Dark Ages at the Club

Club night once again, Simon asked if we could to a War and Conquest game, I could be wrong but he might be thinking of bumping up his Saga Vikings to play this, we have had two games before and each time I try to make sure the game is enjoyable.

As it was a club night I wrote up two armies for 2,000 points but also sent him the lists so if he had time he could build his own, much better for the game. I had the Saxons and although I could have taken two companion units of Gedriht that would have left me with four men and a dog to hold the flanks, also I thought it was a bit much to bring two to the battlefield for a casual game. I know what you are thinking, decent chap, yes sure.

We set up and had to, Simon, who was Romano-British was fairly cautious at first and was trying out his mounted troops as skirmishers, this takes some doing to pull off correctly and it is not something I can usually manage which is why I prefer just to kill the enemy skirmishers and then get on with the real battle. I therefore managed to get my cavalry on Simon's left flank and hit a battle formation from the front with infantry and on the flank with the cavalry, first blood to me. Simon had gone into shieldwall as had I with most of my men.

Battle commences.

  It was now my turn to do something stupid, my only defense being that it was a club night and time was of the essence and I also wanted to ensure Simon had a proper game, so hanging back wasn't an option. I also thought that my elites would thump their opposite numbers, I was wrong, they took a bashing in the first round, oh, oh. By now I had put my cavalry into skirmish while I reorganised my right for the killing blow, but Simon charged his newly reformed cavalry and mine were on nags so they were caught and dispersed. I just needed my Gedriht to hold on until my Franks, yes, I had decided to give them their umpteenth chance to change my mind about them, hit their opponents in the rear, game over.

I ask too much of the Gedriht (White Horse).

But no, although my brave boys rallied somewhat they could not overcome the defensive power of Simon's Comitatus in shieldwall and they ran just as the Franks were ready to charge. As time was now fast running out Simon charged two more units at my shieldwalls, I think he won one fight while I won the other, but it needed at least a couple of turns to play out which we did not have.

Neither of us got their objective but Simon was one unit up on me, a winning draw. Elsewhere there was the usual boardgame, two this week actually and a Warmaster Biblical game I think, there were chariots involved. Not a full complement but it was a lovely day and evening so perhaps the sun gods were otherwise engaged. Perhaps we will see more of the Franks anon.