Chronicle of Holinwood, Or, The Triales ande Travailes of Adam of Englonde ande His Tudor Dogges of Warre

     Welcome to yet another rabbit trail series of blog posts about yet another band of brothers for another wonderful wargame by Osprey (really I should rename this blog the Osprey's Nest or something!), En Garde! A swashbuckling ruleset of superb caliber with (like all Osprey rulesets) great flexibility in how you create your own warband as well as what time period you prefer. Though the general theme of the book is from the mid 1500's all the way to the mid 1700's, the rules are flexible and generic enough to allow for a band of dueling German Junkers from the 1880's (The Prisoner of Zenda anyone?) or, as in my case, a band of English Dogs of War (also pirates!) from the 1480's.

     My latest warband (made from the dust collecting boxes of European Mercenarieas and Wars of the Roses Infantry by Perry miniatures that I've had for a couple of years now.) is a roving band of mercenaries and ne'er do wells from the south of England (and some from Scotland.) recently put out of work by the victory of Henry Tudor at Bosworth Field putting an end to the Wars of the Roses. As Lancastrians (for the most part. Henry of Bristol and his crew of pirates were mostly Yorkists, and with their arrest and the confiscation of their ship, the carrack "Flemish Devil", Henry is the odd man out among the group. Along with them are of course some Scots who were hired by the Yorkists as well, namely one Jamie MacDonald, currently on the run from the law.)

Meet the Tudor War Dogges:

 

 

Adam of Somerset. Son of a yeoman farmer, Adam made his fortune in the recent war fighting for the Tudor cause. With the end of the war, Henry disbanded many of the mercenaries in his employ to keep costs down. So Adam must find work abroad if he is to support his farm and household. With him are a company of huntsmen and archers from his farm, wild companions whom he led in the War.

 

 

 

Ralph the Liar. A former man of the cloth, Ralph loved the riches of the earth more than those of heaven. He also lusted after women more than he lusted for chanting in the cloister. His true name is Ralph Holinwood and he is also the author of the rather spurious Manuscript #413, the "Chronikle of Holinwood" currently held in the library at Bracton College, Cambridge.

 

 

Henry of Bristol, Captain of the "Flemish Devil". His ship was confiscated by King Henry and his Yorkist crew locked up in the tower. The ship was rechristened by Henry as the "Grace Mary". Captain Henry seeks to correct this misnomer and get his ship and crew back somehow. Perhaps a raid on the Tower?

 

 

Jamie MacDonald of MacDonald, a Scot. Currently on the run from several angry innkeepers. Something about unpaid bills and their daughters.... He's the bastard son of John of Islay, Lord of the Isles. He seeks to build a fortune of his own and return to Scotland to establish himself as head of his own clan.

 

The "Flemish Devil", an artist's representation.

 

An illumination of the "Flemish Devil" attacking a merchant vessel in the Chronicle of Holinwood.