The legend of Robin Hood is generally an archetype for a number of outlaws who fought against the Crown before and during the Baron’s Wars era. Apart from the classic Erol Flynn movie, my first literary exposure to Robin Hood was the novel Ivanhoe, the character of Loxley generally being omitted from movie adaptations of the book. In this article, I describe three Robin Hood-inspired scenarios, playable with Feudal Patrol, published by Sally 4th.

Feudal Patrol is a skirmish game based on the popular game engine used in Combat Patrol. Players control two- to four-figure groups and a leader figure. The rules are suitable for two-player games and multi-player convention participation games. I find the “sweet spot” is the four-to-six player game. As with Combat Patrol, a number of free supplements are available for Feudal Patrol on the rules’ website (see links at end). More supplements are in the works.

 

ACTIVATION

One feature of Feudal Patrol (FP from now on) is the card-based mechanic. Many people are familiar with card-based activation. FP refines card-based activation, using “Double Random Activation”. Each four-to-six figure unit rolls a d6 at the beginning of the turn, as do single leader or hero figures. Then cards are drawn from an Activation Deck. These are numbered one to six in both red and black, plus a reshuffle card, so thirteen cards in all. As cards are drawn, all units whose activation die matches the drawn card activate. In this way, several players can be acting at the same time. If there are two units opposing each other that activate at the same time, who goes first is determined randomly.

All the six-sided dice are re-rolled, and all the cards are reshuffled when the reshuffle card is drawn, ending the turn. The two sources of randomisation (hence the name) provide the drama of random activation sequence, but allow many to act at the same time, so that the game doesn’t devolve into one person doing stuff while everyone else watches. There are additional nuances like pinning units and die swapping that further enrich the system.

ACTION DECK

But beyond card-based activation, FP (and Combat Patrol) use cards for everything else, including movement and combat. The heart of the game is the Action Deck. Each Action Deck contains fifty cards that are multi-functional and are used to resolve movement, shooting, melee, and morale tests.

SHOOTING

Shooting is directed against a target area rather than a particular figure. All of the usual tactical modifiers are incorporated in the system, such as training, range, and whether the target or shooter are moving. To resolve a shot, the player draws a card and consults the hit indicator section of the card, looking at the target icon that corresponds with the accuracy of the firing figure. Shifts to the right are applied for tactical modifiers, such as range to target. If the resultant target icon is coloured, the shot was a hit; if the resultant symbol is a “greyed out,” the shot was a miss.

When a hit is indicated, the shooter draws another card and then consults the middle section of the card to determine which figure in the target area was hit, whether he was wounded or incapacitated, whether his armour or shield provided protection, and whether the figure that was hit is protected by cover. Cover is represented explicitly. If the figure hit by the shot is behind a tree or in woods and the tree icon appears on the card, the cover protected the target figure and – instead of being wounded or incapacitated – it is stunned, or ducks back behind the cover.

Firing into an area in other systems sometimes creates ambiguous situations in which some of the target figures are in cover and some are not, forcing the player to question: so what modifier is applied? In FP if the randomly selected figure is behind cover and that cover icon appears on the card, the figure is protected. Once players get used to the unique method of conducting fire in FP, shooting is resolved very quickly.

 

HAND-TO-HAND

Melee is conducted similarly. Figures look for their Melee number in the hit indicator section of the cards, but a different set of modifiers (or shifts) are applied. If the target icon is in colour, the figure hit his opponent. If not, the strike did not hit. Again, cover, armour and shields are indicated in the hit location indicator.

 

MORALE

Any time a figure is hit – even if cover saved the figure – the unit accrues a morale pip to represent the effects of coming under effective enemy fire. When a unit activates, it must make one morale check for each morale pip accrued. Players do this by drawing a card from the Action Deck for each morale pip and reading the bottom portion of the card. Once all morale pips have been removed, any figures in the team that did not move or fire as a result of the morale check may then perform actions as normal.

MOVEMENT

When a player decides that one or more figures in his unit are going to move when activated, he draws a card from the Action Deck and consults the movement indicator section of the card. The player looks at the section of the arrow corresponding with the figures’ level of encumbrance: light, medium, or heavy. So heavily armoured figures, on average, will move more slowly than lightly armoured figures.

GAMING

I have devised three scenarios inspired by the myriad Robin Hood movies and books featuring a new character: Christopher of Melmerby. Each can be played with two players or can be played with up to four players. The maps show one-foot squares as well as the location of woods, hedges, hills, and other terrain features. The figures start the game where indicated on the map by the small squares or circles.

For all three scenarios, here are the Feudal Patrol values to assigned to the various attributes. You will have to adjust this for other rules systems.

SCENARIO 1: THE TAX MAN COMETH

Merciless tax collectors have come to the hamlet of Melmerby. As is their custom the tax collectors are requiring more than the townspeople’s share of the taxes to take a little extra for themselves. When the tax collectors get rough with a farm hand, Christopher of Melmerby, the local tinker, objects. The tax collectors subdue him and determine to make an example of Christopher while some of their party continue to forcibly extract taxes from other locals. A group of Merry Men, led by Will Scarlet intervenes.

The Merry Men, tax collectors, and peasants are arranged as shown on the map. Once the game begins, the townspeople other than Christopher will sprint toward the nearest table edge when the Reroll and Reshuffle card is drawn from the Activation Deck.

TERRAIN

The buildings are made of wood, rock, logs, and whatever other materials are to hand. As such, they are considered hard cover for melee and shooting. All buildings have one door or window on each wall.

VICTORY

Each side gets one point for each opposing soldier who is incapacitated. No points are awarded for incapacitated townspeople. Either side accrues five points for possessing the chest of tax money. The Sheriff’s men get three points for incapacitating Christopher, but the Merry Men get three points if Christopher survives to the end of the game.

This scenario lasts 10 turns.

SCENARIO 2: SANCTUARY

Will Scarlet, Christopher of Melmerby, and his Will’s men hole up in Friar Tuck’s remote, forest chapel. The Sheriff is seething at the loss of the tax money and losing face when Christopher escaped his men’s justice. Kirby of Nottinghamshire informs the Sheriff’s men where Christopher is hiding, and the Sheriff dispatched a small party to seize him. Unfortunately for them, Robin has set some Merry Men to watch for just such an expedition, and Little John rushes with a small party to stop the Sheriff’s men.

The Merry Men and the Sheriff’s men are deployed as shown on the map. Christopher of Melmerby, Friar Tuck, and Will Scarlet are deployed inside the chapel along with the treasure chest. If Will Scarlet is incapacitated in Scenario 1, he does not participate in this scenario. If Friar Tuck or Christopher of Melmerby are incapacitated in Scenario 1, they are assumed to have escaped and have made their way to the Friar’s chapel.

TERRAIN

The crude chapel and larder are made of wood, rock, logs, and whatever other materials are to hand. As such, they are considered hard cover for melee and shooting. All buildings have one door or window on each wall.

 

VICTORY

Each side gets one point for each opposing soldier who is incapacitated. Either side accrues five points for possessing the chest of tax money. The Sheriff’s men get three points for incapacitating Christopher, but the Merry Men get three points if Christopher survives to the end of the game. The Sheriff’s men accrue one point for each named Merry Man (e.g., Will Scarlet, Friar Tuck, or Little John) who is incapacitated; however, if one of these characters is incapacitated in melee and dragged to the table edge, by the end of the game, the Sheriff’s men accrue three points each.

 

This scenario lasts 10 turns.

 

SCENARIO 3: UNWELCOME HOUSEGUESTS

Having prevented the capture of Christopher of Melmerby, Friar Tuck, and Will Scarlet, the Merry Men retire to their secret caves in Nottingham Forest. A clever spy followed the Merry Men back to the caves. The Merry Men get careless celebrating the escape of their friends and the joining of Christopher of Melmerby. The spy leads a group of elite Sheriff’s Archery Specialists (SAS) “commandos” to stamp out these troublemakers once and for all!

The Merry Men and the Sheriff’s men are deployed as shown on the map. If Will Scarlet, Friar Tuck, Little John, or Christopher were captured in Scenario 2, they do not participate in this scenario.

In the first two turns, the SAS get two extra cards in the Activation Deck.

TERRAIN

The cave entrances are connected by an extensive tunnel network. The SAS may not enter the caves. When a Merry Man enters a cave entrance, it may be placed at another cave entrance at the start of the next turn.

 

VICTORY

Each side gets one point for each opposing soldier who is incapacitated. The Sheriff’s men get three points for incapacitating. The Sheriff’s men accrue one point for each named Merry Man (e.g., Will Scarlet, Friar Tuck, Little John, or Christopher) who is incapacitated; however, if one of these characters is incapacitated in melee and dragged to the table edge, by the end of the game, the Sheriff’s men accrue three points each.

 

This scenario lasts 10 turns.

 

Collect victory points after each scenario. After playing all three scenarios sum the points for each side. The side with the most points wins this mini campaign. 

 

LINKS

bucksurdu.com/feudalpatrol

bucksurdu.com/combatpatrol

 

 

 

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