The Flowers of the Forest

A simulation of the battle of Flodden, 1513.

Re-published in Battles magazine #9.

(from the designer:)

The Flowers of The Forest covers the Anglo-Scots battle of Flodden in which an invading Scots army under the charismatic James IV was destroyed in hand-to-hand combat by the Earl of Surrey’s force. This was a clash between numbers of weapon-systems. The English had mostly bill and bow, though their light cavalry (the moss troopers) used a small crossbow called a latch. The Scots had changed over to the pike and were well supplied with cannon. I have assumed the Highland formations were not pike armed but used the more traditional sword and axe.

The battle was one of the last with a medieval format of a small number of large “battles” – six a side at Flodden. These units manoeuvre on a map of the area around Flodden hill from which the Scots descended. The counters representing the bands of men are stored on Arrays which are displays that resemble a plan view of the unit counter. You will typically put the best bands at the front, and will also consider whether to put bows in the front line or in the rear.