Campaign for the Kingdom: Battle of Sudley's Tavern

The sun arose to a cold, damp morning. Fog from the river coated the lowlands and lent a chill to the air. The denizens of Sudley's Tavern awoke to find armed and armored men on all sides. There would be battle this day.

The civil wars had finally come to this sheltered part of the kingdom. Horace, Duke of Dunharrow and claimant to the throne, was here to crush any opposition from Lionel, Baron of Stonekeep. After the last battle in the long Campaign for the Kingdom, Lionel had felt slighted after being publicly chastised by Horace for his losses in battle. Lionel had held his outnumbered flank bravely and at great cost to his personal retainers. He contacted the young, exiled son of his former enemy Ulric and marshalled his forces against Horace.

Horace was joined by Oswald and Roderick, sons of former claimants. Horace had their father's heads taken down from the capital's walls and returned in exchange fro aid in crushing Lionel.
The two sides faced each other that morning, with the town of Sudley's Tavern in the middle.
Lionel advanced slow and steady, Ulric only moving when it was clear Lionel's men were up for the fight.
Across the field Horace's men and commanders started and stopped. Charging and resting it fits of activity. The young commanders seemed to have little control over their men.
Lionel used the river to hold his left flank and engaged advance troops of Oswald the Younger. His arrows sent the enemy bowmen running, but couldn't budge Oswald's men at arms. Lionel's middle was held by mercenary pikes from Grunwald. A long distance peppering from Horace's archers sent them running. Now, there was gaping hole in the middle.
By now Ulric had won the race to Sudley's Tavern. What seemed like a small victory turned sour. Ulric's men were slowed down in the muddy streets of Sudley. They drove away Roderick's men only to be met by a shower of arrows.

Lionel tried desperately realigned his seperated forces but while he tried to rally his line was double teamed by Horace and Oswald. In a few minutes his troops were decimated.
 Lionel rode back and tried to rally the pikes, dumping the contents of his purse on the ground, hoping the mercenaries would respond. It was for not. Ulric's men, seeing Lionel ride off paniced. They too, were killed in the rout.

Horace would remain claimant to the throne.
This was another game where archery played a major role and it was a little one side. I've played this game maybe 50 times over the years and this has happened 1 or 2 times max. As Lionel, I lost. But it was still fun. New standings: