Roo’s Royalist report on the Battle of Kinnersley the other day prompted me to put aside my current Frostgrave obsession for a minute and dig
out the parish map that I use to drive the narrative of our games for a well overdue update.
The most obvious thing following the last Big Game is that
the forces of The King have made significant advances along the Welsh border.
The failure of the Anglican League’s push from their salient
at Eardisley has given the Royalists the impetus needed to move forward against
the anti-government presence in the area and tighten their grip around
Welsh-held Kington.
They have also followed the retreating Anglicans back to
Eardisley, and are also slowly applying a stranglehold there too.
Further south, the strategic river crossing at Bredwardine
is still being contested, but the timely arrival of Royalists at Dorstone means
that there is enough freedom of movement between these two areas to allow the
pro-Government forces to exploit the gap and reinforce the loyal parishes
abutting the Golden Valley.
Thus Royalist territory abutting the Black Mountains has expanded slightly at the
expense of the anti-Government coalition, including Sir Gilbert, whose plans to
control the Golden Valley railway are still being thwarted.
Outside the border zone, the small number of parishes under
control of the various Socialist militias has been reduced as their influence
continues to wane, whilst in the north-west, Mortimer Country still remains
part of the neutral(ish) Landowners’ Protection Association (while a couple of eligible
bachelors have piqued the interest of the lady of the manor, none have yet to press
their suit with any real determination).
So the initiative rests once again with the pro-Government camp
and, along the Welsh border at least, the Anglican League and their allies must
dig in. However, while the Royalists and BUF are busy in the region, this
leaves their presence depleted elsewhere in the county…
