Good rules for Hastings / Stamford bridge?

[Bellerophon]

Just purchased a large bunch of 6mm Dark Ages guys. Wondering if anyone has refought the battles and has rule recommendations. I do not want SAGA or anything like that, but something aimed at Mass Battle, that can (even if just through scenario rules) make the battles feel historical.

[Atheling]

Swordpoint and Militus Mundi have a heavy emphasis on the line of battle and would suit an Early Medieval slog well.

[OB]

Shattered Lances will do you fine if you can find a copy.  It includes some Hastings examples.

[Eric the Shed]

We went with Hail Caesar - simple and full of fun....report on our Hastings battle here

http://shedwars.blogspot.com/2019/03/1066-battle-of-hastings-28mm-wargame.html

[Eric the Shed]

also fought Stamford Bridge

http://shedwars.blogspot.com/2019/02/1066-battle-of-stamford-bridge-wargame.html

and Fulford


http://shedwars.blogspot.com/2019/03/1066-battle-of-fulford-in-28mm.html

[vtsaogames]

We went with Hail Caesar - simple and full of fun....report on our Hastings battle here

http://shedwars.blogspot.com/2019/03/1066-battle-of-hastings-28mm-wargame.html

You do have a few figures, don't you?

[Norm]

At Hastings, the Housecarls lined the front of the Anglo-Saxon army, giving it a sort of hard edge. The Thegns are immediately behind / fighting with the housecarls and then behind that the bulk of forces … the Fyrd.

You really want your rules to be able to show that joint force of Housecarl and Thegn as a sort of combo group. Quite a lot of rules simply say you can have 1 or 2 Housecarl units (one likely to be Harold’s bodyguard) and that doesn’t really reflect their deployment.

From memory, I think Hail Caesar allows combined units.

[MaleGriffin]

Fantastic AAR! Lovely figures!

[Highlandbevan]

Interesting comment about the huscarls.

Many rules would say 60% Fyrd 30% Thegns 10% Huscarls = Fyrd overall, to which the wargamer would say why do I put my Huscarls in with the other units if they effectively vanish?

I find it interesting how the model that the rules uses can create ahistorical behaviour by the leaders

[carlos marighela]

If the historical tactic was to mix a minority of ‘elite’ troops among a mass of lesser troops then surely the effect is one of dilution and averaging. Ten percent of an army is unlikely to cover the necessary frontage of 90%. If it did, it would mean that you had very deep formations where the bulk of the troops did little, except maybe fill the ranks of the fallen. Impossible to see how a crust of huscarls could be formed unless there were thegns and/ or fyrd mixed in with them.

The logical solution is to treat the body as a whole as a lesser grade of troops but perhaps with a combat modifier to reflect that they have been augmented with better armed/ equipped/ trained bretheren.

[Norm]

The Housecarls were hardening the Thegns, who fronted the army and were very good quality fighters.

[Atheling]

Interesting comment about the huscarls.

Many rules would say 60% Fyrd 30% Thegns 10% Huscarls = Fyrd overall, to which the wargamer would say why do I put my Huscarls in with the other units if they effectively vanish?

I find it interesting how the model that the rules uses can create ahistorical behaviour by the leaders

Which rules Highlander? 

[Pan Marek]

Norm's right about how the Anglo Saxons fought.  Indeed, its how most northern European, dark age armies fought when in shield wall.  And its a reality that rule sets have trouble with.   For example, although Mersey created "dark age" troop types for the first edition of Lion Rampant, it still produced units of uniform troop types.   Which is ahistorical.  I don't know if he addresses this in the 2nd edition.

Its a problem for rules writers.

[Atheling]

Norm's right about how the Anglo Saxons fought.  Indeed, its how most northern European, dark age armies fought when in shield wall.  And its a reality that rule sets have trouble with.   For example, although Mersey created "dark age" troop types for the first edition of Lion Rampant, it still produced units of uniform troop types.   Which is ahistorical.  I don't know if he addresses this in the 2nd edition.

Its a problem for rules writers.

The mixed units "problem" has been dealt with as far back as the WAB Shieldwall supplement and is carried forwards with rulesets like Swordpoint and others.

[Eric the Shed]

Definitely have mixed units in Hail Caesar