Anglo-Danes versus Normans Arrowstorm Game

 

Normans and Anglo-Danes deployed

Opposite end

Anglo-Dane Huscarls' special tactic is shieldwall

Last Tuesday afternoon I played a solo Anglo-Danes versus Normans Arrowstorm game out in the shed. I reread the rules and increased the size of the game to eighty points. The Normans had the initiative and advanced while the Anglo-Danes waited on the hill. Once fighting commenced it was fairly brutal with units and leaders on both sides whittled down quickly. A really crucial tactic card to claim was the single Rally card combined with careful timing in playing it. The Anglo-Danes were able to save their bacon with a roll of two fives and a six for a successful rally of four battle rating points. The Normans despite early success with their knights were unable to match it in the end and broke.

Normans advance

Anglo-Danes wait on the hill

Fighting commences

Units are whittled down

Normans break

First Game of Arrowstorm

 

Norse and Anglo-Danes deployed

Opposite side

Anglo-Danes

Norse

On Friday afternoon I played a solo, first game of Arrowstorm out in the shed. It was a small game of sixty points a side with the Anglo-Danes taking on the Norse. These Medieval rules by Dan Mersey are similar to his Age of Penda, Dark Age rules, starting out as Scottorum Malleus, a copy of which is included in an Appendix. They are available as a pdf on the Wargames Vault website:
https://www.wargamevault.com/product/454240/Arrowstorm-Battle-Games-in-Medieval-Britain

The army lists for both forces are the same so I gave the Norse four units of Warriors, instead of four units of Spears. Each unit has a Battle Rating which varies between 2 and 5 depending on the quality of the troops. This rating is the number of dice they roll in combat and the number of hits they can take. Special Tactics for the Anglo-Danes and Norse include Extra Attack, Onslaught, Reinforce and Shieldwall. I made an offset grid of dots in five 20cm squares to give a playing area of one metre by one metre. My 28mm forces were in eight figure units (except for skirmishers) with an 80mm frontage but the rules are very flexible with basing, figure and unit sizes.

Each side, starting with the player with the initiative, chooses four tactic tokens in a turn out of a possible twelve, and uses these to activate each unit in an area or grid. Combat is fairly brutal with hits on a 4+, although it is possible to rally casualties, if you have chosen that as a tactic. In my game it was all over fairly quickly with Anglo-Danes launching an Onslaught on their left flank only to be slaughtered there and in the centre. The Norse Huscarls survived and the Anglo-Danes were automatically routed as they had less than three units remaining.

As with any new set of rules there is plenty to ponder and get used to. Quite a bit is abstracted from the nitty gritty of medieval warfare but the focus is on a fun, fast game and the use of historical tactics to defeat your opponent. Other army lists include Anglo-Norman, Feudal English, HYW English, Feudal French, HYW French, Irish, Islemen, Early and Later Welsh.

Tokens on the Tactics Chart

Anglo-Danes launch an Onslaught

Norse Huscarls survive in the centre

Anglo-Danes rout