Scrivsland: Bretwalda Campaign Day

This weekend Tom and I went to the Bretwalda 'Age of Arthur' campaign day organised by those nice chaps at Peterborough Wargames Club.

We would be picking a 1500pt list from Age of Arthur along with a 250pt bonus force that you may get to use in some of the scenarios. As usual, I went for Early Saxon Kingdoms:

My basic 1500pts was:

		M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
1	Cyning	5	5	4	5	4	3	5	2	9	175	175
	Sword, Javelins
	Saxon Buckler
	Army General

		M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
1	Atheling	5	5	4	4	4	2	4	2	8	85	85
	Sword, Javelins
	Saxon Buckler

		M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
1	Thane	5	4	4	4	4	2	4	2	7	60	75
	Sword, Javelins
	Saxon Buckler
	Army Standard										15

		M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
1	Scop	5	4	4	4	3	2	4	2	7	65	65
	Sword, Javelins
	Saxon Buckler

		M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
1	Thane	5	4	4	4	4	2	4	2	7	60	60
	Sword, Javelins
	Saxon Buckler

		M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
21	Gedriht	5	4	4	4	3	1	3	1	6	15	330
	Sword, Throwing Spear, Javelins
	Saxon Buckler
	Leader, Musician, Standard.										15

		M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
23	Duguth	5	3	3	3	3	1	4	1	6	8	199
	Sword, Throwing Spear, Javelins
	Saxon Buckler
	Leader, Musician, Standard.										15

		M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
23	Geoguth	5	3	3	3	3	1	3	1	5	6	176
	Sword, Throwing Spear, Javelins										1
	Saxon Buckler
	Leader, Musician, Standard.										15

		M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
24	Geoguth	5	3	3	3	3	1	3	1	5	6	183
	Sword, Throwing Spear, Javelins										1
	Saxon Buckler
	Leader, Musician, Standard.										15

		M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
9	Duguth	5	3	3	3	3	1	4	1	6	8	72
	Sword, Javelins

		M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
10	Skirmishers	5	2	3	3	3	1	3	1	5	4	40
	Sword, Slings

		M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
10	Skirmishers	5	2	3	3	3	1	3	1	5	4	40
	Sword, Shortbow

										Characters	460	31%
										Common Warriors	888	59%
										Uncommon Warriors	152	10%
										Total	1500

I made up the bonus 250pts with:

		M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
1	Thane	5	4	4	4	4	2	4	2	7	60	60
	Sword, Javelins
	Saxon Buckler

		M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
20	Geoguth	5	3	3	3	3	1	3	1	5	6	155
	Sword, Throwing Spear, Javelins										1
	Saxon Buckler
	Leader, Musician, Standard.										15

		M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
8	Skirmishers	5	2	3	3	3	1	3	1	5	4	32
	Sword, Javelins

I picked Tom up at some un-earthly hour on Sunday morning and we drove down to Peterborough, eventually finding the venue at the first attempt.

The players were split into two groups representing the factions of Vortigern and Hengest. As there were a lot of Saxon armies, the Hengest faction was made entirely of Saxon armies, while that of Hengest contained two Romano-British, one Welsh, two Franks and two Saxons. I was one of those two Saxons in the Vortigern contingent while Tom was in the Hengest faction.

The start of the campaign

Each faction gathered to chose their leader, every player in each faction rolled a dice and the highest would be the leader. I threw a six and would be Vortigern!

Bow down, for I look special!

I would be playing the Hengest, the leader of the Saxon faction in the guise of Phil Morgan with his Later Saxon Kingdoms force. It would be a pitched battle and both of us would use our bonus forces.

The other players in the faction would be be playing pairs games of Pitched Battle.

King Hengest Phil of the Saxons

Phils' army consisted of Cyning and Atheling ASB in a unit of 16 Gedricht, Thegn in a unit of 23 Duguth, a unit of 23 Duguth, a Thegn in a unit of 18 Ceorls, a unit of 18 Ceorls, a Thegn in a unit of 9 mounted Duguth, 10 Skirmishers with sling and 10 Skirmishers with shortbow.

My Saxon battle-line

I really did not fancy bouncing off all those Thrusting spear armed units so I deployed two units of Geoguth on my left flank facing the Duguth and Gedricht. There was a wood in the center so I pointed my Gedricht at that and put my remaining Geoguth and Duguth on the right.

Phils mounted Duguth

The mounted Duguth bounced off my Geoguth and fled from the table but my Gedricht and Geoguth made slow progress against the Ceorls. As expeceted I did not fare too well on my left but did manage to keep the Gedricht and Duguth amused. At the end of the game we had both made great progress on one flank. Totting up the points I had earned 1018VPs and Phil had amassed 998VPs

Ceorls supported by skirmishing archers

We were within 100pts so it was a Bloody Stand Off, a fair result.

The defenders of Britannia had a good morning of it we had my draw, a minor loss in one of the pairs games, a minor win in another and a major win in the final game, we were taking territory from the Saxon invaders.

As I had not lost I would still be Vortigern and Phil would still be Hengest

It was now lunchtime, Tom, Phil, Tony (I think) and myself went to Wetherspoons for a pint and a burger, very nice it was too. Phil and myself wore our crowns to give the event a sense of occasion.

Back from lunch and the tables were laid out for seven different one on one scenarios. As king I was allowed to allocate my team to the scenarios. Having read them it seemed that a lot of the chance depended on who was attacker or defender so I handed out the scenarios more on the basis of who fancied playing which mission. I was left with Cat Coit Celedon.

Hngest had decided that Mike Whittaker would be playing Cat Coit Celedon for the invaders. We would both be using our bonus forces in this mission too.

Mike was also using Early Saxon Kingdoms like me, his army was: Cyning and Thane ASB in 19 Gedricht, Christian Priest with 23 Duguth, Thegn and 20 Duguth, Thane and 23 Geoguth, Thegn and 9 mounted Duguth, 10 Skirmishers with shortbow, 14 Skirmishers with javelins.

Mike deploys to break through my lines.

Mike won the roll off and elected to attack. I deployed in depth hoping to be able to react to the advance before my Geoguth got carried away. Mike rolled for his sickness and his mounted Duguth and skirmishing bowmen would be reduced to toughness 2.

Mike prepares to advance

Mike began a general advance along the line, I responded with one unit of Geoguth wandering off on their own. In my first shooting phase I had my slingers 'double-shot' the mounted Duguth and did for 7 of them - fantastic shooting. The Duguth passed their test but would be ineffective in the game.

Mike removes the mounted Duguth

Mike continued the advance, I tried to flank his right with my javelinmen and my small unit of skirmishing Duguth saw off his javelinmen. Being march blocked severely restricted Mike and caused a bit of a traffic jam with his Gedricht trapped behind his front line. I was ready to react, my Gedricht and Duguth charged in the centre bursting through the Duguth and pursuing into the Gedricht, breaking them the next turn running down the Cyning.

Mike managed to escape one unit of Duguth, but as he had lost his Cyning it would be a Mighty Victory for me.

The Duguth get away, but will be very lonely

The defenders of Brittania did rather well this time taking more territory from the invaders.

More territory falls to the defenders

Going into the final round I would still be Vortigern, King of the defenders, Phil had also scored a mighty victory and remained Hengest.

In the final round I would be playing against Andy McTaggart at a scouting mission in which we would both be using our basic 1500pt force. There was a hill and a feasting hall on the table, if you held both you won a Mighty Victory, if you held one it would be a Close Run Victory and if they were both contested it would be a Bloody Stand Off.

The only photo I took of this game.

Andy was also using Early Saxon Kingdoms and his list comprised Cyning, Thane Army Standard in 22 Gedricht, Wiglera in 23 Duguth, Thane in 23 Duguth, 10 mounted Duguth, two units of 10 Skirmishers with javelins.

My skirmishing Duguth managed to seize the feasting hall early, while the mounted Duguth were despatched by a unit of Geoguth. Things were looking secure on my left flank. I attacked in the center with the Gedricht and burst through, I was quite depleted though, but turned around and charged Andys Gedricht eventually coming out on top in a protracted combat. It was the end of the game and I now held both the building and the hill. Another Mighty Victory.

The invaders had made some gains in the last round but the defenders were resolute and came out on top.