communications might be slow. You can devise other ways to send messages that fall in 17thc parameters.  Typically, an army will take 3 days to cross 1 square on the road (brown lines) Off-road you can halve that speed.

Rivers can only be crossed at fording points and bridges.  Light blue shows navigable river (by ship) The darker mid blue is still unfordable water.

You can choose to create supply points with points left in them.  Otherwise, to maintain your army, you must be able to trace an open route to your current base.  Changes of base are allowed but could be at loss of some points of supply abandoned to the enemy or wasted.  Keeping open routes to supply is important. An army going a turn unsupplied will lose some morale. At the end of a second turn unsupplied, units will start rolling to disband.

Supply Carts – Can travel at 25km/day carrying 10 points of supply per wagon train.  To purchase the carts for such a train costs 3 points and it costs 1 point to use each trip. The owning player must state where the wagons are stationed at any time.  Once a train has moved off, that supply is not cut off by the loss of a route to base.

Ship Supply – Ships can be hired to take supply from any point where the river is light blue around the coast and to another similar point.  A supply convoy can carry 20 points of supply and costs 5 points to hire.

Initial Deployment

Your first move is to spend what you wish of your 20 points on raising troops and to declare where they are deployed. It is best to operate about 3-4 units, balanced 50-50 pike and musket together plus maybe 2 cavalry before breaking up forces into smaller designations.   Cavalry can be sent to scout with orders that cover 1 or more turns of movement.

Messengers cost nothing to send but you are limited to 1 messenger per active unit that you have.  So, if you have 2 pike, 2 musket and 2 std cavalry, you will have 4 foot messengers and 2 riders available plus 1 rider (you always have one courier on your personal staff.)

You may order any number of units to march together. If they encounter enemy they will automatically adopt best tactical positions and fight.  The level of leadership decisions and troop morale will depend on previous encounters and leadership levels established (by me by draw of card when the officer is first appointed.)  Experience and success increases quality.   At the start, all troops will be “green” with a morale of 2 apart from one unit, your own guard who will have fought in the last war and will be rated 5 and experienced.  Your main leader is also a 5 level general.

If you choose to send your main leader in command, you must state that is the case.

End of Turn

At the end of a turn, we will check the total points you have left, what points you have gained by conquest and your new supply level. Against that will be checked your current army strength and points needed to supply it. That will give a balance over at the end of the turn or a deficit.  You can then issue the next orders, bearing in mind the importance of re-supply where that has become an issue.

Supply Values of Main Settlements

Settlement	Supply Value	Other Notes
The Shrive	25	Main Capital (inside gates) plus Shrive Castle. (One off – gun stored)
St Pauls	10	Part of the Capital, Sir Henry Tremayne(K), Sir William Stanton(L)
Halton	10	Part of the Capital, Sir Bryndham Hale (L), Sir Nigel Hartwell(L)
Frinton	10	Part of the Capital Sir Jeremy Morley(K),  Sir Thomas Hall(L)
Barfold	10	Sir Francis Manderley, Sir Walter McBride
Minster Stowell	10	Sir Francis Haddingley (L), Sir George Marks(K)
Musgrave Sands	5	Sir Jocelyn Melville
Redthorpe	15	Plus Redthorpe Castle – one off gun stored, Sir James Spencer
Blackport	12	+Blackport Castle.,  Sir Henry Vines, Earl of Westmoor
Hornborough	15	+Hornborough Castle, Sir Fengrove Parry, Earl of Easthold
Eden Wells	10	Sir Percival Blake
Tynwater	5	Sir Henry Douglas
Middlehampton	10	Sir Edmund Butler
Little Hampton	4	Sir Samuel Butler
Hampton on the Hill	6	Sir William Butler, Sir Richard Fox-Barton
Minton	10	Sir John Braxton (L)
Stanport	12	Sir Thomas & Sir Edward Byrne, Sir Hugh Morton
Breymouth	12	Sir Frederick Willoughby
Newchurch	10	Sir Geoffrey Morton (L)
Meadmore	8	Sir Giles Somerville
Coles Moor	5	Sir Duncan Farringley(K)
Stanton Brimard	12	Sir Clive Camberwell (K)
Winchurch	15	Sir Edward Cooper
Malsbury	12	Sir Welland Baker
Penfield	12	+Penfield Castle,  Sir Pelham St John Devereux,  Sir Miles Wolfden
St Martins	10	Preacher John Cobb
Lodenbridge	6	Sir Hadleigh Moore-Fenton
Farren Mill	5	Sir Lyall Wetherick(K)
Stourwold	8	Sir Paxton Gilbert
Wendlemore	12	Sir Owen Kentigern(K)
Candleridge	4	Sir James Fitzpatrick
Edenwood	8	+Edenwood Castle (Part Ruined), Sir Stafford Le Grange
Shellford	6	Sir Nicholas Beresford
Rivenbridge	7	Sir Arthur Laidlaw(L) (Riven Glen)
Rivenford	5	Sir Brendell Sullivan
Lodenvale	8
Medbridge	6	Earl of Northmoor, Sir Edmund Beresford
Maidenpool	8	Sir Christopher Seymour
Greysby	6	Sir William Barrett (L), Sir Wallace Campbell (L), Sir Connal Murray(K)
Chelby	6	Sir Edward Makepeace,
Turnwall	8	+Part walled town defence
Wilcombe	10	Sir Landon Fitzwalter
Albridge	3
Warboys	6	+Warboys Hall, seat of Lord Hopton (Ralph, Earl Shellborough)
Raffham	6	+Raffham Hall, seat of Lord Kirby (Thomas, Marquess Raffham)
Kenwick	8	+Kenwick Burgh, seat of Lord Stewart (Patrick Sterling)
Brindley	6	+ Brindley Hall, seat of Earl of Sedgewater  (Sir Charles Langley)
Renwick	8	Duke of Cambernauld, Sir Robert Campbell
Farlowe	8	Earl of Farchester, Sir Edward Grey

*The above table may be updated from time to time with a windfall or new level of supply which will be highlighted when it is sent out.  Also if any other settlements are introduced which have become significant.