1066 - The Battle of Fulford in 28mm

Following the success of our Battle of Stamford Bridge game last week Mark & I decided to refight the lesser known battle of 1066 – The Battle of Fulford (also known as the Battle of York) . This was actually fought a few days earlier than Stamford Bridge so in theory we should have started with this one first.

Our battle of Stamford Bridge can be seen here

As per my previous post I have set out the background to this battle in my blog post, then added the specific rules we have added to this engagement and the orders of battle and then finally the all action report (AAR).

The core rules used are Hail Caesar

1066 Battle of Fulford

The Battle of Fulford was fought on the outskirts of the village of Fulford near York in England, on 20 September 1066, when Harald Hardrada and Tostig Godwinson, his English ally (the King of England's brother), fought and defeated the Northern Earls Edwin and Morcar.

Tostig was Harold Godwinson's banished brother. He had allied with King Harald of Norway and possibly Duke William of Normandy.

The English Earls could have hidden behind the walls of York but instead they met the Viking army outside the city. All day the English desperately tried to break the Viking shield wall but to no avail. 

The battle started with the English meeting the advancing Northmen. On their right flank was the River Ouse, and on the left was the Fordland, a swampy area, too swampy for an army to march through.

The Saxons also had a formidable obstacle to their front: a stream (known as Germany Beck) three metres wide and one metre deep. The Vikings would need to cross this if they were to reach York.

Harald's Viking army approached from the south.

Initially only Harald and a small portion of his army arrived at the battlefield facing Morcar and Edwin’s army as most of the Viking force men were still some distance away.Thus for a time the Anglo-Saxon army outnumbered their foe.

Harald lined his army up to oppose the Anglo-Saxons, but he knew it would take hours for all of his troops to arrive. His least experienced troops were sent to the right and his best troops hidden in the marsh and trees lining the riverbank.

Morcar and Edwin believed that this was a golden opportunity to attack but the River Ouse’s tide was then at its highest and the stream in front of them was flooded.

Unable to advance, Morcar and Edwin were forced to delay their attack, watching with frustration as more and more of Harald’s troops began to assemble on the far side of the stream.

Eventually the waters fell and the English struck first, advancing on the Norwegian army before it could fully deploy.

Morcar's troops pushed the Viking right flank back into the marshlands, making progress against the weaker section of the Norwegian line. However, this initial success proved insufficient for victory to the English army, as the Norwegians brought their better troops to bear upon them, still fresh against the weakened Anglo-Saxons.

Harald brought more of his troops out from his far left flank to attack the centre, and sent more men to attack across the marsh by the river. The invaders were outnumbered, but they kept pushing and shoving the defenders back. 

Eventually the Anglo-Saxons were forced to give ground and were beginning to become enveloped. Within another hour, the men on the beck were forced off by the Norwegians. Other invading Norwegians, who were still arriving, found a way to get around the thick fighting and opened a third front against the Anglo-Saxons on their far left. Outnumbered and outmaneuvered, the Saxons were defeated. Edwin and Morcar however, managed to survive the fight.

York surrendered to the Norwegians under the promise that the victors would not force entry to their city, perhaps because Tostig would not want his capital looted. It was arranged that the various hostages should be brought in and the Norwegian army retired to Stamford Bridge, 7 miles (11 km) east of York, to await their arrival.

It has been estimated that at Fulford the Norwegians had about 10,000 troops of which 8,000 were deployed in the battle, and the defenders 6,000. During the battle, casualties were heavy on both sides. Some estimates claim 15% dead. From all accounts, it is clear that the mobilised power of Mercia and Northumbria was cut to pieces at Fulford.

As you have read from the background this battle was very much one of two halves. The initial phase belonging to the Saxons with the Vikings finally coming into their own once the tidal waters of the Ouse had receded and Hardradas forces were able to perform their flanking attacks. 

Historical records are few and far between for this battle and estimates of the size of forces differ considerably. We can be pretty certain that the Vikings outnumber the local Saxons and given their fleet size records suggest that they might have numbered 10,000 warriors. We can be pretty certain that part of this force was guarding the fleet moored at Ricall so I have decided the Viking Force will number 8000 men. The Saxon force will be 75% of this force representing 6000 troops. This would have made this battle equal in size to Hastings.

The Game Setting

In gaming terms the Vikings will have 16 Warbands at their disposal split into four divisions with the Saxons having 12 warbands split into three Divisions.

Given the Saxons caught the Vikings by surprise outside York the full Saxon force will be on the table at the start of the game. 

The Vikings on the other hand will start with two Divisions in the centre of the field, Hardrada's division ‘hidden’ behind the marshland where the beck joins the Ouse and the final 4^th Division off table. This is making its way along the east side of the table and will appear randomly at some point in time during the game.

Playing under usual army break rules the Saxon will need to lose(or have shaken 7 units) and the Vikings 9 units.

The key feature of the battlefield is the stretch of water known as Germany Beck. This runs across the battlefield joining the Ouse in the West. Both the main river and the Beck are tidal preventing troops from crossing when at high tide. The high tide will also affects the marshland to the East and West. 

We decided that for the first three turns the Beck would remain uncrossable and the Marsh adjoining the Ouse not fordable until turn 5.

The following table illustrates this. As you can see the final 4^th Viking Division appears on a random die roll. There is the possibility that this may not turn up to affect the game. We also agreed that any forces driven off the table could not return to the fray at a later point in time.

Time/Turn	Beck Crossable	Marsh Crossable	Arrival of Troops (Viking 4th Division)
0900hrs	No	No	No
09.30hrs	No	No	No
10.00hrs	Yes	No	No
10.30hrs	Yes	No	No
11.00hrs	Yes	Yes	No
11.30hrs	Yes	Yes	No
12.00hrs	Yes	Yes	No
12.30hrs	Yes	Yes	6+
13.00hrs	Yes	Yes	6+
13.30hrs	Yes	Yes	5+
14.00hrs	Yes	Yes	5+
14.30hrs	Yes	Yes	4+
15.00hrs	Yes	Yes	4+
15.30hrs	Yes	No	3+
16.00hrs	Yes	No	3+
16.30hrs	No	No	3+
17.00hrs	No	No	3+
17.30hrs	High Tide	No	No
Dark

If no side has won by 17.30 when it gets dark the battle is assumed to be a draw

Battle of Fulford (Units)

Saxons

Earl’s Morcar & Edwin (2 x commanders (8)

1 x subcommanders (8)

5 x regular units of Thegns

7 X regular units of Ceorls

6 x Bow Armed Skirmish units

Grouped into three divisions

Break Test 7 units

Deployment – All Saxon Units on the table deployed  behind the Germany beck

Vikings

Hardrada & Tostig (8)

2 sub commanders (8)

1 units of Huscarls

8 units Thegns

7 units of Bondi

8 units of bow armed skirmishers

Break Test – 9 units

Grouped into 4 divisions

Deployment

Two Divisions (inc Tostig on the table opposite Saxons)

The other two Divisions are off table at the beginning of the game 

One of these is made up exclusively of Hirdmen & Huscarls) – This is Hardradas division. Hardrada division is sitting behind the Marsh – he may opt to send these troops away from their starting location and head to centre of line from turn five (otherwise they sit and wait)

The fourth division is trying to work it way around the Marsh to the East – use the following table to denote what happens each turn. Two units of this division may opt to stay with the main force but will start from base line

Units (using Hail Caesar)

Unit	Clash	Sustained	Short Range	Long Range	Morale	Stamina	Special
Huscarls	7	7	3	0	4+	6	Stubborn Elite Tough Fighters Valiant
Heavy Infantry Thegns/Hirdmen	7	7	3	0	4+	6
Medium Infantry Ceorls/Bondi	6	6	3	0	5+	6
Light Infantry Geburs	5	5	3	0	6+	6
Medium Cavalry Thegns (small unit)	6	3	2	0	5+	4
Skirmishers/Thralls with javelins(small unit)	3	2	2	0	0	4
Skirmishers with Bows(small unit)	2	2	2	2	0	4
Skirmishers with Slings(small unit)	2	2	2	2	0	4
Light Infantry Bondi with Bows (small units)	3	3	2	2	6+	4

Stubborn:  Reroll one failed morale save

Elite;  Recover from disorder on 4+

Tough Fighters:  Reroll one missed HTH combat roll

Valiant: Breaktest reroll once per battle

Our Game

We diced for sides given that this a new game and had no idea how it would play out. 

Had there of been an uneven number of players I would have umpired and not disclosed when the waters might fall and informed the Saxon commander that more Vikings could be expected to appear (but not from where)

In the end I commanded the Saxons, Mark the Vikings.

The Saxons (foreground facing a few Vikings over the Beck) - the river is in the distance on the right

It was apparent from the Saxon perspective that to win this game I had to take on the Vikings quickly before their reinforcements arrived and enveloped my flanks. 

My left division pushed forward upto the beck.

Hardrada's hidden troops

The Saxons push forward

Once at the Beck I had to wait for the waters to fall (another turn at least)

Now in range my skirmish units opened fire at long range successfully driving back their opposite number.

army.

Fearing that his on table divisions were going to get peppered full of arrows the Viking forces stepped backwards and formed up in shield wall.

With the Waters falling my forces were set to surge forward.

Morcar's left Division crossed the Beck and advanced onto the Viking far right flank.

Morcar's other division (in the Saxon centre then blundered, retreating a full two moves. This Division then ceased to roll any successful commands for the whole game. Effectively a third of the Saxon force had just decided they didn't want to play ball.

About to cross the Beck (saxon left flank)

The 'blundered' - a lot of forces

By turn 4 the left flank of the Saxons had crashed into the Viking line and inflicted some serrious casualties for little cost of their own.

Within a turn one Viking division had been driven from the table. Their own troops blundering a causing disorder in the ranks helped.

By the time we reached turn five the Saxons were still inflicting serious casualties on the Viking right flank but my attack had stalled elsewhere with little or no movement happening in the rest of the army. It was at this point that Hardrada's own troops entered the fray

Hardrada's men crossing the marsh

The Stalled Saxon Centre

The Saxons rolling up the Viking flank

It was at this pioint in the game I made a fatal flaw. I forgot to use my initiative to get the Saxons in the centre to face up to Hardradas advancing forces. Although we are very gentlemanly in our games we neverr go back retrospectively on order of play. If you forget you suffer the consequences.

Watched by my division sitting on the hill (still hadn't moved) Hardradas forces crashed into my centre - wiping out two units in quick succession

The battle in full flow - a fierce melee across the field

The Saxon assault on the left was now running out of steam (and troops) and the Vikings were slowly taking back the initiative. Both sides had lost five units but the better break values of the Northmen was likely to tell. Especially given that they had another fresh division still to enter the fray.

A turn l;ater Mark had all but achieved his objectives and the Vikings could be crowned winners.

Despite the fact that the Saxons had a third of the forces out of the whole game they had acquited themselves well. Had the third division been involved and if I had not forgotten to use my initiative there was a reasonable chance the Saxons might have pulled off an unexpected victory.

This was an interesting game and one we might revisit in the future

thank you...

up next the big one - Hastings !!