Overview

Agincourt: The Triumph of Archery over Armor is a hex-and-counter wargame published by SPI in 1978 as part of the “120 Series” (120 counters, playable in about 120 minutes). It simulates the famous Battle of Agincourt on October 25, 1415, where English longbowmen devastated the heavily armored French forces. Each turn represents approximately one minute of battle time.

Components

• 1 hex map depicting the Agincourt battlefield
• 120 die-cut counters representing English and French units
• 1 twenty-sided die
• Terrain Effects Chart
• Combat Results Table
• Rules booklet

Setup

1. Place the map between the two players.
2. One player controls the English forces, the other controls the French.
3. Deploy units on their starting hexes as indicated in the scenario setup.
4. Place terrain markers as required.

Turn Structure

Each turn (approximately 1 minute of battle time) consists of:

1. First player movement phase: Move units according to their movement allowances.
2. Archery fire phase: The opposing player may conduct archery fire against moving or stationary units within range.
3. Morale check phase: Check morale for affected units.
4. Melee combat phase: Resolve close combat between adjacent units using the 20-sided die.
5. Second player phase: Repeat for the other player.

Actions

Movement

• Units move hex-by-hex, expending movement points based on terrain costs.
• Movement allowances are printed on each counter.

Archery Fire

• English archers can fire up to 6 hexes range; French archers can only fire up to 3 hexes.
• Each archer unit can shoot up to 6 arrows per impulse.
• Archery fire is resolved after movement, targeting units within range.
• Archers defending behind stakes double their defense strength in melee.

Melee Combat

• When units are adjacent to enemy units, melee combat is resolved.
• Combat uses a 20-sided die rolled against the Combat Results Table.
• Damage uses a step-reduction system: each damaged unit generates dead and fugitive results.

Morale

• After combat, units check morale.
• Failed morale checks can cause units to rout or become disordered.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Victory is determined by the scenario’s specific conditions, typically involving the destruction or routing of enemy forces, control of key terrain hexes, or achieving specific historical objectives within the time limit.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Stakes: English archers behind prepared stakes receive doubled defense in melee, reflecting the historical advantage.
• Armor vs. arrows: The game’s subtitle emphasizes the theme — heavily armored French knights are vulnerable to massed archery, especially at longer ranges before they can close for melee.
• Step reduction: Units have multiple strength steps; damage reduces them rather than eliminating them outright.
• Fugitives: Damaged units generate fugitives that may flee the battlefield.
• Terrain: Muddy terrain and the narrow battlefield funnel forces, as it did historically.

Player Reference

Unit Type	Range	Notes
English archers	6 hexes	6 arrows per impulse; doubled defense with stakes
French archers	3 hexes	Shorter range than English
Men-at-arms	Melee only	Resolved with d20 on CRT

Turn flow: Move → Archery → Morale → Melee → Switch players

Die type: 20-sided die for combat resolution