AAR - The Escort - Vikings v Anglo-Danes

When two forces clash over a baggage train, who will prevail? In "The Escort" a 6 point Saga Viking faction is protecting a convoy of carts as they cross dangerous territory. A band of Anglo-Dane hearthguard is trying to stop them. Who will be victorious?

The Vikings have to get two carts off the far table edge, to help they take the first turn..... Anglo-Danes line up to stop them. The terrain will not make this easy as the carts cannot travel on uneven ground. The Vikings choose to start with the hill to their back. The Hill would make it hard to get off the table if the table sides were reversed!

The Vikings move several units forward.....

The Anglo-Danes do the same, wanting to get to battle quickly on the left and centre of the field....

The Dane left flank seems a little close to those carts ...... and the Viking Warlord...... The Danes drop fatigue on to enemy units including those Berserkers......

The Viking Berserkers charge the Danes. Using their Fatigue to their own advantage, they hammer home the attacks ......

 The Berserkers fail to kill all of the Danes and in return are slaughtered to a man......

 The Viking Warlord comes under attack by two Dane hearthguard as more men head toward the carts!

In a strange twist of fate, the Dane unit fights to the death and takes the Viking Warlord with it. Things are not looking good for the Carts on the Dane left!

The Vikings have less Saga dice now, but manage to push those carts for all they are worth. The beasts of burden tire under the whip as they race to escape the oncoming slaughter.....

The Danes on the far left move around the rough ground. The centre seems to be where its all at now.... Vikings keep being tired by Dane tricks! the Dane Warlord and his bodyguard charge the Viking Bondi....

The Dane Warlord loses three of his men as the bravely take wounds for him. He only kills two Bondi for his trouble and is forced back.....

The other unit of Viking Bondi are hard pressed by more Danes. A double whammy including a unit of Dane axes kills off five men (the rest later pull back to the hut on the back right) for the loss of six Danes. The Dane Warlord pushes back bravely and kills off the unit in front of him. The cart in the centre is now open to attack......

The Dane Warlord moves in for the kill. He loses his bodyguard but kills the first cart!

The Dane Warlord's bravery has put himself in range of the Viking levy bowmen. Their aim is true and the lonely Warlord, devoid of bodyguards, falls to their arrows like an extra from '300'.

The Danes take it on themselves to press home another attack..... those carts are really close. One more destroyed would at least force a draw.....

The Danes are left with three men but have little to stop them now.....

The cart is attacked and one Dane dies, but it is finally finished.....

 The Viking bow move forward......

 The remains of the Viking hearthguard kill off the Dane cart-killers.....

 The Dane axemen see red and push forward to attack, gaining fatigue......

 

The Danes kill four bowmen but in return the last group of Viking Bondi push forward and with a lot of luck kill them all off......

 

At this point neither side can win as two carts destroyed prevents either side from being able to win. The result is a draw. Both sides have suffered badly in the battle for the baggage....

The Danes ability to land fatigue on enemy units really worked but in return the Vikings managed to hold on longer than first thought after their Warlord fell so early. The Carts never really moved far as the Saga dice were used to push home attacks. If the Carts had stayed at the back and the Vikings really gone to town then maybe they could have got two carts across the board. If only the Vikings had one more unit with their Warlord to act as a bodyguard then things could have been very different!