MERCIA DBA/SOA UK DBA LEAGUE
I wasn't able to attend Patrick's new event in Market Harborough so this was only my second outing with the 2015/16 DBA League.
The theme was armies from the history of Mercia so I opted to dust down my Anglo-Saxons and take King Penda'a Dark Age Mercians, famous as you will all know for his battles at Maserfield and Winwaed. A hundred years before his relative Offa built a dyke.
I took along the longship baggage element with its improbable lateen rig. The Angles and Saxons were great sailors, of course, and first arrived in these islands which they made their own by boat.
The army's DBA terrain is arable, of course, and the boat must be presumed pulled up on an inlet from a river just off the board.
(Mercian supplies beached by a waterway - click on the pictures for a larger image)
I also refurbished an old earthwork to provide a fort ... Mercians seem to have been good a digging earthworks so I thought I'd throw one into a game.
With an aggression of 2, I didn't get that many chances (but it did get into play) ...
The interior is actually a 10mm Roman watchtower supplied for review a while back by The Baggage Train. I've always been pleased with the look of this resin piece on the 15mm battlefield.
I suppose I should complete the round up by mentioning the ploughman figure I built to enhance DBA V3's iconic 'plough' terrain type.
This army adds a cavalryman, a skirmisher and a pair of 'hird' warbands (the general and his personal retainers) to an 8 element shieldwall. It doesn't do much singing and dancing but it sure is good at fighting enemy infantry.
I was hoping to hold the line while breaking through with commander's (supported general warband) deadly fighting power. Toughing it out against knights would likely be less productive.
The games ...
Game One: vs Sub Roman British ... cavalry and auxilia with some vulnerable blades ...
Game Two: vs North Welsh ... and a clump of knights to fear (it turned out with good reason) ...
Game Three: vs Feudal English ... could the spearwall get stuck into the archers (before the knights prevail) ...
At this, the half way stage, the set up switched and all games were with your opponent's army against your own ...
Game Four: with Anglo-Normans ... Charge!
There was now an interval for displaying the various armies before a 'best in theme' vote:-
Excellent ... my vote went to the colourful Anglo-Danish army (3 up, above)
... and then the wargames resumed for the final two rounds ...
Game Five: with Graham Fordham's Anglo-Norman ... Charge!... and ...
Game Six: with Martin Smith's Pre Feudal Scottish
This reverse phase went very well and I won all the games ... making 5 wins and a defeat (propelling me to a countback second place) ... and my cup oveflowed when the player vote picked my Mercians as the best of the bunch.
These were English style quick fire games and all mine were decisive (despite the preponderance of footsloggers) ... We had plenty of potential manoeuvre but everyone gamely got on with it.
Moments ...
(outflanked! The Saxon commander leads from the centre of the line but the warrior on the right flank seems to be trying to draw attention to the enemy about to roll up the line !!)
(from the rear - with the gear - a view of the shieldwall from the supply ships)
A great day out ... and a surprisingly elevated result. Well done everyone!
WMMS next ... then more DBA at Triples
Why not join the Society of Ancients ... ?
1 comment:
Great report Phil, thanks for posting it. I particularly like the fort and farming vignette.
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