Dux Britanniarum Campaign - July 565 AD

Another match in the ongoing club Dux B campaign and with this being my first game of the year, I was looking forward to my Scots doing a bit of raiding and keeping it local (as they do) and made a foray into their Pictish near neighbours over in Fib under the leadership of their Lord, Allan.

After a bit of to-ing and fro-ing we settled on the Watch Tower raid, the same as my last foray against the Brits and with an identical set up with the Pict's running for the tower with their Lord to get to safety at the opposite end of the table and the Scots coming in from the opposite corner trying to head them off before they got to safety.

The difference here was that the Pict's didn't have enough Cavalry to passle up their Lord and high tail it to their tower like the Brits did and unlike the Brits Allan didn't make a great head start movement roll, so the game was on.

The Gods of the movement dice were kinder to the Scots Raiders this month and the raiders  cavalry quickly closed in on the Pictish Lord on foot with his two bands of warriors while the Scots Lord, second in command and the mass of Scots warriors moved straight for the Pictish Lord who moved out from his tower in an attempt to stem the tide.

Enough to say briefly that the clash of spear on shield was brief and bloody, for the Pict's who, outnumbered 3 to 1, took a beating and with huge shock and half casualties took to their heels with their Lord. The Pictish Missiles tried to slow the oncoming Scots steam roller but were caught as they tried to cover their Lords reteat and were trampled into the bloody earth and fataly their Lord was caught as he ran from the fray.

At the same time as the warriors clashed the Pictish cavalry made an attempt to pick off the Scots missile and skirmishers but were out skipped and took shock from both of these missiles.

And to add insult to injury the Pictish Lord who was trying to gain succor from his liege lord was caught on the slops of the small hill to the north of the tower and had to stop his flight and defend himself against the Scots raider and noble raider cavalry as best he could.

With the loss of his Lord, a unit of warriors and his missiles gone, a break test was due and as Allan's force morale was fairly low from the onset and a couple of high rolls for his lost units and Lord the Pict's broke in the face of the fierce Scots onslaught. (Well that's what I'm calling it, really Allan faced a difficult task due to a dearth of cavalry or mounted Lord and the with some poor movement rolls his fate was sealed).

Still, a much needed victory for the Scots of Cenel Loarn at last, and with a +5 victory the Scots get some much needed cash and a couple of extra warriors to boost their ranks. Sliante Mhath!