Hawkwood

Hawkwood is the result of a continuing search for a simple yet satisfying medieval wargame. I’m still searching for those childhood games of units with enough differences in characteristics to make them interesting, yet simple mechanics. Something easy enough to introduce to friends or to play solo.

Hawkwood is intended to be a simple, enjoyable game. It is a historically based piece of entertainment rather than a strict simulation, though it attempts to catch the flavour of its period. The base mechanisms owe much to Neil Thomas’ Ancient and Medieval Warfare but in detail, the two games are quite different. Hawkwood has numerous changes to get a little closer both to history and to Old School games it is meant to evoke.

Hawkwood is a stylised game. Units have only three sizes. Combat is unit-on-unit. Command and control is minimal and morale is simple. As with AMW, the main result of morale failure is a reduction of fighting strength, rather than flight. For primarily aesthetic reasons, there are more figures on the table in the basic game than AMW (although the rules give the option of a smaller scale battle with less figures) and units will break while still in existence, rather than be wiped out (an Old School step too far for me). Armies are also more intact at the end for the same reason.

– Hawkwood introduction

Designer: Anthony Clipsom
Year Published: 2015
Status: In Print
Contents: Available online (15-page PDF)

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