Battle of Hastings - Caldbec Hill 1066

This is my 3rd refight on Caldbec hill, rather than Senlac hill. The terrain in my opinion fits the descriptions of the battle better from the books I've read. The 1st battle didn't come to a conclusion due to time. The 2nd battle resulted in a Norman defeat, but I realised that I had read the army lists wrongs and given the Anglo Saxons too many archers. So the opposite occurred to what I expected, with the Anglo Saxons wearing done the Normans before the assault went in. I'd also made the Flemish division too weak.

The 3rd battle was to be a solo game to keep my sanity during the COVID19 lock down. The forces were balanced and my earlier errors corrected,

The battle field:

Normans to the left and Anglo Saxons to the rights on the hill defending the London road.

Gyrths' skirmishers

Gyrths' wing with Danish mercenaries in the second line on the right, supporting Gebir light infantry.

Gyrth and Leofwine's wings were made up of 1x Thegn, 3 x Ceorls, 1 x Gebir and 2 small javelin skirmishers. Harold was the same with the addition of Huscarls and a small unit of archers. The Thegns had the phalanx rule, and I used the rule to uplift a Ceorl unit to Thegn until shaken.

Harold's centre division, with himself under the hoar apple tree.

Leofwines' wing

The Franco Flemish, made up of 2 x Heavy infantry, 2 x small Knights and 1 unit of archers. They are supported here by another unit of archers from Williams battle.

Williams' centre, made up of 4 x heavy infantry and 2 x small heavy infantry, plus 3 x mounted knights.

Another view of Leofwines' troops

 The Bretons were made up of 2 x heavy infantry and 1 x small heavy infantry, plus archers and 1 x mounted knights and 1 x small mounted knights. 

Bretons on the right and view down Williams' 3 lines. In front of the Bretons is a unit of medium archers from Williams' battle.

Leofwine

Harold

William and Odo

Gyrth above, and below Harold wins the initiative!

Conwy Wargames Club September 15mm Sassanids vs Rome

Back in October David Saltrese put on a Hail Caesar game which saw Romans vs Sassanids. Tony was robbed of a glorious charge which would have crumbled Gaz Merrifield’s left wing. Instead Gaz survived his right wing being flanked to take the victory!

28mm Hail Caesar Battle of Hastings Game

My friends kids wanted to try playing a 'proper' wargame and from a choice of X Wing, 20mm WW", or a skirmish game they settled on the  Battle of Hastings option.

I opted to try and recreate the battle ground around Caldec hill and the Hoar apple tree rather than the traditional site. I used the Osprey Hastings book for the numbers with roughly 400 men being a standard unit, and the Hail Caesar Dark Age army list to make each division proportional, and the points to make the armies even.

The book that got me inspired to create this version of  the battle. Having visited Battles this battle location makes  more sense to me.

What I'm trying to recreate

The armies lined up. Ideally I'd have 2.5 ft more either side which would make the board size  8x6

The Franco Flemish right wing and Williams smallest division

The Dukes Normans in the centre

The Bretons on the left wing

Earl Leofwine's wing

King Harolds' centre and his left wing commanded by Earl Gyrth

Earl Leofwine's men

King Harold's men, with himself under the tree

Gyrth's men and Danish mercenarines. The mercenaries were their own division but didn't count to the army break points.

The kids set off cautiously not knowing the rules

Lots of arrows and eventually javelins flying between the lines. I made the ground off the hills rough so it was slow going for the Norman main line but ok for lights

Harold blundered with his skirmishers who all veered to the right inadvertently allowing him to concentrate his shooting on the Franco Flemish 

The Dukes cautious advance begins to tempt Lefowine off the hill

The Saxon skirmishers get bolder

Earl Gyrth senses an opportunity an tries to move his Gebur up to support the skirmishers against the Franco Flemish

The Danes being bolder achieve their move straightening the line but not coming off  Caldec hill

King Harold in the shade

Time ran out and nibbles called leaving the battle on the cusp of a mighty clash.