Truly Machiavelian Renaissance Games

Secret Victory:
Prince Lanolin

By Otto Schmidt

It is God’s wish that the war is floundering! It is also all your brother’s fault! There never would have been a revolt if he had not enraged Legolam with decrees that established civil courts in the Elf Lands rather than relying on “The Lord’s justice”. The Lord here being the Lord of the manor. Then the Salacians attacked and here we are. Your chuckle-headed brother, the idiot, has tried to stem the tide with his “new style” regiments modeled on the hated Swinns and Zwiss. This is a disaster. Everyone knows that only the heavily mounted knight on his warhorse is the arbiter of war!

If these vile churls, these disgusting commoners, this base-born infantry, this scum, these canille, these poltroons, these bourgeoise, these verminous, scabrous, filthy peasants become dominant then every jackanapes will think he the equal of the noble. You are enraged that your brother just doesn’t understand that his power depends on his nobles and on the maintenance of the proper order between the classes. In War, only the headlong charge of the knights can decide the day, and only then does God ride with you. Everything must go down before him. All this talk of how the knight has been rendered obsolete is a misreading--either they were very bad knights, or the enemy cheated in some way.

This has been bothering you a long time and you realize how much you HATE all peasants, even your own, and especially when they get these arrogant ideas and take up arms, even when on your side. They should stay home and breed and work and die like the beasts of the field, and not annoy the nobles with their begging, complaints and wails. They should be kept dumb and told only to obey simple grunts. It is up to YOU and to YOU alone to remedy this intolerable situation. Just as it is only the headlong charge of cavalry that can decide war, so too it is only when the lower orders have their faces firmly pressed into the muck with your foot on their neck, can society be as God intended. Here at last is your chance! God is on your side! The eyes of centuries of your ancestors are upon you! CHARGE! CHARGE! CHARGE! CHARGE!

1. You get one Victory point automatically if you are the first to order a charge in the battle.

2. You get one Victory point if you are the first on your side to charge.

3. You get one Victory point for each enemy infantry unit you destroy, and TWO points for each ZWISS unit you destroy.

4. You get one Victory point for each ATHOLLI, infantry unit that is destroyed, wether you do it or not. You get TWO victory points for each SWINN or BLACK LEGION infantry unit that is destroyed. (No that’s not a misprint, you get victory points if your own infantry is killed. (Serves them right!)

5. You get three Victory points for each enemy Horse Archer unit you destroy. (They’re not knights but what the heck... they’re the closest those towel-headed infidels across the way have got!

6. You get one Victory point for being the first to get an enemy cavalry unit to run. 7. You get two Victory points for each enemy leader you kill in single combat. Single combat is straight die role, lowest side wins. You get to deduct 1 from your roll for your matchless prowess.

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