Nechtansmere 685 is now available in MP!

[stockwellpete]

Design notes for Nectansmere

"[T]he very next year [685AD], that same king [Egfrid], rashly leading his army to ravage the province of the Picts, much against the advice of his friends, and particularly of Cuthbert, of blessed memory, who had been lately ordained his bishop, the enemy made show as if they fled, and the king was drawn into the straits of inaccessible mountains, and slain with the greatest part of his forces, on the 20th of May, in the fortieth year of his age, and the fifteenth of his reign."
– Bede's account of battle from his Ecclesiastical History of England.

"Egfrid is he who made war against his cousin Brudei, king of the Picts, and he fell therein with all the strength of his army and the Picts with their king gained the victory; and the Saxons never again reduced the Picts so as to exact tribute from them. Since the time of this war it is called Gueith Lin Garan."
– Nennius' account of battle from Historia Brittonum.

"The battle of Dún Nechtain was fought on Saturday, May 20th, and Egfrid son of Oswy, king of the Saxons, who had completed the 15th year of his reign, was slain therein with a great body of his soldiers. ...
– Account of battle from the Annals of Ulster.

"The battle of Dún Nechtain was carried out on the twentieth day of the month of May, a Sunday, in which Ecfrith son of Osu, king of the Saxons, in the 15th year of his rule completed, with magna caterua of his soldiers was killed by Bruide son of Bile king of Fortriu."
– Account of battle from the Annals of Tigernach.

This is an ambush scenario and is very hard for the Northumbrians. It probably works best as a paired game where players get the chance to play both sides.

The army points are 846 for the Northumbrians and 1276 for the Picts.