The War of the Usurper, more famously known as Robert’s Rebellion in Game of Thrones, saw the coming together of four Great Houses – Arryn, Baratheon, Stark, and Tully to oust the ruling House Targaryen from power in Westeros. The uprising was against Mad King/ Aerys II Targaryen’s tyrannical rule. It was sparked by Crown Prince Rhaegar Targaryen’s alleged abduction of Lyanna Stark and the executions of the Lord of Winterfell, Rickard, and his heir, Brandon Stark. It consisted of a series of battles fought between the loyal and rebel forces on the territory of Westeros.
Robert’s Rebellion began in the Vale of Arryn, moved to Summerhall, and then to Ashford in the Reach. While all other battles were instrumental in molding the future of the realm, HBO’s Game of Thrones states that Ashford was the only battle that Robert lost in the eponymous rebellion. But who forced him to draw back, and what was the aftermath of the said battle?
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What Is The Battle Of Ashford?
The battle gets its name after Ashford, which is located in the fertile Reach in Westeros. It is a market town with whitewashed houses and thatched roofs. Ashford Castle serves as the ancestral seat of the eponymous noble House, which is famously remembered for organizing the tourney at the Ashford Meadow in the year 209 AC. The Hedge Knight, Ser Duncan the Tall (subject of the second Game of Thrones prequel), wanted to compete in the said tourney, and it is here that he came into prominence.
The Battle of Ashford took place in 282 AC, and the royal advance guard was commanded by the capable general, Lord Randyll Tarly, while the clumsy and incompetent Warden of the South, Lord Mace Tyrell, took credit for the royalist victory. Robert Baratheon decided to venture deeper into the enemy territory, following the three battles at Summerhall which were fought in a single day. Basking in the glory of his victories, he left the Baratheon seat of Storm’s End in his brother, Stannis’ hands and rushed West to Ashford to quell the Tyrell threat, or as Stannis Baratheon put it in Game of Thrones:
I told him that he shouldn’t go so far west so soon, but he never listened.
Since House Ashford was sworn to the Targaryen loyalists – the Tyrells of Highgarden, it became necessary for Robert to secure the region. The Tyrells could field the largest army, only next to the Lannisters, who were yet to declare for either faction. Robert’s logic was simple: the sooner the rebels would secure the western flank of the Stormlands, the better. That said, there is also the possibility that Lord Randyll Tarly of Horn Hill used his experience in warfare to gain an advantage and outmaneuver Robert.
Who Fought In The Battle Of Ashford?
The commander of the Tyrell van, Randyll, killed the turncoat, Lord Cafferen before Tyrell’s main force arrived at the battlefield. Randyll’s forces forced Robert Baratheon to retreat, and he ordered Cafferen’s head to be sent to his king, Aerys II Targaryen. The babbling “oaf” Mace Tyrell took credit, but the victory belonged to Lord Randyll. While the Reach dominated the rebel host, the Battle of Ashford is known to have an indecisive outcome in Game of Thrones lore. Mace Tyrell’s main army proved useless, as the rebels retreated well in time. Robert fled North to join forces with Northmen and the Vale. Since the Stormlands were left undefended, the Tyrell army besieged Storm’s End.
Every Game Of Thrones Reference To The Battle Of Ashford
Stannis recounts the Battle of Ashford to Lord Randyll’s son, Samwell, during his stay at the Night’s Watch in Game of Thrones season 5, episode 5 “Kill the Boy.” He meets Samwell in the library and mentions how Robert acted against his advice and invaded the West before time:
Your father is Randyll Tarly. He defeated my brother at the battle of Ashford. The only battle that Robert ever lost. I told him that he shouldn’t go so far west so soon, but he never listened. Fine soldier your father.
In Game of Thrones season 7, episode 2 “Stormborn,” Jaime Lannister persuades Lord Randyll Tarly to rise against his overlords – the Tyrells, and lay siege to Highgarden. He says:
You were the only man to defeat Robert Baratheon in battle. Not even Rhaegar Targaryen could do that.
Lord Randyll Tarly’s victory is a shining example of the shifting loyalties in Game of Thrones. He fought on the Mad King’s side in Robert’s Rebellion but refused to bend the knee to his daughter, Daenerys, in the Last War.
Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones, based on the Song of Ice and Fire book series by George R.R. Martin, tells the sprawling story of warring families in Westeros. This includes the Starks, the Lannisters, the Baratheons, and the Targaryens. Along with human conflicts, Westeros is also threatened by the re-emergence of dragons, and an undead enemy from beyond the Wall.
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