A companion game to Stamford Bridge: End of the Viking Age in the same "Shields & Swords" series, A Hill Near Hastings: The Beginning of the Norman Conquests recreates *the* battle that will forever be tied to the year 1066. This game sees the addition of cavalry and bow units to the "Shields & Swords" system, and features special rules that recreate, in a simple way, the telling differences in organizational structure and discipline between the Norman and Anglo-Saxon forces. The Anglo-Saxon Player will have a tough time of it, plugging holes in his line and crossing his fingers that his Shield Wall holds and the hill he occupies will be enough to soften the Norman blows. But the Norman Player can't sleep-walk his way to victory, and must identify and exploit weak spots in the enemy host.