My son's fourth grade class was Studying the Middle Ages last year. and I was inspired to recruit a fellow wargamer to assist me in organizing a classroom wargame. We chose to represent an assault of a section of a castle wall, and used unpainted Accurate and Airfix 54mm plastic figures for troops. The castle wall and tower sections were built from heavy cardboard and a couple of oatmeal cartons. The teacher requested that we provide the students with at) opportunity to build something if possible, so we planned our game alound a point system for siege equipment. Students were divided into teams, and each team was requested to read the rules, Ahich were handed out in advance, devise a plan of attack, and allowed to build 30 points of siege equipment with which to implement their plans. A copy of the plan sheets for the various pieces of equipment is provided here. The movement zones referred to in the rules were several bands approaching the walls, the separate wall sections and tower roofs, and the interim of the castle. Figures in a zone were matched up with enemy figures to resolve hand to hand combat, with a two figure width being enforced while fighting along the tops of the walls. On the actual day of battle we set up a typical school table with the castle wall sections reaching across it, and took the teams it) order. Each attack took about half an hour o play and the teacher was prepared with activities for the balance of the students. About half of the teams managed to capture the castle, so I think we had the difficulty level of the scenario about right. If did it again I would try to streamline the combat rules, since the amount of rolling off was excessive and elementary school students seem to be very prone to delay in throwing dice! Castle Assault Project by Mr. Dean and Mr. Palmer Getting Organized: As you have learned, castles were strong places used for defense during the middle ages. In order to capture a castle, it was necessary for many nobles to cooperate. To represent this, you will organized into teams of six. Each team will choose what siege equipment to build, and how to plan their attack on the weak point in the walls of the castle. To represent the rewards (loot and power) you would be fighting for, each team that successfully captures the castle will get a homework pass. Some Rules: Because we have to have about ten teams each take a turn in one day, everyone must be cooperative, and take their turns without wasting any time. While we hope that this will be an exciting game, you will have to remember to keep your voices down, and listen carefully to any instructions. Planning the attack: You have two main choices in planning your attack. You can either build your equipment and attack the castle immediately relying on siege towers and/or ladders to get over the wall, or you can attempt to use catapults to batter a hole in the wall and then attack. This could take quite a while, and it is likely that some of your men may choose to go home, or become sick and unable to fight if you choose this plan. Once you decide on a plan, you must build the necessary equipment. (See the plans.) The Actual Rules: 1. Your team may select and build up to 30 points worth of equipment, including no more than two siege towers. A tower is worth 10 points, a catapult 5 points, a mantlet 1 point, and a ladder 1 point. 2. If you choose to use catapults to batter a hole in the wall, we will start with catapult turns. The defenders have one catapult, which will shoot first each turn and may destroy one of your catapults on a roll of 6 on the die. Then your surviving catapults will shoot. Throw one die for each catapult, and if you get a 6, a hole has been made. Each turn one die worth (1 -6) troops will desert or be lost to disease. After the defenders shoot, the attackers shoot and the attackers lose men to disease. another turn will be taken if necessary, repeating until a hole has been made. 3. Once a hole has been made. or if you choose to attack the castle directly, we will proceed with three turns of shooting, which represent the fighting which would go on during the weeks that it would have taken to assemble the siege equipment. For each turn, catapults will shoot first. Throw three dice per machine. A roll of 5 is a man driven off (until the assault turns), and a roll of 6 is a man removed from the game (killed or wounded.) An archer may fire at a man in the open and hits on a 4,5, or 6, or at a man under cover (walls or mantlet) and hits on a 6. 4. After three turns of shooting, the siege towers and ladders are moved to the wall, and the defenders attempt to burn them with pots of oil stored there (the defenders will have 6 oil pots.) An oil pot can burn a tower on a roll of 6, and a ladder on a roll of 4,5, or 6. 5. After removing any burnt equipment, play proceeds with the assault phase. Each turn consists of: Defender shooting (as shooting phase, but only archers, not catapults) Defender movement (each man may move one zone) Attacker shooting Attacker movement (also one zone) Hand to hand combat (roll a die, high roll wins. Defender gets a +1 for defending wall against ladder climber or defending breach) 6. Special Movement Rules: Ladders: Only one man can climb a ladder each turn if the top is defended. If a ladder is placed against a section of wall with no remaining defenders, three men can climb each turn. Towers: One man can fight from the ramp to the wall with no bonus for the defender. Four men can cross the ramp onto an undefended section of the wall, and four men can climb the inside of the tower to the platform at the top each turn. More Castle Assault Project Introduction and Rules Project: Siege Catapult Project: Siege Tower Project: Siege Ladder Project: Archer's Mantlet Back to MWAN #106 Table of Contents Back to MWAN List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 2000 Hal Thinglum This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com