After a huge mailbag😳 this week, I have been asked to give a quick run-through of elementary mistakes made by younger players. So, here we have the top ten errors……..

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Firstly, choose an army that can deal with a range of different opponents. I chose Anglo- Normans who can’t! Impetuous Medium Knights that are a pig to control. Spearmen that can’t keep up with their Knights, and bowmen, but not enough to outshoot the Welsh!

Second common mistake- don’t bother to even look what your opponent is bringing to the table. No need to check what is in the army- you sort of know. Don’t look at the date, it probably doesn’t give him/her/ zim😙 any advantages whatsoever……

Third- be clear as to what terrain actually does! I mistook the hill on the right as a steep hill that Mark would garrison and dare me to attack. In fact, it was a gentle hill and nothing would stop the boyos sweeping forward to the attack. Mark placed a gully but the rulebook was too heavy to open. I place my commands either side of the sand coloured mystery and gave my opponent a chance to isolate my archers….

Fourth- I always expect my opponent to sit and wait for my master stroke. Unfortunately Mark unsportingly rode away from my Knights and advanced on my mercenary bowmen.

Fifth- why not compliment your opponent’s gorse bushes, only to be told they are daffodils😚

Sixth- to stop 72 points worth of elite Knights from getting tired, why not place them behind your spears and fight with your weakened refused wing.

Seven- always, I mean erm….never reinforce defeat. Here I have broken up the roadblock by dividing my elite Knights into three uncontrollable groups. They are impetuous so will burst through friendliest in their path.

Nine- look at the stats occasionally! Crossbows worked well against Welsh raiding light horse. Enemy bow however gain a point of “protection” against the slow firing crossbows too. Pavises helped but now the battle was getting silly….

Ten. Time to commit your general when you are double overlapped and attacked from the rear.

At this point you could politely accept defeat and arrange to play again sometime. However, how much better to insist on playing until you have stormed his culturally incentive baggage dragon. What could possibly go wrong at Devizes😰😱😫😣😖