Here's the battlefield:
Yellow = an open field
Dark Green = Gentle Hill with Plantation on top
Bluey Green = Steep Hill with Village on top
Brown = Enclosed field.
There was probably some other terrain, but none of it came into effect so I didn't really notice it. The battlefield is set with the Vikings perspective from the bottom, and the Scottish Rebels perspective from the top.
Upon hearing that the Scots had rebelled against our righteous rule we sent our longships filled with warriors to quell the riots. We setup camp in the south east section of what we knew would be the battlefield. Past a steep hill we noticed the Scots Rebels had also set up their camp.
As the Scottish mists burned off with the rising of the sun, we noticed that the Scots had placed two units of their medium foot in the plantation to the north of our camp with a skirmisher screen of javelinmen between the plantation and the enclosed field. They also placed a cavalry detachment next to their camp not knowing what to do with them. To our surprise they didn't invest the village on the hill. To the west of the village they placed another couple of units of medium infantry with their dreaded Thegns taking up the far west of the battle line and two small detachments of light cavalry on the very far west of the battlefield.
We placed our skirmish screen in ambuscade in the enclosed field and put two units of Irish allies just behind the enclosed field. Behind that we placed a unit of Huscarls in column with the plan of pushing through the fields as fast as possible, past the steep hill and threatening the Scottish eastern flank. To the south of the Village we placed another two units of Huscarls beside one another with two units of Freemen curving back from the Huscarls to the southern edge of the battlefield. We held one unit of Freemen in reserve facing the west in column and the last of the Irish supporting the Freemen with the plan of using them to attack the open field in the centre of the battlefield with Huscarl support.
Phase I of the battle:
The Skirmisher Archers and Javelinmen came out of Ambush fairly early on in the battle with some ineffectual shooting. The Scots were very effective managing to both kill some Viking archers and to disrupt their good order. To that end the Archers withdrew to regain order while the Javelinmen moved very close to the enemy to attempt to inspire an undisciplined charge. By this stage the Irish had well and truly controlled the Enclosed field and the Huscarls and Freemen were advancing in the centre.
The enemy light cavalry moved in to attempt to take our flank, but the Freemen formed a thin line to reduce their ability to move in behind us.
On the east, the enemy skirmishers and medium infantry charged the Irish Javelinmen who failed to do a successful evade and were caught with their backs facing the enemy skirmshers.
With an enemy General attached to the combat and their order shaken things did not look good for the Irish.
Their incredible martial prowess, however, saved the day and they won the intial round of combats even though they were severely disadvantaged.
Shortly after this the two medium infantry units (Irish and Scottish) clashed in an epic struggle to attempt to sway the light infantry battle.
This phase of the battle ended well and truly on the side of the Vikings with one Scottish general killed whilst leading the light infantry and two units of medium infantry routing from the table without any real damage to the Vikings.
Phase II of the Battle:
The enemy Thegns had by this stage cleared the open field and were starting to threaten the freemen. Not looking forward to this battle, two units of freemen clashed against one unit of Thegns and a unit of Scottish Medium infantry. Another unit of Thegns ended up fighting the flank guard of the Vikings allowing the Scottish Light Horse to move past the flank.
The remaining Irish managed to withstand some shooting and manouver into a position where they were attacking (outnumbered) the last unit of Scottish Medium infantry in the centre of the battlefield.
After an epic length combat one unit of Freemen broke and ran from the battle but a host of damage had been inflicted upon the Scots. One unit of Thegns were badly mauled and the other unit routed after fighting a unit of Freemen with two generals attached.
Phase III of the Battle:
Things were looking good for the Vikings, but a final number of victories were needed. A whole had been punched in the Viking line in the centre and a unit of Medium infantry were marching toward the baggage. Fortunately, the Huscarls that had been earmarked for marching past the steep hill realised that this would no longer be needed and had moved into a position to intercept the Scots. A very one way battle ended up with this whole being pluged and a further unit of Scots routing from the table.
In a slightly risky move, the two remaining units of Huscarls moved toward the open field to attack the last Scottish unit. As they approached the field the Irish skirmishers positioned themselves in a way to force the Scots to charge. This moved part of the Scots unit outside the open field and allowed the Huscarls to taunt the enemy to charge. The Scots couldn't handle the combination of better armour and tighter formation resulting in a fairly quick rout from the battlefield.
All in all the Vikings were pretty lucky. Like all battles the early (unlikely) victory of the skirmisher battle decided the fate of that flank. The death of the Scottish General on that flank sealed the fate of that wing and allowed a good 1/3 of the Viking army free reign of manouver.
Ian
