Le Lion et l’Epée

About this board game

Le Lion et l’Épée is a two-player historical wargame with an approximately 240-minute playing time, covering two victories of Richard the Lionheart during the Third Crusade.

The game recreates Tremetousia in Cyprus on May 21, 1191, and Arsuf in the Holy Land on September 7, 1191. At Tremetousia, Richard’s Anglo-Norman forces faced Isaac Dukas Comnenus after the ruler of Cyprus withdrew toward Nicosia. The battle featured fierce cavalry charges before the heavy knights prevailed and Isaac was captured.

At Arsuf, Saladin attacked the Crusader army as it moved south along the coast. Under a shower of arrows, the Hospitaliers launched a premature charge, prompting Richard to order a general attack. After a violent counterattack, a final Crusader charge defeated Saladin’s troops.

Part of the Au fil de l’épée / By the Edge of the Sword series, Le Lion et l’Épée presents both engagements through large battlefield maps, die-cut counters, markers, scenarios, and a player-aid card.

• Two battles: Tremetousia and Arsuf, both fought in 1191
• Scale: 250 meters per hex
• Time scale: 30 minutes per turn
• Unit scale: one strength point represents 100 combatants
• Components: two 59 × 40 cm maps, 216 double-sided counters and markers, a rules and scenarios booklet, and a color player-aid card

With a listed complexity of 6/9, this 2010 release focuses on two dramatic medieval battles and Richard’s campaign against Isaac Comnenus and Saladin.