Gain Glory or Die - Saga campaign week 4

This week we managed just two battles with Irish vs Anglo Danes and Dublin Vikings vs Anglo Saxons. We played the Prized Possessions scenario where the defending British had to escort some wagons / cattle / horses safely across the table.  Points are awarded for surviving troops and loot escaping.

Irish vs Anglo Danes   

The Danes clustered tightly around the loot initially looking to defend whilst pushing the archers forward to weaken the advancing Irish. The lightly equipped Celts attacked quickly and rapidly dispatched the Danes archers.

Anglo Danish

Irish at the bottom

Seeing themselves lively to be shot in detail the Danes began to counter attack in the hopes of breaking through the Irish lines. they were though unable to come to grips with the Irish and found themselves whittle away.

A brief surge forwards killed some Irish hearth guards but mounting casualties began to deny them precious Saga dice, limiting their options. After 5 turns they were forced to cede and the Irish captured the wagons.

Victory

 Irish Win!

Dublin Vikings vs Anglo Saxons

This was a game of two different approaches -  small and fairly elite Viking force against a large Saxon outfit favouring overwhelming numbers. As is their way the Anglo Saxons formed a solid sheild wall around the loot and looked to draw-on the Vikings, with mounted hearth guard waiting to coutner attack.

The inital Viking attack was a cautious one which succeeded in drawing out the Saxon foot to chase off some skirmishing archers. Lacking any melee troops the Saxons could ill afford one-side archery contest.

With the game entering the final stages the hearth guards pounced and rode-down the isolated Viking warlord. He fought bravely for 2 turns but was eventually cut-down.

The final tally had more casualties on the Vikings but the Saxons failure to move their loot at all counted against them and would have lost the game. It then transpired both players had miss understood the scoring scheme and not relaissed the Saxons would lose if no loot exited the field. So we went for a draw.

Campaign results

 
4 weeks in its all tied at 19 points a piece

Gain Glory or Die - Saga Campaign week 3

For week 3 of the campaign we were able to fight three battles as all the players were available for the first time. The scenario was Pillage in which points are awarded for killing the enemy and raiding a building situated in each players deployment zone.

Irish vs Danelaw Vikings

The Vikings deployed in a tight group protecting the settlement and adopted a defensive posture, seeking to draw the Irish to them. The Irish were happy to oblige and pushed forward to attack the Norsemen.
 

Benefit from the cover the Irish won the central shooting battle and so were able to advance with limited casualties from the Vikings archers. As the Irish began to score hits from their accurate javelin fire the Vikings launched a fierce assault with their hearthguards. Both sets of elite warriors wiped eachother out, leaving the Irish in control of the field.    

In the end it was a strong win for the Irish as the Viking warlord also met his end in a storm of javelin fire.

Welsh vs Anglo Saxons

The Anglo Saxons deployed in their customary large units so only fielding 4 units to the Welsh 7. Like the Danelaw Vikings they also chose to defend their settlement.

The nimble Welsh pushed forward to attack the Saxons but case under sustained fire from a large block of archers hiding in the cornfields. More cautious than their last battle the Welsh  looked to weaken their opponents with javelin fire.

The Welsh made a series of charges against the Saxon lines but were repulsed again and again. Casualties were not heavy on either side but the Saxons came out as the narrow winners.

Dublin Vikings vs Anglo Danes

The final battle saw two similar forces with both seeking to engage the enemy in combat.

This was very much a "get stuck in" battle with some crunching combats. The greater Danish numbers told in the end (and some good dice) leading them to an eventual victory.

The Camping Situation

With 2 wins to 1 this week the British have nudged into a 2 point lead over the invaders.

Gain Glory or Die - Saga campaign week 2

Work commitments mean we've had a little break since the 1st round of battles but we're back in harness with the second set this week. The scenario is Chance Encounter in which two foraging warbands meet as they try to cross the table with some supplies. This week we had Dublin Vikings vs Anglo Saxons and Welsh vs Danelaw Vikings.

Dublin Vikings vs Anglo Saxons

With two combat oriented armies this was always likely to be a bloody affair. The Anglo Saxons gain benefits from fielding larger units (10+ figures) and so went for only 4 big units, with half the army being levy.

Dublin Vikings to the left and Anglo Saxons the right

The Dubliners went for a more elite army with half of them being Hearthguards and a unit of archers in support.

Viking hirdsmen

A large melee formed on the Dubliners right that drew in most of the troops on the table. The Dubliners best unit (8*hearthguards) was bale to march straight across the table with its booty unmolested,  

Casualties were heavy on both sides but the result was a narrow win for the Anglo Saxons. In hindsight the Dubliners hearthguards not fighting may well have been the deciding factor.

Welsh vs Danelaw Vikings

The second game was a much more cat-and-mouse affair. The Welsh are an illusive enemy with lots of abilities that allow them to evade whilst showering their opponents with missile fire. This force was mostly mounted to increase their mobility.  

Viking booty with Hirdsmen gaurds

Welsh booty and lord

The Danelaw Vikings advanced straight at the Welsh in the hopes of baiting them into a combat that was more advantageous to them. Initially this worked with the Welsh charging early and losing a couple of units in combat. stung by this they reverted to more conventional skirmish tactics and slowly whittled away the Vikings.  

The backpedalling Welsh mostly managed to avoid combat and achieved a narrow win through attrition.

Campaign Summary

So after 4 battles its 9 points a side with only the Dublin Vikings and Anglo-Danes winless.