Midgard mishaps

 Today, for the last game before Christmas, we usually have a fun game, but this year we had another Midgard game, this time using an Anglo Norman force against Aelle's Saxon Raiders from the rule book.

Lawrence was rather limited in the units he could use, so decided on a force of Norman Cavalry with Saxon Fyrd, I suggested as Saxon archers usually fought within the shield wall, the Fyrd be deployed as Warriors with missiles (bows), the Norman Knights as Heavy Riders (Knights)

I randomly got Tony again, so was a Saxon, Phil was running the Fyrd for Lawrence. The Normans got to be the defender so deployed as below. Tony had a Hero with Omens, and threw a 5 - +2 Reputation was added to our pot!

The Armies at setup.

Lawrence had got these lovely Normans pre painted, very nice indeed!

The Fyrd looked good too!

Tony's nice Saxons deployed with the Hearth guard facing the Normans...

...and the other spearmen facing the Fyrd.

I started badly, my plan had been to beat the Fyrd Slingers and flank the Knights, unfortunately, I failed to get a second move, even my Hero failed to help! This meant the Fyrd slingers had wood advantage, but all was not yet lost, and I had 2 units against his one. The rest of our line stayed back.

Phil sent his Crossbowmen forward with some Fyrd.

The Normans advanced slowly.

Again! I failed a second move, so didn't even reach the wood, the Fyrd Slings did, and shot, killing half my first unit!!!

The next turn, I charged my other unit , and although the Fyrdir evaded, I caught them!

My damaged unit stayed back, at least I could still use it to flank enemy units!

In the centre, I saw that giving the Fyrd Bows was a mistake, one of our units lost a Stamina point at long range, and other units were driven back, very atypical of Fyrd combat.

My Heath guard were Armour 4, so didn't suffer any missile losses, but I was slowed.

In the wood, my dice failed! I got 1 hit, Lawrence 3, my unit failed its stand test, then failed its rout test, and fled!

I moved a spear unit to support my flank, which was collapsing.

The Saxon Fyrd and the Normans charged, gaining a lot of Rep as their heroes went in too!

The Fyrd got better dice, and beat these 3 units!

My Spearmen and Hearth guard were hit too.

On Tony's side, one of his Spear units broke. (Phil got a great roll again)

My Hearth guard did badly, I did get my 'Stand Fast' to take a Stamina loss of my left hand unit though!

On Tony's side - despite the hole in his line, his other units were doing ok.

The Normans were pushing my Hearth guard back with losses.

Tony was getting pushed back too.

One Spear unit - despite being fought by a Fyrd Spear unit and a Norman Knight unit, managed to break the Fyrd unit!

Unfortunately, on Tony's side, the beaten Spear unit succumbed!

One of my Hearth guard units broke, but my other unit drove back the second Knight unit...

...and it Broke!

It was turn end, and My pot was empty, the Anglo Normans (no surprise!) had won majorly!

Ah well!

Pyrrhic victory?

Today I got my Early Republican and Pyrrhic  armies out for the first time!

I wanted to see if Midgard would work as well for this period as others...

We had time for 2 games, I am sure you will see why game 1 lasted less than an hour...

I took the Pyrrhic right with 3 Phalanx units (Macedonian and Epirot), with the Agema cavalry and some Italian horse. I had an archer unit too. 

Tony took my left with 2 Phalanx Taxeis (Tarentine and allied), the Elephants (which he placed in the centre of the line, to my dismay!) - he had The Tarentine light cavalry and my Thessalian Horse, some Italiot Hoplites and 2 units of archers and slingers.

The Pyrrhic army!

I started on the right with an echeloned pike advance. My cavalry advanced to guard their flank and my archers went to bother the Roman leves.

Lawrence countered with his Leves supported by Campanian Hoplites and the Allied cavalry.

Phil, on the Roman right advanced his maniples.

His Leves occupied the wood ahead of the arrival of the Greeks.

Tony moved his Tarentine Cavalry and an archer unit to counter them, oddly he didn't use his Thessalians who were left behind the Hoplites!

The Romans got the best of the javelin exchange, damaging the Archers.

The Phalanx advanced in support of the Elephants.

My Cavalry held back, as if I attacked the Leves, I would be pounced on by Hoplites or Cavalry at a disadvantage.

Tony got attacked by the Roman legionarii!

I made room on the right for my Agema cavalry to support them.

On the left, Tony's dice were poor to average, but Phil was having a good dice day again, so it wasn't long before a pike unit routed!

With Legionarii turning the flank I called it a day, our Reputation was down to 6 and Tony's wing was falling to pieces!

So, on to game 2!

This time I got to be Roman, and got Tony as my partner, again I would be the attacker, so Phil and Lawrence got our favourite side of the table!

The deployment for this game, all our Cavalry was on the Right wing facing all the Roman Cavalry.

Phil had the Elephants, which he kept as a reserve (historical or what!)

Phil advanced the Phalanx in a Guagamela style echelon, as before, he rushed his Light Infantry into the wood.

Lawrence moved his cavalry further round my flank.

Tony sent his Leves to try and dislodge the Greek lights from the wood.

One unit succeeded but met the Elephants!

As his Legionarii advance against the Tarentine 'Leukospides', his other Leve unit was still fighting in the wood.

Lawrence used his 'With Me' trait to great effect, fortunately I had advanced Legion IV and caught the Thessalians.

On Phil's wing, his Elephants attacked the Leves.

Phil's dice were even good when he didn't need them to be!!

His Elephants trampled the poor Romans! - however, the first Hastati unit managed to drive back the Leukospides!

On my wing, my Leves failed to evade and were run down by the Italian cavalry, but my Roman and Italian Cavalry beat off the attack from the Agema.

Tony got more Legionary Maniples in.

My Legions moved to surround the now undefended Phalanx flank.

The IV legion Principes routed the Thessalians.

My cavalry routed the Agema, but couldn't stop the victorious Italians from swinging onto my flank.

These hit my Roman Equites in front and flank, with disastrous results!

My III Legion routed the Epirot Phalangites.

With no escape possible, my Italian cavalry charged the Samnite cavalry.

Having crushed the first line of Leves, the Elephants crashed through the wood and into the reserve Leve unit! Another failure to evade!

The Phalanx and Legions were pushing each other forwards and back!, though the Romans were slightly getting the worst of the exchange.

My Allied Cavalry had won the first fight, but were soon flanked by the Tarentines and broken, my Consul escaped on horse towards the Legions.

As expected, Tony's last Leve unit acted as another 'speed bump' for the Elephants!

They now turned his flank!

I had to detach IV legion's Triarii and Principes to protect my rear from the Pyrrhic cavalry.

These were a little wary of facing Legionarii now!

The I Legion Hastati managed to break the Leukospides pikes, but were now attacked by the Elephants.

2nd Legions' Hastati were broken by the Macedonian Phalanx.

The Phalanx withdrew their flank Taxeis to prevent me outflanking them.

This brought the battle to a conclusion!

The Greeks had won a hard fought battle, as I hadn't got many Hero charges in, our Reputation collapsed with the losses we took, and the Greeks had a major victory!

I was heartened that all the other players thought the new Pike stats produced a good result!!