Agincourt 1415 - again

Friday evening saw us playing the Agincourt scenario again with my collection at Noble Knight Games. Myself and Kevin played as the French while Bruce and Alexander played the English.

Last time we used To The Strongest! this time we gave it a go with Hail Caesar with my later Hundred Years War amendments that can be found here.

The French force was:

• First Battle
• Jean II Le Maingre, Boucicault, the Marshall of France Ld7
• 4 units Men at Arms: Tough Fighters, Eager one unit has the Oriflamme
• Charles d'Albret, Constable of France Ld7
• 4 units Men at Arms: Tough Fighters, Eager
• Second Battle
• David, Lord Rambures, Grand Master of Crossbowmen Ld7
• 2 units Men at Arms: Tough Fighters, Eager
• 2 units Crossbowmen: Militia, Stubborn
• Charles, Duke of Orléans Ld7
• 2 units Men at Arms: Tough Fighters, Eager
• 1 unit Crossbowmen: Militia
• 1 unit Foot: Militia
• Third Battle
• Louis, Count of Vendôme Ld7
• 3 units mounted Men at Arms: Tough Fighters, Eager
• 1 unit Foot: Militia
• Anthony, Comte de Brabant Ld7
• 1 unit mounted Men at Arms: Tough Fighters, Eager
• Waleran de Raineval, Comte de Fauquembergue Ld7
• 1 unit mounted Men at Arms: Tough Fighters, Eager

• Any unit of men at arms making three moves becomes disordered at the end of the moves.
• French units must make as many moves as they roll.
• The French army does not have a commander

The opposing English were:

•  Henry V, King of England Ld9
• 2 units Men at Arms: Tough Fighters, Valiant, Steady, Phalanx
• Edward of Norwich, the 2nd Duke of York Ld8
• 2 units Men at Arms: Tough Fighters, Valiant, Steady, Phalanx
• Thomas de Camoys, 1st Baron Camoys Ld8
• 5 units Bowmen: Medium infantry with war bow, Double-handed weapon, Stakes
• Sir Thomas Erpingham Ld8
• 5 units Bowmen: Medium infantry with war bow, Double-handed weapon, Stakes

• Any unit of men at arms making three moves becomes disordered at the end of the moves.
• Any English commander may reroll any 1,2 or 3 when rolling for Command Traits at the start of the game

Things went really badly for the French before. Most of their commanders were a mic of incompetent, cowardly and despised!

Once the English started rolling dice it got much worse, they seemed not to be able to miss with their bow fire and when the French did force a combat the English never seemed to fail a save.

It did not go all the way of the English though, both Henry and Edward were sorely wounded, but the Marshall was slain.

At the end of the game, the French were slowly getting the upper hand, but the nature of the combats in Hail Caesar meant that there were units scatted all over the table and it did not feel quite as right to me as it did the last time.

I think that To The Strongest a couple of weeks ago did give a better representation of the battle with a stagnant 'hack and slash' in the centre, where the better quality English men at arms were getting the upper hand. In this game the French knights got the upper hand solely by weight of numbers even though the scenario was trying to prevent that.

But, Hail Caesar give a more fun game, a lot of stuff is happening all the time and combats are very decisive, but it seems to be much more luck based than TTS!.