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Mediaeval Rules Reviews
Note, each set is accorded a value for money rating. 1 = terrible; 10 is extremely good - must have.
Positive Points
The main attraction is the game set-up. Thus covers all sort of mediaeval skullduggery and is tremendous fun. There is treachery, spying, disloyalty, pre-battle difficulty and all the full range of horrible things commanders of the time had to deal with. Absolutely great! Despite starting with a roughly even force, this can leave you from 'well-placed' to 'seriously in it' before the game even starts.
The rules themselves are extremely simple and allow only a limited range of troop types. So anybody can pick them up quickly.
Negative Points
The rules are perhaps too simple and the number of troop types is too limited. The games can get a bit boring as there isn't much for the general to think about. So the chaps just plod forward as best they can and throw dice. If you are lucky, Ok, else problem. Clever tactics aren't really much of a feature (or maybe I am no good at them).
Overall Value for Money: 6
Reviewer: TC
Positive Points
The rules are actually simple as far as the mechanics go but require intense thought and are very absorbing. They thus can provide an intriguing game.
There are extensive army lists (but see below) which make competitions easier to handle.
The games are over quickly so it is perfectly possible to have two games a night between players who know what they are doing.
The mechanics specifically stop excessive manoeuvrability and punish people who break up proper formations.
There is a website devoted to this and an extremely active world-wide Yahoo Group (but I warn you there are some people who have behavioural problems on that Group). This is an up and coming game.
Negative Points
This is a game, not a wargame. There are really weird aspects that make using realistic tactics a bit silly and pointless. The effect of missile fire is far too strong with bows in large numbers completely dominating games when in reality they didn't. In the Mediaeval period this is a huge issue as the longbow is like having a tactical nuclear weapon. Some armies have loads of them too so as things are today, these armies just shoot everything to bits unless the attacker can think of a good counter-tactic - knights can't afford to get even close to Longbow. As there aren't any counter-tactics that I know of the games are more than a bit pointless. Typical result = English Crecy Army vs another English Crecy Army.
The army lists are based on the points system (sort of) but not all armies are equal by a very long way. The number of heavy and light divisions is critical and so some armies are very much more powerful than others due to differences in this alone. Some Dark Age armies are extremely inflexible and get run around and so destroyed. Others are stuffed full with shock cavalry that have to charge when in range so they are difficult to control also. The points system doesn't reflect the power of the different troop types very well with missile troops (especially longbow) being seriously under-pointed (most types needing at least quadrupling in their points value in my opinion)
There are also individual rules that have such draconian impacts that they dominate the game. One of these is the consequence of being hit on the flank (do-able but not easy) is often game winning. So the unit that gets contacted is destroyed and also possibly half the army with it!!
Having said that, I have played a few games with some of these things simply missed out. For me at least, the games were much better. I think that with a very few changes, a really good system would emerge (though not really suitable for competitions anymore I do confess). Those changes wouldn't suit everyone perhaps.
For me, the firing desperately needs cutting back, the points system/army lists need radical change and the flank attack rule changing before this gets to be a really good game.
Overall Value for Money: 3
Reviewer: TC
Positive Points
The rules are very simple. It is highly likely that with only a little practice, the games can be completed very quickly even with hundreds of figures on the table on each side.
The rule mechanisms are clean with each command being activated in a sequence decided by dice rolling and the actions of each unit completed before moving on to the next unit. At first, this takes a bit of getting used to but actually results in a significant amount of overall "utility". It provides also for some units moving very much faster (albeit at the risk of becoming disordered).
The games look good with proper formations being rewarded. There is less incentive to break up the units into tiny blocks to improve manoeuvre.
Negative Points
The really big issue is that lack of a system of points that allows the users to create their own armies etc. The forum now has the official version of the points system in its current provisional form. You can obtain this with the button below.
There is surprisingly little problem from translation into English from the Italian original. However, it is good to read them fairly carefully.
Overall Value for Money: 7
Reviewer: TC