SHIELD WALL
         Hastings 1066
 

William the Bastard of Normandy coveted England. So he built a large fleet and, on a westerly wind, sailed an army to Pevensey.   As he marched inland, his mixed force of mercenaries from Brittany, France and Normandy met Saxon king Harold Godwinson and his huscarls and fyrd near a village called Hastings. It is told that the Saxons occupied a rise that blocked the road to London later called Senlac (Blood Lake) Ridge, and they presented the Norman invaders with a Saxon shield wall...

 

Shield Wall: Hastings 1066 is a tactical simulation of the battle that determined the fate of England. The main ideas emphasized in the game are the effects of the Saxon shield wall, the limited arrow supply of Norman archers, and their relative ineffectiveness, the advantage held by the Saxon side of the high ground, the withdrawals (or “routs”) of Normans from their assault of Saxon positions on hill terrain, and their potentially undisciplined pursuit by Saxon warriors, the requirement for battlefield space management by the Norman side, and the important roles leaders played.

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Components

140 5/8” Die-Cut Counters and Markers

22” x 17” Game Map in One Section

Four-Page Rule Book

Weather and Fatigue Markers

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Game Features

Uphill/Downhill Movement

Advance after Combat

Eight Game Turns

Norman Horsemen Charge Movement

Norman Voluntary Withdrawal

Saxon Reinforcements

Rally Points

Norman Routing

Berserking Saxons

Non-Active Player Reaction

Saxon Involuntary Pursuit

Melee Combat

Leaders

Leader Save Rolls

Norman Archer Fire

Shield-Wall Up and Down Status

Army Demoralization

Downhill Charges

Rout Checks

Woods, Slope, Stream, Steep Sloop, Hill,

   Hillock and Ridge Terrain

Fatigue (Optional)

Weather (Optional)

 

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