An Adventure to SHERWOOD!!!

So how about something entirely different!?! With the holidays and a break from ASL, I decided to break out my new game - SHERWOOD by Historicone (www.historicone.com). Sherwood is a Robin Hood based version of the old Cry Havoc series released in the early 1980's. These are fantastic games simulating man to man medieval combat.

Cry Havoc, Siege, Samurai Blades, Vikings, Dark Blades and Outremer constituted the original game series. Historicone has brought some of those back to life and added a significant canon of Norman vs. Saxons add-ons.

Samurai Blades was the first of the series that I owned back in 1982. A really fun game with a couple scenarios utilizing Ninjas in a night attack. It would prove to be the most fun of all the scenarios for this game.

Outremer would be the other game I would acquire. My friends had both Cry Havoc and Siege, so we had all the boards and counters necessary for some large scale fights. Outremer was a blast to play and something very unique at the time.

But as the years went by, I shelved these games and other hobby interests displaced them. ASL of course would go on to dominate my available play time. Then in 2023, I saw some articles about Sherwood and was immediately interested. It took me over a year to finally get a copy, as it was largely distributed in Europe and generally sold out in the States. Today would be the first time to dig into the game and solo play a couple of the scenarios. It brought back a lot of old memories of great game nights with my St. Louis buddies. We were 15, 16 and 17 back then and gaming was our whole world from D&D to WW2 miniatures to Ancients to Napoleonics to Midway, Tobruk, Bismarck, Blue Max and Squad Leader. We seemed to have time for it all. Adulthood would steal away that time...

Work cut us loose after lunch today and as my wife worked away in the kitchen for tomorrow's Thanksgiving Dinner, I got out Sherwood and gave it a whirl.

I would Scenario 1: A Cheeky Alan a Dale first...seemed appropriate!! In this scenario, Alan a Dale is a Bard that foolishly mocked the Sheriff of Nottingham. He quickly sent his goons to grab the irreverent troubadour and bring him to the jail.

There are four maps that come with Sherwood and this scenario would utilize the Inn map. In this scenario, Alan a Dale and the barmaid, Mildred set up in the Tavern, which is elevated and access is gained via a wooden staircase and walkway. A host of villagers, led by Friar Tuck, Muck the Blacksmith and Isaac (Jewish moneylender of Ivanhoe fame) would stand in the way of the Sheriff's men.

The scenario is 12 turns long and the Sheriff's men win if they end a turn adjacent to Alan a Dale with no other villager adjacent to him. He is considered captured at the point.

I would employ the optional rule, which would remove any figure after they received a wound, rather than play until death.

The villagers set up per the scenario rules and the Sheriff's men can enter on sides, 2, 3, or 4. I would have them enter on side 2, which gave the quick access to the Tavern, where Alan a Dale hid with Mildred guarding the windows and door.

Turn 1 - The 4 Sheriff's men enter the village. The sequence of play is as follows: 1) Missile Fire, 2) Movement, 3) Combat, and 4) Recovery. Each player performs these action during their part of the turn. There is no defensive fire, etc. Archers may fire or move, but not both. Figures that end their movement adjacent to an enemy may attack that figure in Combat. The opposing player does not fight back until their turn.

Turn 1 Villagers. Muck leaves the forge to help the other villagers block the path of the Sheriff's men to the tavern staircase. Units may not move through an enemy figure unless that figure is stunned or dead.

In the ensuing combat, the villagers force a Sheriff's man to fall back 1 hex. All rolls are on a 10 sided die with low rolls being good and high rolls being bad. The circle villager has been wounded when he rolled a 9 in his attack.

The 4 Sheriff's men move to gain the staircase get into the tavern.

Friar Tuck is knocked down and stunned in the ensuing melee as he attempted to block the staircase.

Inside the Tavern, Mildred guards the window into the chamber as the tavern door is further back in the larger portion of the tavern. Alan a Dale moves towards a window, which he can scale down to the ground for all of his available 8 movement points. But he wants to wait until the Sheriff's men have all moved up the staircase before making a run for it.

The villagers have a nice blockade in place with Isaac up on the landing assisting Mildred.

But the Sheriff's men are not to be trifled with. They muscle their way up the stairs to confront the ill-prepared Isaac.

Isaac is wounded and thus by optional rule, removed from play. Mildred however got in a good punch through the window and forced back the Norman back down the staircase. The other 3 Sheriff's men effectively block the villagers from thwarting their movement to the Tavern. Things are looking a little dicey for Alan a Dale.

The Villagers try to force their way past the Sheriff's men, but are knocked back a hex. Meanwhile, Alan a Dale has moved towards the window that he intends to climb out of and down to the ground.

With Mildred holding the window, the Sheriff's men move forcefully down the landing and through the main door of the tavern. One of the Normans stands outside the window to occupy Mildred and ensure that Alan a Dale doesn't escape that way.

Mildred lands another punch and sends the window guarding Norman back a hex.

Alan a Dale senses that the time has come and climbs out the window. Mildred climbs out her window to block the landing as the other villagers swarm the bottom of the staircase.

Mildred is in a bad spot with Normans on either side of her, but she has blocked the landing. The other two Normans head for windows to make their exit.

Alan a Dale sprints towards the warehouse as Friar Tuck waves to him. Muck, the Blacksmith bars the staircase. But up on the landing, Mildred is wounded and removed from play.

Alan a Dale may have escaped the tavern, but the Normans exit out two windows and head down the staircase to confront Muck.

As Muck holds the staircase, Alan a Dale and the others flee behind the warehouse.

But the Sheriff's men are hot on the trail. One continues to battle Muck as the other's pursue Alan a Dale. At this point, there are only 3 Sheriff's men left and Muck successfully wounded one.

Alan a Dale runs into the forge to hide. Friar Tuck tries to hold the corner of the warehouse, while Muck and another villager try to block the way into the forge.

The Sheriff's men move to corner the Bard and bring him to Prince John's justice.

Friar Tuck guards the window ad Muck and a last villager try to old off two more of the Sheriff's men.

The fight goes hard and another Norman is removed from play. Alan a Dale strums his mandolin with a plucky little dirge...he feels safe with the good Friar and Blacksmith to hold off the Sheriff's enforcers.

But he may have plucked his strings prematurely. The last two Sheriff's men are tough fighters. One takes out the villager beside Muck and enters the forge. He is adjacent to the now terrified Bard...but as long as Muck is also adjacent he cannot be captured.

Muck forces the Norman outside the forge with a mighty blow, but on the other side, Friar Tuck is knocked backwards.

Then it happens...Friar Tuck is stunned and falls to the ground and Muck is wounded by slash across his arm...and removed from play. The irreverent Bard is gripped firmly by the Sheriff's man and slapped into his irons. He will pluck no more...

The Normans would take scenario 1.

The first scenario had taken under an hour to play and that included rules checks, etc. The next scenario would be a larger affair and utilize 3 of the 4 boards. I would choose Scenario 3: Saving Rebecca for the next game. This scenario is taken from Ivanhoe and includes Robin Hood, Will Scarlett, Little John and Friar Tuck. Ivanhoe is of course the main combatant for the good guys. The Normans are led by Brian de Bois-Guilbert who has been lusting after the beautiful Rebecca. But Rebecca's heart has been claimed by Ivanhoe...though he loves another. Brian places Isaac and Rebecca under guard in the warehouse. To win the scenario, the Saxons must exit Rebecca and Isaac off a board edge. If only Rebecca exits, then it is a minor Saxon win. If Isaac is killed, the game ends in a draw and if Rebecca is killed the Normans win.

The Normans picket outside the warehouse as Ivanhoe and company prepare to storm the village.

Turn 1 - Ivanhoe's crew moves forward.

Robin Hood leads archers forward to provide some missile cover and take on the two Norman crossbowmen.

The initial fight at the back of the warehouse has a Norman wounded, but still in the game. Ivanhoe slays a Norman at the main picket line.

The Norman crossbowmen line up and take shots at Ivanhoe. Both hit and wound the knight. He is also stunned and attacked by three Norman footmen. I thought it was over for the knight. But the attack roll for the 3 footmen was a 10...which caused all three to retreat 1 hex. Ivanhoe had miraculously survived what seemed like certain death.

The Saxons make good progress, but the Normans have a good defensive cordon.

Ivanhoe and Will Scarlett ride away from the Norman crossbowmen. Robin Hood and his archers make ready to eliminate the Norman picket line.

Will Scarlett and an archer succeed in slaying Brian de Bois-Guilbert. His amorous efforts are ended for good. Rebecca need not fear him further. Robin Hood's longbowmen rain death on the Norman picket line and kill one Crossbowman and wound the other. Robin Hood has -3 for his to hit rolls, which make him deadly.

Friar Tuck and Little John were both wounded by the Norman crossbowmen before they were taken out. Only a handful of Normans remain in the fight as Isaac and Rebecca make their escape from the warehouse.

Robin Hood's bow continues to slay as the last Norman knight, Bartholome rides hard towards the fleeing Isaac and Rebecca.

Bartholome is too late however, as Rebecca escapes. Will Scarlett and Ivanhoe ride hard to ensure that Isaac also exits.

Game end - Isaac successfully exits and joins his beloved Rebecca. The wounded Ivanhoe will retire to seek medical assistance. Will Scarlett and Robin Hood will gather up the body of Friar Tuck, who was slain at the foot of the Tavern staircase. Many fallen warriors would be mourned this day.