Paul Schneider and Terry Gore (Vikings) vs me (Dark Age Scots - my MacBeth Army) to christen my new table. The game started as most of our games do.. Terry rolls a two for his General and I respond with a three! Anyway, we end up with Vikings - two Stalwart and a Brave and the Scots - two Brave and a Stalwart.

On to terrain rolls.... Terry and Paul roll three 1's between them and I roll two twos - my only saving grace is I have a Brave CiC and can increase to a three! The terrain ends up from my (Scots) left to right - Woods - Hill (on the Scots side of Center) - big open area - Hill -small gap - Bog w/Hill behind on the Vikings side of center...

Troops, from the same point of view - Highland Warband (behind woods) - Islemen to their right - Blocks of Spearmen w/ skirmishers in front - Heavy Cavalry (Scots Thegns) - more Spearmen w/skirmishers & a unit of HI Thegns - more Spearmen w/skirmishers & a unit of HI Thegns - Norman Knights. The Vikings are typical HI Huscarls some with Bow, Various Shield and some with Axe - A couple of units of Fanatics mainly on the Scottish left across from the woods. Most of the Bow armed troops are to the Scots left - not across from the Norman Knights - good luck for the Scottish side. The whole Viking line is offset to the Scots left - The Vikings have the advantage on the left with the center about even but the Scots, with the Norman HC, have the advantage to the right and there is that

gap.....

The game starts as I would think - The Vikings move forward along the line - their right heading for the woods and the left going for the hill. The Scots move forward also but slower on the left and faster on the right. The plan is to hold the hill and my side of the woods on my (Scots) left, pushing some of the Islemen forward to "cut" the Viking right wing off from the center. While I'll be outnumbered on the left wing with the woods I should be able to hold. This should swing the center fight in my favor and with an advantage on my right ....

Terry moves aggressively on the left as I move the warband to the edge of the woods - the majority of the Islemen take the hill and plan on holding as one unit pushes forward. In the center we both move cautiously toward each other - and on the right the Vikings take the hill with a unit of HI Bowmen in the gap - the Scots move to the base of the hill to threaten the Viking line and the Normans hold just outside of bow range to see what the Vikings will do.

The first fight does not go in my favor - the Islemen are beaten and while they hold this is not good - the center gets closer together (close order Spearmen a) move slow and b) need Skirmish protection) and it looks like the fight will start there next turn - the Normans still hold.... the Vikings nervously eyeing them....

The main fight begins - The first unit of Vikings get to the edge of the woods on the left and the two opposing War Bands go at it - with out the charge bonus (the Vikings are attacking out of the woods) the Highlanders lock, the Islemen's second round causes them to go "Fragmented" but they hold - the first center Spear block attacks but fails the frenzy roll and then fails the God Roll! (really - I just got greedy as the attacks were from my right to left and I had already made four "Frenzy" rolls - should have known to quit while I was ahead!) They take the Viking Charge "Disordered" at the Halt - they hold but are in trouble. Skipping to the right flank the Normans attack and due to a miss communication between the Viking commanders the HI Archers have a "Deploy" Order not a "Defend"! The charge response is to go into Shield Wall but archers can't fire if they are in Shield Wall so they drop the Shield Wall and fire but

they fail the Morale Roll and fire from Med. range and take the charge at a halt without the Shield Wall bonus. The arrows take off a couple of figures, one of the Wedges loses a stand but passes Morale and the Normans press home. Both Wedges win - one breaks through and hits a group of Irish just behind the Archers. The Irish hold but I've got a third Wedge of Normans in charge position for next turn (I

needed to break through to clear the path for the fresh wedge) I think I'm winning here... On the Right flank hill two units of HI, one Viking Huscarls and one Scots Thegns eye each other but the next Viking unit over is a Fanatic Unit and must charge. The Scots spearmen have to charge even if it is uphill and they rout the Vikings (intact Long Spear Units, Frenzied are a nasty business). They proceed to hit the Viking General behind them - He survives but just (I miss the roll for the third figure).

And now for the reason I skipped to the right - One of the center Spearmen blocks was a 9 Stand Unit - (Since I had so few orders (11) I consolidated three of the Spearmen blocks into two and ended up with two three by three Units.) One of these big units hit a six stand unit of Vikings with Various, Bow and Shield full force. The rolls couldn't be worse for the Vikings - The Spearmen caused twelve casualties and destroyed the unit on the spot! None of us have ever seen anything like this.

So you think this is over? The Scots have removed 4 of the 5 Viking units needed and only lost 2 of 6 but .....The Scots are in trouble on the left and in the left center and the pesky HI Bowmen are still holding in the gap with the first Norman wedge in trouble against the Irish....

Next turn - from the Scots right - The fresh Norman wedge charges the HI Archers - and while they win the Normans in the second round lose! Archers are pushed back, fragmented but hold! The Irish beat the "break through" wedge and while the flank holds - not good. Next over the HI Huscarls come down the hill and meet the Thegns going up and the Thegns lose - now things are really turning! The Viking General retreats from the combat and the Spearmen can't catch him - the other big unit can only turn around as they have no one in front of them. Both the HI Thegns on the right and the HC on the left join the center battle to try and save the Spearmen who are losing to two units of Viking HI on the left center.

The Vikings need to win this and cause a collapse and while they win the combats the addition of the extra troops and some timely rolls saves the day and the Scots troops hold. The Viking's now need to win on the Scots left and so they commit a second unit to the combat. The Highlanders are game but the second unit is too much, they lose but can they hold..... yes by the skin of their teeth ( I think I needed a six or seven and that's what I rolled) but they hold.

The Vikings have wasted their chance - on the right the HI Archers are Fragmented and one figure away from losing another stand. On the left a unit of Isleman HI has gotten on the flank of one of the Viking units in combat with the Highlanders and will charge this turn. While the Vikings will overwhelm the spearmen, HC and HI in the left center the large Spearmen unit is poised to hit one of the Viking units from behind (this is what happens when you punch through the line) ..... And that's what happened... The Normans finally break the archers and with the rout the game ends - 5 Units to 2 but it was a lot closer than the numbers would indicate. Lots of Scots units on the edge of folding....

Great game with a lot of changes in fortune - just what you'd expect from MW/AW.