This account is from the Britania campaign from the Kingdoms expansion pack. I played as the English with difficulty very hard/ very hard. To make things more interesting, I am also not allowed to adopt any men into the family – my family tree must consist of pure descendants.

It is the summer of 1258. King Henry, sitting in the Tower in London, sighs as he surveys the map of Britain. At a glance, all is going well – most of the British Isles is painted red, proof of his ancestor’s successful conquests.

Yet all is not going as well as it first appears; from across the sea Maurice Fitzgerald, England’s governor of Ireland reports growing unrest, as a new King has united the rebel tribes which are now pressing in on the English holdings. To the north, the Scots are making trouble again, while there are reports of landings from one of England’s oldest enemies, the fearsome Nordic warriors from across the seas. Luckily, they appear to be threatening only each other at the moment, but an invasion from the north would dangerously overstretch England’s armies. More worrying are the reports of a new Welsh king, who has already caused several uprisings – if England is to finally achieve complete domination in the British Isles, the insubordinate Welsh must quickly be taught a lesson. Yet as Henry ponders these distant threats to his throne, he is aware of one far closer to home – the Barons are plotting, despite the recent example made of Simone de Montefort. He must be careful to keep his Generals in check, lest they grow ideas above their station.
While his daughter Beatrice begins a long journey north to negotiate a marriage with the Scots to protect his northern border, Henry orders Prince Edward to march towards Wales, where an army is gathering around the banner of his able friend, Alan la Zouche. The London merchants are also dispatched to trade wool and silver from farther afield.

1259: Alan la Zouche has gathered a small, elite army on the river bordering North Wales, but is waiting for reinforcements before commencing an invasion. In the meantime, Prince Edward is making good speed towards South Wales, where he aims to meet up with local troops before striking at the economic heart of Wales, the large city of Montgomery.

Yet even as his armies mobilise to bring Wales back under control, messengers come from across the sea bringing news of riots in his Irish cities to Henry; yet with the treasury occupied with the armies moving in on Wales, Henry has no resources to send to the struggling Fitzgerald. Reluctantly, even as he sends a message to Fitzgerald demanding that he hold his lands at all cost, he decides that Wales is the priority - even if it means the loss of most of Ireland.

1260: there is chaos on the Welsh border, as Edward demands an irate Alan to put off his invasion and march as quickly as possible to aid him in his siege of Montgomery, leaving behind a small force to guard the English border. The King secretly agrees with Alan that his son already has an adequate army to deal with the small garrison, yet does not want to humiliate his son – he does not want to make his son’s job any harder after his own death by destroying his authority. He sends a message demanding that la Zouche is to unquestioningly follow all of his son’s orders, yet secretly worries about his son’s courage when faced with sheer stone walls and the fierce reputation of their upstart King, who by a stroke of fortune has been trapped in the city.

Several weeks later, as the la Zouche hurries to reinforce Edward’s besieging army, Henry hears depressing rumours from Ireland. After writing to Maurice demanding to know what is happening, he receives a reply seven months later. Maurice writes that, apart from the lands around the castle of Trim, all of Ireland is now rising up against English rule. Yet he assures Henry that he is besieging Dublin, and hopes to regain some control over the next two years, although he is in great need of support from the mainland.

Fuming, Henry damns Maurice’s incompetence – although loyal, he is not good for much, and certainly not talented enough to quell the Irish rebellion – even Dublin, the first town to fall to the English centuries ago has been lost! He debates sending an able General over there, but decides that Maurice will just have to hold out until Wales is back under control.

1261: Good news reaches Henry from Wales – Edward has amassed a mighty army and has finally decided to launch an assault on Montgomery. However, a spy reports that a large Welsh army is rushing to support the city, so Henry hopes that his son will not suffer too many casualties in capturing the city.

The Siege of Montgomery:

As the English army draws up before the intimidating stone walls of the city, Henry contemplates the battle to come. The stakes are high – he stands to capture the main Welsh city, and kill their upstart king – yet King Llywelyn is a legendary general, and a Welsh victory here would inspire further support for the Welsh and leave England open to an invasion.
The Barons back home are subdued only by force, and should the Welsh triumph, his future as King could be under threat.

After a rousing speech to his army, the Prince splits his force into two halves; the main force, under his command, will stage a frontal assault with ladders and siege towers, while Alan la Zouche leads some men to capture the western walls. Once the gates are captured, he plans to storm in with his heavy cavalry and attack the square from two sides.

The plan works well, as despite great leadership the Welsh our desperately outclassed and outnumbered. Both Henry and la Zouche manage to capture the walls after a bloody battle, and the heavy cavalry then stream into the city, running down the fleeing Welsh as they charge the square. King Llywelyn makes a bold stand, personally killing five of Henry’s retainers before Henry himself runs him through.

It is a great victory, and the Welsh scum will now cower as they hear of the death of their hero and the fall of their city – it seems their days of independence are numbered.

Henry is pleased to hear that his son has exterminated the city – the show of force will hopefully make future resistance unlikely, and it is good that Edward understands how to use fear effectively – a reputation can be as great as an army when it comes to battles. After the slaughter, Prince Edward marches onward with a small force, capturing an unmanned Welsh fort in the path of the oncoming army – it seems the victory has given him confidence. Meanwhile, Alan la Zouche is left to help govern the city and restore the strength of the army.

A few weeks later, news reaches London that Fitzgerald had commenced the assault on Dublin.

The Siege of Dublin:
Determined to prove his worth to his King, Fitzgerald decides to make an example of Dublin, in the hope of reasserting control over Ireland. Despite his ineptitude when commanding an army, his confidence grows when words reach the English that their opponents are led by an incompetent madman.
Fitzgerald deploys his main force facing the western gate into the city, while a small force prepares to assault the southern gate. As the trumpets call the advance, he is delighted to see that the Irish rebels have deployed most of their strength to meet his southern attack, leaving only a meagre force against his main attack. To conserve men, he decides to postpone the southern attack as his main force advances – the Irish cannot move to reinforce the west for fear of his smaller army taking the south gate, so his plan is to effectively remove the vast bulk of the Irish army from the battle by forcing them to guard against any attack from the south.

As the bulk of the army begins the advance, the catapults start firing upon the walls.

The gate is almost down when burning oil floods down on the English ram, setting it alight and sending the Irish mercenaries manning it to a fiery grave. It is ironic, thinks Maurice, that the heavy casualties so far have been sustained by Irish locals, who die fighting their brothers as they try to bring their homeland back under foreign rule – it appears the Irish give allegiance to money more than honour.

In exasperation, he orders the catapults to begin firing on the gate, whose cracks promise a glorious way into the city.

More Irish mercenaries begin scaling ladders to the left of the gate, while to the right a group of English knights prepare their ladders. Reports come from across the city that the Irish are moving men from the south wall to reinforce the west; in response, Maurice orders the siege tower forwards, while urging his men to hurry before the reinforcements arrive to bolster the enemy defences.
To his surprise, the Irish mercenaries are the first to rout the defenders from the walls, and while chasing them down manage to capture the gatehouse. Seconds later, the gate is destroyed as a well-aimed shot from the catapults brings the timbers crashing down. Screaming “FOR SAINT GEORGE AND THE KING”, Maurice leads his retinue into the city, followed by a horde of spearmen. However, his elation is short-lived.
Irish heavy infantry block the path to the city centre, and wielding their axes two-handedly make mincemeat of Maurice’s armoured bodyguard. At the forefront, trying to lead his men through the stubborn resistance, Maurice is suddenly hauled from his horse and butchered. As the last of his bodyguard flee, the path becomes the site of a bloody melee between the English armoured spearmen and the Irish, who hack each other down over the fallen general.

Leaderless, the spearmen continue the fight, but it is clear that they will soon be overrun by the Irish. Yet even as it seems the day is lost, shouts carrying across the city bring evidence of an impending victory, as knights and spearmen rush in from the south through the captured gate, heading straight for the plaza.

Yet it seems that fate was against the English on this day. For as the knights rushed forwards, they became surrounded by Irish axemen, and were promptly massacred. The spearmen following were then attacked from two sides, and took heavy casualties. So although the English had the plaza in their sights, they were exhausted, demoralised men greatly reduced in number who finally charged in.

Without the leadership of their general, the few stubborn Irish remaining routed them, resulting in a humiliating defeat for the English.

When news of the defeat reached London, King Henry was outraged. The near annihilation of his army in Ireland and the death of Fitzgerald meant that he was in danger of losing all of Ireland! He had always suspected Fitzgerald of incompetence, and the defeat proved it, although Maurice had paid a heavy price for his foolishness.

Looking at the situation, the King could see that it would be impossible to maintain a presence in Ireland at the moment, so he reluctantly ordered the disbandment of his army there, after having destroyed anything of value in Trim – he was not going to give anything to the Irish if he could help it! As he burned Ireland from his map, Henry hoped he would not be remembered as the man who lost to the Irish, and vowed to return when he was stronger.

`1262: The year starts with great news, which serves to put a smile on Henry’s face; his son Edmund has come of age, and can now be sent into the fight for domination. As the King hands his son his sword, a smile lights his face for the first time since the loss of Ireland.
Yet all is not going smoothly in Wales, as Edward has been besieged in a fort, and his small army is no match for that surrounding him. The capture of Montgomery has also served to inspire more Welsh uprisings, and a new army is now marching on the English.

Determined to deal quickly with Wales, Henry orders Alan la Zouche to ride out of Montgomery with the army to support his son. Yet as Alan arrives at the fort, he is astounded to see the Prince riding out at the head of his small army, preparing to attack the much larger Welsh army. Impressed by his bravery, he urges his men onwards so that he can help in the battle to come, which could otherwise end in disaster for the King’s eldest son.

As Prince Edward’s troops march out onto the battlefield, ready for a glorious fight to the death, Alan la Zouche’s army makes a timely arrival, marching at the double to the Prince’s right flank and hoping to turn the day into a brilliant victory by turning the Welsh flank.

At a command from Alan, he and two units of knights move forward at a gallop to bring immediate aid to the Prince.
As they make their way nearer the Welsh army, they can hear the screams of battle carrying to them on the wind, heralding the Prince’s daring charge on the impudent Welsh longbowmen, most of whom are trampled beneath the hooves of his bodyguard.

The Prince is in his element as he runs down first one then another of the Welsh units which break ranks to chase his retreating men, only to be die startled as the heavy knights wheel around to deliver another devastating charge.

As the Alan’s knights arrive on the scene, tired but thirsting for Welsh blood, it seems as though the Welsh army loses the will to fights. Faced with the best of England’s aristocracy, clad in shining armour and riding vicious horses, the famed Welsh spearmen lose their nerve and run., pursued by the bloodthirsty Prince.

After the battle, all could see that Prince Edward had grown into a heroic warrior. At the cost of five of his bodyguard, the Prince and his retinue laid claim to the deaths of two-hundred Welsh.

Despite the remaining Welsh armies threatening his new conquests in Wales, Henry is relieved that his son has escaped with his life, while winning a glorious battle in the process.

Having rejoined forces and executed the rebels taken prisoner in the last battle, Henry and Alan leave the fort with the bulk of the army, leaving a small garrison to ward off the large Welsh army further west. They head south-east, where a reinforcement column of six catapults is being threatened by a nearby Welsh raiding army. The catapults will be essential for tackling the strong Welsh castles, and after several weeks' march Henry joins forces with them. From his army's tents, he can see the Welsh raiding party camped up in the mountains - despite desperately wanting to mount an assault, his army is spent and in need of rest first.

Yet as the English army recovers from its recent campaigns, Henry hears rumours that the large Welsh army previously sighted to the west of the fort has started marching. The defenders of the fort, knowing there are no reinforcements in the area, prepare to die fighting as they sight the green banners of Wales on the horizon. Yet to their astonishment and relief, the army keeps marching, all but ignoring the lightly defended fort. As the Welsh army marches south, leaving a cloud of dust in their footsteps, the garrison commander thanks St. George for his deliverance, while praying that he may help his Prince. For it is apparent that the army is destined for Edward, and that a great battle is about to commence.

Trumpets sound in the English camp to herald the attack of the Welsh army. Hurryinng into their battle lines under heavy rain, the English soldiers peer anxiously out into the hills, from where the Welsh rebels are preparing their attack.

In the pouring rain, Prince Edward rallies his forces for battle. In a rousing speech, he calls for his men to teach the Welsh a lesson they will never forget.

Facing the largest army Wales has yet mustered, Edward shouts that being outnumbered only increases the glory won in victory.

Arrayed in their battle-lines, the English army, although small, is confident in victory. The catapult crews, having heard of the legendary nature of this army led by the Price, are eager to prove their worth to the other veterans.

Out of the grey landscape, the ominous shadows of the Welsh army appear. At the same time, news reaches Edward that the Welsh raiding army is also arriving on the field. "Good," he replies, " it will save us having to go to them before we kill them."
As the main Welsh line advances, barely visible behind a veil of rain, Henry prepares his spearmen and swordsmen to meet the attack, while ordering his heavy cavalry which had been hiding in the woods to start an outflanking manouvre.

The English footsoldiers, preparing to charge the Welsh, instinctively flinch as the catapults send a fiery payload over their heads into the massed Welsh infantry. They watch with grim faces as scores of the enemy are sent to a fiery death. A wail starts from the Welsh ranks, and Prince Edward, squinting, can just make out the Welsh captain writhing in flames as he falls from his horse.

As a cheer starts up from the English catapults, Henry rides over and congratulates the beaming men. Yet the day is far from won, although the Welsh's confidence has been instantly shattered.

As the English infantry charge into the main Welsh line, the Feudal knights, emerging from hiding in front of the hated Welsh longbowmen, lower their lances and run them down. As the survivors turn to flee, the knights turn around and charge into the back of the Welsh infantry, who are fiercely hacking at the English swordsmen. At the same time, Alan la Zouche circles round to the right, causing fear to ripple through the Welsh ranks as they see the fearsome general. After surveying the battle for a weak point, Edward finally orders his own retinue into the fray.

With a mighty roar his bodyguard breaks the Welsh line, causing the army to flee. As they are chased by the knights, Henry orders the infantry to reform their line while the catapults are moved forwards - for although the main Welsh army is running for the hills, the large raiding force is assembled in good order, fresh and eager to get to grips with the English. As most of the survivors of the first army are run down, bringing the prisoner count to over 800, Henry draws up his army in front of the raiding force .

The Welsh longbowmen move forwards over the bodies of their fallen comrades, while the catapults commence firing.

As the English swordsmen feel fire arrows thudding into their shields and glancing off their armour, they watch in satisfaction as the flaming catapult shots samsh into the Welsh line, bring death to many and terror to the survivors.

Finally, as he hears that most of his cavalry have returned from chasing down the fugitives and are positioned on his right flank, Edward once again orders the advance. In a short and bloody encounter, the Welsh and English infantry slug it out, exchanging blow for blow over their fallen comrades. On the left flank, the Welsh start overpowering their English opponents, and are nearing a breakthrough when the heavy cavalry charge into their unprotecteed backs. Seeing cavalry to their rear, the Welsh panic and run, chased by the knights still thirsting for blood.

As the few remainiing Welsh flee the field, it is apparent that the young Prince has won a legendary victory, as a knight reports that they have taken more than a thousand of the cowardly Welsh prisoner.

The bloodied survivors of the two units of Feudal knights, having killed and captured 900 Welsh rebels between them, had each become much more experienced and would be great asset in the battles to come. Henry and Alan's bodyguards had both also gained much experience from the battle.

As the troops drunk the night away in celebration of the great victory, Edward pondered what to do with the massive numbers of prisoners taken during the battle.

It was true that the English treasury was in great need of funds, but he did not want to release the army and have to fight it again another day. Finally, he decided to execute the prisoners, distasteful as it was.

1263: As the new year arrives,King Henry is in good humour. News of his son’s great victory, reaching him a month ago, had London dancing in jubilation the whole week. His spies show that, if all goes well, Wales will soon be completely subjugated once more.

To commemorate his son’s heroic victory, he ordered the site of the battle to be put on every map, as well as constructing a shrine. To further buoy his spirits, the treasury has reported that there is now some money available to the King to use as he pleases, although it is recommended that he invest it in some way. Henry takes the advice and orders a nationwide farming development, whose benefits will be felt in a couple of years.

Henry’s eighteen year old princess Beatrice has also made contact with a Scottish diplomat in the lowlands, demonstrating her charm by securing trade rights and an exchange of map information. However, the Scottish prince is already married, so she continues her journey north to make contact with the Norwegians, who are locked in a bloody war with Scotland as they fight to gain a foothold on the British Isles.

In Wales, Prince Edward is reacting positively to the campaign.

As he wins victory after victory against all the odds, he is unrecognisable as the timid boy who led the invasion only a few years ago. As reinforcements from Montgomery and the fort join with his army, Edward spends the winter in quarters, waiting to campaign the following summer.

1264: The year of 1264 is largely uneventful. Having decided to march on the northern Welsh stronghold, Caernarvon, Edward engages a small Welsh force guarding a ford. However, they fall back to a bridge, and Edward’s army, slowed down by the catapults, can move no further.

Despite the edge they give in a battle, Edward is frustrated by the slow speed at which his army is forced to travel. In England, the year’s income is spent mostly on a road project, which will build a paved road from Nottingham all the way to London, in order to link up the nation’s capital and greatest fortress.

1265: In 1265, messages reach Henry that the large-scale agriculture project has been completed.

With the extra funds, Henry commissions the construction of paved roads around York and of a shipwright in London. Preparing for possible campaigns against the Scots once Wales has been dealt with, Henry wants the ability to quickly move troops to the north, as his northern settlements are unable to recruit a decent army locally. He also anticipates trouble with Norway, and so hopes to construct a powerful navy in the future.

In Wales, Edward pushes the Welsh force off the bridge and pursues them, forcing them to give battle near their capital. It is rumoured that King Daffyd, the new Welsh leader, is inside Caernarvon, but he does not ride out to lead the small army defending his capital, prefering to cower behind his stone walls.

Edward contemplates attacking at night, an ability acquired due to his incredible improvement as a commander. However, he decides against it, as he plans to take full advantage of his missile superiority and keep casualties to a minimum.

As the mighty English army forms a battleline, the men prepare to crush the one small obstacle between them and the Welsh capital. They watch with grim faces as the catapults repeatedly send flaming shots towards the Welsh army, cheering when a direct hit is scored.

Watching his hopelessly small army shrinking by the minute, the Welsh captain decides to charge the English in the small hope of doing some damage before retreating. As the advance sounds, the army moves down the hill towards the waiting English.

Now within range of the English longbowmen, the Welsh soldiers are falling thick and fast, as the survivors hurry to get to grips with their hated enemy. Charging the line, their desperate yell is met with a resounding cheer from the English swordsmen, who rush into the melee eagerly. Edward orders his heavy cavalry to surround the Welsh,exploiting their lack of cavalry.

As his knights charge home, the few Welsh survivors turn tail and run, although the only ones to make it off the battlefield are the captain and a few other knights.

The few survivors, knowing that their short period of Welsh independance is at an end, throw down their arms and return to their homes in the hills, as Edward once again executes the prisoners.

Eager to maintain his momentum, Edward marches onwards and besieges Caernarvon. Despite slowing him down on the march, the catapults prove their worth as the crews claim that they can get him into the city this year, without having to spend time building siege equipment.

Edward gives his crews the command to begin firing on the gate and the walls, and draws up his army ready to charge into the city.

Edward is stunned by the accuracy of the catapult crews, who send rock after rock smashing into the castle gate, even as arrows rain down around them.

Finally the gates are destroyed, and as his infantry prepares to enter the city, Edward can see Welsh longbowmen fleeing the walls and falling back through the streets the second wall, their last line of defence. Hoping to catch them before they make it, he orders a unit of Feudal knights to chase after them at the gallop, while the rest of the army moves up in support.

Just as the longbowmen run under the gateway, the knights are nearly upon them. Despite their best efforts, the Welsh cannot now lower the portcullis, although they swarm the knights, hacking at the stationery horsemen as oil is poured on them from above. Despite suffering horrific casualties, the knights hold out long enough to let the English swordsmen reach the gate. As the thirteen surviving knights retreat, the swordsmen easily cut through the Welsh defenders and surround King Daffyd. Despite bravely warding off the swordsmen, he cannot last long and is finally pulled from his horse and run through.

As the English army thoroughly loot the Welsh castle as they celebrate their victory, Edwad sends a letter to his father. He reports that he has successfully taken the Welsh fortress Caernarvon, and killed the Welsh King. Without their king, the rebels are now divided and weakened. No more Welshmen will rise against their rightful King, as the destruction of their royal family has left ehm without a common cause or a banner to unite under. Although there are still some rebel armies in the field, and the castle of Pembroke remains in rebel hands, Wales is already finished. Edmund is marching on Pembroke, and Edward plans to march on the rebel general Rodri as he moves eastwards towards London.

As Edward sits the end of the year out with his weary army in Caernarvon, he relishes his victory over the Welsh, and dreams of further conquests. In London, Henry is rejoiced to hear of his son's triumph, and sends a letter to him to leave Wales after mopping up the last of the rebels and return triumphantly to London with his army.

This is the end of part 1: for efficiency, I will continue the story on a separate page, as the long list of pictures and slow loading time are making this a slow process. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. There is more to come!