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Darryl took the Angles led by Aelle (Viking board, always a good choice for new players), Mike was his ally, Raedwald and the Saxons (Ango-Danes), Andy was Prince Geraint and his Romano-British (Normans)  and Phil was his ally Hwyll and the Welsh.

The Village of Ecclesia

The Romano-British Hearthguard advanced rapidly from the NW towards the Angles (SW) and pinned them down as they marched onto the board.  The Welsh entered from the NE and advanced towards the village along the road and sent some javelinmen towards the eastern woods.  The Saxons deployed from the S in a long line.

The RB were charged by the Angle warriors and driven off much reduced.  The Welsh tried to reduce the Saxon warriors with javelin fire but were either intimidated or useless.

The RB brought up their archers who fired ineffectively and their infantry towards the centre whilst their mounted warriors circled around the rear of the Church to advance along the road towards the centre and the Saxons in support of the Welsh.  The Angles finally brought all their troops onto the road, formed a formidible body and began to think about advancing, possibly.

Hwyll attempts to smash through towards Raedwald with his Teulu

The Welsh cavalry charged the Saxon warriors led by the mighty Hwyll.  Thinking to destroy their foes utterly with a stunning charge they were disappointed to find them hard to kill.  The Saxons retreated leaving the Welsh caught in disarray in the open, fatigued.  The supporting Welsh warriors retreated when threatened leaving their cousins to be charged by Saxon warriors whilst Hwyll looked on ineffectively and Raedwald skulked behind his Hearthguard away on the hill to the SE watching events unfold.   The Welsh Hearthguard were slain to a man and Hwyll was forced to retire, fatigued, lucky to escape with his life.

Hwyll finds himself alone whilst his javelnmen skirmish from the woods.

The Angle slingers provoked the RB Hearthguard into charging them by inflicting a casualty.  Even though they were destroyed they inflicted another in combat, leaving just 2 remaining.  In the centre the Angle warriors were defeated by Geraint and the RB warriors.  Aelle charged Geraint and was pushed back whilst his Hearthguard destroyed the RB warriors.  The RB mounted warriors tried to take on the Saxon warriors but were halted and then smashed by a vicious push back.  The two survivors retreated behind the Church but were then destroyed by the Angles invocation of Loki.

Aelle and Geraint locked in personal combat.

Hwyll tried to bring his levies forward whilst his warriors hid in the Church.  The javelinmen in the woods drove off the Saxon levy bowmen  only to be driven back out of the woods and then massacred by the suddenly aggressive Saxon Hearthguard.  Having just 4 dice was really beginning to tell on the Welsh who wasted their dice on rather innefective javelin fire and deadly strikes instead of having dice to react with ambush or retreat.  More Welsh javelinmen inflicted shooting casualties on the Hearthguard only to be destroyed in turn.

The Angles now advanced rapidly towards the RB who once again fired their massed archer levy without effect.  The Hearthguard and the warriors utterly destroyed the two RB levy whilst Geraint looked on from outside the Church in horror.

The Angles attack!

The VPs were calculated and the Angles turned out to have snatched victory from the Saxons in the final turn.   Well done Darryl!

Outcome

Darryl: Aelle and the Angles 49.

Mike: Raedwald and the Saxons 47.

Andy: Geraint and the British 32.

Phil: Hwyll and the Welsh 30.

The RB retreat back to Dumnonia in disgrace and the Welsh find themselves pledging fealty to the mighty Aelle who adds the vilage of “Eccles” to his lands.  Hwyll is left as a landless warrior seeking employ in the retinue of the King of Powys in his mountain fastness plotting his revenge.   Raedwald can return to his own lands with slaves and booty and Bards singing praise of his mighty skills as a battle lord and of the strength of his warriors, but some may whisper that he failed to bloody his axe on this day!