Poitiers On a Budget

Ok so its a Saturday afternoon again, and I have another 2 hours to slip in a short game. So short on time, short on figures (my regular gaming space is across town...), and rules (they are over there too)... I do have a few hills I just finished ready to bring over to my gaming space...and I've got a roll of green indoor outdoor carpet...and a clear dining table...and those plastic knights and foot from a couple of Lionheart games that I was playing with with my little guy the other evening...

So I quickly laid out a historical battle using an old Featherstone scenario for the Battle of Poitiers and roughly worked out a simple set of rules based on the mechanic of "Victory Without Quarter" rules for ECW by Clarence Henderson. This took about 15 minutes. I had the figures ready already (they are unpainted plastic that slot into their bases) I worked out the two sides and laid them out on the table...hunted for some dice and a ruler..

I used the gold plastic side for the Black Prince's English and the silver figures for the French under King John, and I was ready to go. another 15minutes...

The game took about an hour start to finish so I'm using my last half hour to write this blog...how's that for working on a budget!

And here are the pics:

the French battles appear on the "North Ridge

King John orders the army forward..

The cavalry of Marshals Clermont and Audrehen attempt attack into the breaks in the hedge..


the French first battle is shattered by English archers while the Dauphin's column advances on foot


the Dauphin's foot struggle uphill to the hedge

the Dauphin's infantry is shattered...

the Duke of Orleans' third battle crowds up to the back of the survivors of the Dauphin's column

Captal De Buch's English knights begin their flanking charge against the shaken French foot...

and the final charge into the flank of the disordered French panics the rest and they flee.

Thus ended a quick rendition of Poitiers, and though the I played the French the way they behaved historically the simple set of rules scribbled on a sheet of paper did a pretty good job of simulating the battle...and though the English took some casualties at the hedge, their position and their archers were the decisive factor.

Pretty fun for a quickie!