Barbarians versus Romans, 451 A.D.

Continued study of the Late Roman Empire inspired me to begin my Catalaunian Fields project. As a small preliminary battle in this campaign, I put together a small army of Romans and a slightly larger barbarian army consisting of Huns and Goths, I attempted a stream crossing in the face of an ambush.  I also wanted to test out the capability of the Hun light cavalry against a purely Roman force. The rules of choice were Hail Caesar.

Strategic Background:  As Roman control of the outlying provinces of the empire began to fracture, these areas were ripe for Attilla the Hun to invade. After years of campaigning against the Eastern empire, the Hunnic leader had practically ignored the lands of the Western empire. The reasons for the invasion of Gaul ( modern-day France) were varied. One possible reason is that Attilla misinterpreted a wedding invitation from Justa Grata Honoria, the sister of Roman emperor Valentinian III, and invaded to claim his share of the Roman empire as a wedding gift. The reality of this was that Honoria was betrothed to someone she despised and meant to ask the Hunnic leader for help.....that went horribly wrong, didn't it? Another more plausible reason for Attilla's invasion was to split the Gothic tribes and the Franks and to take advantage of the disunity to gather more lands into the Hunnic empire. Either way, Attilla and his Huns, along with various other tribal allies, began to devastate villages and towns throughout eastern Gaul.

Enter Aetius, who Valentinian tasked to lead a force and defeat the barbarians once and for all. The climactic battle that ensued was in the area of Chalons and named the Battle of the Catalaunian Fields. Later in the year, I plan to simulate this large action, so more details on this particular battle later.

For this scenario, I planned a smaller action that featured a barbarian attack on a Roman force that was crossing a stream in order to join the main army under Aetius.

Late Imperial Roman infantry

The Hunnic hordes

The Scenario:  Leading a force of two infantry forces (as per the rules) and one cavalry force, the Roman commander is attempting to cross a stream in the face of a sudden attack by a combined army of Goths and Huns. The scenario begins with the Roman cavalry already across the stream, with the barbarians advancing from the heights above the plain of battle. The barbarians are assumed to have the initiative, so therefore they will roll for movement first throughout the game. The scenario is scheduled for 10 turns, as the start time of the battle is late afternoon. The positions of the armies are detailed below. 

Initial deployment of the combatants

Orders of Battle:

Roman

Roman General:    Rating 9  (obviously an up and coming leader)

1st Division -  Commander, Rating 8

2  Comitanses Medium Infantry   (Pilum, Drilled)

2 Limitanses   Medium Infantry   (Pilum, Levy)

1 Skirmishers  (bow)

2nd Division - Commander, Rating 8

2 Comitanses Medium Infantry  (Pilum, Drilled)

1 Limitanses  Medium Infantry  (Pilum, Levy)

1 Skirmishers  (bow)

1  Light Artillery  Battery (Scorpion)  (Drilled)

3rd Division - Commander, Rating 8

2 Heavy Cavalry

2  Sagitarii (Horse Archers)

Barbarian

Hun Warlord:   Rating 8

1st Division - Commander, Rating 8

3 Goth Heavy Cavalry

2nd Division - Commander, Rating 8

3 Goth Warbands

1 Goth Skirmishers (javelins)

3rd Division - Commander, Rating 8

4  Hun Light Cavalry (bows, Feigned Flight, Parthian Shot, Marauders)

4th Division - Commander, Rating 8

4 Hun Light Cavalry (bows, Feigned Flight, Parthian Shot, Marauders)

** All units were standard-sized, with the exception of Sagitarii, Hun Light Cavalry, and Skirmisher units.

The Battle: With the Roman infantry behind the stream, and only the cavalry deployed on the plains beyond, the barbarian force attempted to move aggressively forward to catch the Romans in the rough terrain. 

Roman infantry behind the stream faces approaching barbarian warbands

Roman cavalry across the stream sights hordes of Hun cavalry

The Roman right flank

As the Goth cavalry and infantry advance aggressively towards the Roman infantry, the Romans attempt to get across the stream as fast as possible.  The Huns moved forward, but not as aggressively as their Goth allies. Seeing that the right flank was in very real danger of collapsing to the Hunnic hordes, the Roman cavalry rushed forward to engage the enemy.  Instead of sitting back and assuming a defensive position, the Roman commander quickly assumed the attack. 

Roman infantry rush across the stream to engage the warbands

Roman cavalry also attempt to take the initiative against the Huns

Although the Romans decided that the best defense was a good offense, the barbarians had the same idea. The Goth cavalry on the Roman left flank moved rapidly to engage the infantry.  A barbarian heavy cavalry unit launched a charge on this flank against one of the leading Comitanses units. Although the first round was a slight barbarian victory, the two sides were locked in combat during the following turn.  The next turn would go badly for the Roman infantry, which broke in the face of the Goth cavalry.  

On the right flank, a Roman sagitarii unit also charged an open order Hun unit and quickly broke in the ensuing combat. After a couple of turns, the Romans lost 2 units as the barbarians continued to advance.  Add to this the fact that the Hun cavalry had already encircled the Roman right flank with at least one unit. In the center, the two opposing sides of infantry were still approaching each other; swords and shields were not yet crossed. 

Goth cavalry charges into Roman infantry; the Romans would break shortly thereafter

After a Roman horse archer unit breaks, the Hun cavalry begins to envelope the Roman right flank

A wide view of the Roman right

The opposing infantry in the center continue to ominously approach each other

After the successful charge of the Goth cavalry, the barbarian horsemen actually retired slightly to stay out of Roman missile fire range.  The strategy here was to bait the Roman infantry to move out of the disrupted terrain across the stream to enable further charges by the cavalry. 

On the Roman right flank, the Roman heavy cavalry were successful in forcing back the lighter Hun cavalry, with the unintended result of opening up more room on the flank for the Huns to envelope.  The action quickly turned into complete chaos as the Huns saw their advantage and began to overlap the Roman units.  The Hun missile fire was taking its toll, as well as the ability to evade the Roman cavalry charges. This is one of the interesting matchups that I wanted to test out:  lighter Hun cavalry versus heavy Roman cavalry. 

Chaos on the Roman right

More Hun versus Roman cavalry action

The center finally saw the Goth warbands charge against the Roman wall of infantry.  In the initial clash, the Romans formed close order to minimize the shock effect of the Goth charges.  The Goths did prevail though, but the Romans held their ground, albeit disordered with heavy casualties. 

Goths charge Roman infantry in the center

We were half-way through the scenario, and it looked like the barbarians were winning. The Goth cavalry had the Romans pinned on the left flank. The center saw the Goth warbands slowly pushing the Roman infantry back (although it was very slow going in this sector). On the right, the Hun cavalry was surrounding isolated Roman cavalry units and even threatening the Roman infantry in the center.  

But owing to Roman discipline (and not just a little stubbornness on the part of the Roman commander), the Romans bent but did not break.  The Romans slowly advanced on their left flank, wisely using supports in case of a cavalry charge, attempting to inflict casualties on the Goth horsemen via missile fire. The center turned into a bloodbath, with heavy casualties on both sides. The Roman infantry was pushed back a bit, but never broke.  Although the right flank was up in the air, the Roman heavy cavalry finally managed to charge the formed Hun cavalry in front of it, breaking a couple of units, and forcing one of the Hun commands to retreat from the field. The other Hun cavalry division had effectively broken through on the Roman flank and rear.  One Hun unit forced a Roman infantry unit in the center (after managing to break one Goth warband) to form Testudo, a formation virtually invincible against the Hun arrows.

As the Roman infantry on the left flank cautiously advanced against the Goth cavalry, the Goths (not wanting to stick around to absorb javelin casualties) charged.  Incredibly, the lowly Roman limitanses unit in its path formed close order and repelled the Goths ! The other lead Goth cavalry unit decided to get into the action as well and charged in on another Roman unit, forcing it to retire, but advancing to stay locked in combat. 

The Goths launch a charge but were repulsed by close order Roman infantry

The Romans bend but refuse to be broken

One Goth warband has had enough and runs for the hills

The Romans, although enveloped, stay in the fight on the right flank

With but a turn left before nightfall, the Roman left stabilized as the Goth cavalry stepped back disordered, unable to break the disciplined Roman infantry.  In the center, the combat continued, with neither side gaining an advantage.  On the right flank, the Roman cavalry, after eliminating the formed Hun cavalry in front of them, about faced and threw back a charge by more Hun cavalry, totally defeating the barbarian horse archers. 

The high point of the Goth cavalry charge. It would be thrown back.

Hun horse archers attack a Roman unit in testudo formation with no effect

A wide view of the Roman left and center

Bloody combat in the center

As the game ended, it was obvious that the barbarian force was not going to force the Romans off of the field. In fact, there were more barbarian units that were shaken than Romans.  Both sides took heavy casualties, but the barbarians withdrew to the hills and left the Romans to lick their wounds and set up a fortified camp in the plain. It was a tremendous game with two very well-matched forces. Hail Caesar, as a rules set, did a great job of simulating the scenario. The results were very believable and there were no dice rolls that seemed implausible.   I actually played the scenario with the Picquet rules system first, before trying Hail Caesar out for the blog post. Both rules demonstrated a minor Roman victory. 

One of the main situations that I wanted to test Hail Caesar with was the capability of Hunnic light cavalry against Roman cavalry.  The Huns had more units that primarily operated in open order, but the Roman heavy cavalry was unbeatable in direct combat.  The ability of the Huns to maneuver freely around the flanks and rear of the Romans caused many casualties and consternation.  The result was what I expected and the rules simulated this well. 

Another ancients game in the books.  On to Napoleonics and, later in the year, the battle of the Catalaunian Field. 

Edington, May 878 A.D. (Part two - The Game)

A Hail Caesar game set in the Dark Ages.

Saxons charge the heights

A battle between Saxon and Viking shield walls was documented as a brutally prolonged fight which could take an exceedingly long time for one side to give way. Meanwhile, men were gouged and maimed between the opposing shields in a bloody manner. In short, there was nothing very subtle or quick about shield wall combat. Two sides literally pounded, pushed, and butted up against each other until one side blinked. Our game was no different. With a couple of house rules added, Hail Caesar proved to be an excellent rules set for simulating Dark Ages combat.

The scenario, special rules, and orders of battle were detailed in part one of this post. You can find it here at:  http://madmacsattic.blogspot.com/2017/09/edington-may-878-ad-part-one-scenario.html

Deployment was relatively simple. The Vikings under Guthrum positioned themselves upon the heights with a wooded area anchoring the Danish left and the steepest part of the heights protecting the right flank (from mounted cavalry at least). The Saxons lined up directly opposite the Danish positions. 

View of the entire battlefield, Danes at the top

Opposing troops line up against each other

Alfred's general battle plan was to advance and attack both flanks and deliver the coup de grace with the center division. Guthrum's goal was to simply repulse the Saxons at every point and then pursue down the hill and beyond. On turn 1, the Saxons slowly advanced across the entire line. The only action saw the Saxon bowmen came under long range fire from Danish skirmishers hiding in the woods; the fire was ineffective at this long range. 

As the Saxons continued to advance, the front line of the Vikings all formed shield wall. Skirmishers on both flanks traded bow fire with little effect. 

On turn three, the front line units in the Saxon left and center divisions form shield walls, while the Saxon right blunders forward in confusion. Danish bowmen on both flanks begin to hit their mark as the Saxon skirmishers begin to take casualties. Turn four sees the Saxons beginning to advance up the heights while javelins fly. Casualties across the line are beginning to appear. One Saxon unit in the center is forced to retire from the missile casualties.

The Saxon center and left closes against the Danish shield walls, while the Saxon right lags just a bit

Another view of the closing of the ranks

An exchange of javelins causes a center unit of Saxons to retire

Turn 5 really saw the action as the Saxons from Hampshire under Dunstan charged up the hill and, as the shield walls clashed, both of the front line Danish units broke immediately and began running for the cover of the fort to the rear. This movement disordered and pushed back the supporting units in this sector. The entire left flank of Oscatel's Danes was in serious trouble from the start. 

The Danish left flank is beginning to crumble in the face of the large Saxon shield walls

The Saxon center and left divisions, seeing the Vikings break on their right flank, exchanged javelins again and then launched their slow, powerful, shield walls up the hill and into the awaiting Vikings. Unlike Oscatel's division, these Danish warriors did not budge and the combat ground into a swirling maelstrom of blood and bone. 

The action across the entire line is furious and brutal

By turn six, the results across the line are mixed. At some points, the Vikings were pushed backwards. At others, the Saxons were forced to retire. Instead of a continuous line of shield wall combat, the combat begins to fragment into isolated fights. Casualties on both sides were mounting and the exhaustion of the warriors was becoming very evident. 

The action begins to fragment into combat between individual units and their supports

Furious combat on the Danish right

By turn seven, the Viking left flank is in serious trouble and just barely holding on, pursued by the Saxon warriors. In this sector, the beleaguered Danish defenders did manage to break one Saxon unit. In the center and Viking right flank, the combats were winding down into grinding matches. The warriors were becoming exhausted. And just like that, the centermost Viking unit (with Guthrum's raven banner no less) broke and ran. 

The Danes begin to break in the center!  The raven banner is retiring !

The Saxons are pushing the Danes into the fortress, while Guthrum's Vikings in the center begin to bend

Turn 8 sees a flurry of action. Oscatel's division completely breaks as the Saxon mounted thegns begin to pursue (although the remaining shield wall stops the cavalry, not without losses though). Both Alfred and Guthrum sense that this is the pivotal point in the battle. Alfred leads a charge up the hill towards Anwend's division on the right and breaks two Danish units immediately. Guthrum attaches himself to the rearmost support unit in the center and launches a counterattack that throws  Orthun's Wiltshire fyrd back in the center. 

Turn 9 sees Guthrum continuing to countercharge, breaking another Saxon unit and forcing back another, but alas, the Viking chief was surrounded by 4 Saxons and speared. Guthrum died a Viking's death as he took out two of the opposing warriors on his way to Valhalla. 

Upon seeing their chief slain, panic begins to overtake the remaining Danes and the entire army begins to run. The game is over. The pagans were defeated and the exhausted Saxons were surveying the blood-red field in triumph. 

King Alfred the Great stands victorious on the field at Edington

Hail Caesar proved to simulate Dark Age warfare well. The shield walls typically held for several turns until finally one of the exhausted units broke. All across the line, it was critically important to use support units wisely and attach leaders for extra attacks when the situation called for it. As per the victory conditions, Guthrum's death counted as a broken division, and with the left flank division broken, the Saxons were victorious. The fight was back and forth for many turns, but by turn seven, it was evident that the Saxons were winning. Guthrum's counterattack put some doubt into that, but his death was the final blow for the Danes. 

Edington, May 878 A.D. (Part one - The Scenario)

A Hail Caesar scenario.

The invasion of the British isles by the Danes and Norwegians is a particular area of interest for me.  There's something about Viking warriors clashing with the Anglo-Saxons, Irish, and Scots that inspire vivid images of a particularly brutal period of history. The emergence of a strong Saxon leader in Alfred, who fought against the Danes and defeated them, is also an inspirational tale of courage and perseverance against a determined foe. The Battle of Edington occurred between the 6th and 12th of May, 878, and was one of the most critical battles of  early English civilization.

Saxons form up and prepare to advance against the Danes lining the ridge 

As a side note, I was exposed to this period through Bernard Cornwell's outstanding series "The Last Kingdom," which is also featured as a dramatic TV series. The Battle of Edington is featured in the series as the important historical event that it, in reality, was.

Still from "The Last Kingdom" which portrays the clash of shield walls at Edington

The Battle of Edington

Background

The first Viking raid has typically been documented as the attack on the monastery at Lindisfarne in 793. The Danes continued to ravage the coasts and raid throughout the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms for many years thereafter. In the year 865 or 866, there was a dramatic escalation; the Great Heathen Army under the command of Ubba, Ivar the Boneless, and Halfdan Ragnarsson  began a systematic conquest of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. East Anglia, Deira, and Mercia all fell, accompanied by  regular attacks into the Kingdom of Wessex. The Danes were almost always victorious over the Saxons during this period (with a notable exception at Ash Down in 871). By 875, the Great Heathen Army had largely broken apart, with Halfdan Ragnarsson departing for his lands in Northumbria and further north. The remnant of the Great Heathen Army was then led by a powerful Danish warlord, Guthrum, who promptly conquered East Anglia and began to attack Wessex.

Guthrum attacked Chippenham in Wessex after "Twelfth Night" and almost captured a vacationing Alfred, who fled into the marshes of Athelney and evaded detection by the Danes. The legend of Alfred burning cakes and being castigated by a local maid was born in these marshes. At this time, things looked bleak for the Saxons, with the Danes seemingly in control of Wessex. Alfred was a fugitive who commanded a non-existent army.

After hiding in the marshes during the winter months, Alfred was ready to go on the offensive in the spring, but had to gather a large enough force to counter Guthrum. Calling out the "fyrds" of Somerset, Wiltshire, and Hampshire to concentrate at Egbert's Stone and march, Alfred gambled for the fate of Wessex; it was doubtful that he could muster enough warriors in these dark times. Heroically, his men did not disappoint and mustered as a potent force.  Guthrum and the Danes still occupied Chippenham and learned of Alfred's advance, quickly departing in order to meet the Saxons. Attempting to follow the tried-and-true Dane strategy of demanding tribute in return for leaving Wessex, Guthrum miscalculated the stubborness of Alfred this time. There would be no payoff in silver this time.

Although the exact location is not known (debated vigorously) the forces met at a place called Ethandun (Edington). The Danes occupied the high ground and the advantage. The scene was set for one of the most important battles of the Viking wars.

The Battle

Details of the battle are sketchy, but it is assumed that the Danes occupied the high ground with a fortified structure to fall back on if necessary. Thus, King Alfred was forced to not only assault uphill, but supposedly against a superior force. After a long and brutal struggle between the opposing shield walls, the Saxons eventually prevailed and the Vikings fled in panic, Guthrum losing about a third of his army in the process. The Danes were forced back into Chippenham and, after a couple of weeks of starvation, sued for peace. Guthrum was baptized as a Christian and forced to depart Wessex with his warriors. He settled in as king of East Anglia until his death in 890 A.D. King Alfred then proceeded to rebuild and refortify Wessex on his way to forming what would eventually be known as the Kingdom of England. Although Alfred had been fighting the Danes as a warrior-king for years, the victory at Edington would solidify his reputation as "Alfred the Great."

A purported location of the battle at Bratton Park, with the Danes in blue holding the high ground and the Saxons in red fighting uphill. 

In retrospect, Edington was a critical battle for the Saxons. A defeat would probably have shattered  Alfred's reputation and forced the Saxons to allow the Danes control of the majority of Wessex. The end result was that the battle established Alfred as "the Great" and provided for an extended period of peace for the Saxon kingdom. A defeat would have also guaranteed Alfred's placement in the "dustbin of history" as just another ineffective Saxon leader in the age of the Vikings.

The Scenario

The terrain was relatively simple. The ground was mostly open with prominent heights upon which the Vikings were deployed. Wooded areas protected the Danish left flank and a very steep cliff would anchor the Viking right. A fortified village lay to the rear of the Danish position. The Saxons would deploy facing these heights. The steep cliff on the extreme Viking right flank will block cavalry movement. 

Very little is known of the orders of battle. The three Viking commanders were Guthrum, Oscatel, and Anwend. On the Saxon side, the commanders were unknown, but the fyrds were gathered from three counties: Somerset, Wiltshire, and Hampshire. The armies were built along guidelines in the Hail Caesar Army Lists for Late Antiquity to Early Medieval Periods. Hail Caesar ratings for each unit are detailed below: 

The Saxons

King Alfred     Command Rating: 9    Number of added attacks: up to 3

_____________________________

Left Division   Aethelbricht  (Somerset)     Command Rating: 8     Number of added attacks: 1

4 units of heavy infantry (standard) Thegns    Clash/Sustained attack 7,  Short range 3,    Morale Save  4+,   Stamina 6

1 unit of bowmen / skirmishers (small)     Clash/Sustained attack 2, Long/Short range 2, Morale Save 0, Stamina 4   

____________________________

Center Division  Berthun  (Wiltshire) Command Rating: 8   Number of added attacks: 1

3 units of heavy infantry (large) Mixed Thegns/Ceorls    Clash/Sustained attack 9/8, Short range 4, Morale Save 4+/5+, Stamina 8

1 unit of skirmishers with javelins (small)    Clash/Sustained attack 3/2, Short range 2, Morale Save 0, Stamina 4

_____________________________

Right Division  Dunstan (Hampshire)      Command Rating: 8      Number of added attacks: 1

2 units of heavy infantry (large) Mixed Thegns/Ceorls    Clash/Sustained attack 9/8, Short range 4, Morale Save 4+/5+, Stamina 8

1 unit of bowmen/skirmishers (small)    Clash/Sustained attack 2, Long/Short range 2, Morale Save 0, Stamina 4

1 unit of Mounted Thegns (small)      Clash/Sustained attack 6/3, Short range 2, Morale Save 5+, Stamina 4

Special Rules for the Saxons: 

- Alfred is granted a reroll each turn for any unit commanded by his subordinates. He is also allowed up to 3 extra attack dice if attached to a unit in melee. But if Alfred is killed in the melee, his loss will count as a complete division lost for victory purposes. 

- I have modified the Shield Wall rule (Close ranks) from Hail Caesar. Troops in this period used Shield Walls as the primary tactic in melee. Shield Wall has to be formed as a formation change in movement and only has a maximum of one move. Also, there is no penalty for hits for a unit in Shield Wall, but there is a +1 bonus for Morale Saves. So, in summary, Shield Wall is a powerful formation that all heavy/medium infantry may utilize but it is not very mobile.

- The mixed Thegn/Ceorl units is a reflection of the Saxon "fyrd," which mobilized not only warriors, but simple peasants and farmers. The units have the advantage of being large in size, but once the unit is shaken for the first time, the unit reverts to the Ceorl ratings for Attack and Morale Saves. 

The Vikings

____________________________

Left Division   Oscatel    Command Rating:  8    Number of added attacks:  1

4 units of heavy infantry Hirdmen (standard)   Clash/Sustained attack 7, Short range 3, Morale Save 4+, Stamina 6

1 unit of Bowmen/Skirmishers (small)     Clash/Sustained attack 3, Long/Short range 2, Morale Save 6+, Stamina 4

1 unit of Thrall skirmishers (small)     Clash/Sustained attack 3/2, Short range 2, Morale Save 0, Stamina 4

____________________________

Central Division  Guthrum   Command Rating: 8   Number of added attacks: 2 

4 units heavy infantry Hirdmen (standard)   Clash/Sustained attack 7, Short range 3, Morale Save 4+, Stamina 6

1 unit of Bowmen/Skirmishers (small)   Clash/Sustained attack  3, Long/Short range  2, Morale Save 6+, Stamina 4

_____________________________

Right Division  Anwend   Command Rating: 8   Number of added attacks: 1

4 units of heavy infantry Hirdmen (standard)   Clash/Sustained attack 7, Short range 3, Morale Save 4+, Stamina 6

1 unit of Bowmen/Skirmishers (small)    Clash/Sustained attack  3, Long/Short range 2, Morale Save 6+, Stamina  4

Special Rules for the Vikings: 

- All heavy infantry Hirdmen are considered Tough Fighters and may roll 1 missed melee hit every turn.

- Guthrum  is the overall Danish commander, but he controls his own division as well. He does not have a re-roll capability like Alfred. He does have up to 2 additional attacks, but if killed, his loss counts as an entire broken division for victory purposes. 

- All Bondi bowmen/skirmishers are considered Marauders and may ignore distance penalties for command rolls. Thrall skirmishers are not considered Marauders.

- I have modified the Shield Wall rule (Close ranks) from Hail Caesar. Troops in this period used Shield Walls as the primary tactic in melee. Shield Wall has to be formed as a formation change in movement and only has a maximum of one move. Also, there is no penalty for hits for a unit in Shield Wall, but there is a +1 bonus for Morale Saves. So, in summary, Shield Wall is a powerful formation that all heavy/medium infantry may utilize but it is not very mobile.

Victory Conditions: The standard victory conditions apply from the Hail Caesar rules.  

Viking attack up Falloden hill using Hail Caesar

So I had an urge to do some Dark Age combat with my newly based Norsemen and their Anglo-Saxon adversaries. I've always been infatuated with the Viking invasion of the British isles and I have recently been doing a good bit of reading on the subject. This battle is set in Northumbria in the mid-800's, some time after the raid on Lindisfarne. To be honest, and with apologies to any British readers, I selected Falloden hill as a fictitious place name.....I have no earthly idea if there is any steep hill even remotely close by the village of Falloden in what was the kingdom of Northumbria.

Although I have selected the SAGA rules system for Dark Age skirmishes in the 28mm scale, I have been using Hail Caesar and, recently, Impetus for larger battles in 15mm. Hail Caesar won out for this particular fight.

Furious action on top of the ridge.

The Scenario

Elof the Toothless and his warbands had been raiding the Northumbrian countryside for several months when a random prisoner mentioned the presence of gold in the monastery of Falloden (before the prisoner's throat was unceremoniously cut amid the laughter of the Danes). Gathering his warriors and placing a command under his brother Gudmund the Boar, the Vikings headed off towards the monastery under the guidance of another local Saxon prisoner, who was more than willing to comply with any Danish requests.

Unknown to the Norsemen, a local baron named Osbeorht was alerted to the approach of the invaders and was resolved to meet them in battle. Fully aware of the tactical superiority of the fierce Danes, Osbeorht decided to gather his troops in a strong defensive position and repel the attackers. Falloden hill would be where the Northumbrians would make their stand.

If unfamiliar with the Hail Caesar rules, please check out my earlier review and summary from February 2016.

The scenario is a simple assault up the slope of a moderately steep hill. The two commands of Danish Vikings consisted of 7 standard infantry units of mixed Hird/Bondi, 2 small units of Bondi archers, and one unit of Thrall skirmishers. These warriors were arrayed in a battle line at the foot of Falloden hill.

The Anglo-Saxons, on the other hand, consisted of a slightly smaller force of two commands under the overall command of Osbeorht. The force consisted of 6 standard units of mixed Thegn/Ceorl infantry, 1 small unit of skirmishers with bows, and 1 unit of skirmishers with javelins. In addition, there was one small unit of Thegn medium cavalry. This force was lined up on the ridge of the hill, awaiting the advance of the Norsemen.

All unit statistics are published in the Late Antiquity To Early Medieval Army Lists for Hail Caesar. As for special rules, I did allow all heavy/medium infantry on both sides to form Shieldwall (Close Order rule in Hail Caesar). I also added the Tough Fighters rule for the Viking Hird infantry. In addition, to give the Dane invaders some tactical edge, I added the Marauder rule for their 2 units of Bondi archers. As for the Northumbrian defenders, the position uphill of the attackers would give a bonus to their hit chances. The command base of Osbeorht would give a reroll capability to the Saxons as well (the Danes did not have a separate overall commander, so therefore would not receive a reroll capability).

The lines of battle are drawn. The Vikings are at the foot of the hill on the left of the picture.

A view from the other side of the field, with the Saxons on the left of the picture.

Elof the Toothless rallies his Vikings for the assault.

The Game

On the first turn, with the Vikings moving first, the command under Gudmond the Boar facing the Saxon left moved rapidly up the slope, with the Bondi archers causing some damage immediately. The Saxons on this flank (with the exception of the disordered unit due to the withering fire from the Viking bowmen) did succeed in forming Shieldwall. On the Saxon right, Elof's Thrall skirmishers succeeded in blundering and blocking the rest of the Danish infantry, resulting in a short movement up the hill.

During the following turn, both Viking commands advanced towards the Saxon shieldwalls, trading missile fire with their adversaries. Both battle lines were preparing to clash.

Gudmond's Danes made first contact on the Saxon left and a furious fight occurred as the Saxon shieldwall held and subsequently repelled the first Viking warriors (although the Saxon unit took a major beating and was shaken).  Elof's Danes inched closer up the ridge as the silent Saxon shieldwall awaited the charge.

Elof's troops in the foreground ready themselves for the final charge. Gudmond's warriors at the top of the picture close onto the Saxon shieldwall.

The Vikings of Elof's command (which made up the primary assault force) then launched themselves against the Saxon shieldwall. Using rear units as supporting units, the Danish warriors attempted to overwhelm the Saxons. The fighting at the top of the ridge was vicious and prolonged. On the Saxon left, Gudmond rebounded from the loss of his lead unit of warriors and personally led one of the rear units to rout the shieldwall (which was already shaken) at the top of the ridge. A hole in the Saxon line was formed.

Elof's warriors attempt to overrun the Saxon shieldwall at the top of the ridge.

Gudmond the Boar leads his warriors against the shaken Saxon shieldwall and ends up throwing it off of the ridge.

As the fighting on the Saxon right was typical back-and-forth fighting, the hole in the Saxon left was made worse when another Saxon unit in the center was routed off by a desparate Viking charge. Gudmond then moved to flank the extreme left of the Saxon line. This was a critical point in the battle. The Saxon commander, Osbeorht,  attached himself to the Thegn cavalry and attempted to lead it to the left flank. An ugly command roll reared its head and the cavalry barely inched its way to the threatened sector. As Gudmond charged the flank with his warriors, the shieldwall............stood ! The Saxon infantry was disordered but it stood (awesome dice rolls) unbelievably. The Thegn cavalry finally made it to the combat and the subsequent fight tipped the tide against the Vikings charging uphill. Gudmond's Danes routed, which caused his entire command to become broken, forcing any remaining units to retreat. The Saxon left held!

The fighting on the Saxon right flank was brutal.

Saxon archers defend the extreme right flank as the Viking Thralls fall back.

On the Saxon right flank, the Vikings were pushing the Northumbrians back. The fighting was tough and alternated between the Saxon shieldwall holding their position and the Vikings pushing ahead stubbornly. The numbers were beginning to tell and the Saxon infantry was bleeding. And finally, with one last Viking charge, led by Elof himself, the Saxons broke and routed.

With one last Viking push, the Saxon shieldwall on the right routed away

At this point, even with the Saxon left stabilized, the Vikings so outnumbered their foes in heavy infantry that the decision was made to end the game. Although the game was in question up until the last turn, the Vikings finally pulled out a victory. The Saxon troops while in Shieldwall and on a higher elevation certainly proved to be worthy adversaries and the Norsemen infantry struggled to take the ridge.

I felt, with the special rules added, that Hail Caesar proved to be an outstanding set of rules for a fast-paced, yet historically feasible, simulation of Dark Age warfare. It was a very balanced scenario that proved to be a lot of fun.

Looks like the monastery in Falloden was about to be looted !