The Candlemass Road

by George MacDonald Fraser

An interesting piece of historical fiction.  Fraser is the author of the fictional Flashman series and an

excellent memoir of his time in Burma during WWII title "Quartered Safe Out Here."  In all his books as well as The Candlemass Road, he knows his English, Cumberland and Scottish manners of speech and after a few paragraphs you "hear" the accents clearly though he does leave you thumbing to the glossary to find out what a bit of slang or some period usage of a word.  I discovered "kye" refers to a bovine in 16th century border speak and presumably this morphed into the word "cow" over time.

Anyway, The Candlemass Road shows a fictional account in the day of the life of a border reiver, or in this case, a "broken man" (someone who has forsaken any loyalty to riding surnames or noble houses).  On Candlemass day, a savior must be found to save a small dirty village from the Nixons who want blackmail from the village.  The story unfolds from there as the Lady Dacre, reivers, a heretic priest, callow-men, and varlets move the story along.

For a little "light" historical background, Fraser appends some explanation at the end of the book but if you want the real history, try Fraser's "Steel Bonnets" in all its 400+ page glory.  A "riding" tale of battle, murder, mayhem, redhands and hot trods along the border marches of England and Scotland.  Watch out for the Armstrongs, as hard-bitten as any riders out of the debatable lands.

https://www.amazon.com/Candlemass-Road-George-MacDonald-Fraser/dp/161608099X

The Score on The Border

We are currently in our "January 1525" Campaign Turn.

Here's the score from Raids and Hot Trods along the most murderous border . . .

Raid #1: The Bournes sent two Heidman agin The Armstrangs. The Armstrangs were plundered, lauched a Hot Trod and were kicked to the dirt, lost a heidman that was ransomed back. Score: Bournes +95, Armstrangs -91

Raid #2 The Armstrangs sent Sim Armstrang to raid the Bournes. The Bournes rode down the hapless Armstrangs in a very Hot Trod. Score Armstrangs -84, Bournes +95.

Raid #3 The Scotts sent 3 heidman a-raidin upon the Bournes. Score Scotts +97, Bournes -37

The other riding families stayed home near their warm hearths.

So after one month of Border Mayhem, the cumulative scores are:
Bourne: 153
Scott: 97
Patton: 0
Charlton: 0
Hapless Armstrang: -175

Players need to give me their heidman assignments for February 1525

Bloody Borders

So far we have one Sunday of raiding in. The Bourne's and Armstrang's have traded raids with the Armstrang's coming off the worse. We still need to carry out the raids by the Scott's. The Patton's and Charlton's are staying home and guarding their borders. So far the Bourne's lead among the plunderers.

The latest Moss Troopers are done. And here are all their little friends, too.

More Border Reivers

They are coming along . ..

How to Identify Troops

So with Border Reivers, there was no uniform to show a particular affiliation. How are players to know whose troops are whose in the middle of a big melee? Any ideas?

I've read that groups would wear armbands of a particular color to show affiliation, but also these colors were known so troopers carried other colors with them if they needed to change sides quickly! I'd rather not paint armbands though.

Maybe a particular colored rock on the stand?

More Border Reivers

Painting up some more Border Reivers. These are from the Dixon "Flodden" line of miniatures.

Bastle House-Finished!

Lt gray and bone white shade, some green shading on patches of grass. Viola.

Bastle VI

A couple more gray shades on the stonework and dk sand over the ground.

Bastle House V

A little more shading and color before shading with tans and greys

Bastle House IV

Bastle house with first shade applied. Nothing too dramatic yet.

Border Reiver Rules!

The rules I'm planning to use for upcoming Border fights are at http://www.wargamesillustrated.net/reader.asp

These are free rules with simple battle set-up and campaign tracking. We should be able to get in two fights in a 5-hour session.

Basically each player in the campaign game will be a Border family and start out with five "heidmen." A Heidman being a senior or trusted or influential member of the family. Each campaign turn, the player will assign his Heidmen to either raiding (name the targeted family), or guard the hearth (stay close to your land), or guard the border (be ready to pursue any reivers). Then all the raids will be fought out involving raiders and those guarding the hearth, and then "hot trods" will be resolved involving any raiders and border guards. Loot is counted, captives ransomed.

Bastle House III

Bastle House primed with raw umber acrylic paint.

Bastle House II

Bastle House "as received."

Bastle House I

Bastle Houses from "Grand Manner" are getting painted up. Bastle houses were unique to the English-Scottish Border. When Reivers were about, the locals would lock their livestock in the ground floor and retire themselves to the first floor. The ground floor was secured by stout doors that would take reivers some time to get through. The first floor also had stout doors and small windows. With a slate, steeply pitched roof, the Bastle House was secure from quick entry and arson and slowed down any Reivers until help could arrive.

Reiver Miniatures

Vendel and Dixon Reivers all ready to go. 18 mounted Reivers, 71 foot Reivers, 10 Infantry, a few civilians. 11 mounted Reivers to be painted along with a dozen or so more foot Reivers.