Harald Biccasson, Saxon Hero?

Things have improved sufficiently for both Paul and yours truly so that we could once again meet up in GHQ for a game. Paul fancied an Hail Caesar game, so I rooted out my 1066 & All That collection for an encounter battle between the Saxons and the Normans. As is my wont, an annotated photomontage follows which I hope will give a sense of the battle as it unfolded ~

Norman infantry occupy the centre of William the Barsteward's army, while the right is held by his Breton allies and an element of mercenary Viking warriors led by Harald the Clueless.

William himself leads the massed Norman heavy cavalry on the left of his army of conquest.

Harald Biccasson raises his personal banner on a low hill on the left of his army. Harald is amongst his Hirdman, of whom one element is mounted. These are the men he trusts to hurl back the invader and restore harmony to the kingdom.

In the centre of his line Harald has placed his Ceorls, stiffened by a unit of Thegns. Out to their front a few slingers are sent to harass the advancing Normans.

Harald has deployed his poorest troops away on his right where a large area of woodland offers cover for his troops and disruption to the Normandy if they try to penetrate it.

Rather rashly these troops leave their position on the low rise facing the woodland and advance forward. (A Blunder of course!)

The first exchanges between skirmishing Small Units open the proceedings with neither having a decisive advantage!

The Heavy Norman infantry makes little headway in the early stages! Paul had been complaining about recent poor dice luck...a bad decision given the fickle 'dice gods' about in GHQ!

The Norman army has the advantage in both numbers and quality of troops, but the terrain favours Harald's men!

Olaf the Clueless has rather pointlessly occupied a hill on the extreme right of William's line. As his chaos have no ranged weapons Harald chooses to ignore them. He has other things on his mind as the Norman Heavy Infantry finally get into gear.

The poor class troops on Harald's right are looking rather anxiously at the Heavy infantry advancing steadily on them. The two sides skirmishing units are beginning to suffer mounting losses.

Masses of Norman Archers are deploying in support of the Heavy Infantry's attack. Clouds of arrows soon begin to fall on the nervous Coerls.

Mounting losses from the Breton archers forces one element of Hirdman to fall back in Disorder. Harald plugs the gap with his Herthguard armed with Dane Axes!

Norman Heavy Infantry crash into the Ceorls on Harald's right while Heavy Cavalry appear through the woodland. The right is in imminent danger now!

The Norman Heavy Cavalry smashed into the extreme right of the Ceorls' shieldwall. Disorder is already widespread due to galling now fire and they waver. 

Harald has lost his centre and his right is wavering. Surrounded by his loyal Hirdmen Harald prepares for William's final assault. The battle is lost, but he will go down fighting!

But before that can come to pass Harald sees his right division collapse. In the chaos a second Saxon commander is slain. Even the loyal Hirdmen have had all they can stand and Harald is swept to safety amidst his fleeing army remnants. He lives to fight another day!

Once again Hail Caesar produced a game in which fortunes ebbed and flowed before the sudden climax of events swept the Saxons from the field! All you can ask for from any set of rules in my opinion. Most of the figures in the collection are from Foundry and we're sculpted by Matt back in the day. The exceptions are the Vikings, still from Foundry, and the Bretons who are mostly Crusader and Black Tree figures sourced from Colonel Bill's . Finally as a bonus, a few better pictures Paul provided ~