Lion Rampant

Medieval Wargaming Rules Review

Lion Rampant, Medieval Wargaming Rules, Osprey Publishing.

Become a commander in the mould of Richard the Lionheart, Joan of Arc or William Wallace – or even a legend such as Robin Hood – with Lion Rampant. From the Norman Conquest to the Hundred Years‘ War, raids, skirmishes and clashes between small retinues were common aspects of medieval warfare, and these dramatic small-scale battles are at the heart of this easy-to-learn but tactically rewarding wargame.

A retinue in Lion Rampant typically consists of around six units under the command of the leader with unique character traits and abilities. While you can‘t always rely on your troops to do just what you want, historical tactics are rewarded – knights excel at charging down enemies but are less useful for guarding convoys, while spearmen are solid all-rounders and bowmen are to be feared at a distance but easily cut down in a melee.

With varied scenarios, sample retinue lists and a unique boasting system that allow players scope for choosing their own victory conditions, Lion Rampant offers quick, exciting, historical and, above all, fun medieval gaming.

Contents

  • Title: Lion Rampant
  • Period: Middle Ages
  • Type: Tactical Wargame
  • Time Scale: none
  • Ground Scale: none
  • Troop Scale: 1 miniature = 1 man
  • Basing: individual figures
  • Author: Daniel Mersey
  • Illustrator: Mark Stacey
  • Format: 64-page soft cover
  • Language: English
  • Publisher: Osprey Publishing, Oxford
  • Published: 2014

Chapters

  1. Introduction
  2. Battle Rules
    • Setting up a Game
    • Commanding Your Retinue
    • Important Rules Conventions
    • Understanding Unit Profiles
    • Unit Cohesion
    • Terrain
    • Leaders
    • What Happens During Each Turn
    • Activating Your Units
    • Moving
    • Shooting
    • Attacking
    • Testing Courage
    • Ending the Game
  3. Mustering your Retinue
    • Mounted Units
    • Foot Units
    • Missile Units
  4. Scenarios
    • Scenario Basics
    • Scenario A: Bloodbath
    • Scenario B: Defending the Indefensible
    • Scenario C: The Fugitive
    • Scenario D: A Gentle Stroll
    • Scenario E: Hold on Tight
    • Scenario F: Sausages with Mustard
    • Scenario G: The Convoy
    • Scenario H: The Messenger
    • Scenario I: A Taxing Afternoon
    • Scenario J: Meeting the Neighbours
    • Scenario K: Hammer and Anvil
    • Scenario L: Bloodfeud
    • Linking your Games together
  5. Sample Retinues
    • The British Isles
    • Western Europe
    • Eastern Europe
    • The Middle East & Spain
    • Hollywood Legends
    • Old-School Fantasy
  6. Lion Rampant Reference Sheet
  7. Lion Rampant Roster

Evaluation

Lion Rampant is a well-written, professionally laid out and illustrated, fun to read, and easy to understand set of rules for the medieval period of wargaming. The reference sheet is just one page of nine widely spaced game sequences with an average of four bullet points each. Movement rates, attack and defence values, armour, missile ranges, morale values, and any special rules for units of the retinue are covered on the player‘s roster sheet. A full-strength retinue may consist of 40 to 60 miniatures, but smaller engagement are entirely feasible, as well.

There are 40 sample retinues to choose from, and players should be able to easily generate their own for any particular campaign. The game may be played with miniatures of any size, although the 6″ maximum infantry move distance appears to be most compatible with 20 mm to 30 mm figures. Anyone using the larger Timpo, Jean Höfler, Schleich or even Playmobil figures may want to consider doubling all distances, or simply making a measuring stick with twelve sections of 2″ each.

Lion Rampant treats woods and villages as rough area terrain which slows movement and provides cover, but does not prevent mounted units from entering and fighting in it. Mounted troops may also cross linear obstacles like walls and fences by moving up to the obstacle in one turn and halting, then crossing it without further penalty in the next turn. As a result, there is no safe terrain for foot troops to hide in and avoid being attacked by horsemen.

Scenarios may be randomly selected and linked to create a campaign game. At the small scale of this game, casualties are fully replaced by the nearest garrison, although there is a provision for games with reduced unit strengths.

Unfortunately, there are no rules for medieval artillery, boats, scaling town or fortress walls, breaching walls, burning fortress gates etc., which would lend themselves to campaigns involving the attack on an opponents peel tower or small castle.

Overall, Lion Rampant is a clever little game, designed for the fun of pushing colourful troops across visually pleasing terrain.

Wargame Rules