To all Lords and Knights,
By order of the War Council, the defensive blueprint of Alnwick Castle is hereby unsealed.
In this clash of Red and White Roses, this is no mere outpost, but the very throat of the realm itself.

The Silence of History: Standing Above the Black Torrent
Alnwick Castle is the silent giant of this long defensive line.
It stands over the River Aln, its grey walls scoured day and night by wind and snow, with the abyss beneath the cliffs gazing coldly upon every visitor. This is the true “Crown of the North”, where every stone is steeped in blood.
- For the Red Rose (Lancaster): this is the last surviving bulwark. Hold here, and you hold your final hope of marching south for vengeance.
- For the White Rose (York): this is the thorn that must be torn out. The host marches north for one purpose only—to crush the last resistance of the old king.
Whoever commands Alnwick Castle will decide the fate of the North.

Tactical Intelligence: Surviving the Iron Labyrinth
Alnwick Castle is itself a vast, deliberate trap.
To see you survive this Siege Battle, the War Council now declassifies four rules of survival:
1. Breaking the Deadlock: Do Not Become a Trapped Beast in the Barbican (Outer Bailey)
The barbican is a grave for the reckless—once you’re drawn inside, the walls close around you and you’re cut down from every side.
- Find the Weak Point: On the flank of the barbican lies an aged, crumbling breached wall. Mass your artillery and blast it open.
- Flank Assault: Once a gap is opened, it’s like a dagger driven into the enemy’s side, thrusting straight toward the heart of the residential quarter.

2. The Mind Game: Tactical Choices Atop the Walls (Ramparts)
The ramparts are a meat grinder for heavy infantry, where wit serves you better than muscle.
- Attackers: Once you gain the walls, decide swiftly—will you sever the defenders’ Supply Point routes to make their line collapse, or move to encircle Point B and seize the banner in one stroke?
- Defenders: Remember, capture points and Supply Points are equally vital. Hold the supply route between them—that line is the throat through which your entire front breathes.

3. Controlling the Tempo: The Indefensible Killing Ground (Outer Courtyard)
Once the outer walls fall, the road into the central sector becomes an open killing field.
- Attackers: You must surge forward like a flood. Only relentless, rapid advance can tear this line apart.
- Defenders: The value here is attrition. Trade space for time; an orderly withdrawal toward the inner ward is wiser than a senseless last stand.

4. Endgame: Under Shellfire, the High Walls Must Fall (Base)
Before the final towering walls of the Base, flesh and steel alone are spent in vain.
- Primary Objective: Secure the outlying watchpost outside the Base—this position is the key to breaking the stalemate.
- Artillery Barrage: Once that point is taken, the War Council authorizes heavy Artillery support. Concentrated bombardment will shatter the frontal wall of the Base itself.
- Cavalry Overrun: The instant the wall collapses is the hour of glory for your heavy cavalry. Drive through the breach and trample the last resistance underhoof.

Lords of the North,
The wind howls, the snow descends, and the warhorses scream for battle.
This campaign is not merely for the possession of one castle, but to decide who is worthy to wear the crown of the North.
Inspect your armor. Hone your blades.
On this day of gathering storm, we march to smash the final ice that binds the coming of spring.
— The War Council

Lords, inscribe your house name below. When the banners over Alnwick’s battlements are torn down and raised anew, we shall know which standard has conquered the North.