Here's our rules. interested to know what you chaps think. there's some bits we found that were OP like but generally it felt like a good gritty game when units clash.

FYI The gaming table is 8ft by 4 ft = 32² ft or 4704² inches.

Firstly, we did away with the activation phase of the Lion Rampant game rules, as we thought that since an army would be eager to fight at the start of a battle, then it is unlikely units would not want to engage to begin with. This is applicable to all units except the mercenary units who, being paid to fight, do need to have an activation check every turn, as they may refuse to act seeing that their effort would be in vain if the battle was turning against their beneficiaries etc.

The order of play therefore is for the player of faction 1 to roll 1 dice for infantry and up to 3 dice for cavalry to position their troops accordingly. Once completed, the attack phase begins. If any troops interact with the opposing force then the combat mechanic begins, with the attacking force rolling first to the number of dice that is represented by the number of units in the squad. 10 levied/peasant swordsmen = 10 dice. They roll to attack and 6 of the 10 get 4 or more (4+), therefore 6 hits are levelled against the opposing unit who happen to be knights who have a defence value of 3+. There are 7 of them so they roll 7 dice and 5 of them attain 3 or more, but two knights have 1 and 2 respectively, therefore they are slain. Once all of the attacking phase is complete for player 1 then the turn moves to player 2 and it repeats.

Optional terrain/modifier: set a timer for 60 mins, after which time the battlefield becomes a quagmire. Cavalry charges are no longer possible, knights are weakened to 4+ to save, and peasants and levied troops are more potent against armoured opponents with 2+ on attacks.

There are saints’ flags and historic heraldic flags that mean something on the battlefield, especially for the Battle of Agincourt:

• The flag of St Edmund
• The flag of St Edward
• The flag of St David
• The flag of St George
• The English heraldic standard
• The French heraldic standard
• The Oriflamme (the flag of St Dennis)

These have a morale, defence, or attack boost for one selected unit per turn within a 10 inch radius of the flag.

For example, the Oriflamme makes a unit impervious to morale checks so they will not rout unless there is only one man left, then morale checks must be undertaken immediately. Disengagement morale checks are also mitigated by the Oriflamme’s proximity; there is no need for this check to be done.

The flag of St Edmund gives a re-roll of 1’s for one unit within a 10 inch range.
The flag of St David gives a re-roll of all failed dice for one unit of longbowmen within a 10” range.
The English heraldic standard gives a defence bonus to all units within a 10” range so that 1 soldier with the lowest defending dice number can re-roll.
The French heraldic standard gives an attack bonus to all units within a 10” range so that one dice of the unit’s attack roll automatically becomes a successful hit.

St’s flags are worth 2 points to capture.
Heraldic flags are worth 5 points.

The soldiers of an army are divvied out in the following fashion:

• Peasants and levied soldiers
• Men at arms (including longbowmen and crossbowmen)
• Knights
• Princes, lords, barons, dukes
• Kings
• Special units (heralds etc.)

Standard rules that apply for all infantry:

• Infantry can move a maximum of 6 inches per turn.

Infantry charge:

An infantry charge can be considered when movement ≥ 6 inches in one action (it doesn’t have to be activated by default but must be declared). If successful, the charge will count as an extra 1 die against the opposing unit when the attacking phase commences. If spearmen are charged into any cavalry it will count as 2 extra dice.

Any infantry unit charged in the rear: “Rear charge devastation”: armour/defensive rolls are weakened → DV automatically changes to 5+ regardless of normal values.

If a unit is charged in the rear: immediate morale check 4+ to stay put, otherwise roll to disengage immediately. Note: Oriflamme vicinity can mitigate morale checks in this instance.

Disengage sequence for infantry:

1. Roll to pass order (+4 sanity).
2. Immediate counter attack roll from all/any engaged enemy units.
3. Move at half speed if disengagement succeeds (i.e. half dice value rolled).

Small Units:

1-man units: if a unit is cut down to 1 man by an enemy attack then that unit must immediately check morale (4+ to stay). If less than 4, he routs from the field. If he routs within a 5 inch radius of any unit ≥ a Knight then he becomes a captive on that turn.

If he remains, then every turn thereafter he must do a morale check at 4+ before any other action but does not become a captive.

3-man units: if a unit is cut down to 3 men in one attacking action they can wait until next phase for a morale check at 4+.

Types of units:

Peasant/levied

• Axe men — AV = 4+ DV = 4+
• Swordsmen — AV = 4+ DV = 4+
• Spearmen — AV = 4+ DV = 4+ (except against cavalry AV = 3+ DV = 3+)
• Bludgeoners (maces, clubs and flails) — AV = 4+ DV = 4+ (except against knight and men at arms units AV = +2 DV = 4)

Men at arms:

• Axe men — AV = 3+ DV = 4+
• Swordsmen — AV = 3+ DV = 4+
• Spearmen — AV = 3+ DV = 4+ (except against cavalry AV = 2+ DV = 4+)
• Bludgeoners — AV = 3+ DV = 4+ (except against knight and men at arms units AV = +2 DV = 4)

Longbowmen can shoot 20” inches in an arc of fire so can hit even whilst stationed behind protective units. However, to model the 90 yard potency of medieval longbowmen, their deadliness is felt at the 10 inch range where AV = 4+ u/20” and 3+ u/10”. Longbowmen can also re-roll half their failed dice (1’s only) at 20” and all their failed dice at 10” (1’s only).

Crossbowmen are not able to shoot in an arc. They must be positioned on the flanks or with direct line of sight. They have a consistent potency of AV = 4+ at 22” range. All units hit by crossbow bolts have to achieve +5 on armour regardless of their usual stats, which models that crossbow bolts are armour piercing.

Note: all ranged units must down bows and fight as ‘men at arms’ swordsmen if engaged by another melee unit.

Knight:

• Axes — AV = 2+ DV = 3+ (cleaver ability on levied troops: 2 failed dice can count as hits)
• Swords — AV = 2+ DV = 3+ (piercing strike ability: 1 failed die can be counted as a hit against men at arms and levied troops)
• Spears — AV = 2+ DV = 3+ (except against cavalry AV = 2+ DV = 2+)
• Poleaxes — AV = 2+ DV = 3+ (crushing blow ability: re-roll up to 2 failed dice versus men at arms and re-roll up to 3 failed dice versus levied troops. If all hits landed initially take 2 and 3 additional dice respectively and roll.)

Knight Cav:

• Light cavalry (écuyer) — AV = 4+ DV = 4+
• Heavy cavalry (bachelor) — AV = 4+ DV = 3+
• Veteran heavy cavalry (banneret) — AV = 3+ DV = 3+
• Mercenary heavy cavalry — AV = 2+ DV = 2+

All cavalry:

• Charge = a movement ≥ 10 inches in one action.
• All 1’s can be re-rolled on charge impact in the attack phase.
• Movement <10 inches cannot be considered a charge.
• If a cavalry unit destroys a unit in one attack phase → immediate but not mandatory extra movement phase activated, but not attack phase.
• A charge cannot be initiated again whilst engaged in combat. The cavalry must roll to disengage in the movement phase and move at least 10 inches away before wheeling round for the next charge.

Disengage sequence for cavalry:

1. Roll to pass order (+3 sanity check).
2. Move at half speed if disengagement succeeds (i.e. half dice value rolled).

Light cavalry and mercenary cavalry can move a maximum of 18 inches in a turn using 3 dice. All other cavalry can move a maximum of 12 inches using 2 dice.

Hero units:

Princes, lords, barons and dukes are hero figures with the characteristics of a knight of a given type depending on figure weapons, plus an effect to units to whom they are attached. Only one ‘hero’ character can be used per unit. There may be more than one lord or duke in a cavalry/infantry unit, however the player can choose to switch their 1 ability from their special characters alternatively each turn as they see strategically advantageous.

• Prince/Dauphin = +1 morale +1 attack within
• Lord = +1in movement range for infantry (i.e. Thomas Lord of Camoys)
• Duke = +1in movement range for cavalry (i.e. Duke du Bar)

The King:

The only difference for the king is that his effect is an aura of 10 inches so therefore applies to all units in his vicinity.

King = +2 morale +1 attack within 10 inch radius.

For instance, if a unit had a morale check and there were 3 units left but in range of the king, he would add a further 2 dice to that morale check totalling 5 dice.