Écorcheurs: Neues Regeset angekündigt

Der Hundertjährige Krieg bekommt ein neues Regelset.

Écorcheurs (Ay-core-sure) – Literally ‘flayers’: unemployed soldiers who ravaged France in the mid-fourteenth century – scouring and scorching the land.

Écorcheurs! is a new set of skirmish rules developed to fight small actions between retinues in the Hundred Years War – the series of conflicts fought between England (and her allies) and France (and her allies) from 1337 to 1453, ostensibly over the right of the kings of England to the throne of France.

• Ideal for smaller tables, and between 20 and 40 15mm to 28mm figures per side.
• Scenario-driven and narrative in nature.
• Focus on the leader’s ability to command, and the warrior’s prowess in combat.
• Innovative melee rules that reflect the back and forth of medieval combat, the strength of armour, and the chaos of the field.
• Rewards tactical thinking, and encourages a chivalric mindset.

Why another set of medieval skirmish rules?

There are a plethora of medieval skirmish rules out there, including several specifically for the high and late middle ages. So why bother publishing another set?

Because, frankly, none of the others did what I wanted a set of medieval skirmish rules to do.

I wanted a set of rules where the troops were not organised into units determined by their weapons or status, but more accurately reflected the make up of actual medieval companies and retinues.

I wanted rules that encouraged players to make tactical decisions, rather than just charging in pell mell. But I also wanted rules that encouraged them to play with a medieval mindset and get into the story of the game.

A part of that is how I saw armour working. I wanted it to actually protect against injury, encouraging a feeling of invulnerability for those lucky enough to have it, but at the same time allowing repeated strikes to cause fear and disorientation.

I also wanted them to think in a ‘chivalric’ fashion: about capturing rather than killing their opponents, and performing great deeds of valour, perhaps at the cost of winning the engagement!

Why the Hundred Years War?

Of all the periods to pick, the Hundred Years’ War is not the first that comes to mind for skirmish-sized games. So what does the period offer?

We (especially English wargamers) are very often blinded by the ‘big three’ – Crécy, Poitiers, and Agincourt – and are ignorant of the fact that there were innumerable small-scale engagements between various forces during this war. Not only did English armies spread out to ravage and cause devastation, or seize vital river crossings for the main force, but you also have the infamous Free Companies and the Écorcheurs that give these rules their name. Besides that, sources for this war (especially Froissart) are replete with tales of great deeds that intermingle with the grim realities of medieval war. It’s all great fodder for skirmish gaming with a narrative thread.

It’s also a superb period for figure collection and painting. There are some wonderful sculpts out there with real character, and the colour and pageantry of the period make for great looking forces.

Who’s this Rob Jones guy anyway?

Every wargamer has a ruleset in them, just like everyone has a novel. What does the author bring to these rules?

I’m a historian by trade and inclination, and I’ve been thinking about medieval warfare for a very long time now, especially the business of how medieval warriors thought as much as how they fought. I’ve published books and articles, taught courses, and given lectures on the subject. I’m also a living historian/costumed interpretor/reenactor (delete as appropriate!) and have my own fourteenth-century harness.

If you’re interested you can find out more about me on my personal website.

All of that reading, research, and thinking has gone into these rules, to create something that I think has a flavour of medieval warfare, at least as I understand it.

However, I have been a wargamer longer than I have been a historian, and I am painfully aware that rules that strive to simulate a period’s warfare often does so at the cost of the fun of the game (and often falls short). I hope that I have balanced the desire for ‘accuracy’ with the requirement for entertainment, so that Écorcheurs! offers the best of both worlds.

Quelle: Écorcheurs