The Glorious Cattle Raid, 723AD

We had a five player game of Victory With Honour on Wednesday, with two warbands' worth of models on either side. It should have been RPG night, but unexpected Real Life (TM) stopped me from putting together an adventure, so we wargamed instead.

The Vikings, having just destroyed a village, gained 6 Victory points for each cow they got off the board-edge closest to the sea. The Saxons got 3 for each Viking slain. And of course, there was the ever-important Glory to play for too!

EDIT 26th July: I am aware that Lindisfarne in 793AD is the first recorded turn-up of the Vikings. The game was just played on the 23rd of July (7/23 in American terms), and it seemed a nice way to pick the date.

Saxons

22pts Chief with double-handed axe

15pts Champion: Holder of the Gate

50pts 10 Companions

30pts Chief with Follow Me

11pts Champion: javelin

50pts Companions

178

Vikings

30pts Chief with Whirlwind of Steel

25pts Chief with Scathing Insults

72pts 6 Champions with double-handed axes/javelins

40pts 16 Companions

167

The Vikings pour out of the village.

A Saxon shieldwall forms.

The battle was a bloody one! Dozens died and we did not think it too many. Vikings filled the narrow house by the bridge, and the wounds they inflicted on the Saxon shieldwall did not whiten. Great was the slaughter as blood flowed like water, with honour we died said our maidens with pride. Many died to warriors of renown, thus gaining a place for their names in history. Those men too felt the cold kiss, but were felled by enemy hosts not skill at arms, and so their reputations remain untarnished.

Fulgrim the Whirlwind of Steel breaks the Saxon line.

Viking hirdmen herd the cows away (hee).

Black shields meet bright ones and blood stains the water.

The "cow convoy" approaches the bloody bridge.

Champion vs Champion, Chief vs Chief

The Saxon Chief directs the bridge's defence masterfully.

Saxon Companions scare away the Viking cattle.

Fulgrim distracts the Saxon chief to let the cows get away.

In the end, it all came down to the last turn. The Saxons had scattered some of the cattle, but the Vikings had got quite a few off already. The victory points were neck and neck. Would the chief die? Would the cattle get away? As the dice clattered to a halt, the Vikings had won by one cow.

And the glory? The glory points were 24-19 in the Vikings' favour. A glorious victory, and well deserved!

Overview

The game cracked along very well whenever we were playing it, though we digressed on occasion at great length. The best bit was seeing the roleplayers who started off disappointed at not being able to play the game they were expecting get really really into playing their Dark Age part in the battle. Everyone had fun, that's the main thing. A nice easy game like Victory With Honour is a nice palate cleanser occasionally, particularly with all the work I've been doing on bigger, badder wargames and RPGs recently. I'm sure we'll play again soon, although Of Gods & Mortals is picking up at the club in a big way at the moment, and I have foolishly been reading Slaine...