Editing Battle of Oxcross

{{Template:Battlebox
| image       = [[File:T Jedruszek BattleOfOxcross.jpg|350px]]
| caption     = Battle of Oxcross by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games
| battle_name = Battle of Oxcross
| conflict    = [[War of the Five Kings]]
| date        =  {{Date|299}}
| place	      = [[Oxcross]], [[westerlands]]
| result      = [[House Stark|Stark]] victory 
| combatant1  = [[File:House Baratheon (King's Landing).svg|33px]] '''[[Iron Throne]]'''/ [[House Baratheon of King's Landing]]:<br>

[[File:House Lannister.svg|30px]] [[Westerlands]], led by [[House Lannister]]
*{{coa|brax|s}} [[House Brax]]{{ref|ACOK|32}}
*{{coa|crakehall|s}} [[House Crakehall]]{{ref|ACOK|32}}
*{{coa|jast|s}} [[House Jast]]{{ref|ACOK|32}}
*{{coa|vikary|s}} [[House Vikary]]{{ref|ACOK|32}}
| combatant2  = [[File:House Stark.svg|30px]] '''[[King in the North|Kingdom of the North]] and [[King of the Trident|the Trident]]'''/ [[House Stark]]:<br>

[[North]]{{refn|group=N|name=Northern Houses|Houses [[House Flint of Widow's Watch|Flint of Widow's Watch]], [[House Hornwood|Hornwood]], [[House Manderly|Manderly]], and [[House Mollen|Mollen]] are not directly mentioned as being at Oxcross. However, as they have men who are part of Robb's host that take part in the earlier battles at [[battle in the Whispering Wood|the Whispering Wood]] and [[Battle of the Camps|the Camps]], and as Robb takes most of his host with him into the [[westerlands]], they may be with him throughout his westerlands campaign. [[Barbrey Dustin]] says that [[Cerwyn|Cerwyns]], [[House Slate|Slates]], and [[House Tallhart|Tallharts]] had men with Robb as well.{{ref|ADWD|46}}}}
*{{coa|glover|s}} [[House Glover]]{{ref|ACOK|39}}
*{{coa|karstark|s}} [[House Karstark]]{{ref|ACOK|39}}
*{{coa|mormont|s}} [[House Mormont]]{{ref|ACOK|39}}
*{{coa|umber|s}} [[House Umber]]{{ref|ACOK|39}}

[[File:House Tully.svg|30px]] [[Riverlands]], led by [[House Tully]]
*{{coa|frey|s}} [[House Frey]]{{ref|ACOK|35}}{{ref|ACOK|39}}
| commander1  = [[File:House Lannister.svg|20px]] Ser [[Stafford Lannister]]†<br>[[File:House Crakehall.svg|20px]] Lord [[Roland Crakehall (lord)|Roland Crakehall]] (POW)<br>[[File:House Jast.svg|20px]] Lord [[Antario Jast]] (POW)
| commander2  = [[File:House Stark (Robb).svg|20px]] King [[Robb Stark]]<br>[[File:House Tully (Blackfish).svg|20px]] Ser [[Brynden Tully]]
| strength1   = Many thousands
| strength2   = Possibly 6,000{{refn|group=N|Robb has six thousand at the earlier battle in the Whispering Wood.{{ref|agot|63}}}}
| casualties1 = Several thousand killed{{ref|acok|32}}<bR>many captured<br>majority scattered<br>Ser [[Rupert Brax]]† <br> Ser [[Lymond Vikary]] (POW)<br> [[Martyn Lannister]] (POW)
| casualties2 = Low <br> Ser [[Stevron Frey]]†{{ref|ACOK|35}}
}}

The '''Battle of Oxcross'''{{ref|ASOS|Appendix}} is a battle during the [[War of the Five Kings]]. The [[House Stark|Stark]] army of King [[Robb Stark]] routs and scatters the [[House Lannister|Lannister]] army of Ser [[Stafford Lannister]], who is killed. 

==Prelude==
After the [[battle in the Whispering Wood]] and the [[Battle of the Camps]], Robb Stark, the new [[King in the North]], sends Ser [[Cleos Frey]] as an envoy to [[King's Landing]] with a peace offer for Queen [[Cersei Lannister]]. In case the offer is rejected, Robb sends [[Theon Greyjoy]] to treat with his father [[Balon Greyjoy|Balon]], [[Lord of the Iron Islands]], for an alliance to assault the [[westerlands]] from both land and sea.  Meanwhile, Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] tasks his cousin, Ser [[Stafford Lannister]], with training a new Lannister army at [[Casterly Rock]]. With the main Lannister army in the [[riverlands]], this new army could be used to attack Robb's host from two fronts.{{ref|ACOK|7}}{{ref|ACOK|20}}

Robb marches to deal with the forming threat as Stafford trains his fresh recruits, believed to be [[sellswords]], [[freeriders]], and boys from the stews of [[Lannisport]].{{ref|ACOK|7}} Also among them are many veterans of Ser [[Forley Prester]]'s 4,000-strong force at the Golden Tooth, survivors of the Camps.<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [https://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1064 The Tooth and the Tyroshi], December 17, 1999</ref> As Robb marches west from [[Riverrun]], he sends his mother, [[Catelyn Stark]], to forge an alliance with King [[Renly Baratheon]].{{ref|ACOK|22}} This is done with the aim that Renly will pose a more immediate threat to Tywin and force him to leave [[Harrenhal]].{{ref|ACOK|7}}

Robb's host invades the [[westerlands]] by avoiding the [[Golden Tooth]], the strong castle at the border, through a previously-unknown goat track found by his direwolf, [[Grey Wind]].{{ref|ACOK|39}}

==Battle==
Stafford trains the inexperienced recruits near the village of [[Oxcross]], within three days ride from [[Lannisport]]. Thinking himself safe in his own lands, Stafford does not bother to set sentries. During the night, Robb sends men to cut the lines that hold Stafford's horses. When Robb sets loose Grey Wind, the horses are maddened by the scent and trample tents and men alike while trying to flee. With confusion sending Lannister men fleeing everywhere, Robb sends his own cavalry. The battle is more a rout then a real encounter, as the untrained and surprised Lannister army fail to put up much resistance.{{ref|ACOK|32}}

Stafford is slain by Lord [[Rickard Karstark]] while running after his horse.{{ref|ACOK|32}} Ser [[Stevron Frey]], Lord [[Walder Frey]]'s eldest son and heir, suffers a minor wound during the battle, but dies shortly thereafter.{{ref|ACOK|35}} Among those reported dead, missing and wounded are Ser [[Lymond Vikary]], Lord [[Roland Crakehall (lord)|Roland Crakehall]], and Lord [[Antario Jast]].{{ref|ACOK|32}} These men are actually captured by the Stark forces, along with [[Martyn Lannister]], Lord Jast's sons, and half a hundred other highborn hostages.{{ref|ACOK|32}}{{ref|ASOS|Appendix}}

==Aftermath==
The Lannister army's defeat is so great that, according to rumor, Robb cut out Stafford's heart and fed it to Grey Wind. Remnants fall back to Lannisport, where Stafford's son, Ser [[Daven Lannister]], reforms them.{{ref|ACOK|39}}{{ref|ASOS|19}} Robb continues attacking the westerlands, capturing [[taking of Ashemark|Ashemark]], and marches on to take the [[storming of the Crag|Crag]].{{ref|ACOK|35}} [[Galbart Glover]] and [[Rickard Karstark]] raid along [[Raiding along the westerlands coast|the coast]]. Lady [[Maege Mormont]] captures thousands of livestock and begins driving them back towards the [[riverlands]]. Lord [[Jon Umber|Greatjon Umber]] captures [[Seizure of westerlands gold mines|the gold mines]] at [[Nunn's Deep]], [[Castamere]], and in the [[Pendric Hills]].{{ref|ACOK|39}}

Ser [[Lancel Lannister]] proclaims in the [[Red Keep]] that Robb used "vile [[sorcery]]" to win, after which [[northmen]] ate [[cannibalism|enemy flesh]].{{ref|ACOK|32}} Lord Tywin, having heard of the defeat at Oxcross, and feeling confident that [[Stannis Baratheon]] laying [[siege of Storm's End (299)|siege to Storm's End]] means a secure southern front,{{ref|ACOK|44}} marches west to face Robb's host.{{ref|ACOK|45}}

The singer [[Rymund the Rhymer]] composes a tune commemorating the northern victory, "[[Wolf in the Night]]".{{ref|acok|45}}

Remembering his uncle Stafford's mistake on the [[Oxcross (river)|Oxcross]], Ser [[Jaime Lannister]] sets sentries himself while at [[Hayford]].{{ref|AFFC|27}} Daven vows not to cut his hair until he avenges his father's death by slaying Lord Karstark.{{ref|AFFC|33}}

==Quotes==
{{quote|Using some vile [[sorcery]], [[Robb Stark|your brother]] fell upon Ser [[Stafford Lannister]] with an army of [[warg]]s, not three days ride from [[Lannisport]]. Thousands of good men were butchered as they slept, without the chance to lift sword. After the slaughter, the [[northmen]] feasted on the [[cannibalism|flesh of the slain]].{{ref|ACOK|32}}|[[Lancel Lannister]] to [[Sansa Stark]]}}

{{quote|Do not take Oxcross too much to heart, my lady. A battle is not a war, and [[Tywin Lannister|my lord father]] is assuredly not [[Stafford Lannister|my uncle Stafford]].{{ref|ACOK|32}}|[[Tyrion Lannister]] to [[Sansa Stark]]}}

{{quote|'''Martyn''': There's some say that after the battle, [[Robb Stark|the king]] cut out [[Stafford Lannister]]'s heart and fed it to [[Grey Wind|the wolf]].<br>'''Catelyn''': I would not believe such tales. My son is no savage.{{ref|ACOK|39}}|[[Martyn Rivers]] and [[Catelyn Stark]]}}

==Notes==
{{notes}}

==References==
{{references|2}}  

{{War of the Five Kings}}

[[Category:Battles|Oxcross]]
[[Category:House Brax battles|Oxcross]]
[[Category:House Crakehall battles|Oxcross]]
[[Category:House Frey battles|Oxcross]]
[[Category:House Jast battles|Oxcross]]
[[Category:House Karstark battles|Oxcross]]
[[Category:House Lannister battles|Oxcross]]
[[Category:House Stark battles|Oxcross]]
[[Category:House Vikary battles|Oxcross]]
[[Category:War of the Five Kings|Oxcross]]
[[Category:Westerlands]]

[[es:Batalla de Cruce de Bueyes]]
[[fr:Bataille de Croixbœuf]]
[[pt:Batalha de Cruzaboi]]
[[ru:Битва у Окскросса]]
[[zh:牛津之战]]