Command Cards: Henry de Montfort

It has been my practice in recent times to generate unit and command cards for my wargames. I find that the statistics and special rules together with helpful reminders for the various attributes are invaluable in aiding how I play. Anything which lessens the number of times I reach for the rulebook is helpful in speeding up play.

When it comes to the mid-thirteenth century we really have precious little in the way of images for the actors of history. Aristocratic seals are the last word in how our protagonists were arrayed for battle but their faces are unknown to us. Very few monumental (funerary) effigies survive to give us basic facial impressions beyond a handful of senior nobles and the royal family. Those of the barons often have damaged faces.

Of course, we can't be certain if the monumental effigies even of kings bear any real likeness to the deceased but we can at least glean their style of appearance. King Henry III, for instance seems to have worn his wavy hair flowing at neck length and had a trimmed full beard.

We can't rely on many 'historical' illustrations or statues which were the product of Victorian revisionism with a habit of festooning all and sundry with a square jawline and vigorous moustache. We can surmise; however, that the fashion of Kings for the mid-twelfth century was how Henry's abovementioned effigy indicates.

Our Simon de Montfort was of near equivalent status to the King (Earl and the King's brother-in-law) and was 56 years of age at Lewes and the same age as the King. It seems reasonable to presume Simon followed the Kingly fashion - and is often represented as such.

Of course, I don't know his hair or eye colour - going quite grey by the battle I would imagine. As I am currently apart from my hobby for my last overseas posting, in order to keep my hand in I'm going to try and generate my own imagery for the command cards. So, it is with some hesitancy that I post this, my representation of Henry de Montfort at Lewes and his corresponding command card.

This will be first is a series and I hope you like them well enough. I'm very out of practice. I have opted to use simple carbon pencil and fine tipped ink marker to start with and I imagine (hope) some sort of style will develop over time.

The attributes and points are for the Hail Caesar rule set but they would be easily adapted for any system. I went with the French spelling of Henri for the command card. It seemed apopropriate.

Henry was only 25 by the time he took the field at Lewes, and he was tragically killed at Evesham a year later.