Band of Wargame Brothers: Anglo-Danes vs Normans

Anglo-Danes vs Normans

View from the Anglo-Saxon line . All Fyrd! Select Fyrd in front, general "cannon fodder" in back.

I recently completed my Anglo-Danish army with lots of spearmen (Fyrd) and some axe wielding Huscarls and a few skirmishers. Ross took one look, thought 'Hastings!' , fielding his Normans and then proceeded to completely smash my army to a pulp. In the parlance of the Brothers it was a complete 'pants down'.
I was too embarrassed to write up the blog so I demanded another rematch. In our first game Ross had done his homework and sat back shooting with his crossbows and archers.
I sat on a hill. It hurt.
So in the second game I had to come off my hill, and the unedifying spectacle of my Fyrd and Huscarls chasing his cavalry was tragic. Oh the shame of defeat!
So for our third time, I tried something different- well I thought it was something different..I put my Fyrd in two lines on my left and my Huscarls in two lines on my right......but Ross predicted it again. The big difference was there was enough gap to enable the front line to retreat or be pushed back without interfering with the second line...........

The table- My Anglo-Danes on the left, the Normans on the right.

My battle line.

Damned Norman archers.

Norman knights in support

Half a ton of unwashed illiteracy with a bad attitude - Ross' description of a Norman knight!

The Norman infantry.

The Battle lines clash- bloodbath!!

Trying to protect my flanks

My Huscarls standing against the Norman charge. 'Shieldwall!!"

B*st*rds won't stop shooting.

Action all along the line.

My skirmishers running!

The fighting here in the center was where I was able to inflict enough casualties to win...but only just!

So in the end, there was no finesse, no brilliantly exceuted flank moves, no perceptive generalship, but a hard bloody and relentless slog, that saw my boys just snatch victory! There will be a fourth rematch. Ross: 2 .Me :1.