posted April 12, 2000 04:30               

Thanks everyone for playing. I'm glad people seemed to enjoy. Sorry about all the miss posts on the table. I've writen some software so the next one will atleast be consitant(getting right will still be a challenge).

posted April 10, 2000 20:24               

I rate a "fair" - with the highlight of a 4:0 over R-3's Bretons for his only loss being more than offset by 1G:0 loss to Sir Cholais, the dance of the sugar-plum Northmen vs DJ's Normans for 45 bounds before being 6-1'd out of it, and providing Tiger's Saxons with a simple walk over for his only win!!

posted April 10, 2000 08:43               

Ruuguu, thanks for a great tournament.

And Sir Cholais, well done on the 100% record.

DK's Vikings deserve to go through seeing as mine didn't even win all their won games!

But here in Switzerland we're cheering on the the Finns to take down the Teutons!

posted April 10, 2000 08:31               

The last game should end before Friday, we are in our 26th bound at 2:2 in a very messy battle field. With both of our armies only having 3 groups of two elements between them the rest scattered across the board. The vikings have the advantage of Bd Vs. Sp but the Rus have thier Genreal in the middle of the field giving them netter CnC.

posted April 07, 2000 17:26               

The Vikings fought with the river to their backs. The Vikings marched down the length of the large forest, driving the Rus archers before them. In the Vally Igor desperately rearranged his line so that the Berserkers would have to fight his cavalry.

With things going badly in the forest (it was actually 2:2, but the Vikings were getting close to the camp), Igor finally gave the order for the main battle line to advance. The Berserkers immediately disintigrated in front of the Rus cavalry.

posted April 06, 2000 09:20               

Battle description coming later.

posted April 04, 2000 07:09               

However he spotted 2 weak points in the Viking line - the Viking right was anchored on a small group of archers in loose order, while the fearsome berserkers were on the Viking left.

So Igor set his mounted Druzhina at the ends of the line, and told them to attack these points as fast as possible.

And so the battle began - the Rus cavalry and skirmishers on the flanks raced forward as fast as they could while hte spearmen remained in front of the camp. The Viking line advanced, and the ends turned outward slightly to face the mounted troops.

On the Rus right the Berserkers proved no match for the Druzhina. The Huscarles and Bondi next to the berserkers were infected by the flight of their flank guard, and also fled before the Rus horsemen.

But the remainder of the Viking line was made of sterner stuff - struck in flank and rear the Bondi fought like demons, driving the Rus back, although this was now back towards the Vikings own camp! On and on went the Viking foot - seemingly invincible, shrugging off charges into ther flank and front.

But it couldn't last forever - each time the Rus cavalry retired there were fewer and fewer Vikings left in the shield wall, and inevitably they succumbed, but not before the battle had swung back the Viking way.

In the meantime the Viking archers and huscarles on the right had driven off the Rus cavalry and skirmishers attacking there. The Rus archers had fled almost off the field of battle, leaving the cavalry isolated. Struck flank and front they held the Vikings for some precious time, but succumbed to the great weight of numbers.

In the centre the Rus spearmen had advanced slightly, and the main Viking forced had reached them and began to drive them back. The Viking line lapped around the Rus, and the warriors slowly wheeled onto the flank.

At this stage the score was 3:1 to the Rus.

The Vikings were now just a move or 2 away from the Rus camp. Igor had taken a calculated risk he abandoned one flank of his spearmen to it's fate - loss of it would not suffice to defeat his army. Instead he cajolled and hurried some of his skirmishing archers back to the battle on the other flank.

Igot hoped his flank would hold to give him a wider margin, but the flank column of spearmen collapsed; 3:3.

Igor screamed at his archers to attack the flank of the Viking line, and at his remaining spearmen to attack it in front. The Viking right was almost on the camp, and this would be the final toss of the dice for the Rus...the Viking flank wavered... "Come on men" shouted Igor "CHARGE!"

The Vikings looked around - Rus cavalry were returnign from destroying a quarter of their army on their right, while the Rus spearmen did not seem intimidated by anything right now, and the Wolves of the North began to run for their ships...

So 4:3 to Kaniska's Rus over Sir Cholais' Vikings.

As with my game vs R-3's Bretons, the Vikings are pretty capable in the open if you don't have Kn, and it took a couple of good rolls against the Berserkers & adjacent Huscarles to break the line and give me a chance.

posted April 03, 2000 17:59               

Unfortunately, I can't play as El' Jocko, so I've rechallenged you as El' Jocko (2). I've challenged as both Vikings and Middle Anglo-Saxons, since we haven't played either game yet.

Also, a bit of bookkeeping:

1. The tournament chart shows your Vikings beating my Middle Anglo-Saxons, since we haven't played yet, that box should be blank.

2. The chart shows no result for Sir Cholais's Vikings against the Middle Anglo-Saxons. That should be a 4-1 win for the MAS (it's their only win, we can't leave it out ).

BTW, thanks for putting in the work to run the tournament, I'm sorry that you won't be able to do as much in the future.

posted April 03, 2000 15:39               

Ryuuguuu, sorry to hear you'll be pulling out a bit!
But the tourney software sounds great.

You left out the defeat your Welsh suffered to my Vikings from the table (5-1).

The table is very tight indeed - it could quite easily be Sir Cholais vs Sir Cholais (well done Sergio!) It's all up to the Welsh!

Vikings lost 17 games to 16 - doesn't get much closer than that!

posted April 03, 2000 11:47               

I posted this here since the players in this tourney seem pretty active.

posted April 03, 2000 11:24               

El Jocko (2) I made a mistake in in my army selection against and took Aux instead of Bw(I now that Aux are better against Bd than bow but Welsh just should have Bw to me) so I deleted the game and rechallenged.

Ryuuggu.

posted April 02, 2000 01:10               

But that's the way it goes - I've won a game 1G:0 before to a lucky roll, so take it when you can.

posted April 01, 2000 23:58               

(David Kuijt Later Franks vs. Kanishka Vikings; David Kuijt wins 2G:1)

"Thanks be to God, and not ourselves, for the Victory"

The battle was fought on the Green Hell. Kanishka set up in a deadly battleline between the southmost woods and the huge woods, both flanks anchored in the bad going, with only his Bw General and one Blade out in the open. Davidlepetit, wisely deciding that assaulting that formation would be certain ruin, directed his psiloi to clear the woods. Over the next 40 bounds they attempted to do so, and it took that long for Davidlepetit to get his line up and in order, just out of archery shot of the Viking line. By that time the chief skirmisher reported back that there were just too many damn Vikings in those woods. One company of Viking blades and one of Frankish skirmishers were lost in the bloody but inconclusive engagement.

Davidlepetit was not the general his old father was, so he was thinking of giving it up, but his father's advisors told him he could not do that unless he had at least made some attempt against the raiders.

So he ordered his forces forward, far enough that they could charge mounted into the woods on one flank, spear into the woods on the other flank, a Cav against the deadly Viking bowmen, and Davidlepetit himself against the blade beside it.

The Vikings immediately screwed up the plan, shooting the Cav and recoiling it through the Spear behind it.

Plan B, Davidlepetit said. He pushed forward the Spear (another bound) to make line.

Now the Vikings were clashing their weapons against their shields and shouting insults, daring the Franks to attack, knowing that the one Blade might die, but flank attacks on the General would be nearly certain the next turn.

The Franks endured the arrowstorm, and finally the word came. 3 pips. Bloody hell, I needed 4, Davidlepetit said. Well, it'll have to do. He threw forward the Spear and his own mighty Knights. They were both overlapped -- the best he could do was ZOC the flanking units, so that if his Knight broke through he wouldn't immediately get hit from the flank in bad going and slaughtered.

The Vikings were too tough, and the Frankish Kn Gen recoiled. WAY recoiled, through two backup elements! It would take another twenty bounds to sort it out and get ready for another assault.

But the Viking line quailed and ran away! It seems that the mighty Viking Warleader, Kanishka, had laughed so hard watching Davidlepetit driven back through two friendly elements that he had had an apopleptic fit and died on the spot. His banner fell, the word spread that he was dead, and the Vikings ran to the hills.

In other words, the double-overlapped Spear element killed the Bw General at +2:+3 with a 6-1 roll.

This was a battle of tremendous slow thundering maneuver, desperate fights in the woods. Kanishka had a superb position, with an army that was frankly overmatched in any other situation. What happens? The dice gods make mock of us both. I won the battle, but I consider myself outplayed in spite of my having the large advantage in matchups. The laughable thing is that the least useful (vs Vikings) part of my whole army, a Spear, slaughtered the most useful (vs. Franks) part of Kanishka's whole army.

Oh well!

posted April 01, 2000 19:16               

The Viking right raced out in front of hte line, pursuing some advanced Rus psiloi and Cv, but isolating htemselves from the reast (2/3rds) of the army.

In some confused fighting most of the Viking left was destroyed along with most of their opponents. The the Wb charged hte Sp and impaled themselves without any regard for the feelings of their fellow countrymen, the selfish sods!!

A couple of chances remained to kill some Sp with Bd, but they failed, and the Viking army left to look for easier foes!

I'd just like to note for the record that ALL my elements were lost to being unable to recoil into the _front_ of Viking elements that had either swung in behind, or I'd swung in behind him with Cv & then been shot at by hte Bw & unable to recoil! Richard lost 2 elements flanked, and 2 "head on".

posted April 01, 2000 18:23               

First to SC's Magyars - 2 Cv & 1 Lh into a line of Bd, with the middle Cv vs Kanishka's bw (factors 5:3) - 1 dice roll later it's game over 1G:0!

Then to DK's Franks - in the 45th bound (!), Davidamagne finally charges the Viking line with his bodyguard and some Sp - the Kn recoil, the Sp are 2:3, so they promptly 6-1 Kanishka's archers! 2G:1

I think I shouldn't have got up!

posted April 01, 2000 06:07               

Crumbs! Looks like a tight tournament.
DK's Vikings have 4-1, with Kanishka, Sir C and RIII's Viks all at 3-1.

posted April 01, 2000 04:41               

Somehow a Viking Bd in a group 4 wide manages to be 0.00000001mm (ie it looked in line at the highest magnification) in front of the rest, and got smacked by the Saxon General. The Vikings had revenge with a 6-1 of their own, but elements were traded - good dice for the Saxon General, BOD for the Vikings (hangs head in shame ).

Fierce fighting between the Saxon spearmen and Viking Bondi saw more Saxons fall...the army was tettering at 2:3....the Saxon King was outflanked, with Vikings in front, side, and rear. Nothing for it..., the Wb on the Saxon left crashed into the Viking right - Wb vs Bw, Wb and Bd...., Axeblunter's Bow recoiled from the onslaught, the Berserkers gave as good as they got, but the Huscarles disintigrated....3:3.

Kanishka pulled his archers back, and ordered the Huscarles on his left to drive straight for the Saxon King.....back went hte Saxons, but there was no room, with huscarles on 3 sides the King and his thegns fell before the Viking swords. The last chance for the Saxons to stand was if they could destroy the Berserkers, but instead hte Berserkers, outflanked on both sides, drove their assailents back.

Dismayed by this final lack of success the Saxon army fled the field.

posted March 31, 2000 12:50               

I just realized we weren't playing our Franks/Vikings battle; I've challenged you with Franks to rectify that.

posted March 31, 2000 04:25               

Much as I'd like to spin a fine tale, this was jsut a bloody harrowing fight in the woods between Bd on one side, and Ax, Ps and Bw on the other. Innumerable were the times when Bd were struck flank and front and unable to recoil yet they defeated the foe. Yet also innumerable when the Vikings roleld 1 to Welsh 6 to die head on in an even fight! (Actually it was twice, vs once when I did it to Grant, but I can't help putting a bit of a twist on it!!) The tension was bloody awful - 1 element of mine was lapped for about 3 combats, wining 1, tieing 2! I have no finger nails left!

In the end the Bondi in the woods killed 3 Ax for the loss of 3 Bd.

It all came down to Axeblunter's own archers attacking Welsh bowmen outside the wood - we each threw the same as our factor - me 3+3, he 1+1, game over.

So 4-3 to the Vikings, and a hell of a game that pretty much came down to dice rolls.

posted March 29, 2000 23:53               

where's the consistency guys??!

Mike
aka Kanishka

posted March 29, 2000 20:45               

3 more results:

RIII's Bretons defeated Sir Cholais' Vikings 4-0 (I had some important lucky rolls)

RIII's Bretons beat Ruuguu's Vikings 4C-1 (1 LH slipping by can ruin your entire day!)

RIII's Vikings were victorious over Ruuguu's Welsh, 5-1 (obviously a very hard army to play vs Vikings; loads and loads of useless bw!)

HRH Richard III

posted March 29, 2000 18:25               

Ok so it was blind luck I ain't proud. The fact that he rolled a 1 pip and I a 6 in the previuos bounds also helped.

Tiger Viking Vs. Ryuuguu Welsh 0:1G Ryuuguu Welsh win.

posted March 29, 2000 16:22               

In a VERY tight battle, my Viks defeated El Jocko's Anglo-saxons 4-3.

The situation looks very interesting, and the whole tourney is definately improved by the speed with which the games are played.

10-8 for the Vikings, I think, with DK's at 4-1 doing extremely well, and RIII's at 3-1 close behind, though plenty of games unfinished.

gettin' exciting!

posted March 29, 2000 10:24               

At the end, with flanks collapsed, Knuijt had to try and win it himself. He threw off the first flanking attack by the Breton General and charged to drive back the enemy horse nearly to their camp, but the second flanking attack was his undoing, and the battle was over.

posted March 29, 2000 09:59               

The score is unbalanced, but the game turned on one combat that could have gone either way. On the right flank two Rus Cav collided with two Viking Blades, nobody else involved. After two turns of no significant result the battle was rejoined. The first Rus Cav recoiled, and the other one died overlapped at +3:+2. If the Rus had won that combat the Viking line would have been turned and the battle would have been very different. As it was the central footslog took a long time, but without flukey luck on either side the Vikings had the advantage, and the Rus were reduced to making more and more risky charges on the flanks, until finally the Vikings were able to compress the Rus lines and take advantage of Rus bravado on the left flank.

A very tight game, in spite of the unbalanced final score.

posted March 29, 2000 02:34               

I have a couple of questions about the webpage:

I think you've (unfortunately!) been mistaken in giving my Viks credit for beating the Franks! It was Sir Cholias (F) who accomplished that.

In the Record column you have the Bretons as 1/3; it should I think be 2/3.
Also here, I declared the taking of Bws for my Viks, though you have an E (for elephant?!) marked.

Thanks,

posted March 29, 2000 02:11               

"I thought that it was a BOD of a couple of Viking Bd´s over my poor simple Ps, but it wasn’t, excuse my ignorance. It really was a RIF, Rear Influence Formation,"

Sergio, Sergio, did I not explain the difference twixt BOD and LIF?
BOD is when someone is exploiting the rules because they are more concerned about winning than having fun.
LIF on the other hand, is a valid and smart tactic used by the Good and Right.

They look the same, but...

Seriously, good use of LH. (should have put that Bd in the camp like I'd originally planned!)

posted March 28, 2000 21:53               

quote:

---

P.S. If a General is killed the game is supposed to end isn't it? Even if army losses are tied.

---

Nope.

The game is over if you have lost more guys than the enemy has; and you either have lost your General or 4+ elements. If you've lost equal or less, one of which is your General, the game continues.

posted March 28, 2000 21:47               

Thanks

posted March 28, 2000 18:51               

quote:

---

Run like Greeks eh?! We'll see!

---

"Greeks" is how a Viking would refer to someone from Byzantium. I'm not sure if you would want to take the apellation as referring to you, especially given your regard for things Roman (which might well include Byzantium), and given the slimy, treacherous reputation of denizens of Byzantium. But hey -- your choice

posted March 28, 2000 16:45               

On again came the Saxons. "Stand, stand" bellowed Knuijt, dealing mighty blows, his trusted men beside him. Beside him fought Ragnarr, and Gunnar, and Thorfinn, and Thorvald, and Thorhall, and Thorgyr, and Thor-thor.

On his left the Saxon Fyrd drove back his flank guards. On his right the Saxon Warband drove back his baresarks, leaving him double overlapped to face the warband in front. But Knuijt battled like one of the Vanir, and his men would not leave him.

Three times the Saxons attacked, breaking over his force like a wave, and receding, unable to snap their resistance.

To his right the Saxon Warband had no recoil, and repeatedly was hit with overlap or flank. But it matched Knuijt's fierceness with its own, driving back its opponents every time, four times, now five.

To his left the Saxon Fyrd, led by their Bretwalda, El'Jockoread the seldom-read, consistently drove back his flank guards, driving them into the bad going behind him.

"We cannot hold much longer," Thor-thor yelled over the din. "Once the Saxons get a chance to push our flankers into the bad going and keep them there, they'll take a -2 modifier and we will soon be alone!"

"Neither can we fall back," Knuijt bellowed in response, shaking bloody droplets off his axe as he gestured. "We must stand here, or die. But look!"

To the right the Vikings were finally making headway, cutting off the Saxon Superwarband, smashing into the Fyrd behind it. Now all was laid on the dice. If Knuijt's double-overlapped Vikings failed, the battle was surely lost. If the Saxon Warband was recoiled they were dead, and the Viking flank would be saved.

And even so it turned out. The Saxon's tired first; and on the fifth or sixth chance where they had no recoil they recoiled, and so died. One more wave assaulted Knuijt's stalwart defenders, but now they had overlaps for them, not against them, and the last Saxon warband broke, unwilling to face the blood-spattered terrors that faced them.

Final result: 4-1 victory, Knuijt's Vikings over El'Jockoread's Saxons.

Could have gone either way; a very tight and tense battle. I cannot say I was unlucky, as my General survived nearly a half-dozen attacks by Warband, lapped or double lapped. But right beside him the luck was reversed, and the Saxon warband would not lose, even though it was always below even odds. All I can say is that my luck lasted one turn longer!

posted March 28, 2000 16:39               

The Breton army recovered some ground today, defeating eight times its number of Viking raiders (belonging to Elephant Jocko). 5-0

HRH Richard III

posted March 28, 2000 16:15               

"Have we lost, then?" the townsmen asked. "Have the Vikings defeated our army? Will we be raped, burned, and pillaged, not necessarily in that order?"

The warriors shook their heads. "Nay, we won."

"Why so sad, then?"

"King Davidlemagne is dead. We shall not see his like again."

In the castle above, Davidlemagne's body was carried in on his shield.

"How did this befall," the castellan asked with trembling voice.

"Another army of Vikings assaulted our peaceful lands, led by El'Jocko Forkbeard, a cunning man and strong. We rode to meet them. They had taken a strong position, arrayed in depth, with both flanks secure. We sent our archers into the woods on their left flank, hoping to outflank them, but the woods were teeming with Vikings, and we could gain no headway. On the right flank our Cavalry approached a marsh, but they had put a company of skirmishers there, and we could make no headway there either.

"So Davidlemagne called up his household with these words: I will not be defeated again and live; come with me, and we shall smite them. And even so it happened. Deep into the formation we drove, and ever foremost was the King. The Vikings could not stand against us, and we slaughtered many.

"But they had no thin line, easily broken. The cavalry guarding the King's flank was destroyed facing the Forkbeard himself, and he turned his company of barbarians and hit into the flank of King Davidlemagne. The King's horse foundered, and he disappeared in a sea of Viking axes.

"In a fury we smote them, and they broke, but it was too late. The King is dead! Who shall lead us now?!?"

Battle result: 4-2G win, Davidlemagne's Later Franks over El'Jocko's Vikings.

posted March 28, 2000 15:51               

The reference to St.Martin confused the Franks, and a number of small religious discussions cropped up as they galloped towards the line of Vikings. The discussion of hagiography and the vitae of St. Martin was rudely interrupted as they hit the Viking line.

Three companies of Knights, including Davidlemagne himself, and two of Cavalry hit the line of Vikings. A moment later four of those companies reeled back, recoiling in defeat, and the flank Cavalry was destroyed. The Viking line was unmarked.

Davidlemagne pulled himself up into the saddle of his second horse. "Maybe this isn't going to be as easy as I thought," he muttered.

The Vikings, roaring like a gale from the north, charged in and drove the Franks back again.

Bloody battle was joined. On the left flank the Vikings caught and killed a Psiloi with aid of their own skirmishers; on the right flank they drove back the Frankish skirmishers.

In the center King Davidlemagne finally broke through. The Vikings fought fiercely, but with the aid of his bodyguard and the other Feudal Nobility of Frankia soon three companies of Vikings were dead on the field. The path to the enemy camp was open, and Davidlemagne sent a company of cavalry to go sack it.

But even as they approached the unprotected camp, the Vikings attacked again, and their commander (a hulking bearded giant called by the ancient Nordic name Sir Cholais) slaughtered another company of Frankish cavalry at 4:3. In a strange twist of fate a company of Frankish skirmishers decided to squeeze themselves in a tiny space between Viking attackers and (unsurprisingly) were slaughtered, and the battle was lost.

Members of King Davidlemagne's household grabbed his reins, restraining him from attacking further. The Franks were disheartened and fell back.

As he was led off, Davidlemagne wept and pulled at his long grey beard.

Result: Sergio's Vikings defeat my Later Franks, 4-3

posted March 28, 2000 15:31               

"Wales, I think," Ragnarr Bluetooth said.

"Bloody silly name," Knuijt muttered as he got smacked in the face with another branch. "Why can't this silly Cymru, as they call themselves, come out into the open and fight like men?"

Ragnarr thought for a moment. "Because we're bigger, meaner, and better armoured?" He asked hopefully.

Knuijt smacked him in the head with the haft of his axe. "That was a rhetorical question, you silly git."

The battle was in the Welsh highlands of Gwynedd. A track and ford crossed the river that ran on the Viking left; ahead was a hill teeming with Welshmen.

The Vikings fought their way through the brush, making a rough line in the open. Another column was following the path, and only barely started to clear the woods when a bunch of Welsh skirmishers came sprinting down the hill, across the valley, and started peppering the Norsemen with arrows.

"Bloody Nifflheim," Knuijt muttered. "Get our few archers over there where they can do some use. They aren't going to be any use to us," he said, waving at the wall of Welshmen that now presented themselves, armed with nasty long bows.

"Waitaminute," Knuijt said, "I thought the Welsh didn't adopt massed archery and the longbow for another couple of hundred years yet!"

Ragnarr blocked an incoming arrow with his shield. "Maybe you should go out and tell them that, Knuijt!"

The skirmish at the mouth of the path leading into the woods turned vicious, but eventually the Vikings got the better of it, routing one skirmisher company back into the hills and destroying another one with the help of their own bowmen.

"Just as well," Knuijt grumbled, "if they'd have gotten into the woods behind us, there'd have been hell to pay."

Knuijt bellowed commands and the shieldwall formed. Slowly it moved, approaching the line of archers. Arrows fell like goose-fletched rain, sheeting down, but the Viking advance continued.

Hiding under his shield, Knuijt saw the hesitation in his men's ranks. "What the hell do I tell them to get them to advance in the face of this," he asked Ragnarr.

Ragnarr shrugged, blonde pigtails bobbing. "Lie to them," he suggested.

"Good idea," Knuijt said sarcastically. "Then they'll really trust me next time I ask them to do something stupid." Nonetheless, he didn't see he had a choice.

"One charge and they'll break," he bellowed out. "Just one charge and they'll run like Greeks, squeal like Slavs, and beg you to torch their women, rape their livestock, and steal their houses!!!"

The Vikings gave a tremendous roar and broke into a run.

Ragnarr looked confused, jogging with Knuijt in the front line. "Err, Knuijt, isn't that supposed to be steal their women, torch their livestock, and rape their houses? Noo, that doesn't sound right either..."

The Viking wave crashed into the Welshry. One company of archers fell back, then another, and the last three were shattered and overthrown. The Welsh army ran for the hills; the battle was over.

"Well frick me for a Vestal Virgin if it didn't work!" Knuijt bellowed, watching the Welsh flee.

Result: 4-0 victory for the Vikings.

I think this is a really tough matchup for the Welsh, needing a bit of luck to get an even chance. My luck was good, and Grant didn't get any breaks, and wham-bam-thankyou-mam it was over.

posted March 28, 2000 11:38               

Starting with the good news, El'Jockoread (Middle Anglo-Saxons) defeats Sir Cholais (Vikings) 4-1 in a battle that featured 3 bounds of 12 on 12 combat without an element dying.

Sir Cholais then got his revenge, his Magyars defeating my Vikings, 4-3.

Knuijt Bloodaxe's Vikings defeated El'Jockoread's Middle Anglo-Saxons 4-1. In this one I managed to get my warband attacking his general 4 times, 3 with a double overlap, and was still unable to come up with the kill.

Finally, Davidlemagne, King of the Franks, smashed El'Jocko Forkbeards Vikings 4-2G. On the first bound of combat, his knights crashed into my line of blades and killed two elements, and then his spear, obviously inspired by the knights, killed a third element of blades. The Vikings managed to drag Davidlemagne from his horse, but it was too late. His knights took out another blade and the Viking army fled in terror of the wrathful Franks.

Fun games, all.

posted March 28, 2000 11:25               

El'Jocko's Vikings were defeated in a 4-2 bloodbath by Davidlemagne's Later Franks on the Green Hell map. Sadly, Davidlemagne himself did not survive; he was killed on the second-last bound. The Franks in fury and grief for the loss of their King got enough pips to hit one more Blade with a Knight and pulled the game out. With the lines in total disorder and my General dead, I think that turn was my last chance. I was lucky, and the Franks go home winners.

In another very tight battle, Knuijt Bloodaxe lived up to his name and threw back five attacks by El'Jocko's Middle Saxon Warbands, every one of them with an overlap or sometimes two against him, to end up winning 4-1. Luck was very evenly distributed, though, as a Middle Saxon SuperWarband killed a Viking Blade, then proceeded to win or tie five consecutive fights where he was flanked or had his recoil blocked, until finally, exhausted, on the sixth "no recoil, no retreat" combat he was forced back into the back of a friendly spear and destroyed. Another very, very close game, where at the end my luck survived just enough longer for me to get the win.