Restart Battlelore!

Did you ever played “Battlelore”?

İf not than this article will give a first impression.

The first scenario is named after Agincourt, the famous battle during the 100 years’ war.

Of course, it’s a small version for the battlelore board with limited dimensions. (9 x 13 hexes)

Along both sides of the board there are forest, as the only terrain in this scenario, which has nearly no effect to the game development.

The first line of the English forces are built massively (90 %) by archer units, which were actually using long-bows. But in this first scenario the designers used the normal bow for making the learning curve easier for the beginners.

But, on the other hand this decision reduced the hit rate of the archers, which could be decisive on a board with such small dimensions. The heavy French cavalry units could reach only in two turns the English archer, if the French player could get the relevant cards.

I think, the scenario builders realised this fact and rebalanced the game by limiting the number of the French heavy cavalry force with two units.

The number of units on both sides are:

English forces:

5 archers

3 middle infantry

1 heavy infantry

Total of 9 units

French forces:

1 archer

6 middle infantry

1 middle cavalry

2 heavy cavalry

Total of 10 units

İt’s clear that in case of “close combat” the English forces are “short-handed”. Their only hope/strategy is to eliminate so many units or at least figures before the French could reach their lines.

The forests on both flanks are ideal cover positions for the archer units on both ends of the line. İf they could take place in the forest, they attack with two dices as usual but would be protected against the furious 4 dices attack of the enemy red cavalry.

Next movement should contain both blue infantry units and move them in the front line of the rest archer units, so that they would be able to counter-attack the potential attacks of the red cavalry with 3 dices.

The French should pray for getting the “relevant” cards, so that he could move as many as possible units for close combat, at least the both heavy cavalry units on both flanks.

His next strategy could be to eliminate as many as possible English archer units, before his cavalry units were destroyed or the French blue infantry units arrive to help them.

The only French archer unit in the middle of the board, which represents the “Genoese crossbowmen” in the historical battle, is practically useless, like their original counterparts!

The position of the French blue cavalry unit in the middle of the board causes to be overlooked for a prior attack, because its position on the first line of the French side, behind the infantry units is another handicapped starter location.

Next step will be house rules!