Thursday, 10 March 2022

Golgotha's Osborne Battlegame Book 2: Knights at War (1975) - Siege Game by Andrew McNeil

 Herewith, a fond childhood memory of Osborne Battlegame Book 2: Knights at War (1975) - Siege Game. Played with miniatures instead of counters. Andrew McNeil is the same author of the Avalon Hill Kingmaker game which was excellent. However, Siege is not in the same league. 

See a good review here: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/603828/game-2-siege-review which also includes house rules on improving this game. 

Great childhood memories - so will be replaying all the games in these books for which I have 3 of the 4 books and I am still looking for the WWII Book. All the components are pictured for the Siege game below so one would actually be able to try it yourself. 

Battlegame Book 2.


The second half of this book has 4 games with full colour A3 size boards, and monocolour pieces to cut out and assemble (most pieces are designed to stand up - some fit into others pieces - such as the Knights in Tournament who may be on (in) their horses or on foot).

 

The four games are:

 

Arsouf. 2 players. Recreate the famous battle between Richard and Saladin on September 7, 1191. The crusaders must use their powerful knight squadrons, especially the Templars and Hospitallers, to protect their slow infantry and baggage trains. Saladin must skilfully deploy his mamelukes, horse-archers, and skirmishers to wear down the crusaders and prevent them from reaching Arsouf.

 

Siege. 2 players. Nineteen attacking knights must take a castle in 40 days. Arrayed against them are not only 10 knights, but boiling oil, Greek fire, and rocks. Luckily the attackers have the know-how to build ladders, rams, mines, catapults, and towers to help them break in.

 

Border Raiders. 2 players. Border clashes in 13th century Germany. Karl the Black must loot and plunder the villages of his neighbour Duke Conrad. Clever use of archers and knights to protect the levies laden down with plunder is necessary to win this game.

 

Tournament. 2-4 players. Three days of jousting where knights can increase their prowess is followed by the grand melee which mixes those unhorsed with those still on horseback. Jousting involves the secret choice of target and simultaneous revealing. The grand melee rewards speed for the mounted knights and swarming for the unhorsed knights on a team.


See: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/7558/battlegame-book-2-knights-war












In this particular game the battle over the gatehouse witnessed some fantastic heroism - the real stuff of legends. 



Baron Hugh de Fender himself. This is a 28mm miniature. Other miniatures shown are Revell Normans, see: http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=299






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