Earl Ethelstones Anglo-Danish Warband

Earl Ethelstones Anglo-Danish Warband :)

I started mid December so it took quite long time, but I have not been that focused, and painted Viking Ships and some 40K minis to during that time...

Earl Ethelstone, Warlord...with 2 banner holders
3 points of Housecarls with Dane axes:)
3 points of Ceorls

In total 39 minis

The minis I have used was what I could find at home...most a mix of Gripping Beast plastic Saxons and Vikings, but I alsoe used some Perry crusader and other odd minis I found in my boxes...

The only mini I bought peculiarly for this warband was the Warlord, Earl Ethelstone...I used the very cool GB King Penda viginette, might be a couple of hundred years to early, but I don´t really care as the mini are so cool I just had to have it:)

So here are once again a close ups of the new hero in town,

Earl Ethelstone;)

Last Ceorls

The last 8 ceorls for Earl Ethelstones Warband.

Now I have two 6 point SAGA warband and I might start painting some for my Kalmar Union War project again, at least until the Norhtern Fury supplement for SAGA are out;)

Minis from: 1x Perry (Crusader),2x Gripping Beast (Plastic), 1x Unknown, 1x Perry (Crusader), 2x GB (plastic) and last 1x Foundry (Saxon)

More Ceorls

The second groupe of Ceorls for Earl Ethelstones Warband.

Now there are only one group of Ceorls left ant then I have a 6 point Anglo-Danish SAGA warband:)

Manufactor of minis: 4x Gripping Beast (Plastic Saxon/Viking), 1x Perry (Crusader) 1x Crusader miniatures (a Packmaster from the irish range...) one mor Plastic GB mini and last a Foundry? (old Perry sculpt???)

Earl Ethelstones first SAGA

In the absence of Earl Loifric the poor Earl Edward "the Douptful" have been chased around half of Brittain, loosing battle after battle both against Vikings and Normans...

It was time for a real Anglo-Danish hero to enter our SAGA of 1067...Earl Ethelstone :)

To cover the retreat of the fleeing Earl Edward "the Douptful", a small part of Earl Ethelstones warband made a stoic battle against the pursuing Normans...

Dux Willhelm deployed he´s Knights in 2 medium sized units an used a bunch of pesants to cover their right flank...

Earl Ethelstone planed to anchor he´s right flank against the enclosed field and adopt a defensive posture with the main part of he´s warband, only sending a small part of he´s Housecarls to secure the forest to the left...

The Anglo-Danes started to deal some Fatigue during the Norman advance:) and sent the detached housecarls moving against the forest...

Tha Norman respons was a swift move and then a galopp that realy was a charge at the poor and innocent housecarls that was sent out to choop some wood and norman pesants...

But as Earl Ethelstone had foresee this move and had a cunning plan, he had loaded up the battleboard quite well...

The combat ended in a Norman disaster:)

4 Norman Knights was slain to the cost of only 2 Housecarls (re-rolls on saves can be quite handy)...

The normans was also exhausted...and to Dux Willhelms greate agony the 2 remaining Norman Knights fell dead from their saddles thanks to the Danglo-Danish Exhausted saga ability...

Earl Ethelstone smiled a little in spite as the Normans had almost to easily been lured in to the trapp:)

Dux Willhelm was devastated and in a moment of rage he, without support, charged the 2 remaining Housecarls, to avenge he´s knights...

Dux Willhelm used the DEX AÏE saga ability, giving hem double attack dice, in total 10 AND re-roll on all misses, the Housecarls had meet their overman...

The Housecarls had some esses up their sleeve to...and then the doust clered Dux Willhelm had slin them both BUT they had managed to overthrow him to, the last that was seen of Dux Willhelm that day was them he badly hurt and on foot crawl to hide in the forest...

With the loss of their Warlord the Normans retreated from the field and Earl Ethelstone and Earl Edward "the Douptful" could celebrate the resurrection of Anglo-Danish domination one again...

Now they just had to wait for the arrival of Earl Leofric and they would be ready to clear Brittain from invaders...

This was a short but very nice game...at least for me that used my Anglo-Danish warband for the first time... They are realy good if used in the right defensive way, and let the enemy come to you...It will be nice to try them out in a more offensive way, like you need to play in the "Sacred Ground" scenario.

Ceorls

Here comes the first of 3 units of Anglo-Danish Ceorls for Earl Ethelstones warband to SAGA.

As I used what minis I had my Ceorls might have a little to much armour, but Earl Ethelstone are a very wealthy man so he can affort to arme he´s followers in the best way;)

The maker of the minis are, from left: 2x Perry minis (Crusader range), 3x Gripping Beast (mix of plastic Viking/Saxons), 2x Foundry, and last a GB plastic:)

The Last Anglo-Danish Housecals

Here are the 4 last of Earl Ethelstones Housecarls, Now I will make the last jobb on the Cerols and then the warband are ready for the struggle against the Normans and Viking invaders...

This time the minis I used are: Gripping beast (plastic Viking/Saxon), Foundry (one more old Perry sculpt?) Gripping Beast (from the Penda vignette) and a Gripping beast (plastic Viking/Saxon)

Sorry for the lousy pictyre quality...I will do better next time...

Norman Pursue

This will be 2 short AAR of the latest battles in our SAGA Campaingn, game #8 and #9

Last time a large norman force defeated a allied Viking/Anglo-Danish force. The Norman have now split their force in two to be able to pursue both the Vikings and the Anglo-Danes...They shoulden´t have...

Game #8 Normans vs. Vikings (Sacred Ground Scenario)

The Normans under command of Comes Rollo catched up Jarl Eiriks warband of Vikings by the coast, just as they was going to move for easyer prey... BUT then the incautious Normans appered the Vikings decided to give battle...

Jarle Eirik deployed most of he´s warband in 2 large groups, one Bondi and one Hirdmen, keeping only the Berserkers and a small group of Bondis as reserve...

Comes Rollo immediately discovered that the Vikings left flank would be vulnerable and sent 2 units to flank the Viking line...

Jarl Eirik was eager to get hold of the good ground and ruched he´s warband forward...

On the Vikings Right flank the large groupe of Bondis captured the wood and intimidate the Norman Sergenats...

The main struggle was around the central hill...The Viking Hirdmen first captured the high ground but was soon sweept away by the Norman Flanking force...

In a fierce Battle Jarl Eirik and the berserkers fighted their way to the top of the hill...There they found Comes Rollo in a exposed situation...the berserkers slaughtered him:)

By the loss of their Warlord the Normans didn´t have much to put up and regarded the battle as lost...retreating from the field...

Game #9 Normans vs. Anglo-Danish (Clach of Warlords Scenario)

Duc Willhelm and hi´s Normans chose to follow the retreating force of Earl Edward "the Doubtful". The mounted Normans soon got up to the retreating Anglo-Danes...Earl Edward was forced to give battle...

Earl Edward decided to try out a new approach and deploy hes warband in a extreamly defensive position and divide he´s warband in several very small groups...he might not do that again...

Duc Willhelm used a more direct tactic...

Although the Normans planed to get in there and fight it out it took them a very long time to get there...hinder by Anglo-Danish intimidation and Trapped...

Finally they managed to get a unit of Knights in combat with the screaning Geburs...

The levy archers put up a real fight, supported by some SAGA abillitys they managed to survive, at least a few of them...

The exhausted Norman Knights retreated and two of them fell from their saddles... thanks to the Anglo-Danish Exhaustion Abillity :)

In the center a group of Mounted Norman Sergeants started to harass the Anglo-Danish Ceorls...

The Normans continued to press the Anglo-Danes hard but losing even more Knights to the Exhaustion...

By night fall the 2 forces both withdrew but it was still a minor victory for the Normans...

Anglo-Danish Housecarls #2

Last night I finished some more of Earl Ethelstone Housecarls, the last 4 are in the final staget to...

This time the minis are from left, Gripping Beast (Plastic), Black Tree Design, Foundry (old perry I think) and last a Grpping beast (Plastic)

Anglo-Danish Housecarls #1

Earl Ethelstone will have 3 points/12 minis of Housecarls all will be armed with large Daneaxes, don´t know if that is good but it is cooool;)

In our games the Housecarls with Daneaxes have turned out to be quite fragile, with their lower armour, but they can deal quite some damage to:)

Here are some pictures of the first group/point of Housecarls.

The minis are from left; Musketeer (Early Saxon range), Perry (Crusader range), and 2 Gripping Beast (plastic Saxon/Viking mix)

Blood Reavers #2

I painted me an Aspiring Champion and a Chaos Marine with a meltagun for my Blood Reavers 40K force, so now I have a small squada ready for combat:)