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.
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| The book that got me inspired to create this version of the battle. Having visited Battles this battle location makes more sense to me. |
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| What I'm trying to recreate |
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| The armies lined up. Ideally I'd have 2.5 ft more either side which would make the board size 8x6 |
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| The Franco Flemish right wing and Williams smallest division |
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| The Dukes Normans in the centre |
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| The Bretons on the left wing |
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| Earl Leofwine's wing |
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| King Harolds' centre and his left wing commanded by Earl Gyrth |
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| Earl Leofwine's men |
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| King Harold's men, with himself under the tree |
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| Gyrth's men and Danish mercenarines. The mercenaries were their own division but didn't count to the army break points. |
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| The kids set off cautiously not knowing the rules |
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| 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 |
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| Harold blundered with his skirmishers who all veered to the right inadvertently allowing him to concentrate his shooting on the Franco Flemish |
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| The Dukes cautious advance begins to tempt Lefowine off the hill |
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| The Saxon skirmishers get bolder |
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| Earl Gyrth senses an opportunity an tries to move his Gebur up to support the skirmishers against the Franco Flemish |
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| The Danes being bolder achieve their move straightening the line but not coming off Caldec hill |
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| King Harold in the shade |
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| Time ran out and nibbles called leaving the battle on the cusp of a mighty clash. |
