War of the Roses Army List

Version 3.2: 23 Jun 99

By Steve Schifani

General History: 1455-1487

The War of the Roses is the popular term given to the dynastic struggle between the houses of York and Lancaster. After a long, unsettling period of military failures in France, an unfavorable marriage resulting in an unpopular French queen, and the king’s disturbing spells of insanity, armed conflict first broke out in St. Albans between the forces of King Henry VI and the Duke of York. Over three decades later, many though not all historians consider the wars to have ended following Henry Tudor’s triumph on the field of Stoke. In between were three decisive campaigns, with years of peace separating brief but fiercely conducted periods of warfare. In the first campaign of 1460-1461, five major battles were fought, culminating in the bloodiest day on English soil at Towton. The convincing Yorkist victory firmly established the newly crowned Edward IV as England’s reigning monarch. Sporadic warfare and sieges continued in the north along the Scottish border, but it took a clash of egos between Edward and his most important ally, Warwick the "Kingmaker", to present the Lancastrians with their next great opportunity to turn the tables on the Yorkist regime. The second campaign of 1471 was an incredible success against the odds for Edward. He first defeated Warwick at Barnet, and the Kingmaker met his end as he tried to make good his escape. Edward then brought the principal enemy force to battle at Tewkesbury, where a crippling blow was dealt to the Lancastrian cause with the death of Prince Edward, Henry’s only heir, on the field. King Henry himself died shortly after, supposedly from "pure melancholy", which ended the Lancaster line once and for all. Peace held for 12 years, but King Edward’s illness and premature death in 1483 left a bitterly polarized court, with each faction’s survival depending on control of the throne. Richard, Duke of Gloucester and Edward’s trusted brother, was the victor in the political arena, and he was quickly crowned Richard III. Tragedy followed his reign from the beginning, and the disappearance of Edward’s young sons, the "Princes in the Tower", led to an erosion of his people’s support and a mystery that is still hotly debated even today. The climate was ripe for Henry Tudor to make his attempt to seize the throne, and Shakespeare himself has insured that the third campaign resulting in the battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 will forever be remembered as a critical moment in British history. With Richard’s death in battle, Tudor became Henry VII, and his hold on the crown was even more firmly secured with the defeat of a strangely mixed army of German mercenaries, Irish, and rebel English, gathered together to support an impostor. With the dispersing of this "Yorkist Pretender" army at Stoke in 1487, Henry VII was undisputed king and the War of the Roses is considered to have come to a close.

Designer’s Notes: In this author’s opinion, there can be no better suited period for tabletop miniature gaming than the War of the Roses. All of the traditional enticements of medieval warfare are present, but with so much more: base treachery, unforgiving weather conditions, meddling foreign powers, temperamental artillery, and unique tactics forced by the presence of the deadly longbow on both sides. The army selection percentages are quite flexible, even to the point of allowing some non-historical combinations of troops. This is okay! Those who want to re-create a particular army for a specific battle or campaign will easily be able to do so. For those preferring a less restrictive approach, or who enjoy Avalon Hill’s Kingmaker (myself included), the possibility for a Percy army of northern borderers allying with a Neville army of Calais veterans and Burgundian mercenaries also exists.

• Characters – Up to a quarter of the points value of the army.
• Foot units – At least a quarter of the points value of the army (Yorkist Pretender armies: up to a quarter of the army points value).
• Special units – Up to a quarter of the points value of the army (Yorkist Pretender armies: at least a quarter of the army points value).
• Mounted units – Up to a quarter of the points value of the army.
• Artillery – No more than one gun per 1000 army points. Purchased using the "special units" points allotment.

Unit minimum size is five figures. Any unit may have a leader, standard bearer, and/or musician for +5 points per model.

COMBINED FORMATIONS – Where specified by the list, missile troops may be combined with other infantry to form a single regiment, with the missile troops initially making up the front rank(s) of the unit. When entering close combat, the player controlling the unit may choose one of two Options: the missile troops may remain in the front rank(s), allowing them to stand and shoot against a charging enemy; in this case, any spear or bill-armed figures in the second rank may NOT fight in close combat. Alternatively, the missile troops may retire to the rear rank(s); this prohibits them from shooting, but allows up to two full ranks of spearmen, one and one-half ranks of billmen (see special rules for bills), or one rank of other infantry, to fight in close combat. A unit in which the missile troops have retired to the rear may bring them forward again by spending an entire turn reforming.

Note: Additional ranks of longbowmen, if used, fire at half strength as described in the WAB rulebook. Despite a mixture of troops, normal rules apply regarding all ranks having the same number of figures, with the exception of the rear rank, which may be smaller. The unit always uses the Leadership characteristic of the melee troops and not the missile troops themselves.

Note: Longbows in the rear ranks may still fire even if melee troops are to the front as long as the unit is not engaged. They do so at half effect as outlined in the rules for massed archery.

"A RIGHT SHARP SHOWER" – English and Welsh longbowmen of the late medieval period were highly regarded for their skill. Their high rate of effective fire was achieved through years of training. There were limits, however, both to endurance and to ammunition supply. Longbowmen may, if stationary, double their fire in a turn. The number of turns they may do this varies according to the following procedure. Whenever Retinue Longbowmen double their fire, roll a D6. On a 1 or 2, the longbowmen have depleted their arrow supply, or are possibly suffering from fatigue. From this point on, no double firing is allowed, and all fire is halved for the rest of the game (picking up expended arrows, etc.). This means any fire from a rank other than the first is halved again, making only one quarter eligible to fire. For Shire and Welsh Longbowmen, use the same procedure, except they exhaust themselves and/or their arrow supply on a 1, 2 or 3.

Important Note: Although longbowmen of the late medieval period are probably the most celebrated missile troops in military history, a BS of 4 in WAB conventions may be too much of an improvement in a period with such large percentages of archers. For this reason, I recommend that English and Welsh longbowmen do not suffer the -1 modifier for moving while shooting. This gives them a marked advantage over their crossbow and handgun armed counterparts without resorting to a BS of 4, and for game purposes ensures that one side or the other is not punished for going on the offensive and attempting to settle the issue by close combat (which decided all battles of the War of the Roses).

EXTRA HEAVY ARMOR (EHA) – A new classification of armor is needed for the late medieval period. EHA gives its wearer a 4+ save, at a cost of -1 inch to movement. Dismounted knights are entitled to a 3+ save vs. missiles due to well fashioned armor from the continent. Note that mounted knights do not receive this extra bonus versus missiles, even though wearing the same style of German/Italian armor, due to the horse’s vulnerability.

Note: Light armor in WAB is a reasonable equivalent to a jack (a padded or quilted garment for the upper body), heavy armor seems comparable to a brigandine (much sturdier than a jack, with imbedded metal studs or plates), while extra heavy armor translates into partial or full harness (varying levels of plate armor protection).

Note: In my own games, I usually allow the figures wearing EHA to move 4" during normal moves and 8" during march moves and charges, rather than 3"/6". This is in part to keep the game moving at a brisk pace, and also because of numerous accounts of modern day re-enactors doing cartwheels and such while wearing full plate. It also assumes that movement on the battlefield is as dependent on confidence and esprit de corps as it is encumbrance. A levy would advance hesitantly while experienced but more heavily armored household men would advance with resolve, making their effective movement rate about the same. If this option is used, then increase the cost of dismounted knights and dismounted men-at-arms by +1 point per model.

CAVALRY AND THE LONGBOW – In order to get a "proper" feel (only in the author’s humble opinion), a few minor departures from the Warhammer core rules are necessary. First, a mount does not confer a +1 to its rider’s saving throw. A knight being able to improve his save versus missiles by mounting his destrier simply does not have a good late medieval feel. The points cost for mounted models have been adjusted to reflect this change.

Second, a longbow no longer causes a -1 armor save on all figures. Rather, it causes a -1 save for cavalry only, which can be countered by the purchase of barding. Barding no longer confers a +1 save in melee, and instead only provides a +1 save against missile fire. Thus a mounted knight on an armored warhorse has the same armor saving throw as his counterpart on foot, and is more vulnerable to missiles as he cannot take advantage of his expensive continental armor’s extra protection against arrows while on horseback.

These changes are not made lightly, and are the result of an amateurish but nonetheless enthusiastic and thorough study of the period. For those who prefer the War of the Roses list to be more comparable to other WAB and AoA lists, and more compatible with the rules as written, alterations might be appropriate. I encourage the user to make changes at his discretion.

HANDGUNS – Gunpowder weapons, including the individually operated handgun, were used with increasing frequency in the late medieval period. The following rules apply for this weapon:

Range of 16 inches, fires at S4, with NO saving throw allowed. May be fired only every other turn, and handgunners may not fire if they move in a turn. Cotton balls are one alternative for keeping track of when they may fire.

Handgunners must skirmish, and may be formed into their own units. A second option is that handgunners may be assigned to specific units of foot. One handgunner may be purchased for every four German pikemen or French/Continental footmen in a given unit. They are "attached" to this specific unit as skirmishers and may not move greater than 4 inches away from the parent unit. They may "stand and fire" as a when charged option, and are simply moved to an unengaged side of their parent unit if physically in the path of a charge. If fired upon, or if the parent unit is targeted through their screen, a -1 shooting modifier applies due to their dispersal and the smoke generated by their weapons. However, they share the same fate as their parent unit, and rout with them or are destroyed by pursuers should the parent unit be caught.

Note: If rainy weather conditions are part of the scenario, then handgunners simply become light footmen, and if attached may form the rear rank(s) of their parent unit.

ARTILLERY – Light bombards or small cannons on wheeled carriages were used at the battles of Northampton, Barnet, Tewkesbury, and Bosworth Field. The following rules have been adapted from Warhammer Fantasy Battle.

Light gun: Range of 48 inches. Any hits are resolved at S10, with D4 wounds and no armor save. The procedure is as follows. Line up the gun with the intended path of cannonball flight. Then, call range, from 1 to 48 inches. Next, roll the artillery die. If a misfire is rolled, go to the following table and roll a D6.

1. Spectacular explosion. Crew takes S5 hit, no save.
2. Serious misfire. Gun lost, but crew survives.
3-4. Fouled. Takes one turn to clear and reload.
5-6. Minor malfunction. May fire normally next turn.

If a number is rolled, the cannonball hits at the called distance PLUS the number of inches on the artillery die (2, 4, 6, 8, 10). As you can see you should attempt to call a distance that is a little short of your target. Once the distance that the cannonball flies is determined, roll a D6. On a roll of 1, the shot deviates 2 inches to the left. A roll of 2 indicates a deviation of 1 inch to the left, with rolls of 3 and 4 being dead center, and rolls of 5 and 6 being one and two inches to the right respectively. This simple roll, representing wind, barrel and cannonball irregularities, etc., is intended to offset the unfair targeting of characters by making them 3 times harder to hit. Even the "Look out, sir!" rule does not go far enough in this respect to reflect the near impossibility of singling out a man-sized target on which to concentrate fire, especially considering the limited effectiveness of artillery in the period. Once the actual spot that the cannonball hits is finalized, roll the artillery die again. On a misfire, it sticks at that spot. Any number represents the distance of the ball’s bounce, and ‘to wound’ rolls are made for any figures in its path along a straight line. Note that only one figure per rank (or file if fired on from the flank) may be under threat. The "Look out, sir!" rule most definitely applies to artillery.

One of your crewman may be purchased as a master gunner. ONCE during the game, a master gunner may call for a re-roll of any die associated with artillery fire (the 3 rolls described above), but must live with the second roll even if it is a worse result. This can be of great benefit, as it might prevent the loss of the gun, but temptation for another opportunity at a gloriously destructive shot is inevitable.

Casualties resulting from cannonfire cause certain units, usually with a starting UNIT Leadership of 5 or less, to take a Panic check. Characters may apply their leadership to this check. In the War of the Roses list, only local levies/revolting peasants are subject to this rule.

With at least 2 crew, a gun may be prolonged up to 4 inches per move, with no march moves possible. May fire every other turn, as reloading takes a full turn. If the crew is forced down to one model, then reloading takes 2 turns.

VETERAN STATUS – There are some situations in War of the Roses battles where troops performed admirably, or seemed to have an edge on their opposition. A unit may be designated as "Veteran" for a cost of +2 points per model. Some examples are the King’s "Yeomen of the Crown" (veteran retinue longbowmen), Cheshire archers (veteran shire longbowmen), Martin Schwartz’s Germans, Salisbury’s troops at Blore Heath, Edward’s army at Tewkesbury (which was the core of the victorious army from Barnet), and I’m sure a case can be made for others. Use of this rule will require some cooperation among the players to ensure it is not abused.

SQUARES – Squares are a formation allowed to certain units armed with pikes or thrusting spears. The square is intended to portray such units as Swiss forming a "hedgehog", Flemish fighting "in the manner of a crown", and sturdy Scot spearmen packed into a schiltron. The following rules are an attempt to depict this formation’s strengths and weaknesses.

Designated units in the army list may form a square. This takes one turn of non-movement, after which the models must be set up with an identical number of ranks and files, if possible. If a perfect square block is impossible, then the players must use their judgment and attempt to arrange their models as close to a square as they are able. For aesthetic purposes, the models should be turned to face outward in all four directions.

A square may not move

A square has no flanks or rear.

Pikes and spears have their usual advantages, in that pikes strike first, and both weapons may fight in two ranks. Pikes and spears also retain the bonuses for forming a phalanx. To review, cavalry may not charge a pike armed square, cavalry fight spears at a -1 to hit, and infantry are at a -1 to hit in the first round versus either weapon. See the applicable units in the army list for details.

Rank bonuses can be confusing, especially if a square is attacked from more than one side. If there are 25+ models in the square, then the formation receives +3 for rank bonuses in all combats. If there are 16-24 models, then this smaller block receives +2 for rank bonuses in all combats. With 15 or less models, no rank bonuses apply.

A square is vulnerable to missile fire. All "to hit" rolls that miss by one die pip when shooting may be re-rolled. If this is too "fiddly", then simply count a square as a "large target".

Reforming is required should the unit wish to abandon the square and resume normal movement.

In the War of the Roses list, a square may be formed by either German pikemen or Scot spearmen.

PAVISES – Crossbow units may be equipped with large shields that were called pavises. These were either used individually or stood up collectively to form a barrier, offering significant protection against missile fire. Pavises came in many different sizes, and for WAB purposes may be divided into two classifications: personal pavises and siege pavises. Siege pavises were also of value in the first round of melee. The following rules apply:

Personal Pavise:

A personal pavise may be set up or taken down using a half move. When set up, and fired at from the front, the unit counts as if in soft cover (a -1 modifier). A personal pavise has no effect in melee. They are available to crossbowmen for +2 points per model.

Siege Pavise:

A siege pavise represents the heavy and unusual protective devices used at 2^nd St. Albans. These are permanently fixed to their initial deployment location.

When behind a siege pavise, the unit counts as being behind hard cover to its front against missile fire, and behind a defended obstacle for the first round of melee if attacked from their front in hand to hand combat.

The siege pavise barrier is knocked down if the unit moves, loses a round of combat, or the combat goes more than one round.

Old Glory has a nice pack of siege pavises available in their War of the Roses equipment range. These are very suitable for painting in livery colors.

I would recommend that siege pavises cost 4 points per rank that it is large enough to protect, and that they be available by scenario, or when agreed by both players. The Earl of Warwick had ample time to plan his defenses and carefully place his pavises (some of which were spiked so that they could be laid flat as an obstacle for attacking enemy troops). When he was flanked by Sir Andrew Trollope and the Lancastrians, all of his intricate defenses were rendered useless.

THE BILL: In re-enactment videos, I have noted that the bill is more of a weapon of collective security rather than of individual skill, and I think the following rules reflect this better than a +1 Strength addition.

Bills may fight either when charged or charging with the full front rank and one half (rounded down) of the second rank. ‘To hit’ rolls are made as normal. Any ‘to hit’ roll of "6" is resolved at S4, with all other hits at S3. Armor saves are as normal, with any S4 hits getting the further -1 armor save modifier.

These rules have a better feel for densely packed foot jabbing and raking with their polearms, and still allow for the occasional crushing blow that might occur when a soldier has his opponent at a disadvantage.

Using bills in this manner also frees up weapons with a +1S bonus to be thought of as "double-handed" weapons. The double-handed weapon as described in the WAB rulebook is seldom used because of the severe disadvantages of striking last. Note that in this list the term double-handed weapon refers to heavy melee weapons that provide a +1S bonus with no other qualities.

THE LANCE AND THE WARHORSE: After long wondering about the need for a separate warhorse attack, I have decided to remove it from list, and mounted point totals are adjusted accordingly.

However, after reading about Sir Anthony Woodville’s famed jousting contest with the Bastard of Burgundy, I feel that the warhorse/destrier should still be included somehow. It seems that in their final pass, Woodville’s horse headbutted the Bastard of Burgundy’s horse so violently that it died from the impact. The Bastard complained to all who would listen that there must have been armor underneath the covering for the head of Woodville’s horse, even after the covering was checked and none was found. Needless to say these beasts must have been capable of delivering quite a shock.

Thus, I propose that a lance only be worth a +1S when charging, and that a warhorse add an additional +1S when charging. Knights will still be the same as if using a lance in WAB, but this will cut down on lesser men-at-arms having the ability to hit with a S5, which IMHO is something that should be limited if armor is to have a reasonable impact on the game.

Fortunately, the same effect can be obtained by simply giving thrusting spears to any mounted other than knights, but the above will give the reader of this list some insight to my thinking.

THE CROSSBOW: The crossbow in WAB is just as powerful a weapon at long ranges as it is at close range, and this does not give a good impression of the qualities of a crossbow bolt. A bolt could be shot with tremendous energy, but its short, stubby shape caused it to quickly lose its "zip". For this reason, I recommend that a crossbow reduce its strength to 3 at long range, although it still gets a -1 save modifier vs. mounted targets.

UNARMORED TARGETS: Unarmored foot in the War of the Roses, such as the "bare-legged" Irish at Mortimer’s Cross and Stoke, and the rebelling peasants at Losecoat Field, were decimated by missile fire because they were "naked" (completely unarmored). Some form of body protection was essential in the missile-heavy environment.

For this reason, and to add some value to light armor (which seems costly for its effect), I recommend re-rolling all ‘to wound’ results that miss by one die pip when checking missile hits against unarmored targets.

Characters:

Equipment: Lance, EHA, barded warhorse.

Options: When on foot, may wield double handed weapon (DHW, see special rules).

Special Rules: Any unit within 12 inches of the General may use his leadership value when it takes a leadership test. Stubborn. A modifier of -1 to the 12 inch leadership rule for all units on foot applies when the general is mounted.

Equipment: Lance, EHA, barded warhorse.

Options: When on foot, may wield DHW.

Special Rules: Any unit within 12 inches of the Army Standard may re-roll any failed Break tests. Stubborn.

Equipment: Lance, EHA, barded warhorse.

Options: When on foot, may wield DHW.

Special Rules: Stubborn. When fighting other War of the Roses armies, and both players agree, may have a 6 inch leadership radius using the same rules as the general for an additional 10 points. In this case, and when mounted, the same -1 modifier applies if using his leadership value for units on foot.

Equipment: Lance, EHA, barded warhorse.

Options: When on foot, may wield DHW.

Special Rules: Stubborn.

Equipment: Throwing spears, javelins, buckler.

Options: None.

Special Rules: May only be purchased for Irish bonnachts and kerns. Irish heroes may apply their leadership to skirmishers, so a unit of kerns with this character attached would have a Leadership value of 6.

Equipment: Lance, EHA, barded warhorse.

Options: When on foot, may wield DHW.

Special Rules: May be purchased as the army general. Any unit within 12 inches of Edward may use his leadership value when it takes a leadership test. Stubborn. A modifier of -1 to the 12 inch leadership rule for all units on foot when Edward is mounted. Edward is a Warrior of Legend as described in the AoA supplement. He is also entitled to one roll on the ‘victorious generals’ table on p. 95 of the WAB rulebook.

Equipment: Lance, EHA, barded warhorse.

Options: When on foot, may wield DHW.

Special Rules: Stubborn. When fighting other War of the Roses armies, and both players agree, may have a 6 inch leadership radius using the same rules as battle leaders for an additional 10 points. When leading a Tudor army, he may instead be purchased as the army general for +25 points. In either case when mounted, the same -1 modifier applies if using his leadership value for units on foot. Oxford is entitled to one roll on the ‘victorious generals’ table on p. 95 of the WAB rulebook.

Equipment: Heavy armor and DHW.

Options: None.

Special Rules: Stubborn. Rule 2 from Drilled troops applies. Causes fear in troops with a Leadership characteristic of 7 or less. When fighting other War of the Roses armies, and both players agree, may have a 6 inch leadership radius using the same rules as the general for an additional 10 points.

Equipment: Lance, EHA, barded warhorse.

Options: When on foot, may use a DHW.

Special Rules: May be purchased as the army general. Any unit within 12 inches of Richard may use his leadership value when it takes a leadership test. Stubborn. A modifier of -1 to the 12 inch leadership rule for all units on foot when Richard is mounted. Causes fear, though he does not confer this advantage to the unit he accompanies. Richard is immune to Psychology tests, and takes all break tests with an unmodified value of "10". Again, he does not confer these advantages to any unit he accompanies, and he will remain in melee even if the unit he is with routs.

Equipment: Lance, EHA, barded warhorse.

Options: When on foot, may use a DHW.

Special Rules: Stubborn. Any army with a general AND Sir Andrew Trollope may call for a roll-off with the opposing player. Both sides roll a D6 and add their general’s leadership value. Ties go to the opposing player. If Sir Andrew’s side wins, then he may choose one of the options available to a Byzantine general as a Strategicon.

Equipment: Lance, EHA, barded warhorse.

Options: When on foot, may use a DHW.

Special Rules: Stubborn.

Equipment: Lance, EHA, and barded warhorse.

Options: When on foot, may use a DHW.

Special Rules: Stubborn. +1 attack when engaged in a challenge.

Equipment: EHA, DHW.

Options: None.

Special Rules: Stubborn. 3+ save vs. missiles due to finely crafted, state-of-the-art German or Italian armor. Add +1 point if movement is not penalized for armor.

Equipment: EHA, halberd.

Options: None.

Special Rules: Stubborn. Add +1 point if movement is not penalized for armor.

Equipment: Light armor, bill.

Options: May upgrade to heavy armor (+1 point).

Special Rules: Bill.

Equipment: English longbow, light armor, stakes.

Options: May have buckler (+1 point).

Special Rules: Light infantry. They are counted as heavy infantry if deployed in a combined formation. If stationary may place stakes, which takes an entire turn of no movement or shooting. Cavalry charging stakes take 1 S4 hit per model in the cavalry unit’s front rank. May fire twice per turn if stationary, but run the risk of reduced fire capability as outlined in the special rules. English longbow: Range 30 inches, S3, a save modifier of -1 versus cavalry. Retinue longbowmen may form a combined unit with dismounted knights, dismounted men-at-arms, and retinue billmen.

Equipment: Light armor, bill.

Options: Border foot substitute thrusting spears for bills.

Special Rules: Bill.

Equipment: English longbow, stakes.

Options: May have light armor (+2 points).

Special Rules: Light infantry. They are counted as heavy infantry if deployed in a combined formation. Stakes and English longbow as for retinue longbowmen. May fire twice per turn if stationary, but are subject to the special rules when doing so. Shire longbowmen may form a combined unit with shire billmen or border foot.

Equipment: Mixed weapons.

Options: May have buckler (+1 point).

Special Rules: Fear all units except other peasants.

Equipment: Each wagon has a crew of five defenders armed with hand weapons.

Wagon Special Rules: All wagons must be set up as a single group with no more than 2" between each wagon, and within 12" of the player’s table edge. Wagons count as a defended obstacle and provide hard cover for models that occupy them or who are behind them.

Defender Special Rules: Skirmishers. All the defenders form a single unit that must remain with the wagons unless they break or flee.

Equipment: Lance, EHA, barded warhorse.

Options: None.

Special Rules: May have up to +1 rank bonus. May not be purchased if dismounted knights are used. Mounted Knights receive a +2S bonus when charging due to lance and warhorse combined (see special rules).

Equipment: "Lance" (use rules for thrusting spear), EHA, horse.

Options: None.

Special Rules: May have up to +1 rank bonus.

Equipment: Light armor, thrusting spear, horse.

Options: Non-Anglo-Irish may upgrade to heavy armor (+2 points). Anglo-Irish may have shields (+2 points).

Special Rules: None.

Equipment: Mixed weapons.

Options: May have thrusting spear (+1 point), and/or light armor (+2 points).

Special Rules: Light Cavalry. If used, the army should normally include at least one unit of Border Foot.

Equipment: Mixed weapons and javelins, bucklers.

Options: None.

Special Rules: Light Cavalry. If used, the army should normally include at least one unit of Irish Kerns/Bonnachts.

Equipment: Thrusting spear.

Options: May have shield (+1 point). Welsh fielded as Heavy Infantry may have LA (+2 points).

Special Rules: May be fielded as Heavy or Light Infantry. This decision must be made prior to the game.

Equipment: English longbow, stakes.

Options: If fielded in a combined formation, may have LA (+2 points).

Special Rules: Light Infantry. They are treated as Heavy Infantry if deployed in a combined formation. May fire twice per turn if stationary, but are subject to the special rules if they do so. English longbow. Stakes. Welsh longbowmen may form a combined unit with Welsh spearmen.

Equipment: Thrusting spears.

Options: May have light armor (+2 points), and/or buckler (+1 point).

Special Rules: Scottish long spearmen normally fight in a modified phalanx. They must be formed in a block with as many ranks as their frontage if possible. If this is not quite possible due to the number of figures, then as long as the numbers of ranks exceeds the number of files by only one, the formation will be legal. For example, with 20 figures, the Scots player can form a unit 5 across by 4 deep, and still be acceptable. As long as they are eligible for a +2 rank bonus or better (at least 3 ranks), and are charged from the front, the following bonuses apply.

Cavalry lose all charge bonuses for lances or spears.

All opponents, foot and mounted, are -1 to hit in the first round. Mounted are also -1 to hit in subsequent rounds of combat.

No warhorse attacks are allowed (keep in mind that I usually do not include warhorse attacks when playing).

Phalanx movement rules do NOT apply. Scot spearmen move in accordance with WAB rulebook.

Scots gain +1 to their leadership for every 2 ranks, up to a maximum of +3. A deep formation of 6 ranks adds +3 to leadership for a total of 9.

Finally, keep in mind that none of the above bonuses apply if attacked from the flank or rear. Charging Scots retain the leadership bonus for ranks, but gain none of the other benefits. However, once contact is established, Scot spearmen subsequently charged while engaged do get the bonuses against the charging unit if not attacked from the flank or rear.

Scot spearmen may form a square. In this case they receive the special square rank bonus as their leadership bonus.

Equipment: Heavy armor and DHW.

Options: None.

Special Rules: None.

Equipment: Throwing spears, javelins, buckler (wicker shield).

Options: None.

Special Rules: Light Infantry. Rule 1 from warbands, except the leadership bonus cannot be greater than +2.

Equipment: Light armor, pike.

Options: One unit may upgrade to heavy armor (+1 point).

Special Rules: Stubborn. Rule 2 from Drilled applies. * More than one unit of German pikemen may be selected for an army containing Martin Schwartz. May form a modified "Phalanx", if unit has at least 16 models and qualifies for rank bonuses of +2 or better. Phalanx rules are as follows:

Cavalry may not charge the front.

May charge and fight in two ranks.

Movement rules for Phalanx do NOT apply. German pikemen move in accordance with the basic WAB rules.

All enemy infantry hand-to-hand attacks to the front of the block suffer a -1 to hit modifier in the first round of combat. All cavalry fight at -1 to hit in all rounds, and warhorse attacks are not allowed (warhorse attacks normally not included by the author).

German pikemen may form a square.

Equipment: Handgun.

Options: May have light armor (+2 points).

Special Rules: Handgun. Must skirmish. See handgunner rules attachment option.

Equipment: Crossbow.

Options: May have light armor (+2 points) and/or personal pavise (+2 points).

Special Rules: Light Infantry. They are treated as Heavy Infantry if deployed in a combined formation. Pavises. May form a combined formation with French/Continental Heavy Foot.

Equipment: Light armor, halberd.

Options: French, Bretons, and Scots may substitute thrusting spears for halberds.

Special Rules: None. The player may decide for himself whether the special rules for "Bills" apply to halberds as well.

Equipment: Throwing spears, javelins, handweapon, shield.

Options: None.

Special Rules: Light Infantry.

Equipment: Handweapon.

Options: May have light armor (+2 points). May upgrade one artillerist in the army to master gunner (+10 points).

Special Rules: Artillery.

There are some outstanding references available for the library of the War of the Roses enthusiast. An in-depth look at all military aspects of 15^th century warfare in general, and the War of the Roses in particular, is available in Andrew Boardman’s The Medieval Soldier in the Wars of the Roses. Also, Philip Haigh has done a wonderful job in detailing the individual battles in his work, The Military Campaigns of the Wars of the Roses. Both of these fine books are available from Alan Sutton Publishing.

Another excellent resource is literally anything from Freezywater Publications. They are responsible for some commendable accounts of the Towton campaign, Barnet, Tewkesbury, and Bosworth Field. Also of great value to the miniature wargamer are their 3 volume set on heraldry in the War of the Roses, and their booklet on standards and badges. These show the livery colors with which to paint your finely detailed models, and as if that’s not enough, they also produce the finest sheets of standards and banners to boot!

Wargamers familiar with medieval wargaming will most likely not need this following section. For those new to the War of the Roses, it will provide a thumbnail sketch of the various soldiers who fought for York, Lancaster, and Tudor. For those veterans who’ve already found this fantastic period, it will provide some insight into the list author’s perspective. If close scrutiny leaves one with a deep conviction that the author has "gone astray" with his estimations of the effectiveness of various troop types, then the wargamer is highly encouraged to make adjustments as he or she sees fit.

Army General: A senior noble with respectable abilities in both command and fighting skill (in this era often considered to be interrelated). Such peers as the Duke of Somerset, the Earl of Warwick, and Richard III would serve as the Army General.

Army Standard Bearer: The knight given the honor of carrying the commander’s banner. William Brandon, Henry Tudor’s standard bearer, was noteworthy in that he was cut down by Richard III himself at Bosworth Field.

Battle Leaders: Prominent nobles such as Lord Hastings, the Duke of Exeter, and the Marquis of Montagu, who often commanded the vanward or rearward.

Lords: The lesser nobles who allied with the more powerful magnates in the struggle for the throne of England. Although many were motivated by loyalty to their chosen faction, others declared allegiance based on ambition or self-preservation.

Irish Heroes: Leaders fighting in the same style as the kerns and bonnachts, as any Irish lords would be armed similarly to the English nobility.

Edward IV: The premiere warrior general of his time. He was 6’3" in height with considerable physical strength. Edward was undefeated on the field of battle, winning decisively at Mortimer’s Cross, Towton, Barnet, and Tewkesbury.

John de Vere, Earl of Oxford: Although a staunch Lancastrian throughout the majority of the War of the Roses, he was most famous for his victories at Bosworth Field and Stoke while serving Henry Tudor. He also succeeded in routing the left battle of Edward IV’s army at Barnet.

Martin Schwartz: The colorful German colonel, contracted by Margaret of Burgundy to serve the Yorkist cause in the last campaign of the War of the Roses. He made enough of an impression on the English peasantry to be remembered in folk songs long after the wars were over.

Richard III: A just and noble monarch, Shakespeare’s monster, or somewhere in-between? Richard served his brother Edward IV faithfully, and was in a difficult situation following his brother’s passing. No one will ever truly be certain of Richard’s political actions and motivations, but it would be difficult to deny his determination on the battlefield. Following his coronation, he had experienced little but tragedy in his personal and political life, which his subjects naturally assumed to be a sign of God’s displeasure. He was desperate to validate his right to rule through victory in combat, and fought on even after the battle of Bosworth Field was all but lost. He is reported by some accounts to have boldly charged the position of Henry Tudor, killing Tudor’s standard bearer and unhorsing Sir John Cheney before falling victim to a timely attack by the retainers of Sir William Stanley.

Sir Andrew Trollope: Possibly the most accomplished soldier of his age. Trollope is credited with orchestrating the ambush at Wakefield, the flanking maneuver at 2^nd St. Albans, and he may have planted an ambush at Towton. He must have been invaluable to the Duke of Somerset, who was the acting Lancastrian general in these three battles.

Sir John Cheney: Described as a "giant", Cheney accompanied Henry Tudor on the Bosworth campaign. He was immense, especially for the times, being larger than even Edward IV.

Sir Anthony Woodville (later Earl Rivers): Woodville was one of the premiere tournament knights of the era, possessing remarkable skills in both jousting and single combat. In a jousting match in 1467, he bested the Bastard of Burgundy in what was arguably the "world championship". The next day’s competition was conducted on foot with poleaxes, and the king was forced to end the contest by throwing down his gauntlet to prevent a fatal outcome.

Dismounted Knights: The nobility, squires, and household retainers fighting in full harness. Their "stubbornness" was a reflection of their awareness of how unlikely escape would be in the event of defeat. Commanders were forced to choose whether to stiffen their battle line, as was most common, or retain a powerful mounted force, as Richard III elected to do at Bosworth Field.

Dismounted Men-at-Arms: Gentry, well harnessed, but less skilled than the household knights. An excellent example of this troop type would be the Welshmen fighting for William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, at Edgecote Moor.

Retinue Billmen: Retainers serving in a powerful lord’s standing army.

Retinue Longbowmen: Longbowmen in the permanent service of a noble. These would be similar to the acclaimed longbowmen of the Hundred Years War.

Shire Billmen/Border Foot: Shire troops represent the barely trained and less enthusiastic militia supplied by individual cities, towns, and regions, called into to service by Commissions of Array. They were more determined when faced with a legitimate threat close to home, such as when Margaret’s primarily northern army looted and pillaged almost to the gates of London in 1461. Border foot were accustomed to raids from across the English-Scottish boundaries, and are more likely to be armed with a traditional spear.

Shire Longbowmen: Less devoted, and sometimes more interested in recreational sports than practicing with his weapon. Still reasonably skilled, but not to the level of his HYW predecessor.

Local Levies/Revolting Peasants: These are odious, ill-armed foot that were forced into service to swell numbers, or who came on campaign only in hopes of looting opportunities. A classic example is the ragged northern rabble, including some Scots, that joined Margaret for the promise of being allowed to plunder in lieu of wages. These will do for troops of horrid quality in any army. Another use of this troop type would be the representation of the disgruntled peasant, who revolted in protest of taxation and poor government. These men, completely unskilled in the ways of war, would nonetheless flock to the banners of such men as Jack Cade, Robin of Redesdale, and Robin of Holderness.

Wagon Laager: Wagon laagers were used to provide some security to an army’s essential supplies and baggage. At Blore Heath, a wagon laager was used to secure the outnumbered Earl of Salisbury’s right flank.

Mounted Knights: Noble knights fighting on armored destriers. Notable moments included the disastrous attacks by Lord Audley at Blore Heath, as well as Richard III’s glorious charge at Bosworth Field. Although wargames rules traditionally view English mounted knights as "inferior" to their continental counterparts, this author is of the opinion that they were certainly competent on horseback, but reluctant or disinclined to normally fight in this manner.

Mounted Men-at-Arms: Gentry mounted either for pursuit, or for a strike from a hidden position.

Currours/Hobilars/Anglo-Irish Cavalry: Lesser retainers on horseback. These and possibly heavier mounted made a tremendous impact at Tewkesbury, by taking the initiative after scouting a possible ambush site, and making a timely attack against the rear of the Duke of Somerset’s battle. Anglo-Irish cavalry are said to have been present on the rebel army’s flanks at Stoke.

Northern Border Staves: Lightly armed horse, skilled in raiding, but little used on the field of battle. They are intended for engagements closer to a skirmish level.

Irish Horse: The native Irish warrior, using his traditional weapons while mounted.

Welsh Spearmen: There are differing views on how the Welsh of the period operated. The traditional view portrays the Welsh as lightly armed foot, well suited for operating in difficult terrain, but able to fight with some success in the open. I am inclined to believe that by the mid to late 15^th century the Welsh were more "anglicized", and probably looked very similar to their English counterparts. Both views are covered in the list.

Welsh Longbowmen: Welsh of probably similar ability to their English shire counterparts. Again, the list allows for the "traditional" Welsh and the "anglicized" Welsh.

Scottish Spearmen: The best of the Scottish troops who fought for the Lancastrians in the Towton campaign.

Irish Galloglaichs: Warriors in a long chainmail shirt, wielding double-handed axes, who formed the small professional core of the warring Irish clan chiefs’ "household" troops.

Irish Bonnachts and Kerns: Two troop types lumped into one classification. The player’s choice of deploying in mass or skirmish determines which type they are. The rules for warbands fit descriptions of their fighting style at Mortimer’s Cross and Stoke.

German Pikemen: Professional mercenaries supplied by Margaret of Burgundy, who was the sister of Edward IV and Richard III. She also happened to be the widow of Charles the Bold, who’d met his end at the hands of the Swiss. These troops, under the infamous Martin Schwartz (in his day, at least), were sent to aid in the attempt to put Lambert Simnel, a Yorkist pretender, on the throne. It is not known if Margaret believed this would succeed, but it made good politics to keep Henry VII occupied to prevent his alliance with France against Burgundy. The pikemen were a mix of Flemish, Swiss, and Germans.

Handgunners: Specialists of a variety of nationalities from the continent. Some examples are Burgundians at 2^nd St. Albans and Germans at Stoke.

French/Continental Crossbowmen: Mercenaries employing the powerful arbalest, often supplied by the French king, who eagerly meddled in English affairs for political advantage against Burgundy.

French/Continental Heavy Foot: Continental troops armed with their own polearm versions or simply spears. These units could include French, Bretons, Scots, and Germans serving in mercenary units under foreign captains. Two notable examples of French captains leading contingents of their countrymen are Pierre de Breze and Philibert de Chandee. De Breze was Margaret’s personal champion, while de Chandee led the French who accompanied Henry Tudor on the Bosworth campaign.

Breton Javelinmen: Bretons served at Mortimer’s Cross and Bosworth Field, and it is very likely that some fought in their traditional style with javelins and shields.

Artillery: Cannons light enough to be carried on a forced march, and with enough mobility to be of use in the field. Although there is plenty of potential for representing bombards, organ guns, ribauldequins, and the like, a generic light artillery piece is quite adequate for such battles as Barnet, Tewkesbury, and Bosworth Field. King Edward’s artillery proved to be sufficient at the battle of Losecoat Field, where it shattered the ragged rebel army.

The following items are planned additions to this list, that will hopefully add to the period "feel". They will be forwarded to the owners of the official and unofficial web pages, as well as the mailing list, as soon as they are finished.

• TREACHERY
• WEATHER
• CLEVER STRATEGEMS
• SCENARIOS
  1^st St. Albans, 1455 (Skirmish)
  Blore Heath, 1459 (Breakthrough)
  Northampton, 1460 (Last Stand)
  Wakefield, 1460 (Breakthrough) AVAILABLE!
  Mortimer’s Cross, 1461 (Pitched Battle)
  2^nd St. Albans, 1461 (Flank Attack)
  Lord Clifford’s Ambush, 1461 (Ambush)
  Towton, 1461 (Pitched Battle)
  Hedgeley Moor, 1464 (Meeting Engagement) AVAILABLE!
  Hexham, 1464 (Surprise Attack)
  Edgecote, 1469 (Pitched Battle)
  Barnet, 1471 (Pitched Battle)
  Tewkesbury, 1471 (Pitched Battle) AVAILABLE!
  Bosworth Field, 1485 (Pitched Battle)
  Stoke, 1487 (Pitched Battle)
• LIVERY PAINTING GUIDE

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