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"HYW boardgames?" Topic


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842 hits since 5 Jan 2009
©1994-2026 Bill Armintrout
Comments or corrections?

Wheldrake05 Jan 2009 9:48 a.m. PST

Bonjour et bonne année!

I'm slowly collecting figures of saxons, vikings and later medieval units, but after watching "Les Rois Maudits" on the telly, I'm eager to play a game about the HYW, without waiting for my slow painting schedule to catch up.

Can anyone suggest a good board game or two based on the HYW?

I saw a new one in the French mag "Vae Victus" called "Warriors of God", but the review wasn't very positive. I'm sure you lads can suggest several alternatives.

Thanks a mil, --- Wheldrake

Personal logo aegiscg47 Supporting Member of TMP05 Jan 2009 11:56 a.m. PST

Men of Iron Vol I from GMT games is excellent and you get seven battles in the box, including Crecy, Falkirk, and more. The system is pretty simple and plays well, with each scenario lasting 2-3 hours. Also, the recent Warriors of God from MMP has a 100 Years War campaign in it. It is an area movement based game and can be finished in 3-4 hours. Both games are an excellent investment.

Personal logo Parzival Supporting Member of TMP05 Jan 2009 12:19 p.m. PST

Oddly enough, Battle Lore is essentially set in a fantasy HYW. Toss out the fantastical elements, and you have a straight-up HYW warfare game. Easy to learn and quick to play, and features the very popular card-based command system from Battle Cry, Memoir '44, and Command and Colors: Ancients. Plus the figs aren't half bad.

IGWARG1 Supporting Member of TMP Fezian05 Jan 2009 2:59 p.m. PST

Joan of Ark is an excellent board game. Also, great as a campaign system for your miniatures.

Daffy Doug05 Jan 2009 8:15 p.m. PST

Just take card bases, note what type of troops each one is, and play Agincourt using OUR rules :)

Here, let me help: 20mm by 20mm bases are "60" men each. A base 30mm by 20mm is a company of 100 longbowmen. A base 25mm by 40mm is 50 cavalry.

Now, the French first battle is (in this version) 5,000 dismounted men at arms, or c. 83 20mm by 20mm bases. Out in front on each wing you have c. 400 mounted men at arms, or eight 25mm by 40mm bases in each wing.

The English have 1,500 men at arms and billmen, divided into three "battles" of 500 each; or eight 20mm by 20mm bases each: each battle has a left and right wing of c. 800 longbowmen, or eight bases of 30mm by 20mm on each wing, comprising six wings all together.

Our rules only use miniatures because we like them; but the game plays like a "board game", in that the size of the base and the type of trooper it represents is the essential element in play: miniatures are actually a luxury (or, if you are a modeller, a "necessity" to full enjoyment).

1066.us

Daffy Doug07 Jan 2009 3:38 p.m. PST

Each English battle looks about like this:


xx xx
aaxx xxaa
aaxx xxaa
aaxx xxaa
aaxx xxaa
aaxx xxaa
aaxx xxaa
aaxx xxaa
aa aa
m m m m m m m m m m

Where a=50 archers and m=50 men-at-arms. Note: the men-at-arms are in "thin line", i.e. about 4 ranks deep. The archers are at least 8 ranks deep. Where the forward angled line of archers meets the forward angled archer line of a flanking battle, a "wedge" (as described in the original sources) is formed. The archers have a network of sharpened, six foot-long stakes (x=stakes) driven into the ground in front of themselves, behind which they have withdrawn.

The center battle is commanded by king Henry V; on his right is the vanguard under York; the left battle is the rearguard commanded by Camoys.

The extreme ends of the line (the right wing and left wing of archers, respectively) reach the woods flanking the battlefield.

The french vanguard, and two wings ("horns") of c. 400 cavalry each (an averaging of the different numbers given in the sources), begin at extreme bowshot (250 to 300 yards) in front, filling the space between the woods also. This combined force is under the command of the marshal Boucicault, the Duke of Orleans and constable D'Albret; with the right wing of cavalry led by the count of Vendome, the left wing by the admiral Clignet de Brabant (or switch them, the narratives are most unclear on this point).

There is a second (and most sources say, a third) French battle: the mainguard, a bowshot (or less) behind the French vanguard, which is another 3,000 men-at-arms, commanded by the dukes of Alencon and Bar. The third line would be varlets, all mounted on the horses of their dismounted masters; and some late arriving men-at-arms: the total strength would reasonably be 4,000+, but only c. 10% men-at-arms, all commanded by the counts of Marle, Dammartin and Fauquembourg.

Historically, the French cavalry get shot down and practically make no contact with the English archers of the van and rear (which they charged): and the French dismounted van clustered toward the English men-at-arms and ignored (or avoided) the "wedges" of enstaked archers: but in playing this as a wargame, you can allow a "performance check" on the French men-at-arms; which, if they "pass", they can attack the archers directly in front of themselves: otherwise, they must press into the spaces between the stakes and do their best to break through the English men-at-arms.

The archers may issue out from behind their stakes at any time and attack the French men-at-arms hand-to-hand.

The muddy field restricts cavalry to "trot" speed maximum, and cuts infantry to a walk maximum: a case can be made for further limiting men-at-arms to a half-walk maximum….

Here's a free game sheet, PDF link with the combat values for bases of 15mm to 30mm width. The English archers have "Bow 3" and up to 20% "Bow 4".

Historically, the French crossbowmen (up to 4,000 of them) were pushed back behind the men-at-arms of their vanguard and played virtually no part in the battle. Again, as a wargame, you could dice for this, or just allow the players to try to use them the best they can….

Daffy Doug07 Jan 2009 3:39 p.m. PST

How cool is that? I just tried the above to test Bill's text appearance code: if only I had known about that during the great Agincourt debate a couple or three months ago! Oh well, better late than not at all. It's the < t > < /t > code. I never, ever knew before….

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