The Armchair General writes:
A GLORIOUS VICTORY (AGV) is a reasonably quick and easy set of wargames rules designed for the period of warfare from around the early 15th century through to the latter part of the 16th century, thus covering the War of the Roses and most of the Renaissance period.
Scorched Parchments is a fantasy supplement for the Wars of the Roses rules Torn Liveries. Both sets of free wargames rules are available at the link.
Andy Watkins offers a set of skirmish rules for the Wars of the Roses. Watkins writes:
25mm Skirmish wargaming with Wars of the Roses figures was one of the first Skirmish games I ever played about 20 years ago. To be honest I haven’t played much for quite a while. The rules I used were a bit cumbersome, I’ve upgraded now to a home grown set that owe more to my Pirate rules than anything else. Though there is still a touch of influence from Retinue, the best of the commercial Wars Of The Roses rules.
The Battles of St Albans
By Peter Burley, Michael Elliott and Harvey Watson
Pen And Sword Books
The Battles of St Albans On Amazon
The town of St Albans holds the dubious distinction of being the site of two of the bloody battles of the Wars of the Roses.
The First Battle of St Albans was also the first battle of the Wars of the Roses. On May 22, 1455, the Duke of York defeated a royal army and captured King Henry VI. The Second Battle of St Albans, on February 17, 1461, saw the recovery of Henry VI by a Lancastrian army nominally led by his queen, Margaret of Anjou. Both were bloody affairs fought in, and around the ancient town.
St Albans’ unfortunate place in history was secured by its geographical location as the first major town on the old Roman road heading north from London. Any army moving on a North-South axis would pass through St. Albans.
In The Battles of St Albans , authors Burley, Elliott and Watson offer accounts and analyses of the battles, as well as a travel guide for the modern visitor. The book is an interesting read, with many useful maps, photos and illustrations. Although I have just a basic wargamer’s knowledge of the Wars of the Roses, I have long wanted to paint some figures and do some gaming in the period. The Battles of St Albans turned out to be a good place to start to scratch that itch.
In addition to descriptions of troop movement and fighting during the two battles, the authors offer a cogent summary of the politics of the era and of the progress of the decades-long war. Other parts of interest ot the wargamer are descriptions of the weapons, arms and armor of the period, and of tactics.
For those within a reasonable travel distance of the town of St Albans, the book offers both walking and driving tours of key locations in the two battles. The photographs and maps would really make the action come alive to anyone making those trips.
Recommended.
War of the Red and White is a set of free wargames rules for multiplayer Wars of the Roses Games.