SAGA - Two versus one (until the doublecross)

Following on from our big Pike & Shotte battle a fortnight ago I  managed to put together a Saga game last Monday (10 days ago) for Alastair and Mark - a three way fight to the death.

Alastair has a nice write up on his blog which is worth while read
http://wargaminggallimaufry.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/saga-three-ways.html

As mentioned this was a three way battle with last Warlord standing - two retinues of Vikings versus my solitary unit of Danes.

I suppose it was inevitable that the Vikings would gang up on my defending Danes.

The battlefield was set up to reflect the rugged landscape of Northumbria - one unit of Vikings would come in from the Sea (East edge of board) the other unit from the North of the village.

We were all playing with six point forces - typically Warlord, 2 Hearthguard units, 2 warriors  and a unit of levy archers

View from the Sea

View from West - the longship has landed

Another from the Sea

Final picture of battlefield  before troops arrive

The Vikings arrive !

So our game arrived with all the forces piling on from the edge of the boards. I decided the strategy of the Danes would be quite simple - Id wait for the Vikings to approach my defended position on the hill. Hopefully they'd end up attacking each other and I could capitalise on the outcome. 

As you can see in the above picture the Danes have surrounded the hilltop and are awaiting the Vikings to the East and North.

The Vikings (Alastair) emerge from the village

With the Viking pushing forward I pushed half my levy out to meet them - the unit got shot to bits but encouraged the viking to close up. By now their respective forces were getting close to each other.

The seaborne Vikings (Mark surged up the hill) towards the Church

The Village Danes push forward

Alastair then sprung his trap in two successive turns he charged the Danes on the hill and got beaten and attacked the Vikings in the field to his left. The fights were so frantic I forgot to take pictures !

The picture below shows the moment before the attack - the unit in the distance hit the rear of Marks viking levy destroying them and then turned on the unit ion the far field. The Danes look downb and watch from their vantage point



With both Viking units intent on fighting one another I released my House Carls and charged down the hill into Alastair's Warlord - the Dane Axes swiftly decapitating the first viking invader

With time running out and the Vikings down to a couple of dice apiece (the Danes had not lost any) Mark capitulated and declared the Danes victorious - Hooray - after the Pike and Shotte disaster I could chalk up at least one victory this year !

Come back soon ....