Slitherine

RE-DESIGNED VERSION
Retro-fitted with the latest design cues, especially the use of accessory units for missiles fire instead of actual archers counters, positive points, immobile units, cut-to-the-chase setup. A more 'authentic' experience and better balance.

Suitable for game against the Anglo-Saxon AI.

67 moving BGs, 18 turns.
warning: has same name as previous version. needs to delete previous version first.

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UPDATE TO FIRST VERSION: minor changes to saxon order of battle, some redrawing of the map.
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First version
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No need to introduce this iconic battle. Info is plentiful on Hastings. A level headed discussion of the primary sources is found in Frank Barlow's 'The Godwin: the Rise and Fall of a Noble Dynasty' (Pearson-Longman, 2002). The late Barlow was a leading medievalist who wrote the standard biography of Edward the Confessor and he was also the translator and editor of the 'Carmen de Hastingae' the earliest (and contemporary) account of the battle of Hastings.

There are a few of historical events/facts that I wanted to make happen:
the Bretons' attack and probable failure
the indiscipline of the fyrd storming out of the shield wall
the inability of the norman cavalry to overwhelm the shield wall on its own

In general, I strove to make it feel like hastings, at least the idea we have of it, and not some random battle with a more precise than usual order of battle.

Thank you fogman, this is one of my favorite battles. Everytime I read an account of this battle I have to rub one eye. Poor Harold, all that fast marching for nothing.

P.S. By the way, how do you manage to get that download counter in the link? Useful feedback and interest gauge. I like it.

Thanks !

ZeaBed wrote:Thank you fogman, this is one of my favorite battles. Everytime I read an account of this battle I have to rub one eye. Poor Harold, all that fast marching for nothing.

P.S. By the way, how do you manage to get that download counter in the link? Useful feedback and interest gauge. I like it.

the download counter is internal to the inline attachment.

Many thanks, great scenario!

Thanks for the scenario - I have written a brief review of it at the FOG Wiki site - http://fog-pc-wiki.wikispaces.com/User+ ... +Scenarios

thank you for your review. you basically wrote the designer's notes for me, with a few qualifications. my impetus for designing scenarios though is not primarily play balance but historical accuracy, which in most cases drives me to ignore DAG interpretations (see especially Argentoratum, my favourite 'work'). and indeed I wrote them originally to play hot-seat in order to SIMULATE particular battles.

the reason why the knights are not lancers is twofold:

a) the norman cavalry was extremely well handled and it is their ability to attack and retreat judiciously, combined with the constant barrage of arrows, that eventually wore down the shield wall. that aspect certainly favours the normans but it is a true reflection of what happened;

b) there is a debate whether western heavy cavalry at the time charged with lance/spears couched or held overhead. the bayeux tapestry favours the spear held overhead.

there is generally a problem with the anarchy rule in FOG. anarchy is a function of command & control and discipline, not of troop type. a barbarian warband is understandably difficult to control but it is practically unheard of for roman legionaries (being drilled and near command mitigate the problem but still it shouldn't be a worry at all) to charge out of line; ditto for pike formations. on a related note, the way lancers cannot escape rear attacks unlike other heavy cavalry is another source of annoyance.

note also that the smaller second line of fyrd is defensive spears, but poor rated so the saxon player will have to think twice before swapping. I have already made some changes, after my paired game and to be posted shortly, that should help the saxons: harold's brothers are given commander status and posted on the wings; a tiny redrawing of the crest will also strengthen the saxon right by squeezing in an extra huscarl. as of now that wing is vulnerable whereas historically the bretons were routed.

fogman wrote:<snip> a tiny redrawing of the crest will also strengthen the saxon right by squeezing in an extra huscarl. as of now that wing is vulnerable whereas historically the bretons were routed.

Yes I was surprised how well the Bretons could do, I was expecting them to entirely rout, but they gave as good as they got.

It's a very hard battle to simulate using FOG. I appreciate your efforts.

updated

Completely new version uploaded.

Thanks.