Here's what I've recently been up to using Days of Knights with house rules.
The Battle of Verneuil 17 August 1424 (Updated Alternative)
Part 1: New Features
So why do it again? What's so different? Isn't history unchanged? Not according to Timecop, Looper, and Back to the Future. To be honest, it was the publishing of the excellent book, Verneuil 1424: The Second Agincourt: The Battle of the Three Kingdoms, by Richard Wadge. In reading it I saw that there were several mistaken assumptions I'd included in the previous scenario, and thus was born an opportunity to take a fresh look at a very interesting and often forgotten clash. As Ken Blackley has already added an excellent pre and post battle summary to the original, I'll just focus on what's new for this version.
1. The Scots – I guess it's natural that when you think of the medieval Scots, you immediately have visions of long spearmen. However, the Scots were primarily composed of men-at-arms and archers, much like their English counterparts. Wadge even proposes that they were present in approximately two archers to a single man-at-arms ratio. The English and Scot archery duel was noted as especially bitter, so our scenario should certainly allow for this to occur.
2. English Artillery – I remember noticing with glee that English bombards were included in The Lance and Longbow Society's demonstration game of Verneuil. Furthermore, Jean de Waurin, a Burgundian eyewitness to the battle, wrote that small artillery pieces were indeed included in the baggage. As the DOK community has constantly tried, rejected, and returned to various versions of this elusive and alluring weapon, I couldn't resist adding it into the scenario. Of course, presence in the camp admittedly doesn't lead anyone to believe that they were in any way ready for use. There's honestly no evidence of any gunpowder weapons being fired that day, so it's no longer included in the English order of battle. Still, you're welcome to include an appropriately ineffective version if you like!
3. The Lombard Mercenaries – Many explanations of this battle conclude that the French and Lombard cavalry rode around the flanks of the English line to engage the camp. But compelling evidence has the unusually heavily armored cavalry BURSTING through the English line and its inadequately set stakes to rumble headlong into the camp behind. Another scenario specific rule required, in my view.
Fortunately, much of the heavy lifting is done. Tom Thomas created a superb Big Battle De Bellis Antiquitatis scenario that was included in Great Battles of History for DBA 3. Highly recommended. Just buy it.
This scenario is so well crafted that little more than a conversion to DOK1 or DOK2 units is necessary. These are simply plugged into the proper locations on the included scenario map in Great Battles of History for DBA 3. I'll provide an approximate description for those who don't wish to purchase the book, and of course you can deploy as described by other accounts of the battle. On to Part 2, which will describe in more detail the terrain and participants.
