Norman Conquests
Conflicts of the Normans and Their Successors 1053-1265
by
GMT Games
The Nordmannorum, or Normannorum, (either has been used in Latin texts), burst forth from the north of Europe or Hell itself, according to the Roman Catholic Church. These were the people who went 'a Viking' (Viking actually being a verb and not a noun) all across Europe and some of Asia and North America. The first Northmen raid is usually listed as taking place in 793. From that one raid, a hurricane of death and destruction was unleashed. The southern Europeans did not really have any way to counter them. So, it became rather commonplace to offer them land and riches in return to defend the coast against others of their brethren. The Northmen would then become baptized and join the status quo. The most recognizable of these areas is the aptly named Normandy. Men of Iron Volume V follows through these Northmen to their sons, grandsons, and beyond.
The Men of Iron Series is composed of this game and four others:
Men of Iron - Warfare in the Middle Ages
Infidel - The Supremacy of Cavalry in the Crusader Era 11th - 12th Century
Blood & Roses - Battles of the War of the Roses 1455 - 1487
Arquebus - The Battles for Northern Italy 1495 - 1544
GMT Games released a tri-pack of the first three games Men of Iron, Infidel, and Blood & Roses. Unfortunately, the first printing sold out, but it is on their P500 list for reprint.
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Close-up of the front cover |
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A portion of the back of the box |
These are the battles that come in Norman Conquests:
Civitate 18 June 1053 – Normans from Sicily and southern Italy clash with the Pope and allies.
Fulford 20 September 1066 – Norwegians (Vikings) come to lay claim to the English throne. Saxon nobles raise their levy and give battle in northern England.
Stamford Bridge 25 September 1066 – Saxon King Harold II hurries north and catches the Norwegian invaders with their pants down.
Hastings 14 October 1066 – Saxon King Harold II hears of the Norman invasion of England and rushes south. Facing off with William, Duke of Normandy, on a hill in the south of England, Harold learns that arrows are pointy.
Tinchebrai 28 September 1106 – Lacking primogenitor, two of William’s children battle over his legacy. King Henry I of England and Robert, Duke of Normandy, face off in Normandy.
Lewes 14 May 1264 – King Henry III, great-great-grandson of Henry I, and a coalition of his Barons clash over Baronial rights.
Evesham 4 August 1265 – Edward (later Edward I, the Hammer of the Scots) fights Simon de Monfort to free his father King Henry III.
Of the seven included battles, three of them are about the year 1066 and the two different invasions of England one by the Norse under King Harold Hardrada, and the other from Normandy under William the Bastard, soon to be William the Conqueror. The first battle, Civitate, might seem surprising to some. We are used to reading about the Popes and the Hohenstaufen Holy Roman Emperors meeting on the field of battle, or at least their followers. Robert Guiscard was not the leader of the Normans against the Pope at Civitate, but he was the one that won the battle that led to the Pope's capture. Robert was also the father of Bohemond of Antioch who figured so prominently in the First Crusade. Bohemond also has a big part to play in the other Men of Iron game Infidel about the battles in Outremer during the Crusades.
The next battle, Tinchebrai, has two of William the Conqueror's sons fighting over the realms that William had left as his legacy. Lewes and Evesham are battles that were fought between the Plantagenet Kings of England and their barons, mostly because of John Lackland, or Softsword, and his losing battles to the barons.
This is what GMT Games has to say about Norman Conquests:
"The Normans, and their successors, had a large impact on history. Normans, from Nortmann (northman), were originally Viking raiders that settled in what would now be northern France. Normans gained territory as far away as southern Italy and Sicily, and modern day Syria. They were Crusaders, they were Kings, they were princes, and they were scoundrels. They began as raiders from the north that fought on foot and transformed themselves into Dukes, Kings, and princes that fought from horseback.
How many games include a battle with a Papal army? Very few, so Norman Conquests visits Italy and the Norman Count of Apulia fighting with, and capturing, the Pope. Stretching the definition to include the Norwegian King Harald (III) Hardrada (undoubtedly a northman) and his invasion of England allows us to include all three battles for the throne of England in 1066, including the most famous Norman William the Conqueror and his invasion of England. Next we catch up with two sons of William I, the Duke of Normandy and the King of England, feuding over his lands years after his death. We end with the Baron’s War between William I’s great-great-great-grandson Henry III and his barons who were led by Simon de Montfort."
This is what comes with the game:
Three 22" x 34" Maps (2 back-printed)
Two 1/4 Sheets of 9/16" Counters
Three Player Aid Cards
One Rules Manual
One Battle Book
Two 10-sided Dice
I usually do not discuss/describe the box, but here I will make an exception. The box cover artwork is done by Kurt Miller and shows a Norman Knight on horseback facing numerous infantry. It could represent numerous battles, but it definitely gives me a Hastings vibe. The battle maps are split up as follows:
Evesham and Lewes are full maps on the back of each other.
Stamford Bridge and Tinchebrai take up half a map each with Fulford and Civitate, both a half map, on the reverse side.
Hastings takes up a full one side of the last map.
The maps are well done and the ones, like Hastings, that have a good amount of different terrain are very nice to look at. Most of the battles at this time were fought on flat featureless areas and the other maps represent this. There are two hard card stock Players Aids that come with the game. These are 11" x 17" foldouts They are in full color and have the different terrain charts for the seven different battles. They also have the Fire/Shock Tables and everything else the player needs. There is also a single-sided 8.5" x 11" that has the 'Flight Point Track' and the 'General Track. Next up is a 28-page Rules Manual. This is in full color. It is called the Norman Conquests/Men of Iron Tri-Pack Rules Manual. So, it has the rules for all four of those games (If you do not own the Men of Iron Tri-pack which has the games Men of Iron, Infidel, and Blood & Roses in it, you should really pick up these great games at a great bargain.) The Battle Book comes in at 24-pages and in essence is the scenario/battle playbook. It has the setups and any rules particular to each of the different battles. Included are also some examples of play. I have left the best for last. The two and 1/4 counter sheets are really well done. At 9/16" the counters are nice and large. The colors and the illustrations on them are superb. So, the game certainly measures up in the component category.
The series was first designed by the master of wit and wisdom, Richard Berg (some might add venom to the mix). This game was designed by Ralph Shelton. Having played the original games, I believe Mr. Shelton has completely caught the essence of them. Whether this was done completely by thinking and playing or if it had a bit of necromancy thrown in, I am not certain.
The game rules are like a very advanced rock, paper, and scissors game, but really so is Napoleonic tactics. The player has to learn combined arms to be very proficient in the game. You cannot just launch your heavy cavalry every battle and expect to come out the winner. The timing of your armored horseman's attacks is crucial. Supposing, of course, that your troops are even able to move. I really like the 'Continuation Activation' mechanic used in the game series. This rule allows a player who has successfully activated one 'Battle' (Battle was the term for the separate units of an army at this time), to continue to attempt to activate another Battle or even an entire Army activation, if the player had just successfully activated his army. This captures the feel of momentum in battles. Each side is also given a certain number 'Seizure Counters', depending on the scenario, to be used in the game. If a player tries for Continuation Activation, the other player can try and negate this with one of his Seizure Counters. The reverse of the Seizure counters also has effects that effect the units in the game. These can rally your troops or disorder the enemy.
The battles are on the smaller side of what you usually see in hex and counter wargames. There is nothing wrong with this. It means that the games can be quicker, and the player is not drowning in stacks (although I really like that at times). The game system to me is like the Great Battles of History series, only on a more playable level. You still get the historical feel and immersion, but at a much more playable size. The length of the battles means that you do not need to have them setup on a table for a week or two, unless you want to and have the room. The games that I have played have been mostly fast and frenzied. You get to release thundering knights on their charges and also to counter-charge them at times. I have been a fan of the series for a bit and in my eyes the mantle has been taken over and GMT Games has another great release. Having some Norman blood in me, I can highly recommend the game.
Robert
GMT Games
Norman Conquests: Conflicts of the Normans and Their Successors 1053-1265 by GMT Games
Men of Iron Tri-Pack 2nd printing P500
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