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!
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