“John Spiess ran a fantastic 100 Years War game using his H.M.G.S. rules. I wanted to share his write up of the battle, plus a few pics he took of the gameplay.” Jared.
The game was a play test of the second edition of Halberd, Mace, and Great Sword (check out the initials for a chuckle). We use these rules extensively in our Education program, and have versions for younger kids, as well as a more advanced version for older students and experienced gamers.
The game does not require rulers or measurements. The gaming area consists of 6 inch square grids. Initiative, cohesion, and fatigue also play large roles.
This was an evenly matched Hundred Years War scenario. As usual, the English had a large amount of bowmen and dismounted men-at-arms, while the French had the advantage of mounted knights supported by crossbows and billmen.
So, not wanting any part of attacking through those archer stakes to their front, the French had to rely on their right-flank commander, Dave Waxtel, to push forward and press the English line from their flank.
Dave took over half of the total French mounted knights, plus 4 retinues of supporting infantry and crossbows. The fighting was brutal. English longbows cut down wave after wave of mounted knights. But the French crossbows also took that opportunity to get in close and decimate the English line right at the hotly contested corner. A few English retinues failed morale, creating a hole for the remaining French knights to enter and start getting flank attack bonuses.
All in all, it was a hard fought battle, but the French survived the arrow onslaught and outlasted the English in the subsequent close combat melees.
We at Next Gen look forward to sharing more of our work with you. As always, if you’re an educator, gamer, librarian, or a business owner/team leader looking to do something different with your professional development/corporate training, reach out to us on our main page!
Happy gaming!
The Next Gen Team
