This is a review of the scenario book by Manny Granillo and William Butler.
This is a scenario book produced by Hoplite Research, LLC, a prolific wargames publishing company for their Renaissance-era rules, "Repent or Die". The book contains 21 scenarios covering the period from 1454 (the Battle of Xochimilco) to 1648 (the Battle of Lens). The scope of the book is broad and includes well-known battles such as Pavia and Rocroi. Interestingly, the book also includes several obscure battles such as the afore-mention Xochimilco (a battle from an Aztec civil war) and Sievershausen, a battle from the 2nd Margrave War of the 1550's.
The book is 114 pages, perfect-bound soft cover printed in full color. Historic artwork and photos of nicely painted miniatures are sprinkled throughout. Each of the scenarios includes a brief description of the battle and the leaders involved, orders of battle, a map, and deployment instructions. The maps are particularly notable because they are presented in a manner that is easily translated to the table-top, with features that most wargamers will find easy to reproduce.
While the orders of battle are written with "Repent or Die" in mind, they are, in fact, rules-agnostic and can be easily adapted to any other rules. I tried two of the scenarios – Cerignola, 1503 and Jankau, 1645, using other rules systems, and found that the scenarios worked well, were balanced, and provided enjoyable game.
In all, Repent or Die: Great Battles of the Renaissance, Volume 1 is a book I would highly recommend to anyone with an interest in Renaissance-era gaming. It is well worth the price, and is sure to provide many enjoyable games for those looking for an alternative to common-place fictional battles.
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