Wargaming with small groups of model soldiers, in which each figure rep- resents an individual man with his own personality, service record and fighting experience, is becoming increasingly popular. This book shows how it is accomplished Beginning with a description of the advantages of this type of wargaming — where you need only paint half a dozen figures instead of hundreds — it then goes on to describe the basic methods of representing movement, weapon fir- ing and hand-to-hand combat in minia- ture. This is accompanied by a well- thought-out set of essential playing rules applicable to any historical period The bulk of the book is occupied by ten scenarios, ranging from a Viking raid, through an English Civil War cavalry skirmish, a naval boarding action and a Napoleonic encounter, toa Wild West gunfight and a mélée bet- ween German and Allied infantrymen at Monte Cassino. In each case the book sets the scene, describes the men and the weapons they are carrying, then leaves the outcome of the fight for you the wargamer, to decide, using model soldiers. Each scenario is accompanied by a ‘cast list’ of characters and any special playing rules needed to re- create accurately their particular capabilities or weapons. Yet again, Donald Featherstone — the world’s best-known wargames author — has provided a fund of fascinating as which all wargamers looking for something a little different will seize on with delight Patrick Stephens Limited Bar Hill, Cambridge, CB3 BELSkirmish WargamingSkirmish Wargaming Donald F, Featherstone et pst] Patrick Stephens, Cambridgeherstone and Patrick Stephens Ltd 1975 from Patrick Stephens Lid 2 1 — October 19 SBN 0 #5059 197 X Tex 0 on LL pt Time i 1, Leiceste F mn nooth Wove Gar Lte Letchworth i Pat Stephens Ltd, B:Contents Individual wargaming — what it is and how it began Introduction to the general rules The general rules The Vikings, 850 AD English archers in France, June 1429 English Civil War cavalry action, 1643 The Jolly Roger, 1715 The 95th Rifles in the Peninsula, 1813 The French Foreign Legion in Mexico, 1866 The Massacre at Isandhiwana, 1879 The Old West, 1888 First World War trench raid, 1916 Street fighting in Cassino, 1944 Figure sources and ideas Suppliers of models and accessories for individual wargamingIndividual wargaming — what it is and how it began Perhaps more than any other facet of the hobby, Individual Wargaming posses- ses outstanding qualities that encourage colourful realism. We all cherish in our wargaming those aspects that attract and appeal to our diverse characters and temperaments. Personally, the imagination and ability to conjure up mental Pictures that aid me as a writer, find great scope in both Individual Wargam- ing’s fictional and its highly personalised aspects, as exemplified by the lifelike combatants and realistic terrain Wargaming with small groups of figures, each with an individual name, per- sonality and fighting ability, has undoubtedly been pursued by enlightened table-top generals for some years. My own ideas were described in the books Advanced Wargames (Stanley Paul 1969) Chapter 16, ‘Personalised Wargam- ing’; Wargames Campaigns (Stanley Paul 1970) Chapter 9, “Individualised Wargaming; and Solo Wargaming (Kaye and Ward 1973) Chapter 7, ‘Per- sonalised Wargaming’ and Chapter 20, ‘Wargaming in Bed’. However, the breath of life was really brought to wargaming by Steve Curtis, Tan Colwill and Mike Blake, a trio of close friends who lived and wargamed in Bristol. How their stimulating ideas glowed into flame is best told in lan Col- will's own words:— “In the beginning it was all Steve Curtis's fault really! He is a “Western nut’ and his enthusiasm and persistence draws unsuspecting individuals like Mike Blake and myself under his evil influence. Originally, he wanted to do the OK Corral with 54 mm cowboys and Britain’s buildings — no more, no less. We would write rules for that game alone and that would be it. Since then we've published three sets of rules, both Mike and I have come near to losing our wives, and we've started (or rather helped to precipitate) Individual Wargam- ing. ‘Individual wargames are games fought between two or possibly three sides with the number of players regulated only by the number of figures on the table. As each figure on the table represents one man and, in battle terminology, 1s effectively a ‘unit’, one player operating one ‘unit’, with about six ‘units’ on each side, is a definite possibility which we have tried with hilarious yet effec- tive and realistic results. Normally, however, one or two players command each side, which can consist of anything from one to about 25 figures (although we have successfully used 70 figures on one si The games represent close- Tange engagements, clashes between scouts and natives, heroic last stands, shoot-outs, section-level combats — the possibilities are as endless as theg Skirmish Wargaming players’ imaginations, as the contents of this book reveal. They take place over a very short period of time — unrealistically short periods of time — but provide a good and exciting game. ‘The most important aspect of the game is that one figure on the table represents one man who is given individual characteristics. In the Western Gunfight Rules, a man’s abilities in fighting and firing shoulder arms and hand- guns are represented; in the Colonial Skirmish Rules it is his hand-to-hand and firing abilities that are assessed. Each man is classified as either a Profes- sional/Veteran, an Average, or a Novice — this rating represents his expe ence. In the Gunfight Rules, it determines his speed al drawing a gun and reloading; in the Colonial Rules it determines the speed of his reactions to certain circumstances. To emphasise individuality each man is usually given a name — Captain Jones, Pte Peter Smith, etc, but ignorance of languages usu- ally leads to native forces, eg Zulus, being rather unceremoniously given dif- ferent numbers to aid identification ‘In essence, although we were not aware of this at the outset, the rules are a time-and-motion study of what a highly athletic man can do when the adrenalin is flowing! All movements and actions possible to man had to be considered and, of necessity, the time scale had to be in terms of seconds. At first, we had atime scale of one game-move representing two and a half seconds (the time a single action revolver could fire three snap shots). Initially, we anticipated that a figure would carry out only one move-rate in the game-move but, as we began to realise that it was a time-and-motion study with actions flowing from game- move to game-move, this changed and the phase became all important. Thus, was revealed as clumsy, leading to situations which sometimes stretched the rules beyond breaking point. Hence, in the Colonial Rules we have moved toa one p! me-move (a phase represents a very short period of time of just ov second) and the player has to record what each man is doing in that game-move. This may sound clumsy and time- consuming, particularly to Ancient wargamers who have never fought anything but Research Group rules, but it is standard practice in almost any wargame and, with the one phase game-move, these instructions are rarely more than ilk/Double/Walk and draw gun/Aim/Pire, etc ‘The introduction of a percentage system in the Colonial Rules also necessi- lated a one phase game-move. Constantly we searched for a way to achieve casualties in as simple a manner as possible. The Gunfight system was based ona graph-seale of Firing-Factor vs Target-Factor, modified by a dice throw; this works but is a little bit too predictable and time wasting, as it involves working through shopping lists of factors to gain the final result. Percen- tage/Decimal Dice eliminate this by allowing a basic percentage chance of hitting certain types of target, and @ man’s actual chance of hitting is deter- mined by his ability and the type of firing he is using — aimed or snap firing. The player has only to throw the dice to see if his man misses, or hits, and if so where. The chance is a calculated one and the 20-sided dice, giving no bias to any numbers, make it a real chance throw. Moreover, it is simpler and, from a purely practical point of view, the possibility of throwing one to one hundred has enabled us to increase the number of wounds and introduce different severities of wound. For those who have not seen an individual game, I should explain that, just as a unil ina battle game suffers casualties and men or figures are removed, so ASCJad: idual wargaming — what it is and how it began 9 our ‘units’ (one man) suffer casualties but they incur wounds which will pre- Judice their firing and fighting ability and possibly put them out of the game for a few phases at least. As such, casualties are a lot more important and so the greater the variety of results, the better. Thus the wounds can range from dead “The rules do not overly consider morale — the surrender rules in the Colo- nial section do try to impose some morale effect but on the whole it is ignored. There are no tests to see if men charge or whether they rout, because with the game time so short (rarely more than one minute) few individuals get time to react in the morale sense. If men were going to run away they would probably have done it before the game! In practice, we have found that the players themselves ‘graft’ morale on their figures as their own personalities are reflected in the way they use their men. The game is so personalised that this comes out through the figures on the table. For example, a British player who has a novice private (with a low melee ability but average firing ability) as the sole survivor on a section of a wall which is being attacked by Zulus, will desert the wall and fall back on a main redoubt which needs to be defended by as many men as possible. As the British are invariably better at shooting Zulus (or any tribesmen) than actually fighting them, the intelligent British player spends his time avoiding melee at all costs and withdrawing to get yet another shot in. As it takes three phases to reload and Zulus cover 13! yards in that time (one inch represents one vard) the tension of any withdrawal can be appreciated! *A further reason for omitting morale tests is the difficulty of assessing how an individual will react to the myriad situations which can occur in an indi- al game. Ina draft set of rules we did try to impose morale but the rules for ran to eight es and imposed ridiculous reactions al the wrong times. In the interests of playability, we decided to drop them and the games are certainly much better without them. “The major problem in making rules of this type is to maintain playability whilst attaining a high level of realism. War-games are just that and, when the game reaches a point where it is so difficult and burdensome that it cannot be played satisfactorily, then it ceases to be a game. Thus, while we tried to make the rules as realistic as possible, we were constantly playing games to check the playability aspect. For example, we found that in Colo games there fine balance between the Europeans’ rate of fire (which depends on the speed of reloading) and their survival. So reloading rates were reduced to the fastest possible time in the interests of the game. In reality, delay would have occurred but we make no provisions for imposing it on the players although delay is possible in games if both players decide to be cautious. In a Convention final I umpired, there was more delay than play — but most players rush their men around like supermen and get shot for their pains. Our only attempt to build-in delay in the Colonial Rules is in the reaction to circumstances and this makes novices a real liability *Both the Colonial Rules and the Western Gunfight Rules used an order system similar to that used by the Research Group, but they also contain an opportunity for direct verbal orders, instructions, or exchange as, in such a personalised game, speech cannot be ignored. Realistically, we should have estimated how many syllables could be spoken in a second but it is easier to say three words. We do not force native troops, eg Zulus, Chinese, Apaches or Afghans, to use their native tongue in verbal exchanges! However, in a recent10 Skirmish Wargaming Napoleonic skirmish between British and French, we were able to transmit to the British player the orders being shouted by a French sergeant, in French! ‘Individual fighting, particularly in the final stages of a conflict, is much the same in any period — the weapons may change but the men are the same. Ted Herbert once fought a Colonial 20 mm battle (reported in Wargamer's Newslet- ter) with Research Group Ancient Rules on the basis that natives were essen- tially barbarians and Europeans were regular. In reverse, the Colonial Skir- mish Rules, covering the period 1850-1900, include a large range of melee and firing weapons, from club to fixed bayonet, sword and lance, or bow and spear to matehlock, musket and breech-loading, bolt-action rifles. With them we have fought, besides many colonial conflicts, an American War of Indepen- dence skirmish (French and Indians v. Rogers’ Rangers); a Western; and a Napoleonic skirmish. “Lo the latter we used 54 mm ‘Action Pack’ figures (which paint up nicely) but it could equally well have been fought with ordinary 25 mm troops or, ideally, the new Minifig 30 mm Napoleonic troops. In that game, a force of 11 Imperial Guardsmen and a line gun and crew assaulted a ruin (the excellent Airfix “Strongpoint’ suitably converted) held by six iant Coldstream Guardsmen. With men taking 18 phases to load it was a case (as it was histori- cally) of moving up, firing, and then in with the bayonet. The final melee was a bloody affair but the French were triumphant. ‘It should not be impossible to fight Ancient, Mediaeval and Modern skir- mishes with only slight modifications to the rules, so that it is possible to do a Pictish attack on a Milefort or a jungle encounter between Japanese and Australians. And with Britains producing 54 mm Turks (14th- 15th century) the mind runs riot, We believe that with the Colonial Skirmish Rules, we have found a very simple system (despite initial appearances, it is ridiculously sim- ple) and we hope to use it as our basis for other rules A final point —why f i much a wargame as any other and include manoeuvring, firing and fighting, but on a more personal scale, The games can be very quick and may be played by any number of players. They need minimum capital outlay since 20 fi a side is a big game so that even the most reluctant painter should be able to prod: a force! And he can fight in either 20, 25, 30 or 54 mm scale. Two boxes of Airfix figures, say Arabs and Foreign Legion, provide more than enough figures for a game (one box of Foreign Legion does, as a matter of fact, provide three ‘armies’ and there is still a surplus). For the individual who likes to dabble at conversion but abhors the prospect of doing the same conversion 24 times, this type of game is perfect, as ideally each man should be different. Finally, for those who have never tried it, it makes a nice change! It is different and, above all it is enjoy- able. Well, there it is — straight from the horse’s mouth! Little more needs to be said — now go and fight a really enjoyable Individual Wargame! My thanks go to that inimitable trio of SKIRMISH WARGAMES — Mike Blake, lan Colwill and Steve Curtis — good friends with whom I have fought many a fascinating skirmish. Without their sterling aid, ingenuity and pain- staking research this book could never have been written in this form, The stimulating maps were drawn by Mike and that doyen of West Country war- gaming activities, Chris Beaumont. The rules were compiled by Ian, and finally their efforts were given coherence and legibility by the painstaking efforts andIndividual wargaming — what it is and how it began I immaculate typing of Steve. Ah! I almost forgot to stress that the rules contained in this book are basic and minimal, representing but a fraction of the all-embracing, colourful and realistic rules detailed in the publications of SKIRMISH WARGAMES. Buy a set and see for yourself! Donald FeatherstoneIntroduction to the general rules Inthe main, the general rules are common toall the skirmish actions considered in the book. This is possible because skirmish games are not concerned with historical groups and formations that have evolved over the centuries but with individual men whose physical evolution has been minimal. Skirmish Wargames are wargames based upon the individual, who forms the basic “unit” with a personal firing and fighting capability that can suffer casualties (wounds) and is subject to reaction. The mechanics of play are very simple — beginning when each player carefully and accurately records the intended movement and actions of his men for the first phase. After both players have done this, the men are moved and actions are declared. Then the results of a r fighting are calculated. Finally, in the space for recording the next phase, the player notes down wounds and any reaction. With each figure representing a separate man, the rules must encompass the entire available range of movements and actions of a reasonably fit human being. Movement is measured in distance and actions are measured in time; whilst all actions do not take the same amount of time, in the rules they are all covered by a five seconds period. This limitation is included not only as a fundamental simplification but also as a means of imposing an element of delay on men who would otherwise behave as supermen. In this book the general rules cover all the principal movements and actions, the individual chapters containing only minor modifications; but if players want their man to move or act in a manner not covered by the rules, try it, and then add to the rules! Over the last two centuries Man’s evolution has been primarily technological, permitting improvement in his efficiency at dispensing death. This means, w hin these rules, that the field of missile weapons is the area requiring the greatest modification and amendment. The general chapter gives only the method of calculating results of firing while, in subsequent chapters are listed the relevant weapons, theirranges, reloading times, limitations and capabilities. Ranges areall close, but divided into short, medium and long — as skirmishes take placeat close quarters, but the player can extend ranges to the weapon's known maximum, ifhe wishes Man’s ability to kill ata distance may have improved, but he remains relatively primitive at a man-to-man fighting level. Most of the hand-to-hand fighting rules are included in this general rules section, with the individual chapters containing only minor amendments and clarifications. An important aspectIntroduction to the general rules B the classification of specific weapons into their particular, category. Morale plays an important part in most wargames yet has only a minor role in these rules. This is because the short period of time taken by most real-life skirmishes (rarely more than one or two minutes) means that it is more necessary to represent any hesitation or delay that may impair the effectiveness of the man, than rout or retreat, which would hardly begin to operate in the time available. Moreover, it is virtually impossible to produce rules to real ally cover the reactions of men in the variety of situations that occur in a skirmish game. So, reaction (morale) is limited to percentage variations that impair a man’s effective- ness The 20-sided dice used in skirmish wargames are fundamental tothe percentage system used in the rules as they permit all endeavours to be reduced to a clear percentage chance. One Percentage Dice is red andthe otheris bl numbered 0-9 twice; the numbers on the red dice represent tens, and those on the black dice represent units. [tis possible to throw any number from 1-100 with (00) representing 100. The fluctuations of fortune are most adequately represented by theuse of such dice — even in top-level computerised wargaming by the Services, dice are similarly used! If the rules indicate that a man has a 70 per cent chance of hitting his target, when he throws the dice there is exactly a 70 per cent chance of throwing a number between one and 70 which would indicate a hit. Conversely, there isa 30 percent chance of m g¢ by throwing number between 71 and 100. It is a simple and flexible system, offering many possibilit and presenting a calculated solution to any problem or situation. Skirmish » mes are not unique. Individual men and percentage systems have been used before, but never before have the two been combined with a time-and-motion study approach to the Fighting Man through the a;The general rules The sequence of action followed during each phase Write down all intended movement/action/firing and Move all men Calculate Firing. Calculate Melee Note men who have to react on the next phase. This sequence should be strictly followed to ensure that all the players are instep throughout the game. ghting for the phase. Scale l cm represents | | phase represents approximately 5 seconds | figure represents | man Equipment 1 pair of Percentage Dice (20-sided, numbered 0-9 twice, see appendix); | muler; paper (preferably squared), pens, etc, to record movement, actions wounds, and soon The men For the purposes of the rules there are three types of men: Veterans These are the men who have fought in many campaigns and who are experts inthe use of their weapons andintactics. They will usually be the leaders (always so in groups based on proficiency in war, but in some societies other factors. eg wealth, social rank, dictate the leaders). They will be tough fighters, ind deadly marksmen Averages These are men with some battle experience, who have gained some knowledge of battle craft and can handle their weapons reasonably well. The majori! men willremain this type of soldier despite repeated exposure to war. Novices These are men with little orno experience of battle, with noreal skillin the use of their weapons. They may be young, and will gain proficiency with experience, and progress to become Averages and even Veterans. On the other hand they may simply be incompetent, clumsy orcowards, and w ill neverimprove their skill.The general rules 15 Each man (ie figure) is given one of these ratings, and his performance with his weapons in firing and melee is then conditioned by his type, ega Novice deducts 20 per cent when firing, whilst a Veteran adds ten per cent when meleeing an Average. These percentage variations are given in the relevant sections. Record sheet Careful record keeping helps to make the game run smoothly. The record sheet can be easily prepared from one-inch-squared paper, with details entered as shown in the diagram below. EXP FIGURE RATING PHASE ABILITIES 1 Ae 2 8 3 No and Now name Ay INTENDED MOVEMENT, ACTION, AIMING OR FIRING Ver ‘Weapons | ROUNDS FIRED AND WOUNDS SUFFERED For example BI Adopt Sgt Brown Vet Walk Walk Stand Kneel Load firing Fire Re- Fire Re pasition load load Martini-Hency 1 1 Serious & Sword bayonet shot shot right arm ‘The character's name, type and weapons are recorded in the first column. Orders can be recorded on the back of the sheet. The squares are then numbered forthe phases of the game, and intendedactions and/or movement is entered at the start of each phase (see ‘Sequence of Action’, 14). During each phase, any wounds suffered are also recorded (preferably in a different colour ink, eg red), together with the effect of the wounds in subsequent phases. Orders At the start of the game each side should be givenan objective. In the situations inthis book, the objectives are inherentinthe story. The Leader should then issue orders outlining the role of each man in his force Men should obey these orders until they are changed. It takes one phase to issue a new order Movement On foot Open Ground Walk 4 paces 2 paces Run 8 paces 4 paces Charge 10 paces 5 paces Crawl /limp 2 paces 1 pace16 Skirmish Wargaming On horseback Walk 4 paces 2 paces 8 paces 4 paces 12 paces aed 16 paces = Riders may accelerate or decelerate from one Rate to another (ie up or down) on subsequent phases Actions Actions differ from movementinthat they involve time rather than distance. All actions, unless otherwise stated, take one phase For example Mount/Dismount; Kneel/Lie down/Get up, Dive; Draw/Sheath weapon. A man may make more than one action in one phase if the actions are compatible, eg kneel and draw weapon. Firing (or throwing) There are two types — Aimed and Snap. Aimed fire This takes two phases — first phase — adopt a Firing Position: second phase — Fire. Whilst making an aimed shot a man may make no other action, nor move. Snap fire This takes one phase. A man may move or make an action while snap-firing. Calculating casualties 1 Establish the type of target, and the percentage chance of a hit at the appropriate range, 2) Work out the chance of a hit by adding and sub variations to or from the range/target percent 3) Throw the di 4 Ifthe dice result is between | and the chance of hit calculated at No 2 above, consult the Casualty Table to establish the type of wound inflicted, the percentage Chance of hit R ange Type of target Short Medium Long Standing 80% Walking or Making an Action 10% Running or Trotting 60% Kneeling, Charging or Cantering 50% Galloping 40% Lying or In Soft Cover 20% In Hard Cover 10% PERCENTAGE VARIATIONS Novice shooting —20% Running/Cantering or Veteran shooting +20% Galloping —20% Snapfiring Med range —10% Each Light wound —10% Snapfiring Long range 30% Each Serious wound —20% Walk/Trot/Action 10% Average Reacting — 10% Novice Reacting —20%The general rules 7 Casualty table A I i 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 A B = 7° 10 14 #17 21 24 28 31 B Cc — — 8 12 16 20 24 2 32 36 G D ee SS IB ee ee 6 Al D E a2 5 Th 16s 32) 29 39, 38 44, 49. 255 E rE — 6 12 18 24 30 36 42 48 54 60 I G 8 16 24 32 40 48 56 64 72 80 G H _ — 7 2 34M 42 S51 59 68 76 85 H 1 _ 9 18 #27 36 45 54°63 72 81 I J = 10 20 30 40 SO 60 70 80 8 99 J KEY The top horizontal column represents the final calculated chance of a hit The inner vertical columns represent the dice totals actually thrown. The end lettered vertical columns give the category of wound TO DETERMINE THE WOUND 1 Read along the horizontal column to the calculated chance of a hit 2 Read down to the nearest number higher in value ta the number thrown, or where possible the actual number thrown 3 Read along to the letiered vertical column WOUND CATEGORY A Dead. B Serious body wound. No movement or action for six phases. Then can crawl or stagger only. C Serious right arm wound. No movement o1 anything in that hand. Cannot use that arm again D_ Serious left arm wound. As above, but for the left arm. E_ Serious leg wound. No movement oraction forfour phases. Then can crawl or limp only. tion for four phases. Drop (NOTE Serious wounds knock a man over; Light wounds do not (except for F below). All actions take twice as long with a serious wound. A man with a serious wound cannot charge or dive.) F Light head wound. Knocked out for four phases G Light body wound. No movement or action for two phases. Then all move- ment at half rate H Light right arm wound. No action for one phase. Drop anything in that hand I Light left arm wound. As above, but for the left arm. J Light leg wound. No action for one phase, then cannot charge in that game For example A Veteran Rifleman with a rifle decides to shoot at a Spanish guerilla running along the street. He adopts a firing position, which takes one phase, and on the next phase makes an aimed shot. As the target is running at medium range the firer’s chance of hitting is 50 per cent, but this is increased by 20 per cent up to 70% because the Rifleman is a Veteran. The player throws the dice and scores 18. This is a hit as it is between | and 70. He consults the Casualty gthe ‘Table, finding the 70 percentand runs down to the number nearest to 18 (taki18 Skirmish Wargaming nearest number greater than that thrown if that number is not in the table itself), in thiscase, 24. He thenreads along tothe lettered vertical column tofind the wound: B. a Serious Body Wound. The player notes down on his Record Sheet “1 round used’, if a limit on ammunition applies, or the weapon is a repeater. Shooting al mounted men The casualty results are interpreted as below. A-F Hitrider. Thro n ta determine wound as ifa 99 per cent chance of hit. G-H_ = Mount hit and killed. Rider thrown, L-J) Mount nicked, and will decelerate automatically on the next phase. INJURY FROM FALL (including being thrown from a horse) Throw dice using the Firing Casualty Chartas if fora 50 percent chance ofahit. This determines whether the man who falls or is thrown is injured, ie if 1 to 501s thrown, the man suffers the appropriate category of wound; if 51 to 100 is thrown, the man is uninjured. Invalid hits 1 When the target is a man using hard cover, only wounds on those parts of his body that are necessarily exposed because of the action he is making are valid. 2. When a target is moving or making any action, ie is not actively using hard cover, butis partially obscured by hard cover, the chance of hitis not reduced, but a wound in the area obscured is invalid 3 When a metal helmet is worn, light head wounds are invalid. 4 Light wounds onan area covered by chain, scale or plate armour are invalid. 5 Serious wounds inflicted from medium and long range are invalid on an area protected by plate armour. Melee Each man has a chance of striking and wounding his opponent, based on the tiveness in both attack and defence of the weapons used. To determine this chance 1 Look at the Weapons Table. For each man, read along from his weapon and down from his opponent's weapon. The intersection of the two is his Basic Chance of landing a blow 2 Add or subtract the Percentage Variations to obtain the Calculated Chance. 3. Steps | and 2are carried out for both men fighting, and both menthen throw the dice. [fone man hits then consult the Casualty Table (asin Firing). [fbothmen hit, treat this as no result during that phase 4 Melee is culculated on every phase Weapons table Foot v Foot | Foot v Mounted 1 6 Short S' mitar/Cutlass, ete. 3. Knife/D. 7 Fixed Bayonet/Spear/Javelin/ 4 Shoulder Arm used as club or Lance/Long War Axe/Asseg: staff/Crude Pole Weapons, etc 8 Sword § Short Axe/Hatchet/Tomahawk ele word Bayonet/Sei-The general rules 19 Mounted v Foot/Mounted v Mounted 9 Anyotherweaponotherthanthose 10 Lance/Spear. in categories 10 and 11. 11 Sabre/Sword. Other weapons will be assigned to their specific categories in the Cast Lists. ee a 94 5°96 0 8 9 10° aE 1 50 40 40 30 30 20 20 10 20 10 0 1 260 500-40 40-3020 20 2 20 es 2 Zz 3.60 6 50 40 30 30 20 20 30 20 10 3 > 4 7-70 © 3 40 0 30 0 3 mM CU < 5 70 7 7 8 50 0 30 30 4 30 DW 5 = 6 80 80 70 60 60 530 40 30 40 30 20 6 7 80 80 80 70 70 & 50 40 40 30 20 7 z 8 9 80 80 80 70 70 60 50 50 40 30 8 o 9 30 80 70 70 70 60 60 50 50 30 20 9 10 8 80 7 70 60 70 SO 60 10 11 100 90 80 80 70 70 40 SO 11 1 2 Oi 2 Orel iTS WEAPON KEY Top and bottom horizontal columns are the opponent's weapon. First and last vertical columns are the man’s own weapon. Inner horizontal and vertical columns are the percentage chances of striking the opponent. PERCENTAGE VARIATIONS Type _ Miscellaneous Veteran v Average + 10% Opponent on left or rear of Veteran v Novice +20% cavalry — 206% Average v Veteran —10% For each Light wound 10% Average v Novice Novice v Average Novice v Veteran For each Serious wound —20% Wounded in previous round = — 10% Opponent wounded in Movement previous round +20% Charging +10% Outnumbered, each extra Opponent Trotting —10% Opponent —10% Opponent Cantering —20% Jallopi ~30% coe Callaping 30% Protection Reaction Using Shield +20% Average reacting —10% Opponent has Shield 20% Novice reacting =20% Opponent in Cover —20% Casualties in melee 1 Calculate wounds on Casualty Table (see page 17) as explained in the Firing Section. 2 However, light wounds in melee do nor have the immediate effect stated The melee continues, but no weapons are dropped, and the percentage deduc- tions will apply in subsequent phases of melee.20 Skirn hits Light wounds on armoured areas are invalid. Serious wounds on areas covered by plate armour are invalid, but on the next phase the man so defended must deduct as if ‘wounded on the previous phase’, ie ten per cent. t Wargaming Invali Reaction A man must react on the phas Firing or throwing. occurrence. Fighting a melee. On the phase of reaction Averages Each fresh sighting of the enemy. and Novices are subject to percentage bene Any sudden or unexpected deductionsThe Vikings, 850 AD ‘Cast list THE VIKING RAIDERS ROLF a Veteran, weapon: one-handed broadsword (category 6). BJORN a Novice, weapon: one-handed broadsword (category 6). GUTHRUM a Veteran, weapons: short throwing hammer (category 5), short one-handed axe (category 5) and broadsword (category 8). GODRED an Average, weapons; three-foot two-edged sword (category 8) and a light barbed throwing spear (category 7). RANALD an Average, weapons: two-handed axe (category 7), five-foot ‘Yew bow, and a light barbed throwing spear (category 7). GRETTIR an Average and a Berserker, weapon: heavy thrusting spear (category 7). All the Vikings carry heavy round wooden shields. THE SAXON DEFENDERS EDMUND. a Veteran, weapons: long handled axe (category 7) and a short sword (category 6). ULRED a Novice, weapon: short spear (category 7). WULF an Average, weapon: long pitchfork (category 4). OSIER an Average, weapon: sickle strapped to pole (category 4) ALGAR an Average, weapons: heavy blacksmith’s hammer (category 7), and an Elm bow. SIDROC a Novice, weapon: sharpened length of iron on oar (category 4). EGBERT a Veteran, weapons: short sword (category 6) and a Yew bow EDWIN an Average, weapon: short thrusting spear (category 7). TURGAR an Average, weapons: sickle strapped to pole (category 4) and a small axe (category 5). OSGOD an Average, weapons: pitchfork (category 4) and a small hammer (category 5). ELDRED a Novice, weapon: iron length strapped to pole (category 4). The fresh breeze filled the square striped sail, causing the low-hulled long- ship to pitch a little; the high bows, shaped to resemble the head of a dragon with its tail raised in fury at the stern, alternately rose and fell, Under the bright sky, the sea was running in long clean billows, the waves dark-blue below their22 Skirmish Wargaming sparkling crests; nothing could be heard but their snap against the black-tarred hull and the soft singing swish of the wind. Narrow and flat-bottomed, the Viking ship was some 25 paces long and eight paces wide; about a hundred men were needed to crew the ship and to provide suffi t men to surge inland and search for booty and slaves and still leave a strong ship-guard behind. They were trained and disciplined men who exploited on land the hardness of the sea and its demands for instant blind obedience to their leader and confidence in their comrades. When the wind fell the longship was propelled by oars, arranged in banks; the spaces (rooms’) between the rowing benches each had their allocation of men, three to each oar — one to row, one to shield and one to fight, each knowing his place if a comrade fell. When they ran alongside another vessel and grappled for close-quarter combat, the foredeck, afterdeck and midships were manned by men who knew exactly what to do. Ashore they held together in the same way, with the terrible ‘wedge’ formation of the Vikings reproducing the form of the ship, with the best men in the bows and the three-deep lines of rowers — sword, shield and reserve men —along the sides, and the rearguard formed by the men of the afterdeck closing all in. In this fashion and with relative ease the sea-rovers were able to handle the usual mass of Saxon spearmen who crowded around them, further handicapped by the lack of train- ing that caused them to be hindered by their long weapons and jostling undisci- plined numbers. The longship ‘Raven of the Wind’ had left its Northern home a month before, and until yesterday had been part ofa fleet of similar ships ravaging the English coast. Finding the pickings small for so many, Kollagrim, their captain, seeking an unravaged area, had taken them off on their own. Like all Viking captains, Kollagrim’s knowledge of the sea and waterways enabled him to land raiding parties anywhere with an unrestricted freedom of action that gave the raiders an immense mobility while putting the surprised Saxons to great dis- dvantage. Long before local leaders could assemble sufficient men to resist the Vikings, they had vanished from the scene of burning buildings and dead bodies, laden with plunder and driving their prisoners before them. Fearful dwellers in coastal regions knew that a Viking longship might appear wherever its narrow keel could scrape up a shallow stream; they could probe rivers and creeks, and negotiated the most treacherous coasts. With tree-trunk rollers placed under the keel, longships were known to be pushed overland from one river to another by their tough crews. Whenever beacons flamed on the head- lands, terrified villagers fled to the nearest town for safety For six months of the year the longship was the only home the sea wolves knew. When night fell over the rolling sea, the sail was furled and a long canopy drawn over wooden posts set in the deck; and under it the Vikings slept, wrap- ped in sheepskins. When near the coast, they put ashore, throwing down the anchor stone and lighting fires on the beach before settling down — rocky shingle or hard deck made little difference to them. Bjorn, 15-year-old son of Kollagrim, was on his first voyage and found every- thing new and wonderful. His incessant questions and restlessness could easily have irritated the dour veterans around him, who made allowances for him being their chief's son. Wildly disappointed at not yet seeing any action, Bjorn was delighted when his father took the longship off on its own and the boy, hoping for a sight of the Saxons, closely scanned the coastline running parallelThe Vikings, 850 AD 3 to their course. It was a coast with headlands to hide in; not a boat showed on the shore but pale blue trails of smoke curling up beyond the rise of the cliffs indicated the cooking fires of some unwary Saxon villagers; far inland a pall of smoke and a red glow in the sky indicated a burning village. As the light faded, Kollagrim ordered the sail to be dropped and the ship rocked dolefully, slapped by the dying waves. A low-lying mist, soft as the twisted skeins of silk it resembled, rose slowly over the water, to come in over the stern and caress the Vikings’ faces with its chill wet touch. Kollagrim padded down the centre of the gently rolling ship to the bench son shared with Rolf and Godred. To Bjorn’s whispered greeting, he said:— ‘T have been here before . . . at the foot of yon headland there's a path from the beach to the clifftop with a village about a mile inland.’ The grizzled Northman indicated their bench and that behind them. ‘I'm sending you two oars ashore to find the path and see if the Saxons expect us." Old Kollagrim knew that the five men he was sendi shore with his son, without failing the boy, would yet force him to fight for his life if he had to. They were a mixed bunch but they were all Vikings, with ferocious fighting qualities backed by a ruthlessness and savagery that made their enemies think cof them more as wild animals than human creatures. In the dusky half-light Kollagrim peered into their faces, seeking reassurance that he had made the right choice For 12 years Rolf had been a harsh guide and mentor to the boy, teaching him everything he knew — now Rolf hoped he had taught him well b was going into battle with Bjorn as his second, with the duty of shielding him if they got into a ‘*holmgang’ duel. At 45 years of age, Rolf was old and would see few more voyages; he half-welcomed death because he dreaded the long days to come, hanging around the Great Hall with no one but the other old men and women for company, eating his heart out for news of the longship and its crew, Although conscious of his age, Rolf knew he was still a first-class warrior, able to use both hands with equal abil still strong enough to throw a sp right through an enemy — although he was no longer so keen-eyed as in his younger days, when he could catch an opponent's spear in mid-flight and hurl it back at him. Now he preferred to fight in short sharp bursts rather than in a prolonged melee, and was as good as ever with his favourile sweeping slash at an enemy's shoulder, knee or ankle — if the opponent was agile enough to leap over the sword, Rolf was still quick enough to get him should he fractionally mistime his leap. A pastmaster in the use of the shield as a weapon of attack, Rolf could twist his quickly so as to disarm an opponent before braining him with a sideways sweep of its edge. He had a favourite ploy of allowing the enemy's weapon to imbed itself in his shield so that he could jerk its holder to the ground, and then strike him on the neck with the shield rim as he floundered at his feet. Fighting as a pair with Bjorn, each guarding the other's back, he felt sure that they could take on three or four times their own number of Saxons. Now past 40, Guthrum, from the next oar-bench, was also getting on in years, and was made to look much older by the gaping, toothless mass of sear tissues around his mouth and lips, caused by an axe thrown by a frightened Saxon who never lived to throw another. Godred and Ranald were steady men, as brave as the rest, providing they were told what to do, Grettir was an unknown quantity and had yet to prove himself, in his own4 Skirmish Wargaming peculiar fashion, because he came from a well-known “Berserk” family. Ber- serkers were regarded with awe and terror because of their irresistible solo charge that brought down numbers of the enemy before they were themselves killed. A berserker in action was a fearsome sight; after working himself up into a state of fury, he would tear off his protective armour and leap out from the shouting, weapon-waving ranks to dance and caper, howling and biting the rim of his shield to cause fear in the breasts of even the bravest. When sufficiently incensed, the berserker would surge forward in a wild solo charge that carved its way deep into the enemy ranks before he was chopped down. Kollagrim always liked to have a potential berserker among his crew, but Grettir had lived on his family’s reputation for five voyages and the Viking chief was beginning to have his doubts. The berserker’s chosen weapon was a heavy thrusting spear and, like the rest of the Northmen, he carried a heavy round wooden shield with an iron rim and boss, painted with an intricate design. When they were actually fighting a sea battle the shields made a brave show fixed along the gunwales as a protection for the rowers; they were removed when the ship was. under sail, otherwise they would have been washed away. All wore wolf skins and sheepskin breeches; short-sleeved leather byrnies covered with overlapping plates or scales of iron or chainmail; on their heads were great iron helmets. Godred’s most cherished possession was his straight three-foot-long two-edged sword, but Ranald preferred the axe, wide in the blade and long handled, wielded with both hands. Both carried light barbed throwing spears and Ranald could use the five-foot yew bow, Guthrum fancied the two-handed axe but would probably take a shorter weapon on this scouting patrol; Rolf and Bjorn both preferred the sword. The night was calm and dark as the slim ister black longship glided into: propelled silently by the deftly wielded oars of men accustomed to such waters, On the prow platform the ship-master watched for rocks, whisper- ing back to the steerboardman to swing his oar this way or that. As the long narrow keel grounded gently into the shingle, three men from each side, one after the other, vaulted light! to the lapping waves. In the same movement, each turned and put his weight to the rough bow planks and pushed the long- ship out of the shingle. As it silently moved away from them Kollagrim, stand- ing high in the bow, looked at their quickly receding shadows, unable to pick out his son but recalling how the lad had grown in the last 12 months. Ashore, the party paddled through the shallows, Rolf at their head, moving silently on to the beach Quiet as it was, the landing had not escaped the keen eye of the Saxon leader Edmund, lying in a ferny hollow half-way up the cliff. The sight of the sinister war vessel gliding round the headland had spread panic amongst the villagers so that they hastened inland to Winchester. Edmund, the Thane, let all go except 11 strong and sturdy fellows who had been aroused to a dull fury at the thought of burned homesteads and slaughtered families, On each of the two previous occasions during the past two years when the Vikings had landed, they had come up this cliff path to attack the village just before dawn, when watch- fulness was at its lowest ebb. If it was the same captain using the same route, this time he could be in for a surprise! Taking up their position at dusk, the unmilitary, undisciplined Saxons were k and sleepy, until their eyes, becoming attuned to the darkness, had pe ked out the tall bare mast of the longship silhouetted against the night sky.The Vikings, 850 AD os 1 Edmund's party 2 Viking raiders 3 Egbert's party Then, above the sign of the waves breaking on the shingle, they heard the grounding of the keel and detected the dark group at the water’s edge as the dimly visible ghostlike ship moved back out into the bay. *Ulred, go up and tell Egbert that there are Northmen on the beach!” The fearful Ulred pulled himself together and silently slithered through the ferns to the hollow some 20 yards above them on the cliff path, where lay another six men. Ideal for an ambush, the steep path winding up the cliff face levelled out into an arena some ten yards long by five wide. At both ends of this open space were hollows in the cliff face, each capable of holding six men, well concealed by the prolific growth of ferns. Edmund with Ulred, Wulf, Osier. Algar and Sidroc lay concealed in the lower hollow; above them Egbert Edwin, Turgar, Osgood and Eldred were hiding. If a large Norse raiding party came up the path, then both parties were to lay still and let them pass, because there was nothing else they could do. But when a small scouting party reached the ‘arena’, both groups of Saxons were to pour arrows into them from above and below, before charging in with their ill-assorted collection of weapons. Even Thane Edmund was not as well armed as the invaders, although his short sword was a good quality weapon; he used his long-handled axe to fell trees — but it was heavy and sharp! The remainder had a motley collection of spears, forks, hammers, axes, sickles strapped to poles and sharpened lengths of iron tightly tied to oars to serve as spears. The ons each carned a shield made of wood or plaited osiers covered skins; on their heads were crude helmets of boiled leather. However, their elm and yew bows and arrows were much the same as those of the Vikings and, if the light allowed and their hands did not tremble too much, they might do as well against the raiders as they did against birds and rabbits. Their loose, woven, belted shirts, woven trousers, and the strips of leather wound round their legs from ankle to thigh made them look like the farmers they were. It might have been better if they could paint their faces or do something to make themselves look as frightening as their opponents! The Saxons blanked their minds of everything bu and fury; fighting illingly with inferior arms, they were out-classed because they lacked the ferocity of the Vikings. As he waited for the sound of footsteps and fallingBe Skirmish Wargaming pebbles on the path below, Edmund reflected on the fierceness of the Vikings compared with his own party. He was aware that if the arrows did not bring down a substantial proportion of the raiders, then they would probably all die. He had fought inst Vikings before and knew that the only way the Saxons could stand a onslaught was to form a shield-wall and fight from behind its barrier. It was their sole chance of holding the fierce Viking frontal rush, providing they allowed for their swiftly r cling flank attack that drove one half of your force onto the other and disorganised you. Or they might stand off and crumple the shield-wall with javelins — it seemed that whatever the Saxons did, the Vikings soon broke down their resistance so that the out-weighted peasants found themselves fatally pressed in untidy groups of small and desp- erate combats until the muddy, bloodied ground became littered with dead Saxons His mind switched back to the present as he heard, from lower down the path, the clink of metal and the rattle of falling earth and pebbles, caused by feet struggling for a hold on the steep path. Without turning his head, Edmund slowly lifted his hand to alert his five companions. The Vikings Special rules Except where special rules are given, the General Rules apply. Movement As in General Rules, page 15 Firing Missile weapons Range in Paces To Reload Short Medium Long elins/Light Throwing Spears 10 24 40, pear is 10 24 Throwing Axe/Hammer 6 12 20 _ Bow 20 60 100 one phase Defensive use of shield If a man is using his shield to defend himself from missile fire he is treated as a target in soft cover. Melee Vikings get the following per- centage additions: Ferocity + 10% Offensive use of shield +20% Additional rules Berserkers ‘On sighting the enemy, throw the dice with a 60% chance of him going berserk. If he goes berserk he spends one phase discarding his shield. On subsequent phases he charges the enemy. Opponents facing a Berserker ~20% in melee. A berserk Berserker ignores completely all light wounds and halves the effect of serious wounds.English archers in France, June 1429 Cast list THE ENGLISH WATKIN OF FAREHAM a Veteran, weapons: sword (category 8), dagger (category 3), two-handed battle axe (category 7) and a longbow DURKIN a Veteran, weapons: sword (category 8), mallet (category 2) and longbow. RALPH a Veteran, weapons: two-handed battle axe (category 7), club (category 2), and longbow. JACK OF SOUTHAMPTON a Veteran, weapons: sword (category 8), zory 5) and longbow. ran, Weapons, sword (category 8) and longbow. a Veteran, weapons: sword (category 8), dagger HAL OF LEIC (category 3) and longbow WILL ASHWOOD OF BRISTOL a Veteran, weapons: sword (category 8) and longbow. RAYMOND an Average, weapons: sword (category 8) and longbow RICHARD LONGFORD an Average, weapons: two-handed battle axe (category 7), and longbow. DICKON PLAINWATER an Average, weapons: sword (category 8), and longbow. HENRY OF BATH a Veteran, weapons: sword (category 8) and longbow. NICHOLAS a Veteran, weapons: sword (category 8) and longhow HERBERT OF EXETER an Average, weapons: hatchet (category 5) and longbow. WILLIAM BONES a Veteran, weapons: sword (category 8) and longbow. ROGER NOAKES an Average, weapons: sword (category $) and longbow. HAROLD LOCKE an Average, weapons: sword (category 8), dagger (category 3) and longbow. ROBERT a Veteran, weapons: two-handed battle axe (category 7) and long- bow. JOHN OF CHESTER an Average, weapons: sword (category §) and long- bow. THE FRENCH Men-at-arms PIERRE DE POITOU a Veteran, weapons: pike (category 7), sword28 Skirmish Wargaming (category 8) and shield. RAYMOND D'AVIGNON a Veteran, weapons: pike (category 7), sword (category &) and shield CHARLES DE BRIENNE. an Average, weapons: pike (category 7), sword (category 8) and shield. PHILLIPPE an Average, weapons: pike (category 7), sword (category 8) and shield. ROGER DE NANTES a Novice, weapons: pike (category 7), sword (category 8) and shield. Genoese mercenary crossbowmen ARCOLI — a Veteran LUCIANO — a Veteran VITTORIO Weteran PIETRO — a Veteran VARINI — an Average ANGELO — an Average weapons: crossbow and sword (category 8). Gunners D'ALBRET DE STRASBOURG — a Veteran JEAN VIEN — a Veteran weapons: daggers, ARTHUR DE VICHEMONT — an Average swords and tools CLEMENT — an Average hastily picked up. JACQUES BUREAU — an Average AMBOIS DE VILLETTE — an Average The great victory of Agincourt was 14 's gone, and it was five years since Bedford had slaughtered the French and Scots at Verneuil; but now, inspired by Joan of Arc, the French had found new leaders— professional officers like Xaintrailles, La Hire and Dunois. These good soldiers had begun to win vic- tories such as the raising of the siege of Orleans in 1429 and were endeavouring to capture those Loire towns in English hands. During this campaign an English force under Lord John Talbot and Sir John Fastolf, after making an unsuccessful attack on the Loire bridge at Meung, were retreating northwards towards Patay with the mounted vanguard of the Duc d’Alengon hot on their heels. It was only a matter of time before the French cavalry patrols contacted their retreating enemy but it was made easy for them when the English revealed their position by characteristically filling the air with raucous “halloos’ as a stag burst through their ranks. Seeing the dust clouds raised by the approaching cavalry, the English force halted as Talbot looked around for a good defensive position, seeking clumps of trees and hedges to shelter his archers. Talbot, with about 500 men, positioned himself in a slight dip in the ground while Fastolf deployed the main body on a ridge some 200 yards behind them. Topping the slight rise, the mounted French advance guard saw the English drawn up in the dip in front of them, the archers hammering their stakes into the ground and preparing their bows. Pausing briefly to take in the situation the ca y, aflame with the fervour imparted to the whole army by the Maid of Orl , thundered down the slope in a wild torrent. They hit the startled archers frontally and in flank before a bow could be drawn, and the lightly armed infantry, standing noEnglish archers in France, June 1429 29 chance, were overwhelmed in seconds and cut down where they stood; the few who managed to scramble away brought disorder and dismay to the rest of the army on the ridge above. Dispirited by the retreat from Meung, Fastolf's men could do nothing before the French burst through Talbot's force and were upon them. A series of scattered melees were grimly fought out, to be settled abruptly when the French main body arrived on the heels of their advance guard. Talbot and most of the other leaders were captured but, leaving behind his baggage and guns, Fastolf managed to get away with a small group of men. Fleeing nimbly through woodlands that impeded their mounted pursuers, about 250 English archers ran free, to form up in a tight body on the outskirts of the wood before making off rapidly, keeping in the shelter of woods and hedgerows. In the first day and night, with a minimum of rest periods, they marched 60 miles, beating off numerous attacks by pursuing French cavalry, until the horsemen them- selves were too fatigued to continue the chase. In the early evening of the second day, the weary band reached the defile of Du Prés, where the narrowing road was completely dominated by a small castle standing on a rocky outcrop at the head of the defile. Having been there before, Sir John Fastolf knew this to be an ideal resting place for his weary band, now reduced, through stragglers and casualties, to about 150, They were dutifully welcomed by the aged castelain, the sole occupant of the small stronghold; the doors were barred, the drawbridge raised over the dry moat and grumbling sentries placed on the battlements and in the towers. Although walter was plentiful, lack of provisions prevented a prolonged garrisoning, but all Sir John Fastolf wanted was two or three days’ rest for his men. After that, they had proved themselves capable of escaping even from mounted pursuers, and the country from Du Prés to the coast was well wooded. The castle's lightly built walls were incapable of withstanding a heavy batter- ing but the flanking towers were well placed to afford protection to the faces of the walls. Sir John felt confident that his force could resist any sudden attack, unless made by an overwhelming force assaulting all the walls at the same time. Their greatest problem, lack of arrows, was providentially solved by the dis- covery of a large store of shafts, dry and in perfect condition, left behind by a previous English force that had passed that way In the late afternoon of the following day, the outposts Sir John had placed at the head of the defile came running back to report that a large body of men were rapidly approaching. Calm and confident, the bowmen methodically new- strung their bows and made sure they were firm at the nocks; from his steel skulleap each archer removed a carefully coiled bowstring and unrolled it gently so as not to twist it more or less than the natural twist already in it. The bow-end was placed against the inside of the left foot to prevent it digging into the ground, and the handle grasped with the left hand so that the bow sloped away to the right, with the back uppermost. Then the top loop of the string was slipped over the upper end of the bow and allowed to drop a few inches down the stave; the lower loop put safely in the bottom nock on the bow; against the back of the bow, a few inches from the top, each bowman placed the palm of a horny hand, with first finger and thumb on either side of the string about halfway down the loop, taking care that no finger got under the underside of the bow or between the string and the bow. Next, he pulled on the handle with his left hand and pushed at the top with the right, sliding the right hand and the loop:30 Skirmish Wargaming of the string upwards until the loop slipped into the nock. With a studied and practised nonchalance he relaxed gradually, just in case the bottom loop had slipped out of place. Whilst this was going on, officers and file-leaders moved among the archers, giving an instruction here, a word of advice there. The senior of the master-bowmen raised his voice so that all around could hear: ‘Now listen, me lads! Make sure you've got all you need . . . a bracer in your left hand, a shooting glove on your right . . . have your wax handy, too! Remember, bend your bow well . . . nock your stave properly and lock your string well! Irritated by being told what they knew already, some of the archers muttered under their breath, causing a grizzled old archer to say: ‘Means well, does Master Robin he’s a good lad at heart . . . remember him and his mates at Agincourt? Litthe Martin Dodds, and Walter of Winchester . . . and Wat Hamblin who brought down the big plumed lord? God in heaven . . . they were men we don't see the like of no more! I dare say they could beat any we got here at long butts or short, hoyles, rounds or rovers! Some of the men drew amulets and relics from their tunics, to be kissed before being carefully stowed away, then they turned their gaze onto the road that ran up the narrow defile. Suddenly, the still air was rent by the distant squeal of trumpets and the clatter of hooves on the dusty road as round the bend came a file of mounted men-at-arms, displaying colourful lance pennons, glittering steel points, bright surcoats and waving plumes ‘It’s them! Here they are, lads!’ In silence, the English watched the French cavalry formation ripple and shudder as impatient knights tried to force their way to the front, jealous of any who might take from them the honour of opening the battle. When they were close enough to be individually distinguished a murmur arose from the waiting bowmen: “Think they're within range?” Dunno it’s near twenty score paces. Still, we ought to be able to make a mark at that distance. Come on, Ralph, Watkin of Fareham and Big John . . - let's show *em they've got English bowmen to deal with! I'll take the Lord with the white and red plume!” And I the one with the gold headpiece!” From the stock of bodkin-pointed arrows lying on the warm stones at his feet each archer drew one, nocked it, bent his bow and, on the order: ‘Loose!’, letit fly with dozens of others, up into the air above the approaching horsemen, olumbi swiftly with a soul-shrivelling how! and whip, like a gale in the tops of all trees. The cavalry checked their stride, fearfully gazing upwards to watch ine shafis turning to become a swarm of black specks against the sky, plummet- ing dow: nw ards towards them. Then, together with a dozen others, the knight wearing ‘ed-and-white plume and he with the gold headpiece crashed to the ground in a clanking, tumbling heap of horses and men. Higher! Put thy body into it, Will! ‘Forget not the wind, Arnold! From ail sides arose a whispered chorus of advice; shrewd professional comments from masters of the craft of skilfully plying a stave of wood and a string as it had never been used before. Rising above everything rose the sharp twanging of the strings, the hiss and how! of the shafts, mingled with imstruc-English archers in France, June 1429 31 ey Sah ee Flanking archers 1 French position, including 2 3 Raiding archers bombard and crew tions from the officers and the master-bowmen: *Draw your arrow! “Nock your arrow!” ‘Shoot wholly together!” None of the enemy cavalry got within 50 yards of the walls; most remained in crumpled heaps on the dusty road, until the survivors turned and scuttled away out of sight. The archers ceased firing and rested on their bows ‘Dickon, did ye see the black-armoured Lord? I took both him and his horse with but one shaft Save for occasional writhings from the heaped bodies in the dust below, nothing moved on the road for more than an hour. The archers eagerly drank the water brought round to them and, except for the sentries, sat and dozed in the shade, their backs against the rough stone walls. Eventually, the distant sound of trumpets and the beating of drums alerted them; they waited to see who came against them around the bend of the road. This time the French were dismounted, armoured men-at-arms, heads bent, plodding forward in files, each lurching under the weight of a long ladder crudely thrown together from bark-covered tree trunks. On the ramparts the bowmen set themselves, feet firmly planted, sleeves rolled back to give free play to their arms, long yellow bow staves held out in front of them. Hoarse whispers ran down the ranks: ‘Hold your arrows! Don’t loose outside fifteen score paces! We'll need all our shafts before we've beaten this lot ‘Don't undershoot, lads! Better to hi feathering the earth!” Expertly gauging the distance, Sir John raised his arm and cried ‘Now! A hundred bent bows were loosed and a shower of arrows sped upwards, filling the air with their howl and, before each shaft had landed, the bowmen had another arrow in the air. There was no man present who was not able to draw and discharge his bow 12 times in a single minute at a range of 250 yards, being gravely disappointed if once he missed his man! However fast and effectively the archers fired, the attack edged slowly for- ward with a host of shuffling French men: ms, bent as though against a hailstorm, stepping over the bodies of their dead comrades, briefly stopping to pick up the ladders they had dropped. Parties of Genoese mercenary cross- bowmen deployed along the fringes of the road and sent their bolts hissing up at the battlements, but at a far slower rate than the longbow. Partly because of a man in the rear than have your shaft32 Skirmish Wargaming their fear of the deadly archers’ shafts and the angle at which they were shoot- ing, the effect of the crossbow fire was minimal and failed to slow the archers’ rate of fire. Despite heavy losses the French men-at-arms began to flood over the edge of the dry moat and raised their ladders. Above them, the archers dropped their bows to hurl down heavy stones and pour buckets of boiling water over the attackers: at the same time the archers in the flanking towers fired arrows into exposed armpits as ladders were raised and men began to climb. Only one Frenchman climbed high enough to reach the crenelle between two battle- ments. As his steel visored helmet and mailed chest rose into view, three archers jostled each other in their efforts to cut and slash at him with their swords, Before the French soldier's weapon could be raised in defence, his lifeless body was plummeting down to the dry moat below. Almost contemptu- ously, the archers leaned forward to push the ladder after him, to fall heavily into the disordered ranks below. It was the final straw that caused the attackers to scramble back out of the moat and make off at a shambling run, desperately trying to get out range of the h @ shafts which belaboured them. This was the moment the archers most relished, because it presented their favourite target — the unprotected seat of the dismounted men-at-arms! There were no more attacks that night; Sir John Fastolf and his small band wondered whether the French had had enough or whether they would attack again on the morrow, At midnight the vigilant sentries reported that they could hear the noise of some activity on the road beyond the walls that the darkness of the night made impossible to discern. When the sky cleared, the grey light of dawn brought the road into view and, crowded on the battlements, the archers caught their breath, About 150/200, yards away, stretching right across the road, from one side to the other, was a five-foot-high barrier of earth packed tightly around two overturned carts fronted by a ditch, At the centre of the earthwork was what seemed to be a large cross-beamed door, poised at an angle like a see-saw with the front end lowered towards them, almost touching the road. No one, from Sir John Fas- tolf himself to the youngest archer, could tell what it was and all eyes str: ined. towards it. As the early rays of the sun began to fall down the length of the defile they could see men moving behind the newly erected shelter and sud- denly scores of crossbowmen straightened up and sent a hail of bolts upwards at the archers, crowded and carelessly exposing themselves on the battlements. A dozen men staggered and fell and everyone leapt :k out of sight; then each man methodically nocked a shaft, bent his bow, drawing the string back to the ear and stepped forward to fire. But the crossbowmen were down below the earthwork and the hail of arrows bristled in the woden “see-saw” like the quills ona hedgehog's back. Nothing more happened for some time, then the closely watching archers, taking care to keep out of sight, saw the end of the see-saw facing towards them suddenly tilt upwards to reveal the black and gaping mouth of an iron tube mounted on a stout wooden framework. The stunned silence was broken by exclamations from all quarters: “*Tis a bombard!” Sir John Fastolf’s heart sank as he stared down at the cast gun whose iron or stone balls could soon reduce to crumbling ruin the light walls of their refuge. Then the still morning air was rent with a thunderous crash and before Sir John ducked his head he saw the bombard leap and rear as though to free itself fromEnglish archers in France, June 1429 Ext the chains shackling it to the ground. As though buffeted by a giant hand, the castle rocked on its foundations, shaking and echoing. Taking advantage of the pall of black smoke that lay between them and the gun, everyone peered through the crenellations at the gr impression that dented the wall below, surrounded by radiating cracks, like a thumb print in the middle of a spider's web. Recovering themselves, the archers nocked their bows and sprang forward, but the wooden shield had been lowered and there was no target at which to fire. And so it went on until, by mid-morning, the he balls which struck every 20 minutes had caused the beginnings of a breach where the entire front-facing of the castle wall had tumbled into the dry moat. Throughout the morning the archers had not managed to get a single shaft among the gunners nor had the crossbowmen obligingly poked their heads above the barrier sinc! their initial volley; everyone was becoming downcast and frustrated. None more so than Sir John Fastolf, aware that his exhausted men and invalids required at least another 24 hours rest before being fit enough to evade their more numerous pursuers. At noon the sun, high in the heavens, turned the defile into an oven, and it seemed that the gunners were resting, since no balls had thudded into the castle wall for nearly 40 minutes. Hastily Fastolf selected six archers from those lying listlessly on the sun baked parapet. ‘IT want you, Watkin of Farcham . . . you Durkin, Ralph, Jack of Southamp- ton, Tom Castle . . . and Hal of Leicester. Sir John had picked well; aged between 25 and 30, every man was a veteran in the peak of physical condition vet still full of the vigour of youth. They grouped in the yard below, removed their mail brigantines and laid their bows on the ground. Sir John spoke quietly and quickly: “You and a dozen others will be lowered by ropes from the side walls: then, as fast as you can run, you will go straight for that bombard and put it out of action .. . Jack of Southampton . I know you to have a knowledge of these devilish weapons . . . can you destroy it?” The brown-faced, bearded Hampshireman nodded. ‘Aye ...me brother was a gunner on the town walls at home and many’s the time I've watched him work . . . | want some spikes... an’ I'l] take me maule to hammer ‘em into the bloody touch hole so’s they'll never Sir John nodded and waved his arm at the 12 other archers standing on the fringe: ‘Six of you go up on the high ground on each side of the road and use your bows to keep those crossbowmen down and to stop anyone coming round the corner to aid them. The Frenchies are sleeping off the wine they've had with their meal... now. . . as quietly as you can lads, over you go and the best of luck.” Save for the chirping of crickets and the humming of bees, the sun-baked castle and defile lay wrapped in silence as the raiders quietly slithered down the ropes, to group together in the shadows at the foot of the wall. Manned by half a dozen hefty archers, the ropes remained in position for those who could get back to them, otherwise they were to scatter through the woods that lay behind the castle. The flanking archers silently disappeared into the-undergrowth to take up their positions on either side of the earthwork; Watkin of Fareham, judging that Durkin’s party on the other wall was ready, gave a low whi get “em out! e andcn) Skirmish Wargaming from either corner of the castle three bare-footed archers burst out into the sun-baked open area and raced towards the bombard. English archers in France, June 1429 Special rules Movement As in General Rules. page 15. Heavily armoured Infantry deduct one pace from all movement. Climbing up rope is at two paces per phase. Firing Missile weapons Range in Paces To Reload Short Medium Long Longbow (can reload whilst adopting a firing position) 30 80 250 one phase Crossbow 16 30 «180 four phases: Casualties INVALID HITS 1 All light wounds on armoured areas. 2 Allserious wounds on plate armour (except if from longbow at close range). Melee 1 All light wounds are invalid on armoured areas. 2 Serious wounds are invalid on areas covered by plate armour, but the man so defended must deduct as if ‘wounded on previous phase’ in the next round of melee, ie —10 per cent. Takes two phases. 2 overturned wagons) It takes one phase to climb up such obstacles. It takes one phase to jump down from such obstacles.English Civil War cavalry action, 1643 Cast list PARLIAMENTARIANS BEAN an Average Cornet ABRAHAM CHAMBERS. a Veteran (black and orange feather plume on helmet). SAUL LAMB a Novice. PETER SIMMONS an Average. PAUL HOUSEGO a Veteran. OLIVER WILLS a Veteran. Corporal AMOS. WRIGHT a Veteran. JOHN BUNCE an Average ABEL MUNDAY an Average. SIMON BELL an Average. JOB LOTT an Average. ROYALISTS Cornet WILLIAM Corporal RICHARD WALTERS a Veteran LAURENCE PICKFORD an Average. CHAD BOYCE an Average. CLEMENT RYDER an Average JUD BROOKS a Novice. DESERTERS ELIAS MASON a Veteran. DAN RICHARDS a Veteran (useless might arm). JEM BRIDGER an Average. HARRY HART a Novice. All have a pair of wheel-lock pistols (category 2) and a basket-hilted sword (category 8). Colonel Sir Allen Apsley was deeply conscious that the cavalry regiment bearing his name and parading before him in its full strength of four officers, three corporals, two trumpeters, a saddler, a farrier and 55 troopers, was really only a Troep. All of them were showing signs of restlessness as their commanding officer neared the end of a meandering discourse concerning their forthcoming raid on the e of Staplethorpe, three miles down the road. ‘An’ I tell you all that I the habit of command and you must have the habit of obedience . . . otherwise our relationship will be stormy. If any of you are caught plundering and pi ng I swear you will be severely punished so mark my words an’ stick to your duties. Have a care! In the fast-fading light of the short November day the regiment wheeled into acolumn a splashed out at a walk on to the muddy road. To reassure himself that all were following, Sir Allen halted at the roadside to watch them pass, Captain Willoughby at their head followed by the two trumpeters and his cornet. Made up of a motley collection of half-trained countrymen and town dwellers, the regiment had been moulded into a tolerably efficient formation by necessity and the exigencies of war.36 Skirmish Wargaming In this year of 1643 neither side had managed to dress all their troops in recognisable uniforms, the Royalist regiments and brigades being distinguished by coloured sashes and scarfs — Apsley’s regiment wore red. Cavalry were perhaps the best dressed and equipped soldiers on both sides, wearing thick oxhide long-sleeved buff coats, fastened down the front by a cross lacing; tough enough to protect the wearer from sword cuts, they were worn under metal breast-and-back plates. On the left arm were elbow (or bridle) gauntlets with metal strips covering the back of the hand and fingers; on their heads the rymen wore ‘lobster-tail pots’ — metal helmets with a neck guard and ngular ear-flaps hinged on either side of the helmet. At the front of the “pot”, and able to slide up or down, was a loosely riveted peak with three vertical metal bars, providing protection from sword cuts to the face. Each man wore heavy bucket-topped leather boots with spurs. _ The equipping of a troop or regiment depended largely upon the financial means of the officer who raised them and, immensely proud of his small command, Sir Allen Apsley had dug deep into his pocket to dress his troopers: they presented a reasonable air of uniformity. Each man carried a pair of pistols in holsters on either side of the horse’s neck, and a basket- double-edged three-foot broadsword. The pistols were 20-24 bore wheel-| locks: 34 bullets to the pound; lacking sights, they were inaccurate weapons. To Colonel Apsley appointment, the attack on Staplethorpe tumed out to be a mere formality, and the-Parliamentary cavalry picket posted on the outskirts of the village turned tail and fled into the darkness at their approach. Proceeding cautiously down the village street, the regiment drew up on the green and Sir Allen ordered two pickets, each of four men, to yards on each side of the village, and two others a quarter of a m of them. The men were distributed through the village, five men to a house, to rest fully accoutred with their arms by their sides. One man was to stand sentry over the five horses picketed to the palings in front of the house alarm he was to waken his comrades, who were to mount instantly and form column in the street. Sir Allen and Captain Willoughby took up their residence in the village intending to visit the pickets and sentries every two hours. So, at three o'clock, Sir Allen, accompanied by a trumpeter, rode to visit the outposts, finding all still with nothing to indicate enemy in the vi y. The first outpost, some 300 yards down the road, was concealed the hedge and seemingly vigilant. Warning the men to be-on their guard, Sir Allen and the trumpeter trotted off to visit the far outpost, a quarter of a mile further on, but after they had ridden far more than the supposed 440 yards that lay between the outposts, there was still no sign of the advanced picket. Thoroughly aroused, the Colonel galloped for another half mile without finding them before, in a seething rage, he turned and galloped back to the village. Coming up to the 300 yard picket, the two riders were nearly shot out of hand as the sentry, made fearful by galloping men, cried: “Halt! Who goes there? ‘It’s me, you fool! .. Colonel Apsley . . . your Commanding Officer!’ “Advance friend and give the password!’ The Colonel cursed, racking his brains for the countersign. Behind him his trumpeter whispered ‘Sir, ‘tis For King . . .°. Sir Allen snorted. ‘Oh yes... For King!’. The corporal dutifully replie and Country! Pass friend! The Colonel reined up. “There's no picket out in front of you! Who was