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Unhappy King Charles!
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The Flowers of the Forest
1995
Rules assistance for The Flowers of the Forest
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 120 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.6/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for The Flowers of the Forest
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Flowers of the Forest is a board game released in 1995 for 2 players, 120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Charles Vasey and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Simulation.
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About the game
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. The combat system models the degradation of combat effectiveness as losses and morale reductions take a toll. However, just because the less experienced men at the back of the unit are unhappy does not mean that the unit will break. The key individual captains and “Big Men” of the front-line units must be defeated. When a unit snaps the entire unit will rout. The order system models the difficulty of controlling large bodies without radios. It also addresses the great independence (in practice) of Scots nobles over their Sassenach equivalents. The game is not balanced but plays quickly so that each player may have a turn at each side.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- (Self-Published)
- Battles Magazine
Questions and answers
The Flowers of the Forest 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 The Flowers of the Forest is 120 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.
The catalogue lists The Flowers of the Forest for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
The Flowers of the Forest has a complexity rating of 2.6 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.
The Flowers of the Forest belongs to these categories: Wargame and Renaissance. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Simulation. 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 The Flowers of the Forest are: Charles Vasey. 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 The Flowers of the Forest 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.