I liked the battle report from Chthoniid on the yahoo sight but I'd sure appreciate some more detailed commentary on the rules. How do they compare with Warrior/WRG 7th or DBM for instance?
Well, accepting all potential biases from this side
I think rules have a learning curve. Rules that deliver poor games, have a gentle beginning and a flat tail. That is, they are simple to learn, but have little depth. It's easy to work out the optimal strategies. The game then becomes boring.
Most good games (IMO) do have a steeper initial stage, then start levelling off. It takes time to refine your skills. I think SL, WRG 7th and DBM fall into the second category. The issue is just how steep the initial stage of the learning curve is.
I don't think SL is as "complex" as WRG 7th or DBM, as there are fewer troop types (the benefit of not being a generic 'Sumer-to-Swiss' set). There are probably analogous relationships with WRG 7th. The SL status D1, resembles 'tired', and the state D2, resembles 'exhausted'. Nontehless, in SL, these states are achieved without the need to record and track casualties.
In contrast to comparable DBM-sized games, we finish much sooner on average (but roughly the same number of turns). There is less dithering with geometry etc. It is more streamlined.
I think that often, the problems players 'initially' have with SL, is that it doesn't follow conventions they are habituated to. For instance, DBM-type tactics lead to a 'crash-and-burn' phenomena in SL. Many wargame rules, also owe a lot to the conventions and doctrines of classical warfare. I departed from this, by drawing upon medieval doctrine as much as possible. This gives (IMO) a far more interesting game- it feels different to games 'standardised' to a classical-warfare model. Mamluks don't behave like 'Romans on horse-back'.
My impression from the above is that they are not an entry level rules set.
They are probably not an ideal 'entry level' set. I don't think that was ever my aim.
Nonetheless, I've had battle reports from players in France, Italy and Spain. I think this suggests they are generally comprehensible, and the diagrams, examples etc, make it possible for gamers with limited English skills, to 'pick-up and play' the rules. So, they are possibly not impossible for the novice gamer to master.
Chthonic regards
B