Scenario 7/Dark Age

The reader may have noticed that I am using Airfix figures.  Airfix did not make Dark Age sets, so here is my substitution process:

• French cavalry for Dark Age cavalry.  Note: cavalry dismount to fight.
• Roman legions for infantry.  This includes men with swords and axes (warband in the Dark Ages), spearmen (infantry) and a few archers.
• Merry Men set.  This provides archers (assumed to be Dark Age skirmishers) and stick fighters (treated as regular infantry).

Net result is warbands, cavalry, regular infantry and skirmishers.  One Hour Wargames rules call for random selection of units, but I do not have enough of each to allow for that.  Still, I am able to mix them up somewhat and neither side has exactly the same mix of unit types in this battle.

Scenario seven has a large hill on the north side.  All of the Danes are on that hill. Two Saxon units are on the small hill to the south and four Saxon units are hidden on the east side. See pictures 1-3.  The Danes are mostly blue and the Saxons are mostly green.

Picture 1.

Picture 2.

Picture 3.

The Saxons march down from the hill and move north.  These two units are skirmishers.  The Saxons on the east emerge from hiding and begin to flank the Danish units on the hill.  The Danish cavalry descend from the hill and one charges toward an infantry unit. Not a smart move; another Saxon infantry unit flanks it and now the cavalry are in a sandwich (Picture 4). 

Meanwhile, one Saxon infantry unit runs up the hill and charges a Danish warband (Picture 5).

Picture 5.

Picture 6.  The Saxon skirmishers are throwing javelins up onto the hill. (Use your imagination, for Pete's sake.)

Picture 7.  A Danish cavalry unit is swinging around for a flank attack on the skirmishers.  

The flank attack on the Saxon skirmisher unit could have wiped them out but the die turned up a 1: only 2 points damage.  The skirmishers turn to face their flankers and now it is shield-wall against shield-wall.  Neither side can do much damage.  However, on the east side of the battlefield the Saxons wipe out the Danish cavalry then gang up on the infantry.  Two-on-one carries the day every time.  At the end, only the Danish skirmishers are left and they are smashed as soon as the Saxon infantry can reach them (Picture 8).