We'll go no more a reaving

Tuesday evening was the first chance to try out the new Viking Army. Tim and I went to visit Phil and played a few games on his kitchen table. It means it's quicker making the tea and coffee.

I was using my III/40a Early Vikings. Phil had Middle Saxons III/24a. He defended and insisted on using his large Saxon burg model as a BUA and his camp. His army is mostly Spear with some Warband, a Solid Horde and some Cavalry. As previously advertised I'm all fast blade, except for two solid blade huscarl bases. Although Phil defended he came at me as fast as he could. I put a column of 3Bd on my left to negotiate the wood and give him some flank things to think about. As I sent my Blades through the wood Phil reminded me that they would cost 2 PIPs to move as they were out of sight of my general. Same applies to most of Phil's army as his General is the other side of the same wood.

However I had enough PIPs to get my elements where I wanted them, but was unable to win any combats, even when I had an advantage.

I succeeded in getting a double flank attack on the main line by killing one of Phil's 7Hd. Luckily for Phil he doesn't need PIPs in the centre as I'm doing the lining up for him.

I had enough to get him in a flank attack. I had three flank attacks at +1 or +2 advantage that round and won one of them and lost the one against Phil's general on the left.

Having been bounced on my left, Phil is able to charge in with his Warband general. Elsewhere he has insufficient PIPs to close with me. I'm losing badly on my left. Shame as it was looking promising initially.

In the centre I'm starting to grind Phil down by piling as many men round as possible. Still not winning all the flank battles. I get bounced on the right.

I can't make my advantages pay. I've killed four elements, but one of those is 7Hd, which doesn't count. I lose all the Blade/Warband combats on my left, and get 6:1'd by the remaining 7Hd (how I hate these - the idea of fielding elements that do not count towards victory breaks the model), so I lose out 4:3. A close game I should have won. 

Tim then stepped up to fight Phil, using my Early Byzantines (III/4b).

Tim likes this army, and so do I. It looks great. It's possibly a little under-powered and could do with a bow unit or two instead of the Psiloi. Phil used Vikings, III/40b, which is mostly 4Bd.

A "1" rolled for first turn PIPs slowed everything down.

Tim did a good job of exploiting the speed and manoeuvrability of his cavalry to get round Phil's flanks, and he was seduced by the idea of attacking the camp. At this point he is 1:0 up.

It's nip and tuck, and Phil pulls it back to 1:1.

A frenetic turn sees elements falling all over the place, and they're 4:4 by the end of it. Into a sudden death turn, and Tim pulls it out of the bag to come through 5:4. A well earned victory and an exciting game.

Time for me to take another turn at the board. Tim takes the Byzantines again, and I go with my Normans (III/52). This gives me a chance to deploy a 7Hd element not previously used on the tabletop. Ignore what I said previously.

The Normans are a bit of a beast against the right opponents, being stuffed full of Knights supported by some Bows and a couple of Cavalry to cover the flank zone.

It's not very subtle, but facing cavalry the best idea is just to get the knights in a line and charge them. With the bows performing well, I'm three elements up in no time at all.

Tim pulls one back in the next turn, killing one of my bows, but the knights do their business and I run out 6:1 winner.

Well, that rounded out the evening nicely.

Shame about the Vikings, but I think I was a little unlucky in that game. 

Everything else was just skill.