The Dark Ages Campaign - 797AD

The Borderlands of Dumnonia 797AD

Dumonia (reduced to roughly modern Cornwall by the late 8th Century) a rump Brythonic Celtic realm has suffered over the last century.  They have been steadily pushed back losing ground to the West Saxons, seeing Somersaetan and Dorsaet falling to them.   King Hernam has decided to attempt to block further expansion and perhaps regain some ground by attacking Defnas (modern Devon).  Although Defnas was loosely ruled by Wessex  in the late 8th Century, it would be something like 30 years before they had complete control of the area and some kind of hold over Dumnonia.  Because of this the men of Defnas although drawn from the middle Anglo-Saxon list count as allied to Wessex and are being led by the Ealdorman of Dorsaete with his Hearth troops and Select Fyrd in tow.  I'm stealing the rule from DBM/DBMM for the possibility of unreliable allies to use in the campaign.

Gathering the men of Kernow to his banner Hernam crosses the Tamar.  He has a reasonable force at his disposal consisting of:

1 x General's Teula - 3Wb
7 x warriors - 3Wb
1 x light Infantry - Ps

Facing him are the Fyrds of Defnas and Dorsaete

Dorsaete
1 x general's Hird - 4Bd
1 x Hird - 4Bd
3 x Select fyrd -Sp
1 x Youths - Ps
Defnas
1 x Hird 4Bd (Ealderman od Defnas)
3 x Select Fyrd - Sp
1 x General Fyrd - 7Hd
1 x Youths - Ps

As a house rule the two county's fyrds must be treated as two seperate forces but with a single pip roll between them (as the combined force is only 11 elements).

I drew the men of Kernow as the player army with the Anglo-Saxons run using the solo DBA rules.  I decided that I needed to try to deal with the Dorsaetan Fyrd first and hope that a combination of difficult terrain and warbands rapid movement would allow me to rush forwards and engage before the Defnas Fyrd could roll up my line.  I stacked my line two elements deep to gain the rear support factor.  This narrowed my front but warband are resilient little devils and I might get away with it.  The Anglo-Saxon default was for defensive tactics, so I hoped that they would let me have freedom to determine how the action developed.

The terrain selected was a river, a road, two enclosures and a village.  The river was across the frontage of the Dumnonians with the road running between the two deployment zones.  The largest set of enclosures lay to the left front of the Anglo Saxons.  The remaining terrain wasn't going to have much effect as it lay out on the left and right edges of the the battlefield.

The Dumnonians started by pushing forward across the river aiming for the enclosures to the front of the Dorsaetan Fyrd.  With only 1 pip available there wasn't much else they could do.  The Anglo-Saxons rolled well getting aggressive for the turns tactical stance and 4 pips, meaning the men of Defnas would fight.  They push forwards towards the edge of the enclosures.

I continued pushing forwards until I came to contact as you can see in the photo below.  The Anglo-Saxons are hampered by poor throws on tactical stance and pips so they struggle to get their right flank into action.

The Warbands storm forward through the enclosures 

The fighting in and around the enclosures see-saws back and forth until the Dumnonians manage to quick kill a select Fyrd element.  The Wessex lines bend but they hold.  While this is going on the flanking move has been stalled from a lack of pips, but that couldn't last so the Dumnonians disengage to tempt the English to push into the enclosures where they will be fighting at a distinct disadvantage

The fight for the enclosures from the West Saxon side

Next turn the Saxons kill the Dumnonian light infantry and with good dice get aggressive tactics and high pips.  Despite seeing the risk the men of Kernow cannot deploy enough troops to fully cover the attack and the West Saxons of Dorsaete slam into the end of the Dumnonian line which is engaged against the Fyrdmen of Defnas.  In the ensuing combats they loose 2 warband elements which is enough to break the army.

The men of Wessex spring the trap and the flank attack goes in

The Dumnonian line breaks and the survivors flee back towards the Tamar and home.

Defeated warbands stream to the rear in panic

Gwent, South Wales 797 AD
Historically Morgannwg was connected to Gwent through dynastic marriages and the two regions were often under the control of one ruler.  In reality the region I called Morgannwg would be better termed Glwysing with Morgannwg being used when the region is merged with Gwent.

Morgannwg's ruler is nervous as alone he will struggle to resist pressure from his larger neighbours.  His advisors suggest, a 'union' with Gwent to the east.  Gwent is a smaller region and unable to defend itself so someone would be bound to attempt to help themselves to the spoils before long.  Why not Morgannwg and why not now?  So in the spring of 797 AD the Lord of Morgannwg called out his fighting men and headed east along the coast.

Morgannwg's Host consists of the Lord Prince himself - General (3Wb) 5 x 3Wb, and 1 x Psiloi.

Gwent can only muster the Teula of King Athrwys ap Ffernael- General (3Wb), 1 x 3Wb and 1 x Psiloi.  This should be a push over.  I diced to see which side I would control and got the short straw; Gwent.

Gwent's terrain type is littoral so a waterway is mandatory.  I also took a river, a wood and a marsh.  I elected to fight on the smallest board area and to have the waterway narrow the board by 3 base widths.  With only three elements I needed to narrow the frontage I would be attacked across and have a linear obstacle to defend.  I placed the river down the centre of the board hoping it would be across my frontage.  The woods went on the far side from the waterway as did the marsh but in two different quarters of the board.  The dice for choice of side was kind and I had the water way covering my left flank and the woods my right.  Using the Solo DBA amendments Morgannwg rolled an overall tactical stance of 'Normal' meaning no adjustments to the tactical stance check each turn.

Long story short for the first three moves the invaders threw low for tactical style getting defensive and also threw low for pips.  So they moved forwards piecemeal and couldn't attack.  That allowed me to get in place on the river bank. I took the decision to deploy in a single line hoping the river would aid my defense.

The enemy Psiloi reach the river.  Their warband is slow to advance (low pips)  

My Light Infantry face off  against their opposite numbers. 

Light Infantry destroyed my Warband steps up to the river

On turn four the enemy Psiloi attempted to cross the river and dicing for it's effect rolled a 5 making it difficult terrain and adding plus one for defending the river bank.  So far so good.  There was a chance, albeit a slim one, of defending the rich and fertile lands of Gwent, well not that rich and not that fertile,  otherwise I would have had more than a measly three elements to defend hearth and home with!  The enemy psiloi double the brave men of Gwent and clear the bank forcing a crossing. In the centre the warbands attacking me are stacked up two deep to get the rear support bonus, but my position defending the river bank off sets that.  Their attack is repulsed they are forced to recoil.

My warbands retreat to avoid flank attacks

Next turn Morgannwg roll aggressive and have plenty of pips they split their Warbands to try to work around my left flank and push the light infantry forwards along the wood edge. I hang on for a turn but my flanks are being turned. Next turn  I only get 1 pip so I choose to retire and consolidate to avoid being hit in the flanks.  It can't last and despite falling back under pressure and an attempt to take out the enemy light infantry eventually the weight of numbers tell and my commanders warband is destroyed.  That's game over!

The begining of the end.  I risked attacking and failed

I lost this combat and couldn't recoil - scatch one warband.

After the game was over I diced for Arthrwys and he had died with his Teula.  I chose a simple test; roll a d6 when the commanders element is destroyed.  On a 5 or a 6 he is killed.  Brutal but straightforward.  The first nation falls and Gwent is united with Morganwwg.

The chroniclers have two new entries for the year 797 AD

And in this year did Hernam ap Oswalt Lord of Dumnonia come forth from Kernow to dispute with the men of Defnas and Dorseate in battle and though they strove mightily the men of Wessex had the victory.

 and

Athrwys of Gwent was slain in battle with Arthfael of Glwysing and the land passed to him to rule thereafter. 

Onwards to 798 AD.