Four new games will be released on September 15, 1998. Each game will cover a battle that has never been done before.

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The battles, Towton, Mortimer's Cross, Tewkesbury, and Barnet, are four of the most important battles of the period we now call the Wars of the Roses. Each features one 13 by 19 map, 106 counters, a basic rulebook, charts, and a Special Rule Book covering the specifics of the battle. The system is the next generation of the system that began with the 3W quads, such as Henry V and The Black Prince.

The battles were chosen to show different situations from the meeting engagement of Mortimer's Cross to the large set piece battle of Towton.

The heart of the new system is the effects of leadership and command on the battle field. Each leader is rated for his performance during the battle (the ratings are Timid, Controlled, or Aggressive). During the course of the battle, the natural tendencies of the leader will slowly (or rapidly depending on the leader and his order) emerge and he will assume orders more comfortable to him. In game terms, this leads to an uncertainty that few games have conveyed in the past. The purpose is to reflect more clearly the strains of leadership during the course of a battle during the period.

The games also present a different combat system that has been redesigned to be more period specific than my quads for 3W. Units now suffer step losses in battle and have a more realistic erosion of morale than the previous system.

The Sequence of Play presents the new Interactive/Sequential system that you will be seeing again in future battle games. It came about because of my dissatisfaction with either the interactive systems that are currently available or the old Igo/Yugo systems. The new sequence allows the turn to flow quickly (each of the games can be played to completion in less than 2 hours) and to emphasize the points of action but not to draw out the playing time for the other units on the battlefield.

My hope is that it combines the strengths of both the interactive system (more fog of war and player interaction) and the sequential system (ease and speed of play) without the inherent weaknesses of each of the systems.

Towton was the biggest of the battles and has the interesting feature of being fought in an early Spring snowstorm. It is a tense affair where each side has distinct advantages and weaknesses.

Barnet and Tewkesbury are pivotal battles that occurred one after the other. Taken singly, Barnet features flank attacks for both sides and a wild have at situation. Tewkesbury is a game of more maneuver with each side having to make a firm plan and hope that they can react to the changing conditions that the clash of plans will create.

Mortimer's Cross is more of a meeting engagement with each side building to a furious crescendo as the battle escalates. All four battles are quick playing and suitable for solitaire.

Each game in the This Sceptered Isle series will be priced at $16. They also may be purchased as a combined package for $44.

Future games in the series will cover the battles of Bosworth, St. Albans, Blore Heath, and Wakefield. The goal is to cover all the major battles of the period.