Historical Setting

In 1274, Edward I came to the throne of England, faced with many challenges both from within his kingdom and from without. Internal bickering among the English nobility had resulted in uprisings by the disenchanted. Indeed, even before taking the throne, Edward had suffered a defeat at Lewes in 1264 (but came back 2 years later to totally defeat the barons). Externally, England’s possessions in France (notably, Gascony) brought it into conflict with the French—something his marriage to the daughter of the French King did not assuage. The eastern areas of Wales had been carved into large estates ruled by Anglo-Norman lords (the “Lords Marchers”) long before Edward’s time, and these areas had become prime raiding grounds for the anarchic Welsh clansmen.

The Welsh focused much of their time warring with each other, however; their great leader, Llewllyn, was only partially successful in unifying the clans. His refusal to pay homage to the new English king in 1277 prompted a new round of wars. Likewise, when Edward’s appointed King of Scotland renounced his allegiance, Edward sent north an army to crush the Scots in the 1290s. Although initially successful, it was the beginning of several campaigns that met with mixed results on the battlefield. Leadership provided by William Wallace and Robert the Bruce ensured Edward would not live long enough to subjugate Scotland. A tall, thin man (nicknamed “Longshanks”), Edward I was a brilliant and personally courageous military commander. But he was also a cruel and duplicitous king whose reign saw England at war almost continuously for most of his 30+ years on the throne. Indeed, he died in 1307, en route to quell another Scottish uprising.

Victory Conditions

Edward is interested in consolidating his realm and expanding its borders. This can only be done by judiciously prioritizing which threats to first address. The Crown does not have the resources to field large armies against all possible belligerents simultaneously. While Edward may field more than one army a season, he can only accompany and direct one army personally.

Edward’s objective is to subdue Wales, Scotland and Gascony, France (hereafter called “France”), as well as put down any internal English rebellions within 10 turns (“seasons”). Edward wins if:

• he has defeated the opponent in each region twice in a row; or
• the Hostility DRs (“DR” means a six-sided die roll) for all 4 regions do not result in any open hostility for 2 consecutive seasons; or
• by the end of the 10th season, he won the latest battle in each region, and there is no more than 1 openly hostile region (roll for each region at the end of turn 10).

If Edward fails to meet any of these victory conditions, or is killed in battle, the English lose.

Edward I Late 13th Century Campaign Game

Introduction
A. Background
B. Campaign Sequence
C. Notes
D. Appendix: Event Cards List