From the back of the box: "During the Middle Ages feudalism determined much that happened in military terms, as landed aristocrats brought bands of armed men to the battlefield in the service of their liege lords. Despite this unifying theme, the period saw an incredible variety of weaponry and tactics. The battles portrayed in Sword and Shield have been chosen to illustrate this diversity." The four battles included are: Stamford Bridge, 1066 Kalaura, 1078 Lake Peipus, 1262 Bannockburn, 1314 This is a low complexity war game. The battles are set pieces where there is little room for maneuver before the action begins. Each battle has a "campaign" option for it where you get a chance to move the pieces into position before starting hostilities.