After almost a year of painting a few weeks ago I finally reache one of my part goals: to have enough units to play the Epic version of Agincourt.

Last night a freind came over and we set the field for the battle. Truly an impressive sight with all the troops.

I started out as the English side and totally massacred the french. In about half an hour i had taken the seven flags, only loosing two red horses and on bowman. He didn´t even take a flag!

I scored slightly better when i tried playing the french and actually got one flag to his seven.

Even though we were both humiliated we are both keen to play the french again to see if there is anything that can be done to loose with more dignity..

Does anybody have any ideas on how to play the french side?

Has anybode actually won this scenario as the french?

I won as the french once. But it was the first time we'd ever played and we didn't have all the rules right. One of which being the fact that we thought that archers couldn't score flags. Meaning they couldn't make the opponent reatreat. I massacered him.

Well I think the French can win, with the right cards.

Obviously if the English gets the Darken the Skies card, massive injuries for the French. That card is too powerful in their hands with their hand. So if it is available for the French to take, they have to take that card away.

The French need a well placed Mounted Charge and pick off the archers on the corners.

Also don't forget that the French do have 7 more units (and by the color, better infantry) than the English. It is just those darn long bow archers that are the root of the problem.

Sadly though, with the French only having 4 command cards, that can doesn't allow much options for a Mounted Charge card (i.e. unlike a Darken Sky card would for the English). Since if memory serves, the mounted charge card is based on the command cards you have (if not, I apologize!) and thus the French would only be able to make good strides on one side or the other of the 2 English Flanks. And thus really need 2 of them to make some strides plus get that extra die of combat.

And that blue mounted unit near Agincourt Castle has one thing to do...polish off that Green footed unit in the English Camp. Just takes too long to go through the forest to do anything useful. Sadly though, it will take 3 turns of movement to get to that camp. But if that unit does it's job, it might 2 VP in one feel swoop (get rid of the Green unit plus take the camp).

The key to the French's victory is those initial 4 cards in hand. If they are really bad ones (ie. very few units to move) it can be a long day for the French. I'm not saying they can't win, just that they have to weather the storm of arrows...and pray for flags vs hits! Retreats aren't that bad...unit losses are.

Cab

the darken the skies card was most likely inspired by the actual battle.

if one could take a thousand welsh longbowmen from Henry's army transport them forward in time 390 years , put them in the service of Mack, I'd dare say they might have stopped Davout's corps at austerlitz.

so all in all, if the historical result occurs the majority of the time I would venture to say 'good scenario design'.