Norman Saxon and Viking

Wargame Rules

by Bob Pavlik
modified by S. Richard Black

Game Sequence

    1. Initiative roll
    2. Move player moves or charges (morale checks if necessary)
    3. Simultaneous missile fire (morale checks if necessary)
    4. Mutual melee (morale checks if necessary)
    5. Counter-move player moves or charges (morale checks if necessary)
    6. Simultaneous missile fire (=Yale checks if necessary)
    7. Mutual melee (morale checks if necessary)

MOVEMENT

Move Distances:
Infantry 6"
Cavalry 12"
Hedge Hog 2"
Shield Wall-no movement
On Road +2"
Unarmored Infantry 8"
Charge/Assault-normal move + 50%

This is a move counter-move game with the winner of the initiative roll having the choice. If the player is either moving or counter-moving, he is still the attacker during his portion of the turn.

Allowable Moves:
1. Move and face (90 degrees max)
2. Face and move.(90 degrees max)
3. About face (180 degrees except engaged cav)
4. Charge or Assault

Charging units may wheel, pivot, or side-step as long as the charge portion of the move is launched in a straight line of at least a normal move distance. Charging "units" will consist of at least six infantry figures, three cavalry figures, or one berserker. Individual figures may assault an enemy using the charge distance, but no charge bonus will be gained.

A figure may overlap and flank a smaller unit keeping in mind the 90 degree facing rules.
Cavalry can not cross walls, hedges, fences.
Deduct 50% movement when crossing walls, hedges, fences, and fordable water.
Deduct 25% movement in light woods; 50% movement in marshes and heavy woods.
Deduct 2" per contour when moving or charging uphill.
Charges are not allowed through woods, marshes, or across obstacles.

Disengagement

is when one player involved in melee wishes to break off combat. Disengagement is accomplished by mutual consent or by winning a die roll, A player receives +1 to his toll for each additional figure engaged. The choice to disengage is first given to the attacking player. Move distance for disengagement is one Charge move back, facing the enemy, Figures may not charge on the move segment immediately following a disengagement. Rear rank spearmen involved in melee may disengage at any tire without penalty,,

Players will also receive
+1 for veterans,
+2 for Elites for disengagement purposes.

MISSILE FIRE
WeaponRange Def. Armor
(Short,+1)Medium(Long -1)Unarmored Partial ArmorFull Armor
Hand hurled0-1"1-2"2-3" vs 4,5,65,66
Bow or sling0-5"5-10"10-15" vs 4,5,65,66
Crossbow0-7"7-14"14-21" vs 4,5,6 5,65,6

Rate of Fire
Hand hurled: 1 per game (figures will be accordingly marked)
Bow or sling : 2 per turn
Crossbow: 1 per turn

Missile units being charged will fire at short (+l) range, Casualties removed before contact with the firing unit.
Missile units that charge ray not fire,
Missile units engaged in melee my not fire,
Missile figures can not fire at troops activ~ly engaged in melee,
Missile troops are allowed pass through fire measured at closest point of contact.
Missile troops in fall back status or figures disengaged on the previous turn can not fire until the following missile fire segment.

Targets may be "picked" when in open order, but will be chosen by random die roll (number rolled - position in line) while in shield wall/hedge hog formation.

To determine the "hit zones" on mixed targets at various ranges, the following areas will be covered by a single archer's range of fire (long range - 8"; medium range, 6"; short range - 4").

A second rank of archers-may fire over units only when on one or more hill contours higher than the front rank.
A second rank of archers may fire "high angle" fire over other units if the troops being fired over are at least 6" from the firing unit. Also, no enemy can be hit by "high angle" fire if within 3" of the unit being fired over,
A second rank of missile troops my fire through a forward rank if the first line is in "shield wall" formation and the firing troops are in stand-to-stand contact with the front line.

In order for Missile troops to fire through other figures, a gap of 1" either side of a straight line between the firer and his target must be open.

Norman cavalry often used their lances as melee weapons and rarely discarded them as did later day knights. However, at tires, Norman knights would toss the lance as a javelin. In this game a Norman my throw his lance as a javelin, but must remain stationary to do so and must continue combat with a secondary weapon.

MELEE

1. All figures making base-to-base contact with an enemy figure are in melee and can no longer move.

2. Bare hand, Blunt hand, Edged hand, and all Cavalry fight only one rank deep.

3, Spearmen may fight two ranks only if both ranks are spearmen.

4. A cavalrymen attacking with lance or spear MAY receive the +1 charge bonus only on the first round of melee. He then has the option to revert to a secondary weapon or continue to use the lance.

The attacker will square off and adjust all combats on a stand-to-stand basis, doubling up where extra figures are available.

The attacker rolls for "hits" and removes all enemy casualties not "saved".

The defender faces and adjusts any -return combats with his remaining figures.

The defender rolls for "hits" and removes enemy casualties not "saved".

ONE DIE PER MAN PLUS/MINIJS MELEE SITUATIONS BELOW:

Weapon TypeArmor Type
UnarmoredPartial Armor Full Armor
Bare hand5,66-
Pole Arm5,65,65,6
Blunt Hand4,5,65,65,6
Edged Hand3,4,5,64,5,6 5,6
Mtd lance3,4,5,64,5,65,6

MELEE SITUATIONS FOR ATTACKER

Enemy taken in rear +2
Enemy taken on unshielded flank +1;
Two-handed Weapon +1;
Mtd, Figure vs Foot +l Foot vs Mtd Figures -1 (except for pole armed)
Charge Bonus +1 (Except against spears or uphill charges)

No charge bonus will be gained if the distance traveled to reach the enemy is less than a normal move. Figures charging into a melee already in progress will only receive the Charge Bonus against unengaged figures.

Undecided combats are left engaged until the following turn or until a disengagement is accomplished.

A figure left unengaged after a melee round has two options which may take place during his following movement segment:

    1: Fall back one charge move, facing the enemy,

    2. Engage another enemy in the following order:

      A. Nearest unengaged enemy within 1 normal move,

      B. Nearest engaged enemy within 1" normal move.

      C. Any unengaged enemy within one normal or charge move

During melee combats, if a Leader figure and another man have doubled on a single enemy and the enemy scores the "kill", the Leader is the last figure killed.

Figures must be squarely touching to be engaged in melee. Point-to-point contact will not cause melee involvement.

Two-handed axemen slung their shields across their back when fighting; this arrangement can be utilized for protection, if this is the case:

SAVING THROWS

Any figure hit in melee or by missile fire may attempt a saving throw:

    Figure or Armor Type Roll to Save
    King, leader, chieftain, etc 5 (with 2 dice)
    Full armor, Berserker 4,5,6 (1 die)
    Partial Army (including shields) 5,6
    Unarmored 6

    Modifiers to Die Roll:
    1. Behind hedges, fences, parapets, woods edge, low walls +1
    2. Shield wall (from frontal attack and fire only) +2
    3. Shield wall (from high angle fire only) +1
    4. Hedge Hog or Orb formation (from attack only) +1

High angle fire is at the referee's option and mist be decided upon before the game if a shield wall is attacked from the rear and a portion of the wall is turned 180 degrees to protect the rear, the formation is then considered in Hedge Hog. A Shield Wall is formed with all figures in stand-to-stand contact, all facing in one direction, and no movement is allowed. The Hedge Hog is a ring formation with all figures facing outwards.

MORALE

Morale will be checked in the following situations:

    1. When an attacker or defender is facing a force of at least 3X greater which is within charge distance. This not include. men already in a melee situation.

    2. When a Leader is killed by missile fire or in melee,

    3. When more than me-third of a "unit" is killed by missile fire or in melee in one turn. (For morale purposes, a "unit" is a group of figures detached by at least 2" from any other groups).

Troops will be classified as Elites, Veterans, Regulars, or Militia, Each class will go up one (except Elites) if a leader is present:

MORALE SCORE
(roll 2 dice)
ELITESVETERANS REGULARSMILITIA
2 or lessFB (00)RTRTRT
3FB (00)FBRTRT
400FBFBRT
50000FBFB
6000000FB
700000000
800 (UA)000000
900 (UA)00UA00
1000 (UA)UAUAUA
11+UAUAUAUA

Morale Modifiers:
Unit leader killed: -3;
Unit's banner captured -1;
Unit attacked from flank -1;
Unit attacked from rear -2.

RT = rout off board; FB = fall back one charge move facing enemy; 00 = Obey orders; ( ) = for Berserkers only; UA - Uncontrolled advance toward nearest enemy using charge move if necessary,

Any figure or figures other than elites, leaders, and berserkers becoming completely surrounded and not scoring a hit during his melee turn will surrender.

CLASSIFICATION OF FIGURES
ClassNORMANSSAXONS VIKINGS
ElitesLeaders
Bodyguard
Leaders
Bodyguard
Chieftains
Bodyguard
Berserkers
VeteransMtd. Knights Houscarls (full armor)Houscarls (full armor)
RegularsArmored Inf. Theins
Select Fyrd
Bondi: Leather Armor (excluding shields)
MilitiaUnarmored Inf. (not shields) Great Fyrd (unarmored)Unarmored Inf. (not shields)

COLOR CODING (on back of stand)
Viking - light blue
Saxon - yellow
Norman - red
Elites - three stripes on back of stand
Veterans - two stripes
Regular - one stripe
Militia - no stripes

Rules for Motte and Baileys

(Editor's Note: These rules are meant to accompany the above set and were written by Rich for a game he designed in which Saxons and Vikings attack a fortified Norman keep.)

Spears:

There is a quiver containing 10 spears in each corner of the keep and in each outer corner of the gatehouses, When throwing spears outwards, add one inch to each range. When throwing spears from the top of the keep, add one more inch to the long range.

Walls:

A one-inch gap can be made by one man in the walls. If he does nothing else in a turn, he may throw one die and add the toss to a sum which starts at zero. When the sum reaches twenty, the gap is considered formed. After a sum of fifteen, a gap is formed which requires one turn to move through.

The drawbrigdes may be raised or lowered. It takes two of your movement phases to do this. If trying to lower the drawbridge from outside, a sum of 16 must be achieved as in creating a gap.

Bows;

For bows or crossbows from inside the gatehouses, add me inch to short and medium ranges, and two inches to long range. For shooting from the top of the keep these additions are two inches and three inches respectively.

Ladders or Stairs:

For a man to climb the ladder or stairs, he will be exposed to fire for one turn. The enemy must be notified that there is a man on the stairs or ladder during the turn he is exposed. Up to two men may be on the structure at any time.

(Editor's Note: These rules appeared in an early edition of MWAN back when membership was about 40 subscribers or so. There appears to a fairly good interest in them and for that reason, I am reprinting them at this time.)


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