A Gest of Robin Hood

About the game

What is A Gest of Robin Hood?

A Gest of Robin Hood is a board game about the daring adventures of Robin Hood and his brave band of Merry Men as they struggle against the oppressive Sheriff and his cruel Henchmen. The game is set against the historical backdrop of peasant revolt, feudal taxation, and rural banditry in 12th-century England, but also emphasizes the mythology and folklore that has grown up around the Robin Hood tales. One player takes the role of Robin Hood and the Merry Men, stealing from the rich and encouraging peasant disobedience, while the other player takes the role of the Sheriff of Nottingham and his Henchmen, tasked with maintaining peace and collecting taxes for Prince John. Both players will make use of Plots, Deeds, and Events to recruit and manoeuvre their forces, influence or control the peasant population, raise funds and collect taxes, and rob innocent travellers and greedy merchants alike, all in pursuit of their opposed ideals of Justice and Order. Victory is determined by the position of the red Royal Favour cylinder on the Justice/Order Track. If the final Royal Inspection is reached and no winner has yet been determined in this way, then victory goes to the player whose side the cylinder is currently on. A Gest of Robin Hood is the second game in the Irregular Conflict Series, further adapting the COIN system to depict peasant revolts, feudal tax collection, and outlaw activities in late 12th century medieval England. Transposing one of GMT’s most popular systems into a simpler format and a more approachable setting makes A Gest of Robin Hood perfect for newcomers to wargaming. At the same time, it also offers a tight challenge for more experienced wargamers who can enjoy a tense asymmetric duel in under an hour.

How it plays

Mechanics

On the shelf

Categories

Questions players ask

Questions to bring to BoardGameBrain

• How do setup and the first turn work in A Gest of Robin Hood?
• When does scoring happen and what ends the game?
• How should the table resolve an unusual timing or rules interaction?