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On we sweep with threshing oar

Page history last edited by Rob Brennan 13 years, 4 months ago

Last night at the club, Vikings vs Strathclyde (II/81) c790 AD. 375 AP.

The Vikings were in their Raider form. 3 commands, 2 with Huscarls (Irr Bd(O))
with some raiders (Irr Bd(F)) and the third command being raiders with 4
longships. Some slaves with baggage were in a camp behind the army.

The Strathclyde had 4 commands, 3 with cavalry and pedyts (Irr Sp(I)), and one
with more cavalry and some light horse.

The Vikings invaded in Autumn (being delayed by strong winds from the planned
Summer campaign) down the coastline (Sea on the Viking right flank). The
battlefield was relatively empty with some difficult hills on the edges and a
large promontory pushing into the sea.

The Strathclyde arrayed their forces first, with 3 commands of spear and horse,
with the majority of the horse on the inland flank. They fixed their left flank
against the promontory, which was held by some Irish mercenaries. The fourth
command was not present on the table.

The Vikings arrayed in line, with the CinC in the center. The raiders with the
serpent standard on the coastal flank with 4 longships rowing down the coast.

Battle started late on a clear Autumn day, the men of Strathclyde held their
ground and sent their horse around the inland flank. More cavalry stood behind
the shieldwalls. On the Vikings came, the longships glided over the water
towards the promontory. Some raiders on the inland flank we sent to confront the
Strathclyde horse. Some Strathclyde skirmishers, both horse and foot were sent
in front of the shieldwalls to slow the Vikings, but on they came.

The 4 Viking longships landed on the near side of the promontory and disgorged
their troops. These were attacked by the Irish and some Strathclyde horse. On
the inland flank, the Strathclyde horse engaged the raiders that had been sent
to block their progress. The results of these battles characterised the battle
to come. Strathclyde men, dragged of their horses and butchered by the men of
the fiords. Irish, butchered by the long axes of their foes. The shieldwalls of
the Britons rent as the northmen sung of Valhalla. The Strathclyde generals
looked to the inland flank, but no help arrived. The Vikings came closer,
butchering all in their wake, so the noble men of the Britons shouldered through
the shieldwalls and charged the closing Vikings.

A long, grinding battle ensued. Some Vikings left for Valhalla, but more men of
the Britons fell to be fed on by ravens. The Strathclyde nobility had charged to
the fore, and with the death of one of their leaders, the Strathclyde inland
flank wavered, and eventually fled the field. Their horses running wild, the men
of the shieldwall dying with axe cuts to their back. The center of the
Strathclyde line held for a little longer, but soon both them and the coastal
flank were wavering, men fleeing for their lives. Dust was seen on the inland
flank and more Britons arrived on the field, but it was too late, as the
remaining shieldwalls broke and the nobility of the Britons bled out on their
native soil. The King of the Britons cried out to his weak and powerless god as
the axes fell.

We are your overlords.


Observations;

A) An extremely fun game, at least for me! But I ended up with a case of Norman
back.

B) The important events in the battle.
1) The failure of the British horse on their right to flank the Vikings. Poor
combat dice and PIPs at crucial points lead to the Vikings pushing into combat
along the line with no threats to their flank.
2) Excellent PIPs at crucial points meant the Vikings could re-deploy the
impetuous raiders to point in the correct direction, so they moved towards those
threats!
3) The flank-march starved the British of vital combat troop, so the Vikings
were fighting 3/4 of the British.

C) The failure of the flank marches are a reoccurring theme. My loss to the
Irish a couple of weeks ago was for that exact reason, where the naval flank
march robbed the army of troops it needed. The same thing happened in a Medieval
game being played on another table. Flank marching substantial amounts of your
army can be a gamble that loses you the game, unless you can increase the chance
of them coming on!

D) I'm used to the spontaneous movement now.

E) It helps to have hot dice.

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