We finally finished playable armies for Dux Britaniarum. Card driven game from Too Fat Lardies about Saxon conquest of Post Roman Britain.
It was year 480 after birth of our Lord when times of peace ended to valiant defenders of Caer Llundein. The great city was abandoned many years ago and mostly lay in waste.. Saxon heathens did not dare to settle the fallen city but it provided entry point to the land of the Kingdom...
So happened that that year riders started to plunder the local farms. Saxon Anthus on the head of the horde of warriors rode in early march to ride, burn and plunder. Lonely farm in Verulamium was chosen as target of plundering raid...
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| Swarm of heathens floods the land |
King Althenwald sent his best. Tribunus Avthurius leading spearhead of best Briton warriors, some of the still keeping up old Roman traditions
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| Help is on the horizon... |
Both forces rushed towards front of the lonely farmstead.
But thanks to great commend Britons were first to form their line blocking Saxon plunderers.
Saxons did not falter and stormed the lines before they were able to form shieldwall...
But thanks to the help of St Alban the martyr were miraculously repelled without causing any harm stronger than light disarray in the British ranks loosing many man themselves. SOme were saing it was the fault of young brutish Saxon leader that in his hubris decided to attack head first into numerary superior Britons line before they could form the shieldwall...
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Miraculous repel of Saxon folly by St Alban hand
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But easy first victory almost become shameful defeat. Avthur full of fervor decided to charge weakened Saxons after forming the shield line.
Britons failed to break the Saxon line and were open to attack of the whole Saxon warband.
In giant ensuring melee Britons were forced to hastily retreat, miraculously again (thanks to St Alban intervention and strength of the shieldwall with only few casualties). But Heathens forced series of
Britons hastily marched half of the levy militia guarding the farm and small unit protecting old cairn on the left flank.
Saxons were relentlessly breaking their wolf teeth storming the shieldwall wave after wave.
Till they were not.. As fast as they descended the hills they disappeared into falling dusk... No doubt to return soon... after their wounds licked .. like the wolves they are.
Glorious Briton victory!
With acquired wealth and fame young Avthur managed to secure rank of the Prefects (progress in the campaign)! One of the Levy units remained with his retinue as a new units of Warriors (you start campaign with fixed forces but can get reinforcements (normally no more than two models added to existing unit that constitute new warrior unit after third such upgrade) or upgrade quality of one unit after huge victory (there is also way to gain set units of direct reinforcement butt you have to score huge victory to be able to do this.)
Saxon folly was over optimistic attack on numerically superior force of similar quality that proven very costly and totally ineffective (thanks to St Albans help) and completely abandoning the farm protected by single levy units (Saxons had one elite and one warrior unit not bound into central melee. They decided to commit them to the battle (bloodthirsty beast that they are) instead of easily driving out or plain murdering the levies and starting plundering my shieldwall could do nothing to prevent being threatened by the 3 other Saxon units.
Ranged skirmisher were virtually non effective whole game (Saxon archers killed on of the levies in the village in the last murderous action of the game.
Game was a blast although I've encountered few unclear parts in the rules but the game played very well. Must important was whether Britons get +2 to the result of the battle for successful raid successfully repelling obviously unsuccessful raid (yes they do!)
I am longing to the second Saxon raid...
Beautiful church of St Alban the next Saxon target is already painted by my Saxon host Antgist!
Saxons bear deep wound and fear his holly power so decided to burn the edifice to him naively believing that his protection will wane..
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| SOON! |
