Capture the women.

Recently we played a game set in the Dark ages.

Rival claimants to the local throne met in battle with their followers beside them. The battle, to a large degree, ended when one of the claimants was killed. However this was not the end. What was really needed now was the dead claimants daughter. Capture her and marry her off to one of your sons, that would really give you the strength to rule.

So the scene was set. The wife and daughter of the defeated Jarl along with their supporters were now on the run back through friendly territory while the victors chase after them. If they can capture the daughter before she can escape over the river there would be a good chance of unifying the whole area under one Jarl.

Between the battlefield and the river were a number of small  farm holdings loyal to the defeated Jarl. These guys would help the women if the chase came close enough to them.

The wife and daughter with their followers heading for safety....

...with the new rulers in pursuit.

Some of the locals who are prepared to fight for their now dead Jarl.

The women were having trouble keeping up in the run. Most of their followers had to turn and face their enemy again, and try and hold up the pursuers for a while

A small flanking force had raced away ahead and was now appearing on the left flank.

The flank force tries to cut of the women but another local group have different ideas.

Almost there. The women are almost on their own now with most of their followers fighting to give them a chance to escape. But the river is in sight.

The chasing group have been held up.....

....and the flanking group are about to be intercepted.

The women got away. Maybe they can rally some support and then have a go at restoring things to they way they were.

28mm, Modified Lord of the rings rules.

The Vikings are raiding again.

The other Friday night we got together for a little Viking raid.

The raiders disembarked along the coast and proceeded inland through the surrounding forest.

There were a number of Saxon woodsmen in the forest but all but one of them either ran off and hid or just plain didn't see  the several groups of angry Vikings looking for trouble.

Vikings making their way through the forest.

 Only one of the woodsmen decided to run towards the village and warn the locals of the raid.

 One of the Viking groups took a wrong turn and ended up in a swamp.

 With very little warning the Saxons did not have enough time to get their livestock away.

 The Saxons were caught in their homes but quickly poured out to meet the threat.

 The Saxons were seriously outnumbered and it wasn't long before they were being overrun.

 Finally the group of Vikings found their way out of the swamp and into the town to claim some of the spoils.

 What the Vikings didn't know was that this day was also "Tax Day" and that wagon in the middle of the road was worth more than all the rest of the available plunder.

The King's men fought well and managed to get away with the taxes collected. In this case a barrel of beer!

The Saxons lost their village and live stock but they did help to get the tax collector away safely.


The Saxons were later rewarded by their King.