Semi-fictional campaign history
Cenwalh was worried; the power of Mercia was on the increase again. Mercia's northern border with Northumbria was quiet, and to his west Wulfhere had established a friendly buffer state. Even worse, contacts at the Mercian Court had confirmed Cenwalh's suspicions, Wessex would be next to feel the strength of Mercian arms. The Mercian fyrd was mustering ready to march south at Easter.
Cenwalh had anticipated this and his counterblow was ready. He would tear Eastern Powys from Mercian control and install a pro-Wessex ruler instead. With a hostile state to the west of the Mercian heartlands, Wulfhere couldn't risk fighting Wessex too. Cenwalh had already made a treaty with the King of Gwent to put a Cynwald, an exiled Prince of Powys on the throne at Viroconium. Now was the time to act, he could have his army and those of his ally in Shropshire before Wulfhere's army had finished gathering.
Terrain
I used sheet 126 of the Ordnance Survey Landranger series maps to help generate a suitable map of the area around Pontesbury. A 1Km map square is roughly 1200 paces square which is handy for DBA/DBM as this becomes a one foot square on the tabletop for 6mm or 15mm figures. This makes it very easy to translate map features you require onto the table top. If you are going to use a 6 foot by 4 foot table, then just draw a rough map 6 squares by 4 squares and sketch the details you want from the appropriate squares of the ordnance survey map.
I used a 3 foot by 2 foot table, plenty big enough for a mainly infantry DBA army with about 24 elements of 6mm figures per side. I took the main physical features from the OS map plus the village itself and a couple of roads, roughly corresponding to some of the present roads. The result is shown on Map 1. Only two comments are needed on this.
The marshy area to the northwest is the margin of the Rea Brook which is just off map. This is still low lying and damp so it is reasonable to assume it would be pretty wet at Easter 661AD.
Pontesford Hill was deemed to be a steep hill, with part of the east side impassable. (Nowadays it is used to practice rock climbing and abseilling which is a pretty good indication of its precipitous nature)
Armies and Rules
The rules you use are very much a personal thing so choose whatever you are happy with. I prefer simplistic DBA style mechanisms usually with armies of 20 units or so because it gives the sort of game I enjoy - looks right and doesn't take too long.
As far as armies are concerned the rules and any associated army lists will give you some guidance. I would suggest the following:
Mercia (Wulfhere) and Wessex (Cenwalh); Both middle period Saxons. These would be mainly spearmen, with some elite bodyguard and hearth troops. There might be a few light foot and some mounted infantry.
Wessex Welsh allies - I took these as early Welsh, mainly charging warbands with some lighter skirmishers and possibly a few noble cavalry. All in all not very different from the armies the Romans encountered in the first century. Although the Welsh had not adopted the bow to any extent in the seventh century, you could allow a bow armed bodyguard or general, just to tie in with golden arrow legends.
Shropshire levies. There are three options here, another Saxon force, another Welsh force or just possibly a "Sub Roman" force with levy spears and reasonable cavalry. After all, the city had been the capital of a "successor Roman kingdom" only a few years previously. For variety I took this last option.
Figures too are a matter of taste. Suitable figures are available in 25mm 15mm and 6mm, so consult your favourite suppliers catalogue.
Rule Suggestions
What follows are a few suggestions for mechanisms for adding a little interest to the progress of the battle. They are just intended as examples of the type of thing that can be done to move wargames away from the "standard encounter". Although intended for my solo DBA re-fight, I see no reason why they couldn't be adapted for other games with several players, as long as they don't mind the possible late arrival, or even non-arrival of their troops.
As with everything else, change it till it's right for you.
- 1. Deployment
I used four standard sized DBA armies each with their own general. The turn sequence was Welsh, Shropshire, Wessex, Mercia.
Shropshire forces can be deployed anywhere on the table in any desired formation at the start of the game. The entire Welsh forces appears from one zone, A, B or C determined randomly. They take the first move.
Wessex and Mercia will appear on a turn determined by the mechanism described below. The whole Wessex army will appear from one zone, C, D or E, determined randomly. Mercia appears from zone F.
Appearance of Wessex and Mercian armies. Take the thirteen clubs from a pack of cards, when the ace is drawn, the Wessex army appears. Randomly discard one of the clubs without looking at it. Now do the same with the hearts for Mercian forces. Next, remove one card randomly from each pile without looking at it and shuffle it into the other pile. Finally, place the Wessex pile on top of the Mercian pile. As each army on the table has its turn, draw two cards. If the first card is an ace, the relevant army appears and can take its full move. If the second card is an ace, then that army appears on the edge of the table at the end of the turn. The overall effect of this is that Wessex will probably arrive before Mercia. It is possible Mercia will turn up first, or one or other may not arrive at all.
2. Time of day etc.
Assume twelve hours of daylight are available starting at 7.00 AM. The action on the table starts when the Welsh forces first arrive. Roll 1D6 to decide to how many hours into the day it is when this takes place (1 = first light etc.) Each complete cycle of play (when every army has had a turn) is assumed to take half an hour.
3. Victory and things like that
By the end of the day, the pro-Wessex forces must have joined and must have a clear route off the table via zone F. Any morale and compulsory actions included in your chosen rules will apply to determine if forces will continue to fight or can effectively delay the enemy.
Fantasy and Other Variants
What if Wessex had sought assistance from the land of faerie? An elven army will use the magic spring at the foot of Pontesford Hill as a gateway to the lands of mortals. This will give plenty of users of golden arrows. Determine the position of the magic spring randomly somewhere on the lower slopes of Pontesford Hill. The exact position should be known to the leaders of the Wessex army. They will have to take and hold this point for at least two whole turns to allow a wizard, or hero with a magic device, to open this gateway allowing the elves to enter the battlefield. Their enemies will know the gateway exists but don't know where. To allow the elves to establish and maintain a permanent stronghold on the hillfort, the church newly founded in Pontesbury needs to be destroyed. An obvious rule choice would to be to use "Hordes of the Things" (a fantasy variant of DBA). This would give armies of similar size and composition for the humans with the addition of the odd hero, priest or wizard of choice.
You could also use this battle as the background for a skirmish style campaign. Instead of the marshes of the Somerset Moors (See "Saxons in the tree line", Practical Wargamer Sept/Oct 95) you will have the forests and hills of the Welsh Marches.
More Pontesbury 661AD
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