Vikings vs. Anglo-Danish

For the third week in a row I got Mr. Bertolini out of his house project and over here to play a game. Last week he pointed out that, though he’d played many games based on DBA (Great War, Seven Years War, etc), he'd never actually played a period it was actually written for. So this week we broke out some Dark Ages army for a good old Dark Age Shoving match.

Jolly Old England, The Dark Ages

SCENARIO

Dastardly Vikings raiding the English shores!

FORCES

Vikings – John
1x Blade General
10x Blade
1x Psiloi

Anglo-Danish – Tim
1x Blade General
2x Blade
8x Spear
1x Psiloi



THE GAME

The Vikings were the agressors, so I set up some terrain and john decided on a table edge, got it and we set up…

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


The Viking hordes descend on a hapless English village


I sent forth my Psiloi to attack the Viking Psiloi in the woods


The Viking Psiloi shoved them out


So my guys went in again…


…and again were obliged to withdraw.


Slowly the Viking line drew ever nearer while the light infantry continued to scrap in the woods.


Finally it was my turn to shove the Viking skirmishers back and then I followed them deeper into the woods where they sprung their clever trap… or something…


“Ooooh! Aaaarrrr! ‘E got me!”

Dead Psiloi. Vikings: 1, Anglo-Danish: 0


The serious clash of real troops was over on the hill at the other end of the English line – the Vikings charged up the hill to meet the English spear!


Oh, and flank them…


Poof! Dead Spearmen (and the reat pushed back over the crest of the hill). Vikings: 2, Anglo-Danish: 0


Seemed there was nothing for it but to charge back over the hill to maintain that advantage and for force some of the Vikings back into their own troops and hopefully route them in the confusion..


Shoved one back. Not the one I wanted, though.


In a bold move, worthy of the Vikings he was playing John rushed them back up the hill, throwing one stand into the gap in the English line.


They were thrown back down the hill, but not far enough to cause them any bother. The English spearmen that were caught in the mess were utterly destroyed, however. Vikings: 3, Anglo-Danish: 0


Briefly the Viking Skirmishers tried to sneak around the other flank and I turned some English spearmen to hopefully shove them off the table edge…


…but I never got the chance as the flanking wonders over on the other line finished clearing off the hill and the English general was compelled to “ask for terms”…

Vikings: 4, Anglo-Danish: 0

Oh, bother.

Another quick, fun game – with enough time left over to finish up a battle report and get to bed at a decent hour (or get some painting done!). Got me thinking I should really finish up those Irish… or Welsh… O maybe the Scotts… or Early Germans… or perhaps one (or more) of the other Romans… or… um… well, you get the idea…

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

Not much happening on the figure painting front. I am getting lots of other painting done, however. Perhaps another battle report next week…?