15 quick Dark Age games from "As Told in the Great Hall", using Ancient Battlelines Clash

Introduction

I do not know a lot about the Dark Ages, other than they mostly were not dark.  I am slowly making my way chronologically through historical battles to playtest my own rules. But have always been keen to try out some battle post-600AD as I am very unfamiliar with that era.  I purchased As Told in the Great Hall: A Wargamers Guide to Dark Age Britain by Martin Hackett years ago to help out (at least for Britain).   It is a good read, and also contains some dark age scenarios.  I meant to use them back in 2014 for a November challenge (where I try and stretch myself for more solo gaming than normal, and based around a theme) but never got around to it.  But November 2020 approached and I had a revised plan.   I did complete this in November but it has taken me this long to find time to write it up.

Note that some of the book may be dodgy (e.g. see http://tomstoysoldiers.blogspot.com/2015/02/as-told-in-great-hall-review.html), and Battles of the Dark Ages by Peter Marren is a much better read on dark age battles.  But “As Told in the Great Hall” has gaming scenarios!

 

The plan

The book does contain Martin's rules for Dark Age Britain but I will be using my own fast play rules. I was originally also thinking of playing the 15 battles with different rules that work well on a 2’x2’ but my mojo is not in the right place at the moment to be able to tackle this! I have been tinkering with these rules again recently and keen to give them a go.  Ancient Battlelines Clash is designed to play in about 30 minutes on a 2’x2’ table.  However, I don’t think I am up to 15 battles on this size.  It hit me when looking at the scenarios that the width of the battleline is about 3-8 units. If I use one 40mm wide base per unit I can play on a 1’x1’!  Easier to find the time, easier to setup etc.  Will likely double a unit’s bases if the battleline is only three wide, just to fill in the table.  The games will be very much a broad brush approach to the battles.

 

I had read the book a few months before deciding to do this and seemed to think there were about a dozen scenarios.  One took place in an urban environment (Shrewsbury http://www.localhistories.org/shrewsbury.html ) and did not appeal; another was in the dark (Buttington) and used a method to simulate movement in the dark and did not appeal either.  So that left about 10.  I then started marking up the scenarios in the book.  17 all up, minus the two I discounted are 15.  15 games.  I have decided I will not be doing detailed reports for every game. This blog post is a report summary of each game with some pictures to back them up.

 

The scenarios

These are the 15 scenarios I played:  

 

Scenario 1 – Battle of Mt Baedon 516AD

Scenario 2 – Battle  of Camlann 537AD

Scenario 3 – Battle of Dyrham 577AD

Scenario 4 – Battle of Maserfeld 641AD

Scenario 5 – Battle of WinWaed 654AD

Scenario 6 – Battle of Nechtansmere 685AD

Scenario 7 – Battle of Ashdown 871AD

Scenario 8 – Battle of Wilton 871AD

Scenario 9 – Battle of Ethandun 878AD

Scenario 10 – Battle of Brunanburh 937AD

Scenario 11 – Battle of Maldon 991AD

Scenario 12 – Battle of Ashingdon 1016AD

Scenario 13 – Battle of Fulford Gate 1066AD

Scenario 14 – Battle of Stamford Bridge 1066AD

Scenario 15 – Battle of Hastings 1066AD

 

I have stayed mostly true to the scenarios’ deployments as per the book, the troops a little less so and sometimes referred to other army lists for troop types.  For many of the battles the deployment and troops are unknown and the book’s scenario is a best guess anyway.

 

Scenario 1 – Battle of Mt Baedon 516AD

Arthur charges out of a hill fort to attack the Saxon invaders.

 

Internet links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Badon

 

Setup

Arthur: 1 x Heavy Cavalry with General, 5 x Medium Infantry, 3 x Skirmishers, 1 x Light Cavalry.  Breakpoint: 7

Arthur's army

Saxons: 1 x Heavy Cavalry with General, 5 x Warbands, 2 x Skirmishers. Breakpoint: 6

Saxons

Deployment 

 

Arthur to the left after just leaving the hill fort.  Note the ground slopes upwards form the Saxons to Arthur's army.

I have set the starting positions assuming Arthur is about to charge the Saxons (The scenario has the Britons deployed in a hill fort).

 

Game

Arthur advances.  The Saxons right charges up the hill and one warband makes contact.  Saxon leader manages to contact some infantry and push them back but charging up hill is not helping.

Arthur's army charges down the hill and the Saxons charge up to meet them.

Arthur charges the enemy leader but is locked in melee.  A subsequent combat sees the routing of the Saxon leader and cavalry!

The Britons manages to destroy a warband on their left flank.

The Saxon left forces back the light cavalry and is in melee with some British infantry.

Losing the leader and cavalry tips the Saxons over their breakpoint but will play until one more Saxon non-skirmisher lost.

Arthur defeats the Saxon leader (and cavalry unit).

Arthur does the trick, destroying another Saxon warband in the centre.

Although Saxons defeated, I played one more turn and Arthur defeats a Saxon warband.

Verdict

First outing for the refined rules and working well.  Fighting uphill I thought would be bad for the Saxons but held out quite well in the first charge.  Once in a melee being uphill showed its advantage.

Scenario 2 – Battle  of Camlann 537AD

King Arthur faces his enemy Mordred in an epic showdown to the death.

 

Internet links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Camlann

 

Setup

Arthur: 1 x Heavy Cavalry with General, 4 x Medium Infantry, 2 x Skirmishers.

Arthur

Medraut: 1 x Heavy Cavalry with General, 4 x Medium Infantry, 2 x Skirmishers.

Medraut

 

Also, will play this one until one side is eliminated/routed to reflect the original battle.

 

Lastly, The book scenario had them fighting over a ford.  With equal forces, whomever moved first would have a good advantage defending the bank of the ford so I have assumed the battle did not take place over the ford, or the ford was inconsequential.

Deployment

Arthur on the left, Medraut on the right.

Game

Skirmishers are cleared on both sides and Medraut charges in.  The entire line is engaged.

Both sides charge in.

A bunch of average rolls sees all disordered.  They are all equal combats so only a 1 (bad for attacker) or 6 (bad for defender) would swing the battles.

The next turn sees 3 (!) Sixes for Arthur’s battleline!   Medraut is among the casualties.

Extremely good luck for Arthur sees Medraut and two of his heavy infantry routed.

Bizarrely, Medraut’s side then rolls a 1 for the final humiliation of losing their entire force without inflicting any casualties.

 

Arthur wins, destroying the opposition with no loss to him.

Verdict

The game could have gone either way but with a string of 6s followed by a string of 1s it was going to end badly for one side.  History is changed.

Scenario 3 – Battle of Dyrham 577AD

The West Saxons attack an alliance of three British kings, the latter holding a defensive position on a hill.

 

Internet links:

https://weaponsandwarfare.com/2020/05/15/the-battle-of-deorham-a-d-577/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Deorham

 

 

Setup

British: 1 Heavy Cavalry (with leader), 3 x Medium Infantry.  Breakpoint: 4

The Brits, defending the hill.

Saxons: 2 x Elite Warbands (one with leader), 3 x Warbands, 1 x Skirmishers. Breakpoint: 5

Saxon invaders

Deployment

British on the left, Saxons on the right.

 

Game

Warbands charge and roll 2 6’s in first contact.  Impetuous charging, even uphill and also some elite warbands means that two of the infantry units are simply destroyed.  A warband crashes through to the cavalry but is forced back.

 

Half the British force wiped out with the first Saxon charge. 

The Brits have reached their breakpoint!   A very fast game. 

 

Verdict

With these small battles, it just takes a few good dice for it all to end so quick.  I do not mind and am well used to it having played lots of games small in scope.

 

Scenario 4 – Battle of Maserfeld 641AD

Mercian Penda with Welsh allies attempts to stop the growing power of Northumbria under Oswald.

 

Internet links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Maserfield

http://legio-wargames.com/maserfield-ad-642/4537040166

 

 

Setup

Northumbrian: 1 Elite Warband + General, 4 x Medium Infantry. 2 x Skirmishers.  Breakpoint:5

Northumbrians

Mercia & Welsh: Mercia: 1 x Elite Warband +General, 2 x Medium Infantry, 1 x Skirmishers, Welsh: 2 x Warband, 1 x Skirmishers. Breakpoint: 5

Mercia (left) and Welsh (right)

 

Deployment

Northumbrian on the left, Mercians and Welsh on the right.

 

Game

Both move up, skirmishers exchange missiles.  One Northumbrian skirmishers stop a Welsh warband form advancing with the other one.  This was important as the single Welsh Warband roll high and could have destroyed the opposing infantry, instead only disordered.

Welsh warband fails to rout Northumbrian infantry (at front).

On the other flank, all locked in melee with some disorders on both sides.

Northumbrian left flank in melee with the Mercians.

Northumbrians have lost two infantry and the Mercian’s one (to Oswald the General who advances into the gap).  But still anyone’s to win.

Losses on both sides.

The Welsh lose an infantry, the Northumbrians lose two and are beyond their breakpoint and flee. 

 

But the Northumbrians lose even more and flee the field.

Verdict

As per history.  I really enjoyed this game – there were enough differences in the units to be interesting matchups and no outrageous die rolling by either side.  It would be fun to play this one on a 2’x2’ table with more units and maybe adding one Welsh cavalry unit for even more flavour.

 

Scenario 5 – Battle of WinWaed 654AD

Thirteen years later Oswald’s brother Oswiu manages to seek revenge on Penda by catching him unawares before a swollen ford.

 

Internet links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Winwaed

https://thepostgradchronicles.org/2017/11/16/the-battle-of-winwaed-and-the-rise-fall-of-pagan-mercia/

 

 Setup

Northumbrian: 1 Heavy Cavalry + General, 2 x Medium Infantry.  Breakpoint:3

Mercia: 1 x Heavy Cavalry +General, 2 x Medium Infantry. Breakpoint:3

 

Deployment

Mercians at the ford, Northumbrians to their rear.

Scenario special rules

After the first melee with the rear Mercian infantry unit is done, the remaining units in the Mercian columns may about face.

Each side will fight to the last unit.

 

Game

Northumbrian cavalry charges the rear of the Mercian infantry and unsurprisingly it routs.  The other units turn.  The Northumbrian cavalry manages to make it through the other infantry without damage but ends up locked in melee with the lone remaining Mercian unit – the cavalry.  Meanwhile the other Northumbrian infantry attempts to catchup.

The Northumbrian cavalry ploughs through the Mercian infantry and facing the cavalry.

And in a shock reversal, the Northumbrian cavalry flees! (rolled a 1)

 

The remaining Northumbrian infantry enter into melee.

 

The Mercian cavalry routs the Northumbrian cavalry but still has to contend with the infantry.

No outright win – both still disordered.  Now it becomes a slogging match – both are even on the roll, but there are two Northumbrian units to the one Mercian.

 

The Northumbrian get the upper hand (rolled a 6 the very next turn!) and win

 

Verdict

History repeats again. I am glad I introduced the scenario rules else it would not have been

an interesting game.

 

Scenario 6 – Battle of Nechtansmere 685AD

(also known as Battle of Dun Nechtain)

Ecgfrith of Northumbria is restricted by Mercia in extending south and so turns northward to the land of the Picts. The latter draw Ecgfrith further and further into their territory and into an ambush.

 

Internet links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dun_Nechtain

http://angusfolklore.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-battle-of-dun-nechtain-rearguard.html

http://hereticalgaming.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-woeful-battle-of-nechtansmere-ad685.html

 

Setup

Northumbrian: 1 Elite Medium Infantry + General, 3 x Medium Infantry.  Breakpoint: 4

Picts: 1 x Cavalry + General, 1 x Light Cavalry, 4 x Medium Infantry.  Breakpoint: 6

Deployment

Northumbrians chasing the Picts at the right, not knowing of the ambush to their rear.

Game

Northumbrians charge forwards into the retreating Pictish infantry and are locked in melee.  The Pict on the hill advances but is also locked in melee (bad rolls!)

The Pict ambush is not going as well as expected.

 

The other two Pict groups advance.

The Northumbrian General defeats the Pictish holding force.  They pursue, as does the echeloned infantry unit not in combat.

The Northumbrians hold on.

The flanking Pict defeats an opposing infantry.  The heavy cavalry splits off to attack the front Northumbrians.  Another Pictish unit slams into the rear of the remaining infantry in the centre but is locked into melee.

Finally, one Northumbrian unit succumbs.

While normally a disordered unit cannot about face within 6 of an enemy, I will allow the two forward Northumbrian units to do so.  The centre meleeing infantry unit is destroyed.  The heavy cavalry charges the remaining infantry and destroys it!

There is only one Northumbrian unit left and it is not looking great.

The Northumbrians have reached their breakpoint and flee.

 

Verdict

The game last longer than I thought!  Partly to do with the fact the centre units held out quite well.

 

Scenario 7 – Battle of Ashdown 871AD

The Vikings are on a hill and the Saxons, after losing a short while ago, are ready to take them on.

 

Internet links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ashdown

http://hereticalgaming.blogspot.com/2015/09/battle-of-ashdown-871ad.html

https://weaponsandwarfare.com/2016/05/17/the-battle-of-ashdown-january-8th-871/

https://bucellarii.blogspot.com/2018/10/battle-of-ashdown-871-ad-dux-bellorum.html

 

Setup

Saxon: 1 Elite Heavy Infantry + General, 1 Elite Heavy Infantry, 4 x Heavy Infantry.   Breakpoint:6

Saxons

Viking:   1 Heavy Infantry +General, 1 x Heavy Infantry, 2x Poor Heavy Infantry . Breakpoint: 4

Vikings

Note: Made the Saxons elite to give them a chance while fighting uphill!

 

Deployment

Vikings on the hill to the left, Saxons on the right.

 

Game

Saxons charge up the hill into combat.  While there was not going to be some outright routs, the additional units on the Saxon side did see some Vikings disorders for no reciprocal disorders.  In these instances, the Vikings will be fighting at even more of a disadvantage.

In the second round of melee, the Vikings lose two units and flee.

Saxons charge up the hill

And all over after a few rounds of melee.  Vikings flee.

 

Verdict

I finally get to use some of the Vikings figures I acquired in 2012, and then based in 2017.  This was a big of a dark age infantry slog.  I think I gave the Saxons too much of an advantage by making some Vikings Poor and extra units.  If playing again, I would not make any Vikings poor, and may even go as far as making two elites.

 

Scenario 8 – Battle of Wilton 871AD

It is two months after the Battle of Ashdown and Alfred and his Saxon force once again faces against the Vikings.  This time he is outnumbered.

 

Internet links:

https://thehistoryofengland.co.uk/resource/alfred-asser-on-the-crucial-year-870-871/

https://king-alfred.com/wp/2018/06/12/wilton/

https://ahgray.wordpress.com/2014/03/30/871-the-battle-for-wessex-or-how-alfred-the-great-came-to-the-throne/

  

Setup

Saxon: 1 Elite Heavy Infantry + General, 3 x Poor Heavy Infantry.   Breakpoint: 4

Saxons

Viking:   1 Elite Heavy Infantry + General, 1 x Elite Heavy Infantry, 6 x Poor Heavy Infantry. Breakpoint: 6

Vikings

Deployment

Saxons on the hill on the left, Vikings on the right.

Game

First Viking line charges up the hill.  Disorders all round.  The second line moves closer.  A Viking infantry unit on the right flank is destroyed and a Saxon unit pursues into the second Viking line and locked in melee.  A Saxon unit is destroyed and the elite Viking unit in the first line is also destroyed.  The Saxon General (Alfred) pursues into the second line.  Meanwhile another Saxon unit on the hill routs.

 

(apologies this is the first picture.  The game was very exciting so forgot to take pictures up until now.)

Vikings charge but saxons push them back and followup.

A poor Viking unit is routed by Alfred

Alfred routs a viking unit.

After a few more turns on melee, Alfred is routed and the remaining Saxons flee.

But Alfred flees and the Saxons lose.

Verdict

That was quite exciting.  The double lines created a great narrative where the first one is broken through to the second fresh line.  This would make a good scenario on a larger table.

 

Scenario 9 – Battle of Ethandun 878AD

Alfred the Great faces the Danish army to stop it form expanding and raiding into the ramaining English areas.

 

Internet links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Edington

https://weaponsandwarfare.com/2020/06/16/the-battle-of-ethandun-a-d-878-i/

https://solowargamer.wordpress.com/2014/03/24/the-battle-of-ethandun-part-1/

https://solowargamer.wordpress.com/2014/03/27/the-battle-of-ethandun-part-2/

http://madmacsattic.blogspot.com/2017/09/edington-may-878-ad-part-one-scenario.html

http://madmacsattic.blogspot.com/2017/09/edington-may-878-ad-part-two-game.html

 

Even an ebook:

https://www.amazon.com.au/King-Alfred-Great-Battle-Ethandun-ebook/dp/B00ONV0VF6

  

Setup

Saxon: 1 Elite Heavy Infantry + General, 1 Elite Heavy Infantry, 3 x Poor Heavy Infantry.   Breakpoint: 5

Saxons

Viking:   1 Elite Heavy Infantry + General, 3 x Poor Heavy Infantry. Breakpoint: 4

Vikings

Deployment

Vikings on the hill to the left, Saxons on the right.

Game

The Saxons charge up the hill into melee.  Disorders all round.

The Saxons chaIrge into melee.

 

T was likely never going to end well – the Vikings lose two and the Saxons one.  The Vikings have reached their breakpoint and flee

The Vikings reach their breakpoint and flee.

Verdict

Another dark age infantry slog.  One side on the hill and the other charging up it.  The side with the most units/better units tends to win.    At least the rules make the resolution fast!

 

Scenario 10 – Battle of Brunanburh 937AD

Olaf, King of Dublin, heads a coalition including Scotland and Strathclyde invades England.  The Saxon king Aethelstan and his brother Edmund gather an army and move north to combat the invaders.

 

Internet links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Brunanburh

http://hereticalgaming.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-battle-of-brunanburh-937ad-dba.html

https://www.kallistra.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=901

Also looked at Hail Caesar scenario, DBA3 scenario and Slingshot 103 scenario.

 

Setup

English: 1 Elite Heavy Infantry + General, 1 Heavy Infantry, 4 x Poor Heavy Infantry.   Breakpoint: 6

The English

Viking and Allies:   1 Elite Heavy Infantry + General, 1 x Elite Warband, 4 x Poor Heavy Infantry. Breakpoint: 6

Viking and allies

Deployment

English on the left, Vikings on the right.

Game

The Allies advance with each contingent clashed with it opposite group

Vikings and Allies advance into melee with the English.

Disorders all round.  It now is a battle of attrition – basically luck – as the sides are mostly equal and we await the 1s and 6s to see which units give way.

 

The first to go is a Viking unit.

The English pursue a routed Viking unit (no longer on the field!)

And then one of the Allies.

And then an Allied unit (English advancing after it routed)

But disaster – two of the right wing units of the English routs!  The Vikings  pursue.

But then two English unit are routed, including the general.

These routing units included Aethelstan as the General so the English flee the battlefield a victory to the Vikings and allies.

 

Verdict

Not many tactics but certainly an interesting game.  The shieldwall rules came into play in this battle as they prevented the (sole) opposing warband unit from getting shock.

 

Scenario 11 – Battle of Maldon 991AD

A contingent of Norse Vikings meet the Earl Byrhnoth in battle.  The Earl has allowed the Viking to cross a causeway to line up for a battle.

 

Internet links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Maldon

And the Hail Caesar scenario

 

Setup

English: 1 Elite Heavy Infantry + General, 2 x Poor Heavy Infantry.   Breakpoint: 3

Viking:   1 Elite Heavy Infantry + General, 3 x Poor Heavy Infantry. Breakpoint: 4

 

Deployment

Vikings at the top, English at the bottom.

 Game

The Vikings advance into battle.  All are disordered.  Three rounds of combat later and still all locked in melee.

Three rounds of melee and no one yet routed.

But it then all ends badly.  Two 1s on the English side sees two units rout and the battlefield belongs to the Vikings.

But then the English centre and left collapse and the Vikings win.

 

Verdict

The game went longer than I thought but the Vikings would have had to be very unlucky to lose.

 

Scenario 12 – Battle of Ashingdon 1016AD

(seems to be better known as the Battle of Assandun)

The last of the battles to determine if the Danes can complete their conquest of England.

  

Internet links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Assandun

https://rexfactor.wordpress.com/2016/10/18/1016-and-all-that-the-battle-of-assandun-and-the-road-to-hastings/

  

Setup

English: Edmund - 1 Heavy Infantry + General, 3 x Poor Heavy Infantry. Eadric – 1 x Heavy Infantry, 1 x Poor Heavy Infantry   Breakpoint: 6

English

Viking:   1 Elite Heavy Infantry + General, 2 x Heavy Infantry. 1 x Poor Heavy Infantry Breakpoint: 4

Vikings

Deployment

English on the left (Eadric at the bottom), Vikings on the right,

Eadric’s two units are setup uncontrolled.  This means his command will only activate if the enemy moves close enough for a reaction.  The Vikings of course will not do so.  This best reflects his treachery.

Note: I also noticed that I forgot to change the English to kite shields for this and the next few battles.

 

Game

The Viking charge up the hill at the English.  A lot of disorders.  The English have an advantage in the first turn being uphill but subsequent turns the Viking higher morale will give the Vikings the advantage.

The Vikings charge the main hill.

Three rounds on combat with no further casualties and then each side loses a unit.  The English unit contained Edmund (the assumption is he is wounded, just like in the actual battle).

 

Some losses on either side.

It was not going to end well for the lone unit holding the English right.  It breaks and the entire English army runs.

The English side loses too many units and the Vikings win.

Verdict

Another shieldwall Vs shieldwall on a hill!  At least it was quick.

 

Scenario 13 – Battle of Fulford Gate 1066AD

Tostig, brother of King Harold, is in exile and convinces Hardrada, King of Norway to pursue his claim to the English crown via invasion.  In Yorkshire, Harold’s earls Edwin and Morcar are there to stop them.

 

Internet links:

This site is brilliant, even has six maps of the battle sequence:

http://www.fulfordbattle.com/

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fulford

http://www.angelfire.com/mb2/battle_hastings_1066/1066.html

 

Setup

English: Morcar - 1 Elite Heavy Infantry + General, 2 x Poor Heavy Infantry. Edwin - 1 Heavy Infantry, 2 Poor Infantry. Breakpoint: 6

The English. Edwin on the left, Morcar on the right. 

Norwegian:  1 Elite Heavy Infantry + General, 1 Elite Heavy Infantry, 2 x Heavy Infantry, 2 x Poor Heavy Infantry. Breakpoint: 6

Vikings

Deployment

English on the left, Vikings on the right.

Note: I also noticed that I forgot to change the English to kite shields for this and the next few battles.

 

Game

The Norwegian right flank wades into the river.  Morcar, on the left flank, responds by charging downhill.  Disorders all round.

Then Hadrada leads his force off the hill into the English right flank. They roll 2 1s! But luckily both elite and so survive.

The forces meet in the valley.

Mercer (on the English left) routs a opposing unit, but the Norwegians routs one as well.  But all is not well on the right flank for the English – two English units rout.

Morcar holds on but Edwin loses too many units and the Vikings win.

The English have reached their breakpoint and flee the battlefield.

 

Verdict

An interesting battle, and a bit more terrain than normal.

 

Scenario 14 – Battle of Stamford Bridge 1066AD

The English catch the Norwegians at Stamford Bridge unprepared for battle.

 

Internet links:

http://www.battlefieldsofbritain.co.uk/battle_stamford_bridge_1066.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stamford_Bridge

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com/2014/10/stamford-bridge-1066.html

 

Setup

English: 1 Elite Heavy Infantry + General, 2 Heavy Infantry, 3 x Poor Heavy Infantry. Breakpoint: 6

English

Norwegian:  1 Heavy Infantry + General, 1 Heavy Infantry, 3 x Poor Heavy Infantry. Reinforcements: 1 Poor Heavy Infantry.  Breakpoint: 6

Norwegians (reinforcement at the very back).

As my rules are quite fast, reinforcements will enter on turn 1!

 

Deployment

English on the left, Norwegians on the right.

Note: This is the battle after the English have crossed the bridge.

Note: I also noticed that I forgot to change the English to kite shields for this and the next few battles.

 

Game

The English advance into battle on the hill.  Everyone disordered.

The English charge onto the hill.

The Norwegians destroy the left flank English unit but also lose a unit on the flank.

A few losses on each side and then the Norwegians reach their breakpoint and flee.

The Norwegians lose a unit on their left flank and another unit on their right.  But the reinforcements manage to contact one of the pursuing English units...and destroy it!

But the Norwegians have reached their breakpoint and flee.

 

Verdict

Another quick game.

 

Scenario 15 – Battle of Hastings 1066AD

After defeating Hardrada in the north, Harold rushes south to fight the Norman invasion.

 

This is an iconic battle and so not sure that my small game will do it justice!

Internet links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hastings

https://www.beastsofwar.com/featured/wargaming-battle-hastings-1066-anniversary/

http://shedwars.blogspot.com/2019/03/1066-battle-of-hastings-28mm-wargame.html

http://napoleon-complex-gaming.blogspot.com/2017/10/hail-caesar-battle-of-hastings-1066.html

http://nosherswargames.blogspot.com/2011/09/hail-caesar-scenario-hastings-1066.html

 

Setup

English: 1 Elite Heavy Infantry + General, 2 x Heavy Infantry, 2 Poor Infantry. Breakpoint: 5

Finally remembered to change the English figures to the later kite shields for this battle. I did say I was not that familiar with this era.

The English.

Norman:  3 Skirmishers, 3 Heavy Infantry, 3 Elite Heavy Cavalry (1 With General). Breakpoint: 6

The Normans.

Deployment

English at the top on the hill, Normans below.

Nice to see cavalry again in a battle.  It was about 10 battles ago I last had cavalry on the table.

The Normans are in three separate groups even though they ate all touching.  Being three separate groups means the units cannot support one another.

 

Game

The Normand advance up the hill.  The skirmishers do no damage so retire.  The infantry then charge into melee.

Skirmishers do no damage, the Norman infantry now in the fray.

The Norman left flank retreats (through the cavalry) and the cavalry unit now charges into the English line.  

The left flank Norman infantry retires, leaving the cavalry ready to charge in (they will fail and flee).

The cavalry flee and the English steadfastly do not pursue.

The centre Norman infantry is defeated and again the supporting cavalry charge in and deplete the opposing English unit.

The centre goes much the same way for the Normans but at least the cavalry (with William!) do not flee.

William manages to destroy an opposing infantry unit!

The left flank infantry unit charges up the hill and manages to disorder the opposing English units.

The Norman left flank infantry recover and charge back up the hill.

The English defeat the Norman left flank and also pursue!

The left flank of the Normans collapses!

The Norman left flank collapses completely - one English unit pursues.  The English left flank has also collapsed.

The Norman right flank cavalry moves off the hill to charge the English infantry on the other flank.  Meanwhile the Normans move to pin the centre of the English.

The Norman cavary from the right flank move to the left to attack the English unit off the hill.

Finally, the cavalry, with William, succumbs to Harold’s elite force and retries.  The English win.

The Norman centre cavalry (with William) is routed.  The English win in this close game.

Verdict

Having the three lines worked quite well.  If I was playing again, I am tempted to reduce the English to 4 units, with 5, they had a free unit in frontage compared to the Normans.  Alternatively, I could have spread the Norman force into three separate columns and that way the three units could have engaged the 5.  Next time!

 

Overall Verdict

Thought it would not take up too much time - I mean how long can it take to figure out a scenario with half a dozen units on a side and play it out with fast play rules?  Setup, play, take down, photos and note taking would be over in less than 30 minutes.  As it was.  What I did forget was this is just like my Ancient battle replays – the reading about the battle, the leadup and different scenarios where people have done their own interpretations.  All fascinating stuff and I would have spent at least an hour, and usually several hours, on each battle researching.  Most fun it was too! Many of the battles are one line of heavy units clashes with another one, and one side is on a hill.  But some had tactical nuances that would provide replayability. Some of the earlier ones I think I will run on a larger table later, particularly Maserfeld and Wilton. I got to play in a period I am not that familiar with, I got my Vikings on the table for the first time (I acquired them in 2011) and I got to actually do all this as planned.  Well I planned it in 2014 so only 6 years late!  Also importantly the rules remain unchanged after the 15 plays.  Although not a wide range of units were used, it is a positive indication for this current evolution on the rules.  A satisfying solo November challenge.