Rolf and Henri The Red – SAGA continues ... for some ...

Bart and me opted for a frollicking Dark Age, 28mm, Hail Caesar battle feast, as Bart finished some of his new Norman troops and milites. And you know that new toy soldiers cannot be denied their new entry!

Alistair was also press ganged into the havoc, partly as Henry the Red and his Ottonians while I delightfully opted for the peasantry and the supporting clerical role this time, hoping to recreate the success of Alistairs last bishopric performance.

As we recall last time Rolund and his Viking fiends were massively beaten as Henri followed them before their forces could unite. Now the Bishop and Henri were hunting down the remnants of Rolund to his "Markgraf" county border, not knowing that he already had sent (and paid!!) for reinforcements. Not only his men but also a new Viking associates. The trap was set.

We were out numbered and out classed on a battle field that looked much like a cross between Agincourt and Cannae, but that would not deter any red blooded knight, certainly not Henri! So the built up was slowly and mercilessly. Bart advanced with his foot troops and began to pepper our archers and foot knights. And the bishops peasants took their time to turn up.

Then came the first cavalry clash and the first part of Rolunds milites got a severe hammering. But that left Henries milites quite weak and battered as well, so the upcoming second division of Rolunds horse spelt doom for any Ottonian hopes of victory.

Then the trap sprung and another foe appeared in the rear of our army – more Vikings! Our soft Peasant army was literally melting away. Then the last charge of the battle came and Rolund clashed with his fresh troops again into Henries milites and slaughtered them comprehensively. Henri got wounded two times and was just able to retreat off the battle field.

In an act of merciful self censorship, we are unable to show images of the conclusion and aftermath of the battle as they were too brutal to present them in front of any audience.

Henri‘s reign will end soon, nearly mortally wounded and surrounded by field medics, his fate is sealed. Will his son Henri II take up the fight or will fate of the border realm or the Emperor himself surprise us?
... we will vow to truthfully and continuously report the deeds of this Saga ... watch closely!

Barts Norman Cavalry

Bart centre forces the archer and the infantry

... More of it ...

... and Barts NEW Norman Cavalry!!!

Rolund marches forward with his "Mannen"

Rolunds centre forms at the river 

Henri the Reds centre has difficulties of forming somewhat of a line

But Henris Cavalry waits for its moment to charge 

Finally the peasant army of Bishop "Luitdolf the Pimpled" arrives on field!

The two Norman/Ottonian armies are drawn up and poised to clash

Then before the Rolund horse could unite Henri the Red lures Rolund into a clash

Rolund has never fought down these East Franconian milites

slowly Henris army forms up

Badly beaten Rolunds milites retreat

But then ... what is this ... Rolunds Pagan allies, the Vikings attack the peasants rear guard

Wild and heavily armoured veteran vikings against unarmoured peasants ... the outcome is predictable

Yet again the other units of Rolund fresh new milites clash into Henris battered knights

... and surround them in a fierce fight

Henri is wounded two times and barely gets away with his own life

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 ...

The incursion of the Norman-Viking hordes into Wild Eastphalia shortly after 893

The Lord was not with us that day! Firstly, he turned my black magic box made by nikon blind (batteries were empty, so forgive me, as I have to rely on images shot by opponents and by-standers) and then we were overrun by Bart‘s bearded masses!!

Bart and myself, we had a little bashing with our Viking-Norman-East-Franconian-Ottonian hordes, and I use hordes here only to describe Barts army of Vikings and Normans ... my Ottonians still lack men power! We had a re-run of the Hail Caesar rules ... still learning ... still learning ...

So in a few words:

I crushed his medium cavalry and slew the rest of his riders and exhausted my knights on his Viking elite. Barts‘s counter attack of his last riders ended badly and killed his main man. Then I tried to stem the viking foot wave with and all out attack ... but it was not to be ... at least not my heavy foot knights. None of my feudal retinue were following, so the last ditch-before-10-O‘clock-attack bounced off the Viking wall like a ping pong ball thrown by an asthmatic hamster. The inevitable was here.

Even the prayers of my dirty priest-monk were in vain! Bei Belphegor, I should throw the HRE into paganism again!!! ... but then what would be the world of wargaming without proper curses ...

Bart‘s review:
http://asienieboje.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/hail-caesar-dark-age-again.html

Disclaimer: No god(s) or other other-worldy entities or creator(s) of all masterplans or universes were hurt or dispelled during or in the process of this review of the former events.

The clash of the Dark Age lords ...

Action on the bridge, behind the flag the monk is hiding ...

Attack and counter attack clash!

In the meantime on the other side of the river ...

The Ottonian Cavalry is charging ...

The situation befor the last all out attack ...

The knights of Swabia and Mainz 

... and their last charge against the Viking elite 

The situation at the beginning ...