Men of Iron Battles Tri-Pack: Men of Iron, Infidel, Blood & Roses

The first three games in the Series: Men of Iron (GMT): Men of Iron, Infidel: The Supremacy of Cavalry in the Crusader Era – 11th-12th Century, and Blood & Roses, plus the Battle of Agincourt from C3i #22.

The game that started it all, Men of Iron, covers the re-emergence of infantry in the early 14th century, along with a more perceptive understanding of the value of combined-arms warfare and the effective use of defensive terrain. The scenarios highlight the key elements that made these battles so fascinating: the defensive power of the longbow, especially when used in coordination with dismounted, or even mounted, men-at-arms. Agincourt covers Henry V’s famous victory during the Hundred Years War.

The second volume in the  Men of Iron series, Infidel: The Supremacy of Cavalry in the Crusader Era – 11th-12th Century, focuses on the major battles of the early Crusades era between Christians and the Muslims. This is a period that saw cavalry reign supreme and pitted the European mounted, armored men-at-arms - which relied on furious and direct charges with sword and lance - against the Eastern European/Turkish light cavalry tactics - focusing on the efficiency of its mounted archers.

Blood & Roses  focuses on the battles of the Wars of the Roses in England, between 1455 and 1487. This was warfare in which most men were truly "of iron", heavily and totally armored to such a point that their mobility was suspect. It also featured the introduction of gunpowder – mostly field artillery – in noticeable numbers. And while many English men-at-arms were mounted, they did so almost entirely for transport. Most fighting was on foot … and it was quite vicious.

There will be a series rulebook, with a few rules still applying only to a specific game, and the games will have all errata applied to their battle book. The color setups a la Blood & Roses and Arquebus: Men of Iron Volume IV – The Battles for Northern Italy 1495-1544 will show up in all battle books. Men of Iron will see some battle changes, a few of which will involve new/changed counters.

The series is designed for quick learning and easy play. Game rules are short, there are no turns - play is continual, with opportunities to steal play from your opponent - and combat resolution is a single dieroll. Playing time is about 1-to-3 hours per battle.

The series is also for the gamer who enjoys playing solitaire. The system is designed for both individual and face-to-face play without any loss in insight or fun. It allows a player or players to see what happened in these famous battles and why. There are no purpose-built solitaire rules, but many players play that way.

The units feature longbows, crossbows, men-at-arms (mounted, dismounted, and unhorsed), hobilars, genitors, nasty Scots with axes, slingers, pike infantry, knights, heavy cavalry, medium cavalry, light cavalry archers, archers, camp followers, handgunners, and artillery! And the commanders! The great English King, Edward III and his son, The Black Prince, William Wallace and The Bruce, Captal de Buch.  Crusaders Stephen of Blois, Bohemond of Taranto, Raymond of Toulouse, Bishop Adhemar of Le Puy, the leper King Baldwin IV, Raynald of Chatillon, and King Richard I. Saracen leaders Kilij Arslan, Kerbogha, Atabeg of Mosul,  Fatimid Vizier al-Afdal Shahanshah, Soqman the Artukid of Diyar-Bakr and Aleppo, and Saladin. King Henry VI, Richard, Duke of York, King Edward IV, Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, King Richard III, and Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond (and founder of the Tudor dynasty).

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