The Barons’ War: The Dark Ages?
Currently, we are in the process of putting the finishing touches to the Viking, Late Saxon and Norman force lists to be used with The Barons’ War rules. I’d had the idea to include them in the printed rulebook before it doubled in size from the initial 60-something pages into the 138 pages it finished at, yes I am counting the index. Adding the lists would have felt like adding them for the sake of it as they no longer fitted in with the rest of the content. So, having had a little bit more time to think about it I decided to make the most out of this opportunity and start a supplement for the early middle ages.
Initially using these three lists, we will be able to fight battles featuring Vikings raiding the coasts of Britain, the Normans invading in 1066 and the ten years of conquest that took place after William crowned himself the King of England. We can also use the lists for some Viking on Viking action or rival Anglo-Saxon armies coming to blows to settle their respective AEthling’s political aims. Because of the choices these lists give us, very different forces can be created even if they are from the same faction.
Once this new supplement has been designed and laid out to match the rulebook, it will be available here on WARHOST as a free download. With the Welsh, Irish and Scots already playtested and in the process of being drawn up, we should have six dark age factions in no time with a plan to keep fleshing out the existing force lists as well as adding new factions as we go along. So if there are any in particular you think should be included please make your thoughts known in the comments section below. Just so you know I’m keen to go as far back as 500 AD.
One final thing, if you have any views on what we should call this supplement we are all ears otherwise it will be forever known as ‘The Dark Ages’ which I am sure will upset all the historians! 😀
18 Comments
Barons Before
Prior barons galore
Pre barons – gore
I’ll get my coat….
Sounds great, early Saxon and Romano British would be appreciated.
Ditto! It’s my favorite period too.
That would be great to add the Bretons!
Originally of Celtic stock, the Bretons were composed of three tribes from Cornwall and Wales who fled the invasion of Britain by the Angles and the Saxons during the 5th and the 6th centuries. Many of them settled in the continental region of Brittany, where the race that came to be known as the Bretons flourished.
During the 10th century, Alan II, nicknamed Wrybeard or Twistedbeard (French: Barbe-Torte) and Alain al Louarn (Breton: “the Fox”), Duke of Brittany from 938 to his death, was the grandson of King Alan the Great by Alan’s daughter and her husband Mathuedoi, Count of Poher. He expelled the Vikings from Brittany after an occupation that lasted from 907 to about 939.
He had to take refuge, along with his father Mathuedoi I, Count of Poher, with the English king, Æthelstan, because the Norsemen had invaded Brittany. Alan became ruler of Brittany at the end of a 33-year interregnum after the death of his maternal grandfather, Duke Alan the Great. He landed at Dol in 936, at the invitation of the monk John of Landévennec and with the aid of Edward’s successor, Athelstan the Glorious. By 937 he was master of most of Brittany, having forced the Vikings back to the river Liger (Loire).
“… The city of Nametis (Nantes or Naoned in Breton) remained for many years deserted, devastated, and overgrown with briars and thorns, until Alan Wrybeard, grandson of Alan the Great, arose and cast out those Normans from the whole region of Brittany and from the river Loire, which was a great support for them. This Alan was brought up from infancy with Athelstan, king of the English, and was strong in body and very courageous, and did not care to kill wild boars and bears in the forest with an iron weapon, but with a wooden staff. He collected a few ships and came by the king’s permission with those Bretons who were still living there, to revisit Brittany.” (the King of Gondor is back 😉
Alan was made Brittonum Dux, King of Brittany after his victory in Nantes. At his death in 952, Brittany was free of the Vikings and Normans.
The Bretons played as well a significant role in the Norman Conquest of England. Led by Alan the Red/Alan Rufus, the Bretons constituted one-third of the of the Norman forces at the Battle of Hastings. After this battle, many of these Bretons knights were granted considerable land-holdings (like the Honour of Richmond) by William the Conqueror in return for their services. We can see some Breton fighters (the defenders of the motte-and-bailey castle) on the Tapestry of Bayeux (Scene 19, the Battle of Dinan, during the Breton-Norman War).
Hi Andy,
That would be great to add the Bretons.
Originally of Celtic stock, the Bretons were composed of three tribes from Cornwall and Wales who fled the invasion of Britain by the Angles and the Saxons during the 5th and the 6th centuries. Many of them settled in the continental region of Brittany, where their descendants that came to be known as the Bretons flourished.
During the 10th century, Alan II, nicknamed Wrybeard or Twistedbeard (French: Barbetorte) and Alan al Louarn (“the Fox” in Breton), Duke of Brittany from 938 to his death, was the grandson of King Alan the Great by Alan’s daughter and her husband Mathuedoi, Count of Poher.
Alan had to take refuge, along with his father Mathuedoi I, Count of Poher, with the English king, Æthelstan, because the Norsemen had invaded Brittany. He became ruler of Brittany at the end of a 33-year interregnum after the death of his maternal grandfather, Duke Alan the Great. He landed at Dol in 936, at the invitation of the monk John of Landévennec and with the aid of Edward’s successor, Athelstan the Glorious. By 937 he was master of most of Brittany, having forced the Vikings back to the river Liger (Loire). He expelled the Vikings from Brittany after an occupation that lasted from 907 to about 939. Alan was made Brittonum Dux, King of Brittany after his victory in Nantes. At his death in 952, Brittany was free of the Vikings and Normans.
The Bretons also played a significant role in the Norman Conquest of England. Led by Alan the Red, the Bretons constituted one-third of the Norman forces at the Battle of Hastings. After this battle, many of these Bretons knights were granted considerable land-holdings (like the Honour of Richmond) by William the Conqueror in return for their services. We can see some Breton fighters (the defenders of the motte-and-bailey castle) on the Tapestry of Bayeux (Scene 19, the Battle of Dinan, during the Breton-Norman War).
Sounds great Andy!
Sounds great! How about ‘Age of Migrations’ or just ‘Migrations’ to keep the historians happy? After all, the Saxons, Vikings, and Normans are all examples of peoples moving into Britain and reshaping the societies and polities they encountered. If that’s not sexy enough, ‘Age of Invasions’ might work as well…
that would be great to add with the the Bretons as well the Kingdom of Strathclyde, the Norse-Gaels and the Franks. This would allow different scenarios to be played.
I’d like to second the request for Strathclyde and the Norse-Gaels. Especially Strathclyde, that kingdom is way too cool and mysterious to exclude. 🙂
So The last Romans, Picts, Arthurian/Romano Brits, Early Saxons, Jutes, Strathclyde, and Welsh. Would be a good start. Irish raided the coasts during all this period plus the Scotti started the incursions into Alba. Later you have the usual suspects of Vikings, Anglo Danes, Anglo Saxons and Normans. Over channel you have Bretons, Franks, Carolingians and lots of others gadding about so plenty to work with for a while.
Regards Lindsay
I like the all of them Lindsay, first up will be the Vikings, Later Saxons and the Normans after they are available we will keep adding to the list.
That’s fair. The Viking era is probably more popular, but it’s also the door way to Arthurian period fun too. I have the miniatures, but I’m looking for a good set of rules and I’ve never found a good one for skirmish.
Are there any plans to add new units such as a champion? That would add a lot of narrative to the game. I guess you would build him like a Baron or Lord.
In a word, yes.
If I choose to play Saxons, will it be possible to recruit mercenaries like Vikings, Gaelic raiders, etc?
Yes, why not. You can also play settled Danes who can be part of a Viking force.
Looking forward to these lists.
While the Carolingians never invaded the isles, they would would be a useful force to include in Dark Age battles. Especially since so many people traveled back and forth across the channel throughout the period.