MEDIEVAL QUICK SKIRMISH RULES

by Lloyd, inspired by a set by Richard Cra ley

These rules are designed for fairly large-scale skirmishes; up to about 80 men a player. They will do for many periods or settings, so long as troops can be classed into three distinct broad categories of quality. The rules emphasise the importance of sticking together for mutual protection and the value of weapons with longer reach spearmen can fight in two ranks, pikemen in three. !en in the second rank with "avelins can support. The rules recognise two ways in which figures may be combined, #ontingents and $roups. #ontingents are real units %e.g. a #ontingent of &' archers from (erwick under their bill-armed vintnar) and are used for organisational and morale purposes in these rules. * good si+e for a contingent is ,- points. $roups are temporary %sometimes fleeting) arrangements of men occurring in combat situations. .and-to-hand combat is fought between $roups %which may be as small as one man each) and casualties occur almost at random within the $roup.

Se!"ence o# play$ &. /oll &d&0 for initiative, highest goes first. 0f tie, player who moved last loses initiative. -. 1irst player2s figures move or shoot then move. 3nly "avelinmen may shoot and then enter melee. ,. 1irst player2s figures that have not shot shoot. 4. /esolve melee. '. 5econd player goes through steps --4 as above.

Scales$ *ll distances quoted in the rules are in inches for -'mm scale. #onvert these to cms for &'mm games.

%roop types&points$ 0t should be easy enough to allocate a 6uality /ating %6/) and weapon type to each figure based on its appearance, thus saving on bookkeeping. The points cost of a figure equals its 6/ %7& for horse if mounted). %roop type 8night 9easant, %horse) This table gives the ;/ in inches %or base depths if preferred, an inch being fine for -'mm figures). * figure armed with a sword can attack an enemy figure only when it is in base-to-base contact. * pike-armed figure, however, may attack an enemy when the gap between them is up to - base-depths. The length of a mounted lance is equivalent to that of a spear but only one rank of cavalry may fight. Therefore a pikeman can hold off a billman %or a billman a swordsman) unless by superior skill or luck the latter is able to close the range %see combat results). !ounted lancers are assumed to have a sword also, and missile-users have a short melee weapon of some sort. 5taff slings are considered as effective as crossbows, and slings as effective as bows. Q"ality Ratin' (QR) , & *eapon type 9ike 5word, a:e, mace etc. *eapon Reach (*R) 0

<- if wounded = to dismount. <& per rank in fighting formation %spears and pikes). *rchers may shoot if moved no more than half distance. 1igures take a full move to cross a barrier. Mo+e,ent$ %roop type 1oot 6/ & !ounted -ood 'oin' 8 &.ad 'oin' > >

9easants are assumed to be lightly armoured and therefore faster on foot. 8nights and soldiers are assumed to be better riders and mounted on better horses, which compensates for their greater weight. 6/& troops will not move to melee with enemies who are over &0? away from a friendly knight. *n engaged figure may break off if all those he is engaged with are also being attacked by other figures. 3therwise, he must roll to evade as below. .e may also give ground at -? per turn, and his opponents may follow up. E+adin'/ ;hen a figure moves to melee combat range with a foe, the defending player may declare that he will try to evade. .e rolls &d&0 for each evader and adds the speed in the current terrain, and his opponent does the same with the fastest figure giving chase in each case, and the higher score wins. 0f a defender is caught, a melee with that one caught evader takes place with his 6/ being 0 for the first round. @vaders never fight as groups. 0f the evading player equals or betters his opponent2s roll, the figure is moved a double move away immediately, and left facing away to signify that he cannot shoot in his ne:t turn, and his contingent makes a !orale roll. 0f he was defending an obstacle, he succeeds automatically, but still makes the !orale roll. 0orcin' o## table/ 0f a figure cannot retreat or evade without moving within 4? of the enemy or off table, it leaves the table and stays off for one of its turns. @ach turn thereafter, its player rolls &d> to get it back. 3n a > it is lost forever, otherwise it returns to the edge of the table on the side it left from on a result of its 6/ or less. Melee co,bat$ !elee combat occurs when $roups of one or more figures of opposing sides come within weapon reach. * $roup is defined as made up of figures who are all within base distance of each other %see p.,). 3ne figure cannot fight against more than one group. Two groups are separated by a gap a man wide. @ach $roup rolls &d&0 and adds factors. The difference between the totals determines how many 6uality-/atings-worth of figures the winner can roll on the wound table for. 1igures in a melee fall into one or two of these categories *ttacking 5upporting .as an enemy within weapon reach and not obstructed by friendly troops. @nemy within reach but friends in the way. E.g. a 2nd or 3rd ranker with a pike. 3ne spearman or pikeman supports one man directly in front of him. Asing shorter weapon, has got past the point of the opponent2s weapon.

#losed 1or e:ample, a swordsman %;/B0) faced by a spearman %;/B&) in the first round of a melee is en'a'ed. The spearman is attac1in' and o"treachin'. 1igures closed with pikemen count as o"treachin'.

%2 RES2LVE C2M.A%, R2LL 3d34 02R EACH SIDE A5D ADD/ @ach man attacking @ach man able to support 76/ 7& <& Cotes Third rank pikes support other pikes only.

@ach man wounded #alculate the difference between the combat totals. The side with the lower total has lost this round of melee and must brace itself for rolls on the ;ound Table. The difference determines how many rolls. 0f either side rolls a & however %even if it wins) one of its own engaged figures %chosen randomly) becomes a fatal casualty. This single figure does not count toward the number of 6/-worth of wound rolls the group must take this turn if it loses the combat. #asualties are selected at random from the losing side2s en'a'ed and o"treachin' figures. .ave a handful of different sided dice available to make this random selection. The number of rolls made on the ;ound Table is determined by the difference between the winners2 and losers2 combat totals. 3nce the total 6/s of troops chosen equals or e:ceeds that difference, no more ill-effects are suffered. Thus if the difference between the two sides2 scores is - and the figure randomly chosen is a knight %6/B,), it suffers no ill-effect and the melee is over. .owever, if the losing force was made up entirely of peasants %6/B&) two of them could be affected %or one affected twice). 0f a figure is adversely affected but not killed in a round of combat, he may be randomly selected

again for further suffering. 0f he is killed, others of his companions will suffer any remaining effects. C.(. The ma:imum number of rolls on the ;ound Table is the number of men attacking on the larger side, so if three men fight one, then the winning side can never get more than three rolls, regardless which side wins.

%he *o"nd %able /oll &d&0 and consult the table below. 0f a figure affected was outreaching his opponent, he is affected by the second column, otherwise, the first. 9ikes use the second column if they win against enemies that have closed with them, and reinterpret ?#lose /ange? as 9ushed (ack %as far as pike-point again). Roll & En'a'ed #i'"res 9ushed (ack 8illed 2"treachin' #i'"res #lose /ange 8illed

&0 0actors/ 7& if affected figure armed with missile weapon, <& if winning side entirely missile armed. @:planation of results 6"shed .ac1/ *o"nded/ Doser %and those behind) is pushed back one base depth. 3pponent%s) may follow up. 9lace a counter by the loser. * second wound means figure is killed. ?Det there be sung Non Nobis and Te Deum.?

Killed/

Missile co,bat 0dentify a collection of shooting figures that shares the same nearest or equal-nearest target. The first to shoot must shoot at the nearest target, and shoots at full chance. The second may shoot at the nearest or second nearest, and needs to roll one higher. The third may shoot at the nearest, second or third nearest, needing one higher again, and so forth. This never takes the roll to hit higher than &0. * player may not see what effect the first shot had on a target before shooting at one further away < he must declare in advance all his targets. #rossbowmen and handgunners may not move and then shoot in the same turn. 0f they shoot and then move, then they may not shoot again without spending a full turn stationary. Chance to hit/ roll equal to or greater than the numbers shown on &d&0. *eapon 7 "ser 6/ & bow 489: > E 9834: E 8 348;4: 8 G 5otes 0ncludes slings %staff slings are as crossbows) 3n roll of &, weapon becomes useless, retreat.

6/ -F, handgun 0actors 7& to die roll if target mounted, <& shooter mounted, <& shooter wounded, <& for each shot after the first shot from same group %to ma:imum of &0, see above), <& target in light cover, <- target in heavy cover, %<& opportunity shooting if using appropriate initiative system). Da,a'e/ roll &d&0. 0f no result is listed for the result of the throw, there is no effect.

*eapon (ow

QR 3 ,-4 /, '-E ;,8-&0 8 --'/, >-E ;, 8-&0 8

QR < '/, >-8 ;, G-&0 8 4-> /, E-8 ;, G-&0 8

QR ; 8-G ;, &08 '-> /, E-8 ;, G-&0 8

.andgun 0actors/ 7& if the target is using a double-handed missile weapon, such as bow, crossbow, staff sling.

Contin'ent Morale and A,,"nition Troops are committed to battle by the contingent, each with a !orale score. !issile-armed troops may optionally be given their own *mmo number for missile supply. The starting !orale is one seventh of the points total of a contingent, and *mmo typically starts at >. 1or each turn in which members of a contingent shoot, the opposing player rolls &d> and reduces the *mmo by one if he rolls a & or -. 0f *mmo B 0, the men run out of missiles, and you roll &d&0 for each, subtracting & from the !orale each time you roll a &. ;hen a fighter retreats, is killed, wounded, evades, or breaks off, his opposing player rolls &d&0 and reduces the contingentHs !orale by one if he rolls equal to or less than the fighterHs 6/. 0f the fighter is killed, one is subtracted from the die roll. 0f a contingentHs leader dies, his contingent loses one !orale point automatically. 0f the overall commander of a side is lost, a roll must be made for each of his contingents. ;hen a contingent2s !orale has reached +ero, all members of the contingent must move off-table. * !orale score might start at a lower number to simulate very hot weather or arrival after a forced march. E=a,ple ,elee 'ro"pin's >>>>>>> *. one fight ?>>? (. two ?? #. one group >>> >>>@>> I. three ??????? between two fights >>>>>>> against another ????@?? ?? groups groups ??????? %with - to rear) per side. *. (ecause everyone is within base distance of friends. (. (ecause the white circles are not within base distance of each other, and one black circle can fight each. #. (ecause all the black circles are within base distance of each other, and all have someone to fight, so none of them can fight the two to the rear as a separate group, since a figure cannot be in two separate fights. I. (ecause gaps a man wide split groups up.

MEDIEVAL QUICK SKIRMISH RULES

Se!"ence o# play$ &. /oll &d&0 each, higher roll goes first. 0f tie, player who moved last loses initiative. -. 1irst player2s figures move or shoot then move. ,. 1irst player2s figures that have not shot shoot. 4. /esolve melee. '. 5econd player goes through steps --4 as above. <- if wounded, <- to dismount. <& per rank. *rchers half move and shoot. Mo+e,ent$ %roop type 1oot 6/ & -ood 8 &.ad > > shoot ne:t turn. 0f K foe, caught and melee with 6/ of 0. #aught evaders fight individual melees. 0orced o##/ if cannot retreat or evade without being K4? of enemy. 6/ or less on &d> to return to edge, >Blost. Resol+in' co,bat$ %ype 8night 9easant 02R EACH SIDE R2LL 3d34 A5D ADD/ 6uality /ating %for each man able to attack) 76/ @ach man able to support %or - "avelinmen) 7& <& QR , & *eapon type 9ike %, ranks all pikes) 5word, a:e, mace etc. Reach 0

!ounted 6/& will not melee enemies J &0? from friendly knight. *n engaged figure may break off if all those he is engaged with are also being attacked by other figures. 3therwise, evade or give ground at -? speed. E+adin' automatic from behind obstacle. (oth roll &d&0 7 speed in current terrain. @vader if JB foe moves double move away, makes !orale roll, and may not

@ach man wounded Iifference B 6/2s worth of ;ound Table rolls, up to ma:imum of number of attacking men on larger side.

/oll & B one engaged figure dies, chosen randomly.

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Shootin'/ chance to hit !ust shoot at least once at nearest untargeted foe. *fter first shot from group, 7& needed to ma: &0. #rossbow=handgun cannot move and then shoot. 0f shoot then move, must stay still full turn to load. *eapon 7 "ser 489: 9834: 348;4: 6/ & bow > E 8 E 8 G

6/ -F, handgun 7& to die roll if cavalry target, <& target in light cover, <- heavy cover, <& shooter mounted, <&wounded,. %<& opportunity shot if using alternative initiative system) .andguns useless on roll of & 7 /etreat. Melee *o"nd %able 9ikes vs. closed use second column #./ B9ush(ack. R En'a'ed #i'"res 2"treachin' #i'"res oll & 9ushed (ack #lose /ange 8illed 8illed

&0 7& enemy missile-armed, <& winners all missilearmed. 6"shed .ac1/ back & base depth, may follow up. *o"nded/ a second wound means figure is killed. Retreats/ double move; cannot shoot ne:t turn. !ay push aside one friend. 3therwise, wounded instead Close Ran'e/ outreaching figure is now engaged, unless across a barrier %must be pushed back first). Morale and A,,"nition 1or each turn a contingent shoots, roll &d>, and reduce *mmo by & on a & or -. 0f *mmoB0, no more shooting, and roll &d&0 for each missile-armed figure in the contingent, reducing !orale by & on &. /oll &d&0 on retreat, wound, evade, break off, refuse challenge, &d&0<& if killed. !orale <& if roll KB 6/ or leader killed. 0f !oraleB0 contingent pulls out of the skirmish. !orale starts at &=E of troop points. 0f overall commander lost, roll once per contingent.

Missile Da,a'e *eapon QR 3 (ow ,-4 /, '-E ;,8-&0 8 --'/, >-E ;, 8-&0 8

QR < '/, >-8 ;, G-&0 8 4-> /, E-8 ;, G-&0 8

QR ; 8-G ;, &08 '-> /, E-8 ;, G-&0 8

.andgun 7& vs. targets using double-handed missile weapons.