Dark Age Hail Caesar!

Our last meeting had two games, a ww2, 20mm Rapid Fire affair...which didn't really get off the ground due to the late arrival of the games organiser....and another Hail Caesar bash.

I wont go into too much detail for the Rapid Fire game, there is not a lot to say. Quite a few people brought newly painted figures along especially for this game, there were quite a few unopened boxes around that evening and one or two disapointed little faces. The players did eventually manage to cobble a game of sorts together but it wasn't exactly Kursk. This didn't worry me too much, I was running the Hail Caesar game :) Don't like Rapid Fire anyway ;p

The club recently purchased a good number of painted 15mm Saxons, Normans etc. We thought they would be useful for several types of club game, HC in particular but also for others, even for SAGA games using one base of figures for each figure the rules require; why not?

I spent days going through the figures and putting together two good sized forces along with a few useful and neat special unit specs such as 'Pigs Head Formation', even worked out a simple but historically accurate scenario. Once again, club member Dave has prepared a game report; top bloke our Dave.

Yet again the great unwashed attempted to infect the civilised world in this great game of Dark Ages Hail Ceaser, where the rebel Saxon forces of Leofwine Lostlandson (sounds like a cheap vintage from Tesco) supported by hordes of Danes, Scots and Irish, invaded Northern England. Leofwine Lostlandson – Saxon Theigns – and Olaf Thereindeerson – Danish Division played by Clive
Allies Hootsmon Gae Gordon – Lowland Scots Division – and Clannad O’Corrs – Irish Division – played by Martin. Judging by their well-founded names, they were doomed to fail !! The valiant and stout defenders, Prince William the Silly – Royal Norman Knights relief Division – supported by the Southern Saxon Fyrd played by Dave. Allied with the local Norman Lord Wilfred De Bramble and the Northern Saxon Fyrd played by Rob.

The scenario was simple. Hold the Kings Highway and prevent the hordes going south. The Saxon Theigns took the right flank with the only mounted units in the rebel army and the Danish allies took the centre right making a solid and tough Viking position. Facing off against them was the local Lord who may have been a bit apprehensive as 2 units of his troops quickly raced forward to take cover in a rather handy wood, leaving his outnumbered mounted unit to cover the flank.  The Northern Fyrd sat on the road waiting for the inevitable advance of the enemy.

Meanwhile, the Scots and Irish war bands massed for their mad rush forward. They were soon to be out paced by the mounted Royal knights who arrived on the right flank of the field in column to ensure movement even with failed commands. The Southern Fyrd raced along behind in a newly learned formation – The Pigs Head.

The first few turns rolled on with the rebel right being somewhat frustrated with failed commands. The Vikings advanced in solid formation whilst the Scots and Irish suffered similarly with failed commands. The Norman archers remained practicing their wood craft in the woods, only getting off a few rounds of ineffective fire.

The Norman Prince gallops forward with his knights, whilst the Scots Irish sit looking rather pensive (would have been messing their pants, but weren’t wearing any!!)

Leofwine Lostlandson must have given his Saxon rebels a good talking to as they soon got underway closing down the rebel right flank. They charged but failed to break the Norman Lords mounted knights who were soon joined in support by foot troops. 

The Vikings closed on the waiting Fyrd along the road. The battle was joined with the Viking units supporting each other to give a massive hitting power. Not to be out matched though, the Norman foot knights were themselves a large unit and were supported by the Fyrd. This became a good old slog it out. Ultimately, the Vikings destroyed the Normans, leaving the Fyrd to defend itself.

On the opposite flank, the Royal Norman cavalry, the crème de la crème, charged into the war bands. There was a sudden panic, as unexpectedly, the far right war band held and in turn destroyed the Norman unit. There was much cheering as Martin rolled his rather perfect dice and the Normans were removed from play. Bah Humbug. Well the Prince was none to happy and a slogging match ensued with the remaining cavalry and war bands.

It was all turning rather messy. The rebel Saxons were eventually turned and their flank collapsed, leaving the Vikings alone in the centre. The Vikings held on with their tough fighter rule and 7 sustained value.  The Norman Pigs Head steam rolled forward and met the Scots Irish. Scots Irish threw their javelins, but to no effect. The support offered by the 2 rear units to the front superior troops of the Pigs Head was invaluable and eventually won the day. The Norman Cavalry just managed to win each round of combat but only enough to force the war bands to retreat and not break – not until the end anyway. Soon the rebel left flank was in disarray and it was all over.

From the game, it again proved how fairly ineffective missile troops are. They don’t roll enough dice. War bands seem to hold their own against good regular infantry, or in this case mounted knights. Or was it just my bad dice rolls again and Martins good dice !!

An excellent game of 9 -10 turns played out to a conclusion in 2 hours. Thanks to Alan for purchasing the armies on behalf of the club and for putting all the time and effort into creating the army lists and especially naming the generals.