Midgard: Saxons v Picts

Martin came over bringing his Saxons and we staged another battle against my Picts.

This time the Bloody Ford scenario from the Chronicles of Midgard book.

The battle began with a clash of Champions in the water.

The Pictish hero cut down the Saxon invader but his heroic death was celebrated by his fellows.

The Picts surged forward.

Toward the waiting Saxons

Resplendent behind their many coloured shields.

And with banners fluttering.

On came the English

The Picts held their ground hoping to weaken the foe with javelin shots.

Bravely the slingers paddled into the stream and unleashed their hail of stones

The Saxons took cover behind their wall of shields.

Still more Pictish warriors surged toward the ford.

With foolhardy warriors entering the water to launch their javelins at the invaders.

The Pictish nobles urged caution.

Horsemen two entered the river to hurl missiles at the Saxons. But still they came on.

The Saxons would not be held back and plunged into the waters to meet the Picts.

The slingers paid for their impudence and imprudence

Soon the Saxons were amongst the Pictish hosts, their better armour protecting them from vengeful attacks.

The lines became a crush and blood stained the banks of the river.

The Warlords and their bodyguard met. The Pict King bellowed a challenge, the wily Saxon preferred to fight alongside his men in the shieldwall.

The light protection of the Picts saw them easily cut down as the Saxons pushed across the river.

The King saw his men cut down all around him. With his reputation crumbling he chose to fight on alone.

As did another of the Pictish noblemen.

Desperately with the battle all but lost the cavalry abandoned their shooting to charge home.

More Picts hurled themselves at the invaders, joining their leader in his desperate fight.

But despite the heroics, the battle was lost, Pictish reputation was shattered and the Saxons held the field.

Great fun game. The Pict shooting failed to slow the Saxon advance and as soon as they were able to charge home the weak armour of the Picts saw them die in droves.

Some bonus phone pictures:

I've decided to use this as the start of a campaign. Martin left me a copy of his army list so I can use that to form the basis of a court. Then whether it's Martin, Scrivs, Matt or James who fancies a game - they can take the Saxons (using my models if necessary) and I play the Picts each time. Less reliant on a single opponent  - one enemy with many leaders.

Now I just need to sketch out a rough map with Bamburgh at the bottom and Dun Nechtain at the top.

Midgard: Picts v Angles

 James, Matt and Martin came over after an enforced pause in gaming activity to get me back into the swing of things with a Midgard game. I've been toying with the idea of trying to put together a Goblet Sized Campaign for Picts and Northumbrians with a Nechtansmere theme. Mainly because I have both armies needed for such a thing.

So this was by way of a warm up. James suggested the  "Enemy All round Us" scenario as being vaguely Nechtansmere like, so that's what we played.

Matt and I took control of the ambushing Picts, James and Martin were the invading Angles.

An unsuspecting King Ecgfrith leads his men in pursuit of fleeing Picts.

Who suddenly and unexpectedly turn to face their pursuers

This surely will be easy meat for the Saxons

Hang on, what's that on the flank?

A trap! Face about, men!

The Saxon battle lines are drawn up

Bold Pict skirmishers are soon hunted down

Easy victims for the Saxon warriors

But the aggressive Pictish warriors swarm upon Ecgfrith and his men

The centre of the field is chaos as Northumbrians chop down lightly clad Picts, but more spring up to replace them

On the flank the Pict king urges his men to close the range

The Saxon horse responds to the threat

Howling Pict warriors rush to defend their King

The cavalry are pushed back

Ecgfrith is in the thick of the fighting

The fighting on the flank is fierce and bloody

No quarter given by either side

Dead litter the field and it seems the Northumbrians have the upper hand.

However the Pictish king pushes on and the Northumbrian flank begins to buckle.

A lone Anglian horseman bravely hold back the King.

Ecgfrith is cut down by vengeful Picts.

Shields are splintered and corpses cover the field.

With the death of the last of the invading horsemen, the Northumbrian goblet is empty of reputation and the PIcts can claim the win!

A splendid game. At one point, with lightly armoured Picts falling like flies it felt only a matter of time before Ecgfrith would win the day.

However Matt managed to steal one of the loot counters away from the invaders and the death of Ecgfrith was a blow from which the Angles could not recover,

A few bonus phone pictures.

Really good to get the toys back out on the table and see the gang again. The game was great but really secondary to the social side of things.