We had a very good game of Fast Play Medieval Warfare a couple of weekends back, with Anglo-Normans facing off against the Conquest period Pre-Feudal Scots. We used pre-placed terrain replicating the battlefield of Northallerton. Ken and Bruce had the Scots while Paul and I took the Anglo-Normans.

Our plan was very basic, use our many foot to hold the high ground in the center and contest the flanks with our knights. I opted to put the foot into large units of 9 stands each. There were four of these blocks, the front rank LAI with axes and shields, the next two ranks, unarmored archers. I also had a block of 4 stands of LAI with spear. We used two units of wedging HC as support behind the foot while our other 6 units of HC, including two with generals, took to the flanks. Each HC unit was 2 stands.

Our lone unit of loose order foot, Welsh javelinmen would move into a woods on our left flank to keep the enemy from sweeping through it without opposition. We also had two unit of SI with bow, and we used these to screen our knights.

The Scots set up with large, 9 stand units of long spearmen in their center on their left flank, units of thegns in support along with four units of HC, 2 stands each A large Isleman contingent, three units of them, fighting in wedge with axe as well as units of 6 stand UI Highlanders, a 4 stand SC unit, and two SI units completed the Scottish force.

In Fast Play the first turn moves are 'free', needing no orders. For this scenario, since we were staring on a 5' deep table instead of 4', we allowed the first two moves to be 'free'. Action was fast and furious as the Scottish SC charged my SI, chasing them off, but becoming disordered for charging and not catching them. Our Welsh became embroiled in a battle in the woods with Highlanders, the hapless Welsh lasting one turn before failing a morale test and turning and routing! They outran their pursuers, and the next turn, the Anglo-Norman commander tried to get them to rally. He needed to roll a 9 or a 10, and did! As they turned about it wasn't a pleasant surprise to find the Highlanders emerging from the woods a bare inch away, thirsting to complete the job they started! The next turn they did.

On the left flank, Paul tried to get a charge on the flank of a Scottish spear unit, but the spearmen had a Deploy order, so turned to face the cavalry. When Paul tried to get his HC frenzied, they failed, probably saving their lives as if they had charged into the three ranks of Scots long spearmen, they would have been destroyed. They retreated, fragmented.

In the center, we poured archer fire into the Scottish ranks, forcing heavy losses, but the Scots passed their morale tests for losing stands and then charged. In my infinite wisdom, I had given the Anglo-Norman foot 'Retreat' orders, figuring I could easily outrun the slow Scots and then charge the disordered spearmen with my wedging knights. Wrong! I rolled a 2 for movement distance. Calling on the God roll, I rerolled...a 1.... As the Scots rolled high enough to slam into my running English with two units, it looked bleak.

Meanwhile, I had thrown two HC units at the Islemen and routed one unit, but in turn was slammed into by a Scottish HC unit and routed. My other HC were systematically being cut to pieces by Islemen axes...once HC have shot their bolt and charged, they are not very good at a milling, disordered melee.

The battle reached a climax as my English routed from being hit in the back in the center, causing morale checks galore. One other large unit had to halt, disordered, while my 4 stand spear unit rolled a 10 and went frenzied. This was the best thing that could have happened. They charged into and killed a stand of Islemen. On the Islemen morale test, they had to Retreat, disordered. On my subsequent pursuit, the LAI caught them in the back and routed them, causing morale failures for the Scots.

On the hill itself, the two units of Anglo-Norman HC in support of the broken foot charged into the pursuing Scots and their pursuit ground to a halt. Two turns later, both Scottish units, hammered by horse and foot were in rout.

The game ended as the Scots, reeling from heavy losses (1/3 of their units) were forced from the field. The Anglo-Normans, having lost almost as many units, were exhausted and do little but hold their ground and watch the enemy depart.

A very close game, either side could have won on the final turn, but fortune shone on the English.

We used the new casualty figures and shield markers to designate figure losses and levels of disorder. It looked much better on the table with less clutter. Oh, it was Paul's first win at my house! We'll do be getting together to do battle again in two weeks. Paul has his new Saxon army to try out.…

I hope you will take the opportunity to download the Fast Play rules from our rules discussion group site. They are intended to give you a faster game with simpler mechanisms than the normal, full-size rules.