A Suffering Saxifrage of Saxons!

A Headless Body Production
Venue: An Undisclosed Basement
Event: Wednesday Game Knight
Players: Phil Gardocki, Steve Turn running Saxons, or Frisians, or Jutes, who knows? List 100
               Bruce Potter running Vikings
Game System: L'Art de la Guerre, 15mm, 300 points per side.

The Forces:

The Vikings are led by Hagar the Horrible, the Competent.  And 3 buddies, also Competent when they are not reveling.  
Visible are 17 Heavy Swordsmen, some look very motivated with very big axes
8 various Light Infantry
A brace of Light Cavalry
And one group of Ulfheðnar 
Breakpoint, so far, of 28

The Saxons.  Not to be confused with the Anglo-Saxons.  Which is a whole different list...
Led by Akrylyk*, the Competent, with Pliawode* and Vynil*, also Competent.  And as their +4, Neopreme*, the Allied, Included and Ordinary leader from the south of the Danube. 
21 Heavy Swordsmen, all Impetuous, some are elite.
6 groups of small boys with sticks.
3 units of hastily raised Levy.
3 troops of Heavy Cavalry, Bow, Elite
7 hordes of Light Cavalry, Bow
Breakpoint is 40.

* I was researching basing materials to be ordered for my newly arrived Martian Front figures before creating the list.  The names were funny then.**

**OK they were not funny then, but it is what it is...

Display Conventions: When you see a jagged word bubble like "Ouch!", "ᛟᚢᚲᚺ!", "Smerza!" or "Lûtê!",  this implies a disorder from missiles. Letters in parenthesis represent some value change for the specific unit. For commanders it is s for strategist, b for Brilliant, c for Competent and o for Ordinary, u for unreliable. For troops it is e for Elite, and m for Mediocre. Other abbreviations, Hvy Heavy, XB Crossbow, LB, Longbow, Jav Javelin, 2HW 2 Handed Weapons, B Bow, Kn Knight, HKn Heavy Knight, HC Heavy Cavalry, Md Medium, Sgt Sergeants, LC Light Cavalry, Chr Chariot, Cat Cataphract, Pa Pavise, LI, Light Infantry, HG Hand Gun, FKn Foot Knight, Hvy Spear, Heavy Spearmen.

Inappropriately capitalized words are used to highlight terms that are specific to the game. For example Brilliant, Competent and Ordinary have specific game values for the commanders.

"XX" implies a unit killed in that location on that turn.

The Board:

The Vikings win the initiative and elect to defend in the woods.

300 point lists on a 1.5 meter board.

The Vikings Uber at the drop off point.

The lesser Norse God, Hagar (no relation to the commander) observes in the shadow of the Tree of Woe.

Turn 1:

The only actual wood on the field was adjusted a couple of times.  4 UD's towards the Saxon line, then 6 back towards the Viking line.  Offering a narrow band for an ambush.

Which the Vikings filled to the brim with Javelinmen.  

+ 6 Javelinmen

Viking Breakpoint is now 34

The Avar command took the center.  Both flanks were cavalry unfriendly due to the terrain.  As if the mobile piece of terrain with axes and swords were any friendlier. 

At this point I am regretting the "Ouch" in other languages.  Nordic runes, High German, Old Slavic and...

Old French.  Smerza!

In the Gully are Breton Allies.  Kinda French...  Might be closer to Gallic.

+ 6 Medium Cavalry, Javelin

Viking Breakpoint is now 40

After a conversation as to a fight between Impetuous Heavy swordsmen in the woods, the Javelinmen decided to retreat.

On Contact: Javelinmen -1.  Zero base, no Javelin bonus when facing impact, - 1 for Difficult.

                    Heavy Swordsmen 1 + Furious Charge.  +2 Base vs LMI.  +1 Impact.  -2 for Difficult.            

The Viking commanders was having a lot of command control problems.  Their lines of heavies were more than 6 wide and dice rolls less than 2..

The Bretons decide that having a -2 factor in the gully was too serious a penalty, and facing Heavy Sword frontally had a more serious penalty.

Turn 2:

Akrylyk pushes a couple of tribes into the woods.  Just to keep those Javelinmen honest.  The Avar command squirts a couple of light horse between the gaps

Avar Nobles take their places in the front lines and loose arrows

The Breton's retreat leaves the Pliawode and Vynyl's commands unoccupied.  They turn and double march towards the center.

Hagar is unimpressed by the quantity of blood sølt.

The Javelinmen continue to retreat, and attempt to enclose the Avar lights.

With a stutter stomp, the Viking warriors do a short charge, causing the Avar light horse to flee.

Both the Bretons and the Viking lights take up harassment positions.  Stripping the Saxon right of its skirmishers.

Turn 3:

The Saxons continue to invest the woods.  One tribe charges a group of Javelinmen.  The Avar lights squirt out towards the Viking edge.

Avar Nobels continue to loose arrows.

The main Saxon line turns to face the enemy.  Their Javelin armed skirmishers charge the Viking bowmen.

Viking Javelinmen continue to retreat.

...retreat or chase?  You decide.

The Ulfheðnar have waited long enough and  launch an unwise charge.

The rest of the Viking line tried a couple of rallies.  But was nailed from on high for their troubles.

The command rolls were really poor here.  I think the Viking commander was first defending the hill, but now needs to line up in the low lands. 

This is difficult to explain.  There were charges, multiple evades, then a Saxon light trapped all the way back there. 

The Bretons reach down and find a pair.  Advancing out of the Gully and throwing their Javelins.

Turn 4:

The Saxon wood investment is nearly complete. 

The Ulfheðnar are defeated.  The Saxons pursue to near the Viking front line.

Pilawode's swordsmen chase down a Breton Skirmisher.

Vynyl's line has been turned.  His Levy, marked by cotton, is all that stands between the Breton's and the Saxon camp.

The Javelinmen continue their long retreat

Axes swinging, the Vikings charge.  The Avar Nobles stand knowing that help is on the way.

Fortune is not with the Vikings this day.  Winning only two, and losing the rest of the initial contacts.

The Bretons, however pursue their advantage.  One Saxon warband is crushed, and another nearly destroyed.

The only luck was the Levy held it's ground.

 

At the bottom of the 4th, the Saxon score is 15 of 40.

While the Vikings are at 19

The game was running late and it was time to call it for the night.  

Will Akrylyk roll up the Viking right flank?  Will the Bretons win through to the camp?  Can the Avar scouts escape?  Tune in two weeks from now!

Same Bat-time, same Bat-channel!