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The Battle of Caer Guinnion was King Arthur’s eighth battle.  This may have taken place in South Eastern England near Venta Belgarum (Winchester).

A Clash of Empires Scenario

In this scenario the Roman-British with some Federate allies fight against the Saxons; an alliance of West Saxons and Men of Kent.  At this time the Saxons and Jutes in Kent had created a fairly strong Kingdom with a capital at Canterbury and were expanding.  West Saxons and Jutes were beginning to settle around Southampton Water.   Cerdic is an interesting character.  He may have been a Germanic warrior (or the British descendant of such) who later came to lead a British-Saxon Kingdom that eventually became the Kingdom of Wessex.  One can imagine a Romano-British aristocratic family wisely entering into a marriage alliance with a powerful warlord in order to secure future peace and prosperity.  Aesc (Oisc) was the son of Horsa who founded the Oiscingas dynasty of Kentish Kings who held Kent until the rise of Mercia and King Offa.

King Arthur and his British must stop the Saxons from creating too strong a powerbase in the years before Arthur’s famous Twelfth Battle at Mons Badonicus.  Arthur is bolstered by some federate allies commanded by his nephew Gawain.  Gawain was the son of Lot, King of Lothian  (Arthur’s brother in law) and has brought some wild British from North of the wall to fight alongside their more Romanised cousins.  For these we shall use Pict type unromanised barbarians.  Lot is mentioned by some chroniclers as aiding Arthur in his battles around Kent and was reputed to be the King of Lothian and even the Orkneys.  The Late Roman and Early Saxon Army Lists for Clash of Empires give some reasonable forces for this battle.  The Saxons had been settled in Kent for some time now and would have had access to horses.  The Saxons of Kent clearly very much valued horses in their culture  (look at the names Hengest and Horsa, horse head gables and  the White Horse Stone in Kent) so the inclusion of some Saxon cavalry fits well.

Setup

A Roman Saxon Shore Fort will form the flank of the British Army.  In this Fort can be placed a unit of auxiliary archers.  These are the defenders of the fortress who have alerted Arthur and his army to the coming invasion forces.  They cannot be attacked in hand to hand during the battle and count as in hard cover but not additionally as in skirmish order when shot at (so -2).   The Saxons can use boats to allow a flank march type deployment (one or two units of infantry without the closed order penalty) but not within the enemy deployment zone during the battle.   Additionally an ancient ballista (Scorpio bolt thrower or similar) can be added to the fort free of cost (see Roman List).  However at game end if the Saxons have a unit in contact with the fort gate they will gain an extra 15 VP (as in time they will batter down the gate and slaughter the defenders, razing the fort to the ground)!

CLASH OF EMPIRES

ARMY: Late Roman-British STRATEGY RATING: 2 ARMY POINTS VALUE.

CLIMATE: FERTILE ARMY RATING: BREAK POINT: 186

GENERAL

TITLE

King Arthur  ARMY GENERAL, Heroic, Mounted

CORE UNITS

Pedyt 24

Weapon and Armour: Hand Weapon, Throwing Spear, Large Shield

Special Rules: Shieldwall

Milites  24

Weapon and Armour: Hand Weapon, Throwing Spear, Javelins, Large Shield, Light Armour

Special Rules: Shieldwall, Expert Swordsmen

Milites  24

Weapon and Armour: Hand Weapon, Throwing Spear, Javelins, Large Shield, Light Armour

Special Rules: Shieldwall, Expert Swordsmen

Pedyt  24

Weapon and Armour: Hand Weapon, Throwing Spear, Large Shield

Special Rules: Shieldwall

SUPPORT UNITS

Light Cavalry  12

Weapon and Armour: Hand Weapon, Javelins, Shield

Special Rules:

Elite Cavalry 12

Weapon and Armour: Hand Weapon, Longspear, Javelins, Shield, Light armour

Special Rules: Drilled, Shock Cavalry

SKIRMISH UNITS

Skirmisher 10

Weapon and Armour: Composite Bow, Sword

Special Rules:

Lothian Allies

SUB COMMANDER

TITLE

Prince Gawain  Heroic Leader, Mounted

Lothian Light Infantry  24

Weapon and Armour: Hand Weapon, Javelins, Shield

Special Rules: Warband, Allies

Lothian Light Infantry  24

Weapon and Armour: Hand Weapon, Javelins, Shield

Special Rules: Warband, Allies

Lothian Light Cavalry 12

Weapon and Armour: Hand Weapon, Javelins, Shield

Special Rules:

Lothian Noble Medium Cavalry 12

Weapon and Armour: Hand Weapon, Throwing Spears, Javelins, Shield

Special Rules: Warband

SKIRMISH UNITS

Lothian Skirmisher 8

Weapon and Armour: Light Crossbow, Dagger

Special Rules:

Fort Guinnion Defenders

Scorpio -(Free)

Archers – (Free)

TOTAL 3437 362

ARMY: Early Saxon STRATEGY RATING: 2 ARMY POINTS VALUE.

CLIMATE: FERTILE ARMY RATING: BREAK POINT: 188

GENERAL

TITLE

Cyning Cerdic ARMY GENERAL, Heroic

SUB COMMANDER

TITLE

Aetheling Oisc Heroic Leader

Duguth  24

Weapon and Armour: Hand Weapon, Throwing Spear, Shield

Special Rules: Warband, Shieldwall.

Hearthguard 24

Weapon and Armour: Hand Weapon, Throwing Spear, Shield, Light Armour

Special Rules: Bodyguard Shieldwall, Warband

Hearthguard  20

Weapon and Armour: Hand Weapon, Throwing Spear, Shield, Light Armour

Special Rules: Shieldwall, Warband

Duguth 24

Weapon and Armour: Hand Weapon, Throwing Spear, Shield

Special Rules: Warband, Shieldwall.

Duguth 24

Weapon and Armour: Hand Weapon, Throwing Spear, Shield

Special Rules: Warband, Shieldwall.

Duguth 24

Weapon and Armour: Hand Weapon, Throwing Spear, Shield

Special Rules: Warband, Shieldwall.

Hearthguard 24

Weapon and Armour: Hand Weapon, Throwing Spear, Shield, Light Armour

Special Rules: Shieldwall, Warband

SUPPORT UNITS

Medium Cavalry 12

Weapon and Armour: Hand Weapon,Throwing Spear, Javelins, Light Armour, Shield

Special Rules:

Light Cavalry 12

Weapon and Armour: Hand Weapon, Throwing Spear, Javelins, Shield

Special Rules:

SKIRMISH UNITS

Skirmisher 8

Weapon and Armour: Sling, Dagger

Special Rules:

Skirmisher 10

Weapon and Armour: Javelins

Special Rules:

Total 3315 365