Breaking Lances

       "I remember my first joust. It looks far worse than it feels!"
            ~Sir Ector

54mm wooden knights are about to smack down!

So... this is a thing...

I actually started making knight Wooden models about 2 years ago as an idea for Christmas ornaments, which got me started noodling with some rules ideas, but  then put it down for other had multiple requests for jousting rules, got the itch and started the project back up again. The big push was I  had a deadline for my friend Drew Williams D&D game that needed a tournament; nothing like a deadline, eh?   Behold- Breaking Lances!

A custom piece with the arms of a friend in the SCA

Breaking Lances

Breaking Lances is a quick playing set of jousting rules, recreating the fast paced and awe inspiring engagements of knights charging at each other with lances couched, shields up, and horses thundering down the field.

 These rules are an attempt to capture the quick moment to moment reactions timing and counter reactions needed to get your lance on point to gain glory by breaking lances on your opponent, and possibly dismounting him.  All for the glory and honor of the joust! Or the favor of a damsel; or the ransom money- those are good too!

 

Early version activation placards  show hit locations when lances are crossed!

 Scoring jousts in medieval times (and later) had a set of standards for scoring.  Geoffroi de Purelli is credited with writing a manuscript detailing the rules of jousting during medieval times. He wrote it in the year 1066. Purelli later died during a joust. Tournaments basically made their own rules. Thus, the weapons or styles of combat may vary from one tournament to another. Knights adapted depending upon which tournament they were participating in. As history has given precedent, in Breaking Lances, in order to get a more “game play” feel of the action, I have foregone the standard lists scoring system and embellished a bit.  

A Breaking Lances tournament playtest.

After each player plots, they move in for the hit!

These rules are designed to be played at “convention level “meaning that you can pick them up, learn them very quickly and get stuck in (pun intended) the game. The more you play, or the better you know your opponent, the more bragging rights you will have.  Breaking Lances also features a tournament system that allows players to win favors, and gain skills and fame.

The trumpets sound. Mount your horse, check your feet in the stirrups, grab your lance and off you go!

 

Designs are inspired by old manuscripts, in particular the Codex Manesse

From the Codex Manesse

The Models

Like all of my Wooden soldiers, I look to the period I'm doing and the art of that time to inspired the look. In the case of knights I have a really rich source in the Codex Manesse. Scores of awesome "portraits" of knights on their horses, including barding, heraldry, colors and Crests.  

After playing around with a few scales, I landed on 54mm to be the most rewarding. It has a great table top presence, the detail comes out nicely, and the jousting run needed fits on any table top nicely for games. 

views of both sides of the knights. The lance is adjustable

Currently the models are 5 pieces including the base. I'm looking to release these with a "heraldry" sheet similar to my Galleys Guns and Glory! flag sheets, where you can cut out the painted shield, checkered stripes, smaller shields to decorate the Caparison barding, etc. 

Well, that's quite a bit of blathering. My goal is to have these, the rules and everything you need to play on sale, come December. 

Cheers!

UPDATE

Totally forgot to post a picture of the winner, Sir Ryon of levitt! He won a Wooden knight, and of course, bragging rights!