Medieval Campaign for 6x6 Challenge

As background to my 6x6 game challenge I am setting up a small medieval campaign inspired by "The Agincourt Campaign" from "War Game Campaigns" by Donald Featherstone. The aim is for an English army to successfully move their baggage and commander (Prince Riddick) across the map from the starting point top left hand corner to their ships waiting in two top right hand corner squares.

No diagonal moves are permitted on the campaign map.

The challenge is rivers can only be crossed at bridges and fords, so there is no straight forward route and the French have forces stationed in castle keeps at various strategic points. On top of that they are being chased by a French army.

The symbols on the map will determine the make-up of the tabletop terrain which will be placed on the tabletop by dice. More details on this with later posts.

The forces being used are all that I have in my Minifigs collection. Although it is very unlikely they will all be present in any game.

Minifig Hundred Years War

English
1 x Mounted men at arms
3 x Mounted sergeants
3 x Foot men at arms
2 x Foot sergeants
4 x bow
1 x Baggage (represented by a tent)

Commanded by 1) Prince Riddick, 2) Sir John of Chewford and 3) Sheriff of Lockdrew

All English commanders begin the campaign on the start square (top left corner).

French
3 x Mounted men at arms
5 x Mounted sergeants
4 x Foot men at arms
2 x Foot sergeants
3 x Crossbow
1 x Baggage (represented by a tent)

Commanded by 1) Duc Bonnet, 2) Marquis Duclos, 3) Comte Mallot, 4) Baron Bechard and 5) Baron Chastain.

Commanders numbered 3-5 start on a castle keep square. The remaining commanders can arrive on the map in the start square once it has been vacated. The English commanders are required to leave the start square and are not allowed to remain their to block French entry.

On the map each of the commanders is represented by a marker and the baggage also has a marker which must be in the same square as a commander. There is no stacking limit.

All commanders move one square on a successful 1D6 roll. The French move on 4+ and the English on a 3+.

The French commanders and forces are not living off the land, and must always be within one square's move of the baggage or a square containing a keep, town or village. The position of rivers (with no crossing point) and English forces can block them and cause the commander to be eliminated. As the English are foraging for food this does rule does not apply, which is why they get to field fewer units (see below).

Whenever two opposing forces are on the same square a battle will be played before any other map moves are made. When a battle occurs the following rules will determine the make-up of the forces facing each other.

English

• 5 x units drawn from foot sergeants and bowmen.
• For each commander present 2 units of the following type: mounted men at arms, mounted sergeants and foot men at arms.

French

• 5 x units drawn from foot sergeants and bowmen.
• If in a map square with a town 2 x any unit type
• If in a map square with a village 1 x any unit type
• For each commander present 2 units of the following type: mounted men at arms, mounted sergeants and foot men at arms.

The battle is played using Lion Rampant, but without special leadership rules.

The loser of the battle must move out of the square in a direction selected by the winner of the game.

I Have no idea whether this is a balanced campaign, but I am hoping after 6 games it should be clear as to who the winner is. If not some special campaign rules will be added and the campaign played out to a conclusion. (Starvation and desertion spring to mind.)

I am hoping the English army gets to the finish for no other reason, than I am in the process of building a ship for their escape. It's a flat ship for scenic purposes only made from MDF wood for strength and covered in balsa wood. The paper soldier have influenced me to not always do 3D models.

Still to add the sails, flags and some colour