Age of Arthur WAB Day - Battle Two

After a break for lunch (in a triumph of hope over experience Scrivs attempted to feed wargamers with large quantities of salad – he will shortly be the proud owner of the fattest rabbits in all of Nottinghamshire) it was on to the second game.

I was to play Craig, who I have played enjoyable gamesagainst before, in a quest to stop his marauding Welshmen making off with my sheep (you are invited to make up your own borderline racist jokes at this point). The sheep would wander randomly about the board unless corralled and herded by skirmishers. Whoever ended up with the sheep at the end would be the winner (some of the sheep were actually pigs, but pork or lamb chops are not so very different to a hungry Dark Age warrior).

 The Saxon Sheep Protection Force enter the valleys

 Lambs for the lads!

These sheeps've been shaved

I decided to let my fierce Geoguth go sheep herding, placed the Romans on my right flank, anchored on the woods and filled the centre of the board with hairy Saxons.

Shortly the Welsh hove into view and with much deep voiced singing they began to lurch toward the wildstock.

 It's for your own good, sheep

 Moustachioed marauders

 So good I photographed them twice

 Where'd the pigs go?

I advanced cautiously and the sheep duly scattered across the board. Craig pushed some cavalry around my right flank. The Welsh slingers were able to round up the pigs in fairly short order and, deprived of a better target I sent the Geoguth to face down the Welsh horsemen. 

 You're fighting for the wrong side, boys!

 Fighty, stabby!

My leftmost Duguth unit charged into some mercenary Saxons and saw them off, but were unable to catch them and instead crashed into the Welsh spearmen. My rightmost Geoguth unit forgot about the sheep they were chasing and hurled themselves at the Welsh skirmishers, seeing them off, but then running wildly after them, only to be steamrollered by the Welsh Teulu. Curse you, Fierceness!

On the other flank some good arrers by the Geoguth (and unexpected discipline) meant the Welsh horsemen turned tail and ran away for a bit.

 Come on then. No you come on. No, you...etc.

 The Romans watch their hirelings do the dirty work

 This isn't going our way

With neither of us prepared to commit our hearthguard units we settled down to play “who fails warband first” and sure enough it was me. My Duguth ploughed home and were well and truly creamed by the Welsh. Their inevitable flight caused my general to soil his fighting trousers and run away. Fortunately he was later able to steady the ranks, but the damage had been done and the Teulu rampaged through the centre of my line.

Desperately the Tribune ordered his men forward. The Welsh, sensing easy pickings hurled themselves at the Romans. However discipline and big shields carried the day and the Welshmen fled. With a final plaintiff bleat the sheep ambled up alongside the victorious Romano British and with that the battle drew to a close.

 Flee, for your lives!

 If you want something doing. Do it yourself.

The final fight, and fortuitous sheep move, had enabled me to snag a draw. On balance this was probably slightly harsh on Craig, but the fight had see-sawed a few times.

Craig was a pleasure to play against as always and the sheep move phase added immeasurably to the game.