Rolfs Last Stand, At 850 Ad, somewhere near Normandy

It was about time to let the Normans and Vikings out again, so me and Bart decided to continue the "Markgraf" saga of Rolund and Henri the Red. (28mm, Hail Caesar).
In the last battle Henri (Norman), played by my, had secured a victory over the combined forces of Rolund (Norman) and Rolf (Viking), played by Bart. So this time Rolfs Vikings will have to make a final last stand surrounded by the Henri‘s Retinue and the low life follwers of Bishop Luitpolt Der Pickelige (the pimpeled). After a couple of turns Rolund rescue party will arrive.

We had the number of turns rolled secretly by another club member so that no one of us could possibly know when the forces will arrive. Unfortunately for Bart, he rolled the maximum number ...

So there and then enfolded a truly medieval massacre as my milites stormed the hill and attacked the Viking shield walls. (Note for next time: we will improve the shield walls and make them tougher against Horse attacks). Rolfs Vikings had no chance and were ridden down even before the Bishops rabble could run up the hill to join. (ah OK, some of the peasants were actually of help and attacked, but we edit this out of our Saga). Only the Berserkers could flee over the river and make a last stand.

Henri's army was a bit in disarray at that moment and proceeded to plough forward more or less successful. this was when Rolund‘s Forces (first the cavalry) arrived (on the 6th turn!!!). Too late for the late but great Rolf, he died on the hill, but not late enough to give Henri a bit of his own medicine.

The Bishop, played by Alistair, rumbled along with his peasants, and did a pretty good job of actually bind and contain large parts of Rolund‘s army. While my Normans charged downhill into the counter-charging Knights of Rolund. It was brutal, I lost one unit of Heavy Milites, but in the end Henri prevailed - victory again!!! Normandy is secured for the King again!

So he will rest and lick his wounds right there in a camp with his retinue and the rabble of the Bishop who survived this massacre. 

Rolund won‘t come back again so quickly after these two defeats, or will he? Rumours have it that he has again secured new allies, amongst them Raoul the Insane, a particular nasty fellow, even with the (very, very low) standards of his contemporaries ...

Initial deployment on smaller table

Henri the Red and followers

The Bishop and crew

Rolfs Vikings

Rolund‘s Rescue party off table

Rolfs Viking tease with a war cry

Then came the charge of my knights

The wave of the peasants

Rolfs situation is getting untenable

the last Vikings getting crushed between two fronts

Henri is hunting the last Berserkers 

Then Rolund‘s Cavalry comes in

Heavy Milites as well

So we must charge! (this is THE image of my understanding of a Norman charge)

... downhill into the little river

one of my knight units is gone, dead in the water

my archer sluggin behind

all scramble downhill!

the peasants advance ...