Edgar the Aetheling's...

...last grasp at the throne? Having repulsed the invader's advance on London near the Forest of Andreas Weald, Edgar has rallied his battered and weary force for one last throw of the dice, to defeat William the B*stard once and for all and secure the future of Saxon England. 

William has been forced to make a temporary camp, throwing up a hasty palisade while sending out scouts to learn of the enemy's intentions and dispositions as the bulk of his battered army rest and recuperate. He knows that his grasp on the throne of England is weakening by the day as more stragglers from Haestingas rejoin Edgar's rag tag army blocking his advance on London. He knows that he may only have this one last chance of victory, though recognising Edgar may have something to say about that. 

The rules used to facilitate the game are Hail Caesar in its second iteration. The game was set to last a maximum of twelve turns. If William and two units reach the point where the London road exits on the Saxon table edge he wins the game and claims the throne of England regardless of outcomes elsewhere. If he fails then similarly Edgar triumphs and the invaders sculk off back to Normandy. On then to the action as it unfolded through my usual anotated photomontage ~

William's army, or at least the bulk of it, shelter behind hastily erected palisade defences as his scouts seek out Edgar's forces.

Breton cavalry supported by bow armed Medium infantry and a screen of skirmishing Light Infantry are everywhere it seems as they probe for Edgar's host.

They discover Edgar's army drawn up blocking the London Road. He has added a force of Viking mercenary warriors as well as stranglers from the Great Fyrdd defeated at Haestingas.

Wearily William rouses his army. The men are all but spent yet know victory or defeat depend on them over the coming hours. The infantry advance determined to prevail and soon encounter Olaf's mercenary warband 

Lead by Olaf in the fire the Vikings crash into Williams heavily armoured Norman infantry. They are beaten but not repulsed!

Steel clashes with steel, flesh tears, bone breaks and the screams of the wounded and dying rent the air. Saxon Medium Infantry and Thanes rush to Olaf's aid hoping the throw the invader back before his army is deployed.

Saxon javelin armed skirmishers burst from the cover of the dense woodland surprising William's bow armed Heavy Infantry. They are halted by the hail of javelins but do not falter!

The Breton cavalry clash with Edgar's remaining Thanes on horseback. If they can defeat them then the London Road may yet be opened to William's sluggish main force.

The Thanes break in panic out fought by the Breton's. Will this be the decisive moment for Edgar and William's hopes?

Despite Olaf's mercenary warband retiring from the fight with William's Heavy Infantry the Saxon line holds and then breaks the enemy's line. William's Heaviest flee and Saxon skirmishers threaten the supporting Normans.

Refreshed, and possibly paid overtime, Olaf's mercenary warriors return to the fight clashing with the bulk of William's Norman infantry lead by Foot Knights.

Hoping to outflank William's sluggish army before it is fully formed for battle Edgar send his massed archers forward, screened by bow armed Light Infantry skirmishers.

The mounted Thanes reform and advance again with the support of skirmishing Light Infantry. More Normans are hastening slowly towards this section of the battle line!

Many of William's Knights have not yet left the camp and are surprised to come under a hail of arrows from the advancing Saxons. While William's problem remains the sluggish response of his army Edgar's is the uncoordinated piecemeal successes of his army.

In the centre Olaf's mercenary warband struggles to hold back a much larger force and his losses are mounting.

One last push and the Vikings break, the remnants fleeing towards the rear and safety!

Before William's tired men can take advantage of their success they are assailed from front and flank by Saxons. The latter are outclassed in the fighting but sell their lives dearly!

Alas they are overcome by weight of numbers and flee rearward. William's exhausted men's cheering is curtailed by the sight of the Saxon shield wall forming ahead of them along the rise. Edgar is far from beaten and William's army has much fighting ahead of it if he is to triumph.

The road to London is still denied to William and his army as the Saxon Heavy Infantry supported by the remnants of Edgar's Hearthguard form a solid shieldwall blocking his path. As the Saxon skirmishers are driven off, the first of William's Knights arrive on the scene whilst the Breton's explore a route around Edgar's flank.

In the centre Saxon Medium and Light Infantry continue to slow the Norman advance. Although ought classed the Saxons are making William's advance here very difficult.

On William's right though more mounted Knights arrive in support of his tired infantry. The Bretons also appears to have discovered Edgar's left is exposed and unsupported.

Supported by his Hearthguard Edgar surveys his last line of defence as the shieldwall forms along the ridgeline blocking the London Road to William still.

Sadly for Edgar the Breton's have managed to force a passage around his left flank and hordes of William's heavily armed Knights are sweeping around his rear unopposed. Edgar can do nothing to deny William any longer it seems.

Snatching victory in the face of defeat William leads his mounted retinue of Norman Knights along the road to London and his coronation in Westminster. Edgar and his Hearthguard will leave for the continent with the remnants of Olaf's mercenary warband and a life in exile. The remains of Saxon England's last army disperse to their homes. For them the fight is over...for now.

The game was enthralling from beginning to end, going the full twelve turns and William only reaching the target victory position with his final Follow Me! order of his final command phase. Edgar put up a valiant resistance with many early successes but was undone in the end by lack of coordination in his plan's execution and the telling loss of his only mounted element. Hail Caesar! delivered in spades to facilitate a splendid and gripping encounter.