Age of Arthur Wab Weekender - the fun begins

Last Saturday I packed up the Early Saxons and headed off bright and early to Maelstrom games for a weekend of Age of Arthur gaming. True to form I'd been up the night before finishing off a few models (to a fairly rudimentary standard), frantically searching out movement trays of approximately the right dimensions and flocking a river. Friday night, a resin river and a bumper bag of static grass - truly I am living the dream.

This was my army, a full 1500 points of:
Cynning, Hail of Blows
Thegn, ASB,
Scop   
Wiglera   
Atheling
23 Duguth, Full Command   
24 Duguth, Full Command   
20 Gedrith, Light Armour, Full Command
24 Geoguth, Throwing Spear, Full Command
9 Skirmishers (slings)

And an additional 300 points
Thegn, Throwing Spear, Light Armour, Horse           
8 Mounted Duguth, Horses, Full Command
12 Geoguth

These would be used in some of the scenarios and be subject to random deployment cards to add to the fun.


On arrival I was pleased to see most of the usual suspects. Counting up I reckoned I'd played against half of the attendees at previous events so I was looking forward to getting in some games against new opponents

First order of the day was to claim our starting territories. Scrivs had made a nice map of Britain C500AD and through the medium of Tiddlywinks we built our homelands. As a practicing Anglian Warlord I grabbed the eastern counties with a fetching yellow colour.

The high water mark of Anglian exansion

We were then paired off against nearby rivals. As I'd played Scrivs (blue) in a couple of recent warm-up games that left regular nemesis Tom as my nearest rival, so I was to be fighting his Franks- so much for meeting new opponents.

The battle was to be a pitched one, so in true AoA style we lined up and went at it. Tom made some excuses about not having quite finished his army, but I think he just likes to borrow Jim's models (and who can blame him, they are rather nice). At least in this battle he was using AoA Franks who're not quite as frisky as the FotW ones he used at the last event. The result, however, was remarkably similar.

Tom/Jim's Battle Line

 

 Right men I want a steady, tactica...oh stuff it, Charge!

 Get 'em lads!

CRUNCH!

 

I chased off a few skirmishers then the battle lines clashed and then I came off worst.

 The Claw! The Claw, flee the Claw!

Run away!!!

As usual when Tom and I play we had to ask some of the grown-ups how the rules actually worked, but we muddled through in good spirits with Tom in the end getting a well deserved close run victory.
As usual a good fun game with a splendid opponent.