Bold as Brass, Quick on the Feet: Chivalrous Bum in Sherwood

So, last night we got our first game of Chivalrous Bum to the table - a wonderfully simple but very effective game of medieval melee.

I actually discovered it indirectly thanks to Mike Demana of Lead Legionaries fame. Mike has been playing a fantasy game called Four Delvers, written by David Bezio, and while looking into that ruleset I followed the trail back to Chivalrous Bum, which is also by Bezio.

Just as importantly, the rules are free to download, which makes giving it a try an easy decision. Sometimes a bit of curiosity, a good recommendation, and a zero price tag are all the excuse you need.

Digging out some Robin Hood and Norman figures that have yet to see the tabletop - remnants of a long‑dormant Dragon Rampant project - I put together two opposing Retinues. One represents the Merrymen, led by Sir Robin of Locksley (Robin Hood), while the other is commanded by Sir Guy of Gisborne.

Each retinue is built using 10 Muster Points (MP), drawn from three unit types: Peasants (1 MP), Archers (3 MP), and Soldiers (3 MP).

For the Merrymen, I selected:

• One Soldier to represent Little John
• Two Archers as Merrymen
• One Peasant

For the Sheriff’s men, I went with:

• Two Soldiers
• One Crossbowman

That left me with a spare Muster Point, which I spent on giving the Crossbowman heavy armour, granting him a +1 bonus on Salt rolls.

We opted to play the first scenario, an Ambush. After rolling the dice, it was determined that my Normans would be attempting to catch the Merrymen, commanded by my friend John, by surprise.

The objectives were refreshingly straightforward. The Merrymen needed to escape off the far side of the table, while the Normans’ task was equally simple: wipe them out. Adding to the tension, the Normans benefited from the ambush itself, beginning the game 8 inches in from the table edge.

Initiative was rolled, blades were metaphorically bared, and the game was afoot!

Turn 1

The four Normans split into two elements. One soldier was detached to guard the Norman right flank, while the rest concealed themselves behind a small cottage, poised to spring the ambush when the moment was right.

The Merrymen had the first move. Sensing trouble, Robin quickly divided his forces.

“Careful now,” Robin whispered. “These paths aren’t as empty as they look.”

The two Archers and the Peasant slipped down the right flank, edging their way behind the cottage and out of sight. Little John moved steadily along the left flank, while Robin himself strode forward along the road.

“If they want me,” Robin said with a grin, “I’ll not give them cause to complain about my courage.”

It’s worth noting that although the game uses an IGOUGO system, it isn’t “one side does everything at once.” Instead, one side activates a single figure, then the opposing player activates one of theirs, and play alternates back and forth in this way. The result is a nice sense of tension, with each move immediately inviting a response.

Seeing Robin advancing alone, Sir Guy of Gisborne seized the moment.

“There’s our prize,” Sir Guy growled. “With me! We’ll take him before his rabble can close in.”

Steel flashed as Sir Guy and a Norman soldier surged forward, the ambush finally triggered, and the quiet woodland suddenly erupted into violence.

Turn 2

The Merrymen again seized the initiative. Little John barrelled into the lone Norman guarding the right flank, steel meeting steel as the two locked into melee.

“Well then,” John growled, “let’s see what you’re made of.”

As it turned out, neither man was in any hurry to fall - their fight would grind on into an epic duel lasting most of the game.

Nearby, Sir Guy of Gisborne charged straight at Robin, blades flashing as the two leaders collided.

“There’s nowhere left to run, Locksley!” Sir Guy barked.

Robin laughed. “I wasn’t planning to.”

On the flank, the Norman Crossbowman took aim at one of the Merrymen Archers and fired - the bolt sailed wide.

The Archer answered immediately. Spotting the soldier advancing to support Sir Guy, he snapped an arrow from the string. Thwack. A solid hit. The Norman failed his Salt roll, the wound slowing him, and then failed his Loyalty roll as well.

Clutching the wound, the soldier turned and bolted down the road. The Archer wasn’t finished yet - spinning smoothly, he loosed a second shot at the Crossbowman. The arrow didn’t draw blood, but it rattled him badly enough that he fell back, seeking distance and cover.

The fleeing soldier tried to rally.

The dice disagreed. With that, he fled even farther, panic getting the better of him.

“That arrow must have hurt more than your pride,” someone quipped as the Norman disappeared down the road.

Turn 3

Robin and Sir Guy continued their furious duel, the two circling one another amid shouted threats and ringing steel.

“You’re slowing, Locksley,” Sir Guy sneered.

“Or perhaps,” Robin shot back, “I’m letting you think so.”

Sir Guy suddenly found an opening and struck, the blow slipping past Robin’s guard and wounding him.

“Got you!”

But before the moment could turn decisive, the Noble Sacrifice rule came into play. The blow was diverted to the nearest Archer, who threw himself into harm’s way.

“For the Greenwood!” he cried.

Fortunately, the Archer held his nerve, passing his Loyalty test, and stayed in the fight despite the danger.

Nearby, the Norman Crossbowman managed to steady his nerves and successfully rallied. Seeing the Merrymen closing in, he ducked behind the cottage, intent on reloading his weapon for the next turn.

“I’ll have you yet,” he muttered.

Unfortunately for him, the plan lasted only seconds. With a feral yell, the Peasant lunged around the corner and pounced on the Crossbowman, dragging him into an unexpected melee.

Elsewhere, the previously fleeing Norman soldier once again failed his Loyalty test. The soldier fled the field entirely, disappearing from the fight.

Meanwhile, on the flank, Little John and the remaining Norman soldier continued their relentless contest, neither able to land the telling blow as their duel ground on.

“Still standing?” Little John grinned.

The Norman answered only by tightening his grip and swinging again.

Turn 4

Remembering that the Merrymen’s real aim was escape, the two Archers wasted no time and legged it down the road, sprinting hard toward safety.

“Now!” one shouted. “This way - keep moving!”

Seeing his men breaking free, Robin knew he couldn’t stay locked in combat any longer.

“Enough of this,” he growled, backing away from Sir Guy. “The Greenwood calls.”

Calling on a bit of fortune, Robin invoked a Luck roll to disengage from the melee. The dice fell his way.

With a sudden burst of speed, Robin slipped free of the engagement and put distance between himself and Sir Guy, retreating down the road to join his fleeing companions.

“Running already?” Sir Guy snarled after him.

Robin laughed over his shoulder. “Living to fight another day!”

Turn 5

At last, the epic duel between Little John and the Norman soldier came to an end. Both combatants were battered and bloodied, but it was Little John who finally struck the telling blow.

“Stay down,” he rumbled, stepping back and lowering his weapon.

Victorious but clearly feeling the effort, Little John turned and hurried off to rejoin his comrades, knowing the fight wasn’t quite finished yet.

Elsewhere, the Peasant and the Crossbowman continued trading blows at close quarters. Both took wounds, but the crucial difference came when the tests were made. The Peasant gritted his teeth and passed his Loyalty test, staying in the fight, while the Crossbowman’s nerve broke.

“Nope - I’m done,” came the resigned verdict from the Norman side.

The Crossbowman turned and fled, leaving the Peasant free to pursue the real prize. With a triumphant shout, he set off after Robin, with Sir Guy of Gisborne still in hot pursuit behind them.

“Run while you can!” Sir Guy shouted furiously.

“We are!” came the breathless reply as the chase thundered down the road toward safety.

Turn 6 & later

With that, Robin and the Peasant finally made it to safety, while the Crossbowman continued his headlong flight from the field. That left only Sir Guy of Gisborne and Little John still locked in the chaos.

Spotting his chance, Sir Guy broke into a run and chased down Little John, closing the distance and hauling him into another melee.

“Not so fast, big man,” Sir Guy snarled.

Little John grinned. “You’ll have to do better than that.”

The fight was short and brutal. Blades clashed, boots slid in the dirt and then Little John saw his moment. Calling on a final reserve of fortune, he made a Luck test.

The roll succeeded.

With a sudden shove and a burst of speed, Little John slipped free, crashing through the undergrowth and vanishing down the road after his companions.

Sir Guy halted, breathing hard, staring after him.

“Run,” he muttered darkly. “The forest always gives you somewhere to hide.”

And with that, the battle was over.

Aftermath

With that, our first game of Chivalrous Bum was well and truly done and dusted in around an hour. It ended as a comprehensive victory for the Merrymen, who racked up 5 Victory Points to the Normans’ 0. For a skirmish game, casualties were refreshingly light - the only permanent loss being the unfortunate Norman soldier bested by Little John.

Victory brings rewards, of course. For winning the scenario, the Merrymen gained 2 Muster Points, which they promptly spent to swap out the Peasant for an additional Soldier. That new recruit will be represented by Friar Tuck in the next game, which feels entirely appropriate.

With Scenario One complete, we moved straight on to Scenario Two. This time, the Normans were tasked with escorting a wagon across the table, while the Merrymen aimed to steal it. Where the first game ebbed and flowed nicely, the second was far more one‑sided, with the Merrymen once again emerging victorious.

Overall, the game is great fun and does exactly what you’d expect from a set of simple, fast‑playing rules. That said, we did have a couple of minor gripes. In particular, it would be nice to see some way of reducing wounds, perhaps along the lines of the Queen of Hearts card in Fistful of Lead, to give figures a little more staying power.

We’ll definitely be playing again - there are two more scenarios left to try - and there’s already talk of running the same rules using Samurai figures instead, which could be an excellent fit.