by Paul LaFontaine, 5 April 2026
The game was a historical battle fought during the Hundred Years War, the long struggle between England and France. Two players participated in this scenario. Player DrTruth commanded the French (Blue) forces, player Tiberghien commanded the English (Red) Forces.
All players and the umpire had physical sets at their locations, and the umpire reports were pointers via Discord allowing players to keep the situation on their own maps. Set up was smooth and everyone had their materials ready.
DrTruth as the French commander pulled off a narrow victory, while Tiberghien played a very solid game. Historically the English pulled out a victory, and this scenario reversed history.
The Problem
The problem for the English is they are outnumbered in infantry by almost 4 to 1. They have to use terrain and smart tactics to overcome this disadvantage. The French have the advantage of numbers, but they have to coordinate multiple commands. The Duke of Orleans was not cooperative on the day of battle, and this makes the coordination even more difficult.
English (Red) Briefing
This is the Hundred Years’ War, a period marked by large infantry formations and early development of the longbow. Infantry consisted of men-at-arms, numerous but often uneven in training and discipline. French forces typically relied on crossbowmen to provide ranged support, while English armies fielded the formidable longbowmen whose high rate of fire and battlefield effectiveness could disrupt advancing troops and reshape engagements.
Cavalry remains the decisive arm of battle. Heavily armored mounted men possess the mobility and shock power to threaten both enemy cavalry and infantry formations. Their charges can break weaker troops, but disciplined infantry supported by archers, particularly longbowmen, can blunt or repel them. You are commanding an English force opposing a French army.
Your OOB:
most images can click to enlarge
You have 4000 men at arms (1000 each counter), 2000 longbowmen and 500 cavalry (125 saddles per counter). The enemy significantly outnumbers you in men at arms.
The enemy is currently around Bergenthal, you are at Altbruck. You have to trust in your wits, and your longbowmen, to carry the day.
French (Blue) Briefing
This is the Hundred Years’ War, a period marked by large infantry formations and early development of the longbow. Infantry consisted of men-at-arms, numerous but often uneven in training and discipline. French forces typically relied on crossbowmen to provide ranged support, while English armies fielded the formidable longbowmen whose high rate of fire and battlefield effectiveness could disrupt advancing troops and reshape engagements.
Cavalry remains the decisive arm of battle. Heavily armored mounted men possess the mobility and shock power to threaten both enemy cavalry and infantry formations. Their charges can break weaker troops, but disciplined infantry supported by archers, particularly longbowmen, can blunt or repel them. You are commanding a large French force opposing an invading English army.
Your OOB:
Your command has 12,000 men at arms (1000 per counter) and 500 cavalry (125 per counter). You know you outnumber the enemy by a significant amount in men at arms. Your cavalry is roughly equal to theirs. Beware, they have the legendary longbowmen on their side. You must rely on the super number of your infantry.
The enemy are assembling near Altbruck. Your force is concentrated south of Bergenthal.
This is another of a series of Kriegsspiel AARs very similar to the events in our Wargame HQ at the Origins Game Fair. You can find the original article here.
0700
Tiberghien, commanding the English force, deploys his cavalry forward as a screen while withdrawing the main body toward the high ground northeast of Altbruck (1). His intention is to fight from advantageous terrain, using the ridgeline, nearby woods, and open ground to maximize the effective range and defensive strength of his longbowmen. By drawing the French forward while maintaining order, he aims to force them to advance across exposed ground under sustained missile fire.
DrTruth commands the French army and positions himself with the cavalry (1) to maintain direct control of the mounted arm. He organizes his infantry into two wings, one to the north and one to the south, to advance in coordinated formations. Command of the southern formation is entrusted to his second-in-command, the Duke of Orleans (3), who leads the infantry elements on that flank.
0800
Tiberghien continues his deliberate withdrawal toward the ridgeline (1) to set up his advantage: longbowmen deployed on open approaches with terrain features that can conceal his strength.
Meanwhile DrTruth moves his cavalry north in an attempt to turn the English western flank (2). A column of infantry detaches from the Duke of Orleans (3) and marches north to support the maneuver, while the Duke himself leads the southern formation eastward through the woods (4). Movement through the forest slows progress and reduces visibility, complicating coordination between the separated units. This decision introduces risk. By splitting his army into smaller columns, Tiberguin increases the chance that parts of the French force will arrive on the field at different times and be engaged piecemeal.
0900
Tiberghien has successfully withdrawn to the ridgeline (1) and begins to put his troops into position to take advantage of that terrain and his superior firepower. To the west, the French elements are now separated into three distinct groups and continue their north and eastward movements.
1100
By 11:00 a.m. both commanders have reached their jump-off positions. Tiberghien has completed his deployment along the ridgeline (1) , arranging his forces to maximize the effectiveness of the longbowmen. The archers are positioned across the center of the line and Tiberghien places himself there to oversee their employment. His cavalry is held to the north to guard the flank and deter any French attempt to turn the position.
Across the field the French are still struggling with coordination. DrTruth has positioned the cavalry (2) and then rides south to meet with the Duke of Orleans. The meeting quickly becomes contentious because the Duke has failed to link the two infantry formations into a unified line (3). DrTruth now realizes that command coordination with the Duke is the central problem facing his command.
This creates a significant historical inflection point. In the historical battle the Duke of Orleans withdrew his division from the field, weakening the French numerical advantage at a critical moment. The present disagreement introduces the possibility of the same outcome. The Duke, here as a non-player character, may react to the dispute by removing his forces rather than committing them to battle.
1200
At noon the engagement begins as Dr.Truth orders the French cavalry to strike the English northern flank (1). The action develops inside the wooded ground, where visibility is poor and formations quickly break apart. Although the French hold a two-to-one numerical advantage in this sector, the terrain prevents them from exploiting it. The result is a voilent struggle that yields no decisive advantage for the French despite their superior numbers.
DrTruth remains with the northern French infantry (2), which he pulls back to the woodline until the southern force can move to attack. Meanwhile in the south the Duke of Orleans advances only slowly (3). Still resentful after the earlier confrontation, he hesitates and weighs his options rather than committing immediately to the fight.
1400
The English cavalry in the north have been driven off, their resistance overcome by the larger French force pressing through the woods. Tiberghien responds by consolidating his line (1) and maintaining his defensive position along the ridgeline, where his longbowmen continue to send steady volleys into the advancing soldiers of the Duke of Orleans. Meanwhile DrTruth, recognizing the heavy losses among his mounted troops, orders the cavalry to withdraw north (2) to regroup and recover from their casualties. He brings the northern infantry force out of the woods and holds them in readiness, intending to launch a coordinated assault once the Duke commits his southern troops (3). The Duke, however, remains hesitant, still weighing his course of action.
1600
DrTruth commits the northern infantry to an assault against the English flank (1). Tiberghien reacts by sending his reserve to the western side of his formation to reinforce against the threat.
Recognizing that the battle cannot be decided without coordinated pressure from the south, DrTruth rides to meet the Duke of Orleans (2) in a final effort to persuade him to move his forces north and join the attack. At this conference the fate of the battle hangs in the balance.
1700
DrTruth succeeds in persuading the Duke to commit his forces, reversing the historical disadvantage that had weakened the French position. The Duke marches his formation north (1) to strike the English line at its weakest point. At the same time the western French force (2), having been repulsed, begins withdrawing in an attempt to regroup and restore order. DrTruth rides to that sector to help rally the troops and stabilize the line.
In a critical decision, however, Tiberghien keeps his cavalry in reserve rather than committing them to the fight (3). Though they might have helped blunt the advancing southern French force, they remain in a concealed along the wood line, their potential influence on the battle unrealized.
1800
DrTruth commits every available French unit into the fight, pressing the attack across the English line. The pressure grows steadily as the Duke of Orleans’ forces join the engagement, reversing the earlier imbalance and giving the French the numerical weight they had previously lacked. The English, though well led and skillfully positioned under Tiberghien’s thoughtful defense, are gradually pushed to the limits of their endurance. Sustained fighting and mounting pressure along multiple sectors begin to stretch the line beyond what it can hold.
At last the line breaks. With the Duke’s troops adding fresh strength to the assault, the French numbers are decisive. The English formations, exhausted and heavily engaged, begin to give ground. What had been a determined defense along the ridgeline now turns into a controlled withdrawal as the English fall back under the weight of the renewed French attack.
END OF SCENARIO
The English withdraw, exhausted by the attacks of larger numbers of French, withdraw. The Battle of Poitiers is won by the French, though narrowly.
Tiberghien conducted the defense with skill and discipline, making nearly every sound decision available to a commander in his position. He withdrew to the high ground and anchored his line along the forest, ensuring that his longbowmen could operate at maximum effectiveness while limiting the enemy’s ability to maneuver. He shifted reserves where pressure developed and used his cavalry to guard the flanks, steadily reinforcing the advantages provided by terrain and firepower. The only potential improvement might have been an earlier commitment of cavalry to disrupt the southern advance. Had that force been used one turn sooner, it might have delayed or disordered the attack from the south and bought additional time for the defensive line to stabilize.
DrTruth also handled his principal challenge, coordination, with considerable skill. Historically the French effort at Poitiers was weakened when a major portion of the army withdrew from the field, but in this engagement he prevented that outcome. By moving personally along his lines and maintaining contact with subordinate commanders, he kept the army focused on a common effort. His most critical intervention came in persuading the Duke of Orleans to remain committed to the fight rather than withdrawing in frustration after their earlier disagreement.
That effort proved decisive. By keeping the Duke’s forces engaged and bringing them into the battle at the key moment, DrTruth overcame the coordination disadvantage that had historically undermined the French position. The additional weight of troops tipped the balance in numbers and allowed the French attack to build enough pressure to break the English defense. In the final analysis, maintaining unity of command and commitment across the army enabled DrTruth to translate numerical strength into victory.
Historical Outcome
Nineteen years after the start of the war, the Black Prince, eldest son and heir of the English King, set out on a major campaign in south-west France. By this point he had established a strong defensive position near Poitiers, and after unsuccessful negotiations, was attacked by the French under King John II.
The French conducted multiple assaults. The first was uncoordinated and repulsed without significant effort. A second French assault pressed forward with greater determination, forcing brutal hand-to-hand fighting along the English defensive line. Despite moments of local success, including temporary penetrations, the French advance lacked flexibility. In contrast, the English forces reinforced weak points and directed fires efficiently. After two hours of intense combat, mounting casualties, loss of key leaders, the Duke of Orleans withdrew and undermined the French opportunity. The effect of the combat and the loss of a large portion of the force was exhaustion and declining morale across the French line.
The final phase hinged on the French king’s personal division advancing with renewed strength, while English forces, depleted and near collapse, shifted from defense to calculated offense. A flanking maneuver struck the French rear at a decisive moment, while the Black Prince ordered a general advance to restore morale. The French formation, already strained, broke under pressure from front and rear. Surrounded near the River Miosson, elite French elements fought stubbornly but were overwhelmed. The French King was captured, and the French army disintegrated into rout and pursuit, marking a decisive English victory.
Conclusion
This exploration of the Hundred Years’ War provided an opportunity to apply the system in a setting that predates black powder warfare. In this period most men-at-arms fought as infantry using swords and other close combat weapons, which meant that nearly every engagement resolves as melee. The primary exception was the English longbowmen, whose ability to project force at distance introduced a critical asymmetry into the battlefield. This difference in capabilities required careful handling within the mechanics of the system.
The game being used is Battle Decisions: Kriegsspiel from Catastrophe Games.
The solution lies in the Unit Status Sheet, which allows the differing combat roles to be represented clearly. Cavalry, with their shock power and mobility, carry a higher impact value and therefore require greater capacity to reflect their battlefield influence. Longbowmen, by contrast, create a specialized role within the system, able to attack at range without immediately exposing themselves to the same level of risk as units engaged in close combat. While this adjustment modifies the baseline assumptions of the system, it integrates well with the mechanics and captures the distinctive character of warfare in this era.
Opening the system to the Hundred Years’ War significantly broadens the scope of the system. allows players to explore a different set of tactical problems and historical situations. The result is a wider field of scenarios and learning opportunities as players experiment with new types of forces and engagements.
A major success of this session was the use of a non-player character to simulate the political dynamics on the French side of the battlefield. Rather than treating every formation as purely obedient to the player’s direction, the Duke of Orleans was given an independent decision point determined by die rolls. This mechanism created a genuine moment of tension when the Duke had to decide whether to remain engaged in the battle or withdraw his division.
In this instance the die roll favored the French, leading the Duke to remain on the field and slowly commit his forces to the attack. Had the result favored the English, the Duke would have withdrawn, recreating the historical pattern where his departure weakened the French effort. Even with the favorable result, his hesitation left open the possibility that a well-timed English cavalry strike might have caused him to reconsider and leave the field anyway. The result was a meaningful dilemma for the French player, introducing uncertainty and political friction into the command structure. This approach worked well and offers a promising tool for future scenarios.
We completed 11 turns in 75 minutes, around 6.8 minutes per turn. This speed came from two players versus four, though with four players dispatches take some time to write and read, creating a perceived shorter period. Turns under 7 minutes are a good pace for one of these games. The entire experience was less than two hours, which is a reasonable length of time.
Thanks to Tiberghien and DrTruth for coming out to play and engaging. Hopefully you’ll give it a try soon.
We’ll see you out there.
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