The Characters and Counters of THE LEGEND OF ROBIN HOOD
By Rex A. Martin
Robin Hood - the mere name conjures up heroic and romantic visions among the young-at-heart around the world. He is, without
doubt, the best known and most popular folk hero in England's long and turbulent history. Now, with Avalon Hill's game THE
LEGEND OF ROBIN HOOD, nominated for a Charles Roberts Award in the fantasy field by the Academy of Adventure Gaming
Arts and Design, gamers the world over can live out this engaging, enduring fantasy.
Numerous attempts have been made to prove that there was indeed an historical Robin Hood, though references to the legend by
medieval writers make it clear that four ballads of uncertain lineage were the sole evidence for his existence available even to
them. [Find, if possible, copies of The Lytell Geste of Robyn Hode (Gutch 1847 translation) for a compilation of these four ballads
—"Robin Hood", "The Knight and the Monk", "Robin Hood, Little John, and the Sheriff", and "Robin Hood's Death"] A popular
"modern" theory that he was of the time of Richard I probably stems from a "pedigree" fabricated by an 18th Century antiquary,
Richard Stukely. A more serious view has been advanced that he was one of the disinherited followers of Simon de Montfort,
after the latter's defeat in 1265. It was certainly true that in the 13th Century the "Sheriff" was most prominent as the local
representative of law and order and that there was a great resentment against those laws of the land that restricted hunting rights,
the ostensible flashpoint of Robin's rebellion.
The authentic Robin Hood ballads are the poetic expression of popular aspirations in the north of England during a turbulent era of
baronial rebellions and of agrarian discontent, which culminated in the Peasant Revolt of 1381. Although a majority of the best
known Robin Hood ballads are post-medieval, there is in The Lytell Geste a core that can be confidently attributed to the medieval
period. During the 16th Century, and later, the essential character of the legend was distorted by suggestion that Robin was a
fallen nobleman. Court playwrights, eagerly adopting this new element, increased the romantic appeal of the tales but deprived
them of their social bite. Post-medieval ballads [for example —"Robin and the Potter", "Robin and Guy of Guisborne", "Robin
and the Monk"] which gave Robin many of his current companions in adventure (number Maid Marion among them) also lost
most of the vitality and poetic value found in the original tales. It is on the current Hollywood "version" that Avalon Hill's game is
based, a continuation of the romantic ballads.
Since this poor gamesman has always felt that knowing the "history" breathed colour and life into the game, I felt that the perfect
manner to introduce this fine title to the readership would be to examine the outlaw characters of ROBIN HOOD. The game —
with its few pieces, each distinctive and crucial— lends itself to this approach. With a touch of legend, a touch of history and a
touch of strategy, let us turn now to the denizens of Robin's Wood.
Robin Hood The central character of this entire period piece. Robin was the supposed son of Adam Hoode, a forester
in service at Wakefield —a fact historically validated by church records. The boy grew to his young manhood in the
woodlands, then fell afoul of established authority which led to his life of banditry. An avowed rebel, many of the tales
show him and his companions robbing and murdering the representatives of authority —both secular and clerical. The
early ballads, especially, revel in the cruelty that is an inescapable aspect of medieval social relations.
Tales of Robin Hood are endless —some have him a staunch supporter of Richard I, others in service to Edward II as a yeoman,
others as a recalcitrant nobleman stripped of his lands. Some common threads remain however. In all, the outlaw treated women,
the poor and people of humble status with a courtesy that is lacking in his dealings with the Sheriff and his agents. Too, he did like
to admit to his band any and only those who could prove themselves in single combat his superior, not at all a bad tactic when
raising a group of adventurers. Much is made of Robin's reputation as a jokester, trickster and knave —making sport of friend and
foe alike. And, of course, his skill with the good English longbow is unsurpassed in all tales. Surprisingly, all the legends have
him meeting an identical end despite the varied adventures: bled to death by Alice de Scriven, prioress of the Kirklees Priory in
Yorkshire, and buried in unconsecrated ground nearby.
In our version of the tale, Robin faces his greatest challenge in the opening rounds of play. He must raise a force to battle the
Sheriff —alone. Thus, recruiting must occupy Robin's attention for some few turns. And, of course, he must run no risk of
combat until he has gathered a force of companions —since his capture is certain defeat. He can initially reach four potential
apses —Little John, Merry Man 3, Merry Man 4 and Merry Man 6. Each has its advantage if brought in on Robin's side, but one
only carries no risk whatsoever of running afoul of the enemy. Any attempt to recruit Merry Man 3 or Merry Man 4 allows the
King's Forester the slim chance of catching and engaging Robin (approximately 1 % chance of the very worse case —the
elimination of Robin and a one turn defeat). And an attempt by Robin to bring John into the fray will see a rapid descent by the
Sheriff of a certainty.

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Thus, we are left with Merry Man 6, the "no risk option". On the first turn Robin proceeds to the recruitment of this
fine fellow. The Merry Men are the core of Robin's band. Their forte is archery, especially in the woods where not
even the King's Foresters can stand against them. They cannot, however, go the distance against the enemy Men at
Arms or the Knights in mêlée.
But then, their loss is rather painless; after all, unlike the King's minions, the Merry Men return to play at random locations
unrecruited (which means untroubled by the Sheriff's men until an Outlaw leader can pick them up) on the very next turn. If the
sacrifice of a Merry Man can remove a Sheriff's Man at Arms for three turns, or a King's Forester or Knight permanently, make it.
Unfortunately, there is one ability they lack; being the unimaginative sort of peasants that they are, it takes the presence of an
Outlaw leader for them to do anything.
Assured of the presence of this stout fellow at his back, Robin displays the fact that discretion is the better part of valour and
proceeds to recruit Merry Man 3. With two such, there is no risk whatsoever that the King's Forester, provided that he has been so
foolish to pursue Robin thus far, will risk certain death. While Robin can not yet hope to stand against the Sheriff's force, he is on
the path. Of course, Robin need not stand against the Sheriff's power to win —merely avoid it. THE LEGEND OF ROBIN HOOD
is, in essence, a game of manoeuvre —not of overwhelming force. The ability to win with a minimum of bloodshed attracts me; I
am —at heart— a pacifist and proponent of the elder arts of war. Now Robin is ready to find the first of his trusty lieutenants.
Will Stutley With only two passing references to him in the core legends, Stutley remains the "mystery man". We
know only that he was with Robin long before Little John, and that his "face [was] as brown as a berry". Obviously an
able fellow, it has been proposed that he was an errant serf, escaping a life of bondage in a life of banditry. However,
the fact that he carries both a surname and family name indicates him to be a free man —although that may have been
mere affectation.
Will will serve well as the commander of the reserves, one of the four leaders able to recruit Merry Men for the outlaw band. With
a Command Ability of only "1", Will will not accomplish much. But by judicious use of him, the clever player can recruit a Merry
Man and move him to block a road, or a tunnel, or a river crossing, or perhaps protect a village from the Sheriff's ravages. Once in
position, Will abandons the man to his fate and is off and away to find another. Use Stutley in the areas of the mapboard wher e
Robin is not. The harassment he brings to the Sheriff's orderly progression will either distract the enemy from the pursuit of Robin
or fill the outlaw coffers with the gold of rich travellers. And one need not fear Will's loss unduly, for it is but a passing regret.
Thus, once recruited Will bids Robin adieu and proceeds to his own adventures atone, in search of deviltry. Even as Will moves to
bring Merry Man 2 to the fold, Robin is ready, at last, to bring on his greatest stalwart.
Little John According to "history", the second son of one George Little, farm labourer of Mansfield, who was raised to
the trade of nail-maker. A massive man (210 centimetres, if legend is to be believed), John Little figures as prominently
as Robin Hood in the tales; indeed, their names are forever linked. John's adventures are as fantastic and hearty as
Robin's —and as well chronicled.
He is the hero of the October Fair on Nottingham Green, besting Eric o'Lincoln at staves and thus entering the Sheriff's service —
before absconding with the Sheriff's silver plate, and his cook as well. Only a man as big of heart and humour as he could stand in
steadfast friendship with Robin, and it was to prove his undoing. With Robin's death, Little John fades into obscurity. He died
shortly after at Hathersage, and is supposedly buried in the churchyard in the Peak of Derbyshire.
Little John will prove immensely valuable to the Outlaw player. John should be ever at Robin's side, for their combined command
totals "4" —half the possible strength the Merry Men can muster. His Personal Combat Strength, unsurpassed in the game among
the characters, is a shield for Robin in the tight corners. The constant threat that he may break off and proceed to waylay travellers
or lone enemy units on his own will be a sore worry to the Sheriff. And, should the evil day come, only John has any real chance
of rescuing captured leaders, notably Maid Marion or Friar Tuck, from the clutches of the Sheriff. A whirlwind raid by John wi th
two Merry Men may save the day without risking Robin (and hence, the game).
By this fourth game turn, the forest is aflame with sedition just as the first travellers near. With Little John and Robin together,
and the Merry Men spreading under Will's tutelage, the player must now take advantage of the opportunities of the play that come
his way. Specifically, Robin needs to marry Maid Marion, amass wealth at the Sheriff's expense and find King Richard —who
enters play on or before Game Turn 25. In the interim, various other characters crucial to the Outlaws may be recruited, to wit:
Will Scarlett Robin's nephew, Will Gamwell of Maxfield Towne who had fled justice after killing an unruly servant of
his father's. Will was a member in good standing of the rising middle class, adept at social interplay with the lords of
the land or the crude jests of the peasant classes. He proved to be a superior swordsman, and was taken into Robin's
band.
His nickname comes from John, commenting upon his "red silk coat and stockings, scarlet velvet hat, long golden hair and
smelling a rose". Scarlett was certainly the only member of the outlaw leadership with formal schooling, and figures prominently
in drafting the articles of the outlaw yeomen. Frequently he was to be found at the Blue Boar Inn, the favourite of Robin's outlaws,
taunting the Sheriff's power.

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Will Scarlett, with the three mentioned above, is the last of the outlaw leaders to be able to recruit Merry Men. His command
abilities are the equal of Robin or John. Certainly, he is a figure of some note in the play of ROBIN HOOD. With two good Merry
Men at his side, Scarlett serves best by remaining within ready range of Robin and John, able to reach them should the enemy
begin to concentrate. He can cover an ignominious retreat or swing the tide of battle. His loss is a blow, but not fatal, to the
outlaw's aspirations. Indeed, he has even been used to pre-empt a Sheriff's attack, being sacrificed to eliminate a horde of Men at
Arms or even a major leader on the opposite side of the law. Use Scarlett with boldness; it is his best guise.
Munch The Miller of Wakefield's son, met upon the road to market bearing a load of flour by Robin, John, Scarlett and
Arthus a'Bland who decided to make sport of the simple miller. However, Munch managed to blind them with flour,
and then belaboured them with a long staff. The chagrined outlaws were rescued from the none-too-tender mercies of
Munch by Stutley. Following Munch's victory over John with quarterstaves (the only man in the legends to best Little
John at his chosen weapon), he became a brigand with the others.
Munch is certainly a creation of 15th Century minstrels, having no reference in the original tales. One must suspect that, with the
rise of the middle class, this was done to curry favour with the merchants found increasingly at the courts.
Munch, in the game, has little purpose —serving best in a capacity similar to Stutley, except that he cannot himself recruit Merry
Men. He need be recruited only when convenient for Robin. The Mill (in actuality, the King's Mill, taken down in 1931) is off the
path of the normal ebb and flow of the play. Often, one may bring Munch into play while on route to find the friar, Tuck.
Friar Tuck The Curtail Friar of Fountain Dale on the bank of the Rain, a small stream in the district. He was doubtless
a friar of the Franciscan Order, for they wore a habit of grey worsted reaching down to their ankles, with a cowl of the
same material and hue. Finding their habits inconvenient when travelling, these churchmen "curtailed" their garments
with a girdle —hence the name.
Tuck was likely a renegade from the Franciscan House of Grey Friars in the Broadmouth, near the Castle Nottingham. In his own
words, "my Holy Brethren held a chapter on me, and sentenced me to seven years imprisonment and privation of wine. I therefore
deemed it fitting to take my departure". He is introduced in a lengthy tale —of uncertain lineage— recounting the rescue of Maid
Ellen, Alan a'Dale's true love. A brawny fellow, Tuck never shied from a fight. Our perceptions of Tuck are derived in the main
from the classic Ivanhoe, and from The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
Once Tuck is recruited, Robin must keep him close at hand for he has but one function in this game —to be present so that Robin
can wed Marion (one of the Outlaw Victory Conditions). Unlike Alan, who must be present for the nuptials, Tuck is also a good
fellow to have around in the tight spots. His personal combat value is the equal of John's, and he can command Merry Men —
although he cannot recruit them.
Once the wedding of Robin and Marion has been consummated, the Friar can be abroad making mischief. Certainly, he serves in
this capacity as well as Munch. Indeed, risking the Friar in personal combat at this stage is an excellent way to eliminate the
opposition's leaders, if the other player is foolish enough to allow such.
Alan a'Dale Coming from the Dale of Rotherstream, his misery over the loss of Maid Ellen, his true love betrothed
against her will by her father to old Sir Stephen of Trent, came to the attention of Stutley and Scarlett. Those two, like
all of the times, were romantics at heart and prevailed upon Robin to intercede. Gathering his band, and recruiting Friar
Tuck to give sanction to the unorthodox, Robin halted the marriage and saw Alan and Ellen happily paired. In
gratitude, Alan served as minstrel for the outlaws —bringing music and beauty to their rough life in the woods. In no
oilier apocryphal tale does the romantic drives of the High Middle Ages come through as strong.
Even more than Tuck, is Alan a'Dale a specialised case. One would suspect that Alan's role in the marriage of Robin and Marion
was contrived by the designer merely to justify his inclusion in the game. Unable to command Merry Men, unable to recruit Merry
Men, with no personal combat ability, he is virtually worthless. Unluckily, he usually enters play early in the game —a liability to
be borne steadfastly by the Outlaw player. Once the marriage vows are uttered, dispatch Alan to a dark corner of the wood out of
harm's way.
Maid Marion And, so at last we come to the fair maid. Several contradictory ballads introduce the lady of the piece,
each the product of a different minstrel to be sure. The "historical" Robin did indeed have a wife —one Matilde, who
bore him several children and tended their poor lands. Closest to this is the version of the tale that has Marion as a
simple village maiden from Blidworth who, when Robin was outlawed, donned male attire and sought him in the depths
of Sherwood.
They met, each in disguise, and neither recognising the other, fell to fighting with swords. Finally Robin's voice betrayed him and
Marion revealed herself. They were married at the Church of Edwinstowe. Of course, that was not near colourful enough for a
fallen lord, so we now have the common assumption by a generation raised on the fantasy of Hollywood that Marion is of noble
blood, a fair virgin in love with a wronged man and pursued by an evil knight.

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Marion will enter play midway through the game. Oftentimes, the Sheriff will lie in wait, capturing her as she comes onto the
board in the hopes of forcing the outlaws to commit themselves to a rescue. She represents but one of the four victory conditions,
and can be ignored by the player intent on plunder and awaiting the arrival of King Richard. Often, this course eases the Outlaw
from the necessity of wasting time recruiting Alan a'Dale and Friar Tuck (although in Tuck's case, he can add to the general
revenues by waylaying travellers in company with a Merry Man). And, it must be realised that the Maid is a liability —slow of
movement and requiring a constant escort. Any impending marriage will certainly draw the Sheriff's men and a battle will mar the
festivities. Following the marriage, use her to draw the Sheriff on since he cannot afford her at large with the King soon to come.
King Richard The true King needs no introduction to this readership. Returning to England, he travels in disguise to
Sherwood, there to set matters aright and end the game. Richard must travel in disguise for some time, at least until he
can make contact with some Merry Men. The King can command three, a healthy force in this game. But, the hue and
cry of his return will mean that the enemy will concentrate every resource to stop him —especially if Robin has two of
the victory conditions ready to hand.
This player prefers that the King traverse the mapboard incognito until he can reveal himself only to Robin. He need but avoid the
Sheriff and evil brother John to stand a chance of Outlaw victory. If Robin is not yet ready to win the game, use the King with
several Merry Men to add to Robin's treasury or deplete the Sheriff's until the time is ripe for victory.
These, then, are the "heroes" of THE LEGEND OF ROBIN HOOD. More colourful a band of rogues one would be hard-pressed to
find, on or off any gameboard. (This gamester will leave the villains —Bad Prince John and his minions— to another.) It is hoped
that this brief rambling has been insightful or, at the very least, amusing.

Bibliography
For those interested in reading more on the legend and the characters, I would direct you to four fine works:
Rymes of Robin Hood compiled by R. B. Dobson and J. Taylor (University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, 1976)
The True History of Robin Hood by J. W. Walker (E. P. Publishing Ltd., Yorkshire, 1973)
The Outlaws of Medieval Legend by Maurice Keen (Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd., London, 1961)
and my childhood companion:
Robin Hood adapted by Maurice Lapman and edited by Glenn Holder (J. J. Little & Ives Co., New York, 1952).

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