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Battles on the Ice: Defeats of the Livonian Order at Peipus and Karuse
2017
Rules assistance for Battles on the Ice: Defeats of the Livonian Order at Peipus and Karuse
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 60–90 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Battles on the Ice: Defeats of the Livonian Order at Peipus and Karuse
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Battles on the Ice: Defeats of the Livonian Order at Peipus and Karuse is a board game released in 2017 for 2 players and 60–90 minutes per game. It was designed by Amabel Holland and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Hexagon Grid.
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About the game
The third game in the Shields & Swords II series tackles two unusual engagements. In both battles, the "invincible" Livonian Order - an autonomous branch of the Teutonic Knights - met their enemies atop a frozen body of water, and in both cases, they suffered a humiliating defeat. The 1242 battle at Lake Peipus was immortalized in Sergei Eisenstein's rousing film "Alexander Nevsky", and is probably the first thing most folks think of when they hear "Battle on the Ice". This battle should have been a cakewalk for the Livonians, as their elite, well-armed, ruthless cavalry were facing a feudal army of peasants. But Nevsky exhibited sound tactical judgment, and a deployment of his own cavalry at just the right time turned the tide decisively in his favor. Similar to THE GRUNWALD SWORDS or S&S I game OUR ROYAL BONES, this battle allows the Novgorod Player to choose the exact moment to bring in his horse archers (making their first appearance in the S&S II series). The longer he waits, the more VP he'll score, but the greater the chance that it'll be too late. The 1270 Battle of Karuse, fought on the frozen Baltic Sea, is a bit more obscure, but quite possibly more interesting. This time around it's the Livonians and their allies against a Lithuanian Army under Grand Duke Traidenis. The Lithuanians use sleds as a defensive barrier, and use hit-and-run tactics to unhorse the bold brothers. Special rules for unhorsing, dismounting, and charging the sleds give this one a lot of nuance. Both battles see a force that's strong in cavalry brought low by a force that's predominantly fighting on foot. Semi-random force pools utilized in each battle provide additional replayability. As always, the core S&S II system - easy to learn, teach, and play - allows for a fun, fast, streamlined medieval experience. —description from the publisher
Designers
Publishers
- Hollandspiele
Questions and answers
Battles on the Ice: Defeats of the Livonian Order at Peipus and Karuse supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Battles on the Ice: Defeats of the Livonian Order at Peipus and Karuse is 60–90 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
Battles on the Ice: Defeats of the Livonian Order at Peipus and Karuse has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Battles on the Ice: Defeats of the Livonian Order at Peipus and Karuse belongs to these categories: Wargame and Medieval. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Hexagon Grid. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Battles on the Ice: Defeats of the Livonian Order at Peipus and Karuse are: Amabel Holland. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Battles on the Ice: Defeats of the Livonian Order at Peipus and Karuse as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.