Post by Father on Jul 20, 2019 12:27:14 GMT 1
There is a lot going on, Ser Roland is not sure of where some knights of concern are to be found, such as Lord Oakheart, the Daverhyl's, Simon Tarly and Ulbert Blackwood, he cannot see Ser Rennifer and the other dogs of Longtable, but he does know whereabouts they should be, as the Butterwell attendants took great pains to ensure that they are positioned on the opposite side of the field, getting there would take time, and they might have moved to a different area by the time he arrives, he could happen to ride past them without noticing, or straight into them, even so, while he might hold his own against Ser Rennifer, Ser Roland's team is not likely to last long against those likely to be found next to the blackguard. He spies Ser Otho Bracken, other knights parting for him not to get in the way of whoever he has singled out, one not getting out fast enough is slammed out of his seat with a savage blow, Roland could pursue the Brute. He might nod with approval at Lord Willem taking his team straight into Lord Frey's massed formation of sworn swords and family, with Addam, Dunstan and Vardis by his side, Roland's liege commands a force that surely is stronger than it's numbers suggests, but the unsportsmanslike Freys are like to make up for that by far greater numbers. What perhaps is the most immediate concern is Ser Tommard Heddle bearing down upon Ser Alvyn Strickland, apparently not content with injuring him in the jousting match for Lady Alysanne's favor. If Ser Tommard seeks to repeat his dark deeds from the Black Melee, Roland sees no other man than himself that is close enough and capable enough to stop it.
Addam might not be as approving of Lord Willem's choice as he probably can imagine Roland to be. That the Freys are just some upjumped tax-collectors with a bridge, hardly worthy of matching their blades with the noble companions are thoughts that easily can find a foothold in the mind of a scion of the most supreme House of Velaryon. Approving or not, there is a great many of them, some such as Ser Kevan Haigh and Ser Benjen Erenford should even be able to offer the likes of Ser Addam or Lord Willem a serious challenge, the rest should be no match for a companion one on one, but these Freys are not so gallant as to offer such noble combat, oh no. Lord Willem calls out a challenge to The Pink Monster, predictably picking out the champion of Lord Frey for himself, the respectful interpretation of what must be on his mind is that he trusts his four companions with besting the remaining eight knights. While Lord Willem is occupied with his duel to be, Ser Vardis issues instructions for him and Addam to keep most of their opponents busy, hoping that Franklyn and Dunstan might thus have a chance at breaking their flank. If only Roland, Aemon or Daeron were here, this would be an even match.
Balon scans the field of battle, he spies Lord Walgrave making a straight line for the Starkwoods with four of his household knights, capable men all, if not so formidable as their liege or Ser Preston. Following the path they carve would be oh so tempting, and a lesser tactician might have been so focused on where he wants to be that he forgets where he is now. But Fireballs long and sometimes tedious lessons are now paying off, first by being aware of the whole battlefield and spying Redtusk leading his family reunion his way, without a doubt having decided that Simon's punishment in the joust was far too short to be a proper lesson. While the Redwynes might be a more potent threat to Balon's chances at lasting long in this competition, let alone having a team with him, the ominous approach of The Daverhyl's can be more concerning, The Vulture is not much of a warrior as far as Balon is aware, but his brothers are an entirely different story. Ser Sandor nearly killed Ser Roland in a duel at Oldtown, and according to Lynesse, the youngest brother Rhys is stronger and more savage, but perhaps not so skilled, Balon wouldn't know about that, but if Roughneck had fashioned horns on his helm, his silhouette might be mistaken for a bull in the dark. They are Dornish, they are dangerous, and given the situation at Mustard Hall, only a fool would not think it likely that they come after Balon with ill intent. That would still be true even if they were of Andal stock, but there is no time to consider the possibility that if they were of Andal stock, then they wouldn't be foul murderous bastards to begin with.
Balon could make his stand here, or he could hope to loose some of his pursuers in the grinding mass of knights in the center caring more for personal glory and settling scores or just having fun dueling old friends, new friends, or soon to be friends. Balon knows that those intending to compete for victory avoids this part of the melee, but given his particular situation, doing what normally would involve needlessly throwing away men might now be tactically sound. Balon might however, take a third option, there is a path between various groups and men that could give him the best chances of evading the pincer and only deal with one of the threats, there is a single team in the way, but they should offer little match for Balon and his group. Place Ser Normyn on the right flank, Ser Simon on the right flank, best have Ser Eoric between him and Normyn, for the right flank is to be sacrificed, another lesson of Fireball, sometimes a good commander must give an order knowing that most of the men receiving it will die so that the battle is won and most of the rest will live. This would not be quite so dramatic for the Redwynes will surely be content with seeing Ser Simon bruised and sore in the morning, though knights are known to carry grudges for less. If he can pull that off, defeat those in the way quick enough and time their maneuver right, he should be able to have the Redwynes blocked by Ser Simon and that team over there, and he would be free to only worry about the Daverhyl's, maybe they'd lose the Wayn knight, but between Balon and Normyn the dangerous Daverhyl's should be contained and Eoric can pluck the feathers off The Vulture. The little man would surely enjoy that.
Ser Aemon skillfully leads Daeron and his half of the companions away from the thick of things into the more open spaces where one can pick one's battles and conserve one's strength for a time when there are no easy opponents left. Ser Patrek Florent has much the same idea if not quite so skilled, Thaddeus might grumble at being led away from Normyn, but with Redwynes, Daverhyls, Balon Blackbriar, Simon Tarly, Otho Bracken and who knows what other names best to ride away from might be there, but that collection is quite enough not to break ranks. Lord Flowers is still out there somewhere, and who knows? Maybe they'll be lucky and run into him? At Lord Peake's side is where he was last seen, and Lord Gormon is like to leave the heroics to other men, meaning that the more open spaces is where to find him. To pick one's own battles sounds like a grand idea to Ser Aerion, but it would seem as if Lord Walgrave is intent upon picking a battle with the Starkwoods, he might be aware of Lord Oakheart's animosity towards Ser Dagos over some slight that sounds rather trivial, but everyone knows what Lord Walgrave thinks about Dornishmen, and Ser Aerion have three of those by his side. Better to prepare to hold the ground than to get charged in the back while fighting others.
It is not readily apparent to Mikel if Redtusk is not much of a tactician to charge in a straight line towards Ser Simon Tarly, oblivious of everything else on the battlefield, or maybe he simply does not bother in a melee. For sure, that man can trust in his ability to swat aside almost everyone that might get in his path as if they were flies, and this is a melee, not a battle, so maybe he just chooses to relax and have fun? The latter part at least does seem to have some measure of truth to it. But there's a sticking feeling of worry that Redtusk should have turned his head to see what else is around him, and sure enough, as Ser Roland roars the question as to whose turn it is to give Ser Simon the beating he deserves, Mikel spots Ser Otto riding hard their way, no, his way. Surely intercepting him by the time they reach Ser Simon. Best perhaps to let the Redwynes call dibs on Ser Simon, The Brute of Bracken is more than enough to deal with. Parmen does not take note of Ser Otto, and is likely more relaxed about such concerns as Mikel might have, this is how House Redwyne rides, as his brother Sandor once quipped, if their other two brothers decided that they wanted to play this game tactically, it wouldn't be a challenge anymore. He was only half joking.
Roland can:
a) Intercept Tommard Heddle
b) Help Lord Willem against the Freys.
c) Ride in the direction of Otho Bracken.
d) Ride in the direction of the Merryweathers.
Balon (gains +1D initative from leadership rolls) can:
a) Prepare as best he can to weather the coming storm.
b) Move towards the center, which should lead to tougher opposition this round, likely leaving Balon's team with less health than otherwise, but the upshot is that Jorah Wayn might struggle to make it through, which would make it possible to pick up a more capable fifth man before the tide comes crushing in. Plus, going into that chaos of bodies should ensure that some of those gets in the way of Redwynes and Daverhyls. (Each DoS he beats Redtusk on the next between scenes warfare rolls with means one less NPC from incoming teams to worry about, although other NPC's might get into the mix against Balon's other team-members, but they should be more reasonable to deal with than say, Redtusk and Horas)
c) Maneuver in such a way that he might throw Simon to the Redwynes and deal with the Daverhyls head on. (Would require 4 DoS on the warfare rolls between scenes 2 and 3, each knight on the team must do opposed charge, then they can do combat, single or otherwise, each team-member defeating "his man" can move on, if moving on after the initial charge, just 3 DoS will be needed to succeed, for each combat round beyond the first after the charge, an extra DoS will be required to pull off this maneuver).
Addam can:
a) Go for red meat (Single combat vs Ser Kevan Haigh, he should be a notch stronger than Addam)
b) Go for white meat (Your choice of Ser Franklyn Frey, Ser Addam Frey and Lord Ryman Frey or Ser Gregor Haigh and Ser Kellan Haigh, the latter two being stronger individually than the first three, all fighting 4).
Others just gets single combat this time around:
Aerion, Trystane, Mikel, Parmen, Daeron, Thaddeus: 4#4d6k3 11 10 16 10 6d6k3 16 5d6k3 15
7 or less: Strong opponent. All avoids those.
8-11: Capable opponent. Aerion, Trystane, Parmen.
12: Easy opponent. Mikel, Daeron, Thaddeus.
Aerion: Lord Ronald Vance
Trystane: Ser Donnel of Duskendale
Mikel: Ser Harold Grell
Parmen: Nestor Velaryon
Daeron (gains +1D iniative from leader's rolls): Ser Janos Goodbrook
Thaddeus: Ser Aron Roote
Roland, Addam and Balon makes their choice and starts a thread, rolling initiative. The rest starts threads and rolls initiative.
Will largely rely on other players to run NPC's, at least in single combat scenes. How long each scene takes in combat rounds is irrelevant, characters spending less time in their scenes spends more time moving about and parrying blows off-screen.
Addam might not be as approving of Lord Willem's choice as he probably can imagine Roland to be. That the Freys are just some upjumped tax-collectors with a bridge, hardly worthy of matching their blades with the noble companions are thoughts that easily can find a foothold in the mind of a scion of the most supreme House of Velaryon. Approving or not, there is a great many of them, some such as Ser Kevan Haigh and Ser Benjen Erenford should even be able to offer the likes of Ser Addam or Lord Willem a serious challenge, the rest should be no match for a companion one on one, but these Freys are not so gallant as to offer such noble combat, oh no. Lord Willem calls out a challenge to The Pink Monster, predictably picking out the champion of Lord Frey for himself, the respectful interpretation of what must be on his mind is that he trusts his four companions with besting the remaining eight knights. While Lord Willem is occupied with his duel to be, Ser Vardis issues instructions for him and Addam to keep most of their opponents busy, hoping that Franklyn and Dunstan might thus have a chance at breaking their flank. If only Roland, Aemon or Daeron were here, this would be an even match.
Balon scans the field of battle, he spies Lord Walgrave making a straight line for the Starkwoods with four of his household knights, capable men all, if not so formidable as their liege or Ser Preston. Following the path they carve would be oh so tempting, and a lesser tactician might have been so focused on where he wants to be that he forgets where he is now. But Fireballs long and sometimes tedious lessons are now paying off, first by being aware of the whole battlefield and spying Redtusk leading his family reunion his way, without a doubt having decided that Simon's punishment in the joust was far too short to be a proper lesson. While the Redwynes might be a more potent threat to Balon's chances at lasting long in this competition, let alone having a team with him, the ominous approach of The Daverhyl's can be more concerning, The Vulture is not much of a warrior as far as Balon is aware, but his brothers are an entirely different story. Ser Sandor nearly killed Ser Roland in a duel at Oldtown, and according to Lynesse, the youngest brother Rhys is stronger and more savage, but perhaps not so skilled, Balon wouldn't know about that, but if Roughneck had fashioned horns on his helm, his silhouette might be mistaken for a bull in the dark. They are Dornish, they are dangerous, and given the situation at Mustard Hall, only a fool would not think it likely that they come after Balon with ill intent. That would still be true even if they were of Andal stock, but there is no time to consider the possibility that if they were of Andal stock, then they wouldn't be foul murderous bastards to begin with.
Balon could make his stand here, or he could hope to loose some of his pursuers in the grinding mass of knights in the center caring more for personal glory and settling scores or just having fun dueling old friends, new friends, or soon to be friends. Balon knows that those intending to compete for victory avoids this part of the melee, but given his particular situation, doing what normally would involve needlessly throwing away men might now be tactically sound. Balon might however, take a third option, there is a path between various groups and men that could give him the best chances of evading the pincer and only deal with one of the threats, there is a single team in the way, but they should offer little match for Balon and his group. Place Ser Normyn on the right flank, Ser Simon on the right flank, best have Ser Eoric between him and Normyn, for the right flank is to be sacrificed, another lesson of Fireball, sometimes a good commander must give an order knowing that most of the men receiving it will die so that the battle is won and most of the rest will live. This would not be quite so dramatic for the Redwynes will surely be content with seeing Ser Simon bruised and sore in the morning, though knights are known to carry grudges for less. If he can pull that off, defeat those in the way quick enough and time their maneuver right, he should be able to have the Redwynes blocked by Ser Simon and that team over there, and he would be free to only worry about the Daverhyl's, maybe they'd lose the Wayn knight, but between Balon and Normyn the dangerous Daverhyl's should be contained and Eoric can pluck the feathers off The Vulture. The little man would surely enjoy that.
Ser Aemon skillfully leads Daeron and his half of the companions away from the thick of things into the more open spaces where one can pick one's battles and conserve one's strength for a time when there are no easy opponents left. Ser Patrek Florent has much the same idea if not quite so skilled, Thaddeus might grumble at being led away from Normyn, but with Redwynes, Daverhyls, Balon Blackbriar, Simon Tarly, Otho Bracken and who knows what other names best to ride away from might be there, but that collection is quite enough not to break ranks. Lord Flowers is still out there somewhere, and who knows? Maybe they'll be lucky and run into him? At Lord Peake's side is where he was last seen, and Lord Gormon is like to leave the heroics to other men, meaning that the more open spaces is where to find him. To pick one's own battles sounds like a grand idea to Ser Aerion, but it would seem as if Lord Walgrave is intent upon picking a battle with the Starkwoods, he might be aware of Lord Oakheart's animosity towards Ser Dagos over some slight that sounds rather trivial, but everyone knows what Lord Walgrave thinks about Dornishmen, and Ser Aerion have three of those by his side. Better to prepare to hold the ground than to get charged in the back while fighting others.
It is not readily apparent to Mikel if Redtusk is not much of a tactician to charge in a straight line towards Ser Simon Tarly, oblivious of everything else on the battlefield, or maybe he simply does not bother in a melee. For sure, that man can trust in his ability to swat aside almost everyone that might get in his path as if they were flies, and this is a melee, not a battle, so maybe he just chooses to relax and have fun? The latter part at least does seem to have some measure of truth to it. But there's a sticking feeling of worry that Redtusk should have turned his head to see what else is around him, and sure enough, as Ser Roland roars the question as to whose turn it is to give Ser Simon the beating he deserves, Mikel spots Ser Otto riding hard their way, no, his way. Surely intercepting him by the time they reach Ser Simon. Best perhaps to let the Redwynes call dibs on Ser Simon, The Brute of Bracken is more than enough to deal with. Parmen does not take note of Ser Otto, and is likely more relaxed about such concerns as Mikel might have, this is how House Redwyne rides, as his brother Sandor once quipped, if their other two brothers decided that they wanted to play this game tactically, it wouldn't be a challenge anymore. He was only half joking.
Roland can:
a) Intercept Tommard Heddle
b) Help Lord Willem against the Freys.
c) Ride in the direction of Otho Bracken.
d) Ride in the direction of the Merryweathers.
Balon (gains +1D initative from leadership rolls) can:
a) Prepare as best he can to weather the coming storm.
b) Move towards the center, which should lead to tougher opposition this round, likely leaving Balon's team with less health than otherwise, but the upshot is that Jorah Wayn might struggle to make it through, which would make it possible to pick up a more capable fifth man before the tide comes crushing in. Plus, going into that chaos of bodies should ensure that some of those gets in the way of Redwynes and Daverhyls. (Each DoS he beats Redtusk on the next between scenes warfare rolls with means one less NPC from incoming teams to worry about, although other NPC's might get into the mix against Balon's other team-members, but they should be more reasonable to deal with than say, Redtusk and Horas)
c) Maneuver in such a way that he might throw Simon to the Redwynes and deal with the Daverhyls head on. (Would require 4 DoS on the warfare rolls between scenes 2 and 3, each knight on the team must do opposed charge, then they can do combat, single or otherwise, each team-member defeating "his man" can move on, if moving on after the initial charge, just 3 DoS will be needed to succeed, for each combat round beyond the first after the charge, an extra DoS will be required to pull off this maneuver).
Addam can:
a) Go for red meat (Single combat vs Ser Kevan Haigh, he should be a notch stronger than Addam)
b) Go for white meat (Your choice of Ser Franklyn Frey, Ser Addam Frey and Lord Ryman Frey or Ser Gregor Haigh and Ser Kellan Haigh, the latter two being stronger individually than the first three, all fighting 4).
Others just gets single combat this time around:
Aerion, Trystane, Mikel, Parmen, Daeron, Thaddeus: 4#4d6k3 11 10 16 10 6d6k3 16 5d6k3 15
7 or less: Strong opponent. All avoids those.
8-11: Capable opponent. Aerion, Trystane, Parmen.
12: Easy opponent. Mikel, Daeron, Thaddeus.
Aerion: Lord Ronald Vance
Trystane: Ser Donnel of Duskendale
Mikel: Ser Harold Grell
Parmen: Nestor Velaryon
Daeron (gains +1D iniative from leader's rolls): Ser Janos Goodbrook
Thaddeus: Ser Aron Roote
Roland, Addam and Balon makes their choice and starts a thread, rolling initiative. The rest starts threads and rolls initiative.
Will largely rely on other players to run NPC's, at least in single combat scenes. How long each scene takes in combat rounds is irrelevant, characters spending less time in their scenes spends more time moving about and parrying blows off-screen.
