Of course I apologise in advance once more for my poor reporting style but I would like the exploits of Harold at Dublin to be set down for posterity.

The Brian Boru is a competition I really enjoy, themed and 200ap what more could one ask for. This year's theme was the Northmen, it looked to all those rascals from the top of Europe and their enemies. Originally I was of course looking at my own first DBM army, the Normans, fielding an army of Kn(F) and Ps only, which could be fun but I opted for William's erstwhile adversary Harold. Why I hear you all cry, really it was to test a blade and spear army against knights (with the plus 1), also it is an army that has Irr Sp(O) which have to be fun and it is (well can be) an infantry force so IMO in keeping with the theme. Had decided all this a long time ago but in light of a proposed benefit for generals who kill enemies in combat and may be something can be taken from this report.

Planning the army was easy,

Harold was taken as brilliant Bd(S), 3 royal Huscarles Bd(S), 8 Select Fryd Sp(O) and 3 Ps(O) archers who could support the spears (but strangely not the Blades).

21/5.5/7.5

Leofwine Bd(O), had a bodyguard of 3 Huscarles Bd(O), 8 Select Fryd Sp(O), 2  Ps(I) and 1 mounted Select Fryd Cv(I) (was originally no mounted at all but could not find anything useful to spend the AP on)

18.5/5/6.5

Gyrth Bd(O), had a bodyguard of 2 Huscarles Bd(O), 6 Select Fryd Sp(O) and 3 Ps(O) slingers.

15/4/5.5

Interestingly the Anglo-Danes are only allowed Bge(O), which I decided to take as a train command to leave the brothers free to flank march if that became necessary. Any one looking at taking allies with only Bge(O) available may want to take this into consideration.

Camp: 3 Bge(O).

1.5/0.5/1

Of course all irregular. The plain was to defend (yes defend!), place a narrow river (to slow the pony club) and other terrain to create a clash in the centre of the table, deploying first and moving first on a small table should bring enemy within tactical distance straight away. Harold was to use brilliant strokes in combat only, in head to head scrums, each command to deploy on table as far forward as possible with blades and generals in the front line each supported by 2 ranks of spears, skirmishers usually attached and the lone mounted element placed with nothing really in mind (except possible marches by warband).

Easy plan, easy to deploy and hopefully would meet some Viking blades, fast or inferior I would not mind. It should allow for quick high-risk games so a few pints could be consumed and laughs obtained.

And TBF that's how it nearly worked out (except for the pints, no bar!).

Anticipation for this event was further heightened for an elite few on the release of the `runners and riders', not only was that Kerry scoundrel Tony Bergin(son) taking William's 1066 invasion force, a gentleman form Sweden was going to use King Harald Hardara and my treacherous brother Tostig. It was a pity that none of us actually met in the draw, at least it was possible to dream of a mini 1066 sub competition.

Mr A. drove up early on the Sabbath day, taking Harold along for the ride. Due to logistic reasons Harold left his `awk behind (the silly thing was sick as a parrot) and the `orse would not fit into the people carrier (though twas close).

Game 1 Seamus and his devious Khazars.

Well did not want those fellows, really a regular army in a Northman comp.

Seamus decided to get on the invading old England bandwagon. He also decided to place no terrain. I took a narrow river, a wood and 2 halves of boggy flat, the river flowed from the narrow side on my right to Seamus' rear edge, the wood on his right, one boggy flat on the other side of the river (no effect on the game) the other discarded.

I deployed Gyrth against the river, Harold in the middle, Huscarle shallow with the big man in support anchored on Gyrth's command, Fryd in to ranks extending to Leofwine on the left. The Kazars deployed the Khagan's wagon on the rear edge next to the river, commanded by a Cv(S) general with an Irr Cv(S) and 3 Lh(S) in column along said feature. 2 commands of Cv(S) in front and Cv(O) behind formed the rest of a small box; crafty Seamus was going to pick on two of my commands ignoring Leofwine.

Well so what, I moved first and advanced with Harold and Gryth, cutting down the Khazars space while trying to form Leofwine's command into column to swing around the Khazar's open flank (well trying to out flank a regular mounted army with Irregular HI, how difficult could it be. Seamus, a little surprised by my aggressive advance also came on with the Cv(S) while attempting to cover the open side with Cv(O). Head to head, Gryth took some damage and soon became disheartened and broke when he went down at the head of his troops (ordinary foot against superior cavalry how else is it going to go), why did I not allocate the supporting archers to his command. Harold was having a better time in the centre (`why are you attacking my Cv(S)' asked Seamus, `coz it is the only way to kill them' I replied with steel in my eyes), Harold and his cohorts killed a couple of Cv(S) and a Cv(O) to take one command but TBF Seamus did kill a Royal Huscarle and had a few goes at a flank locked Harold. I suppose this was practice for the Varangian guard in feature eastern service. We did play quite a good few bounds, the action see sawing, the Beg's wagon moving away from a spontaneous Fryd but time was called.

Seamus and his pony club had 5 penalty points, Harold having lost Gryth and just the one Royals 3 points. 14 11 to me, unfair to the horse lord as he had more opportunities to break Harold and I was happy. Oh and I attempted to invade in winter to get hungry horses, which came as a surprise to Seamus.

Harold often did fight first especially with his brilliant strokes to try and create overlaps but on at least one occasion an adjoining Royal fought first as it's opponent was flank locked at 4 3 and this would create an overlap for the big man.

Game 2: Brother Donal and his Norwegian Vikings (blade fast era).

This is more like it; Donal invaded and took a sea, and me a wood and 2 gentle hills. Seas on my right, thicker strip my side. Wood once more on Donal's left, one gentle hill on my left table edge (no effect on game), another next to the sea a little over half way line (as a defender MINE!).

Easy deployment, Gryth against the sea, slingers in reserve in case of navel or to fill the growing gap between the sea and the HI. Instructed to take the hill (Crucial). Harold in the middle once more leading from the front. Leofwine on the left, his scouts and Cv(I) facing the wood. Donal had his C in C facing the hill with 10 Huscarles and a Cv(I) scout, a Bd(F) Sub general with 11 raiders in the centre and a mirror command on his left. Apart from Donal's Bd(O) command and 3 Bd(F) in the woods all HI from both armies were 3 deep, (`As Phil Barker intended' was the quote of the game, whether it was true or not). My generals in the front, Donal's cowering in the rear.

Did not record the dice as this was going to be a quick bruising encounter, Harold trying to roll over the centre, Gryth holding the hill and Leofwine to murder his opponent before Donal's extra width could be bought to bear and roll me up.

A general advance on bound 1 saw Gryth well up the hill and the other commands closing on Donal. The Norwegians came on. Bound 2 the Anglo-Danes advance once more (the main line only once as we were close now), Harold dispatched his archers to try and aid the both wings at the same time. The mounted scouts facing Impetuous Bd(F) from the woods. Donal's Bd(F) attacked along the line, his own scouts nibbling at slingers at the sea side, Bd(F) attacking scouts on the other, the C in C demonstrating in front of Gryth on the hill. Steady lads, recoils here and there for either side pursuits into contact (for all bar my generals).

My bound, pick the overlap combats, brilliant stroke with Harold (which was not first as supporting Huscarles on either side could remove overlaps on the big man while he was providing overlaps on them), a few 4-3's and 4-2's saw blade fast falling like flies (more so to the ordinary blades strangely), though the Royals were performing well.

Donal's turn and my true Huscarles shrugged of overlaps form Donal, though he was making progress on the wings, his C in C advanced up the hill to attack Gryth. Blade (O) against up hill Bd(O) or in some places Sp(O), his scouts against slingers. But the steady lines of Saxons staggered but were not destroyed (though the Cv(I) did not survive long against Bd(F)).

My bound, attack once more, Leofwine only got a one so went into combat, this left 2 spears having to spontaneously advance through their Huscarle, these 2 were promptly quick killed next bound in flanked combat but Donal's raiders were still falling, my Huscarles remaining true.

Donal's bound, killed the two spear but lost more raiders in combat, his own Cv(I) not killing the slingers quickly enough to start getting on rears. His loses were mounting though and the raiding commands became disheartened.

Time to turn the screw, overlapped dishearten Bd(F) against Bd(S&O) and another Harold brilliant stroke and they both broke, they came for plunder and met cold steel.

Harold's loses in this brutal encounter, 2 Spears, the mounted scouts and a couple of spent and dead skirmishers. A whopping 25 nil: excellent.

Game 3: Top table action against Padraig's bull's head war trumpets of the east: Pechenegs.

An all Munster clash, I knew most of Padraig's army, he was aware of mine. Sitting on 50 points and me on 39. I realised that holding on to second place was going to be tough, while Padraig who had as yet not won a competition was in a fairly secure place and would not need much to get his elusive first out right tournament win.

Why was I insecure, War wagons and lots of them.

I of course defended an put down a narrow river one more (running long end to long end in on the right side), a wood once again on my opponents right and some rough in the centre, a gentle hill on my extreme left had no barring on the game.

My deployment was reversed, Leofwine to advance along the river, his slingers to hold the bank next to the camp, Harold and his Royals in the open next in line (hopefully facing War Wagons), his spear to attack though the Rough and Gryth attacking towards the woods on my left.

Let me tell you Mr Mather would not pass Padriag's list. 2 commands of Cv(O) general and Lh(F) on either wing, a C in C with a few Cv(O) and Lh(S) and 1 War wagon in the centre and a train command of 5 War wagons mainly behind the rough but with gaps (some in two ranks, bad news for Mr B. as they can not from line to the front). Legal the list is, in the spirit of the list possibly not. I am not complaining as it does IMO make much difference to the army and the restriction in the list appears harsh.

So we went at it for loads of bounds, a Lh(F) command killing some of Gryths command, breaking it up bit not getting enough to dishearten it, his other Lh(F) going across river trying to take baggage (repulsed twice on 2 nil to the baggage), War wagons shooting but not killing, Harold's spears attacking War wagons and dragging down a stray Lh or 2, but dawdling in attacking the Cv(O) covered by Lh(S) un supported. Managed to kill one war wagon though. Time was called and I had just got 10 percent of Padraig's army, he just less than 10 percent of mine. I could not close quick enough and the Pechenegs standing off well enough. Never even got to use a brilliant stroke. We were also a little distracted from the strains of the theme from the film `the last of the Mohcans' coming from Mr A.'s table but I expect him to tell that story!

Two interesting things of note: 1, S foot do not get an offensive bonus against train (though that may be changing), did not happen in the game but still. And 2, a spear fled a light horse fast in front of a wood, as it stops it's recoil before entering difficult terrain, Padraig stated (and rightly so?) that it was dead as it could not complete it's initial recoil, it has happen before in my games due to friends but never difficult going.

14 11 to me once more, I actually did not think it would be enough to hold onto second place and I was surprised to be wrong (not surprised because I was wrong but surprised at being second).

Thanks to umpire Mick and the lads at DGG, great day.

And if you have read this far apologies for the long-windedness.

Harold, still true king of the Saxons.

(Next time Tony, next time).