Some Vikings and a Giant...

A few new items added to the collection...

Two Redoubt vikings and also two from Steve Barber Models...

Also a small giant, a 45mm figure from Steve Barber Models...

Grendels spawn...

When Grendel was young he got about a bit and sowed his wild oats...   the result was Grendels spawn - an odd selection of human-like creatures that control a pack of wolves (for hunting and fighting)....

The figures are some ones I found in a load of old figures that I received to go into the melting post for casting my 40mm figures; plus a mix of wolves from various sources which I already had.

A couple of new figures ... ....

While buying some weapons from Essex Miniatures I had a look at their 'dark ages' ranges ... spotted a couple of figures I liked - a warrior and a chap suitable to lead a pack pony.  

New buildings ....

Some new buildings purchased (to replace some older paper and plastic ones)...

Two pit houses from Debris of War and a couple of Gripping Beast ones

the basic paint scheme...

followed by a browny-grey wash ....

The defence of Sakertstalle....

Continued from the post ....  http://saxons-and-vikings.blogspot.com/2023/02/olaf-sigurdsens-raid-survivors-sail-home.html

---oXo---

After a couple of days, Torsten Halvorsen and his men had crossed the hills into the low country now they were back in their own lands.  As they neared the settlement of Sakertstalle they were met by the village headman - who asked for their help to defend the village against a band of marauders that were in the area ...

the settlement of Sakertstalle ...

---oXo---

The next day, the man watching the approaches to the village through the marsh could see the Marauders in the distance..he raised the alarm...

Halverson and his men moved into position, to help defend the settlement perimeter...

The marauders started their advance through the marsh ....

the men defending the entrance to the settlement readied themselves ...

In came the attackers, their charge held they were beaten back but they came in again ...

As the defenders held the entrance to the village from the marsh more marauders had come round the side of the village and had got across the fencing but were still being held back ...

At the other end of the village more marauders were coming in from the woods...

The defenders fell back to form a defensive shield wall

Meanwhile some marauders had broken through on one side...

Halvorsen seeing the danger managed to set up a defensive line a bit further back ... also more marauders had crossed the fence and threatened to encircle those at the other end of the village...

They just managed to fall back and join the rest forming into a semi-circle......

In charged the marauders .....

the fighting continued apace ...

the defenders formation started to buckle...

but they held on, pushed back some attackers and filled in any gaps 

Then the marauders leader, who had join the fray sensing victory, was killed. What remained of his men ran away leaving Halvorsen and the defenders weary but victorious !

---oXo---

Game Information

1. Played with my basic Saxons v Vikings rules

2. Settlement Defenders

• Torsten Halvorsen: armoured with shield,  +2 on Combat and Saving throws
• Halvorsen's thirteen:  +1 on Combat and Saving throws
• 1 archer un-armoured,  
• 5 armoured + shield, spear/sword/axe
• 6 un-armoured + shield, spear/sword/axe
• 1 un-armoured + short knives
• Villagers (9) : mix of weapons - sword or pitchfork/flail/staff.
• plus Bjorn the Beserker: un-armoured and +2 on Combat and Saving throws

3. The Marauders:

• Leader : armoured with shield and +1 on Combat and Saving Throws
• The rest (49): un-armoured with shield, spear/sword/axe.  (includes two archers)

4. The final body count...

• 4 villagers died defending the village
• 4 of Halvorsen's men were wounded one later died from his wounds the others would recover.
• the Marauders - their leader and 38 of them were killed, the rest ran for their lives ...

Scenic refurbs - hall door and palisade sections...

 I've been working on improving some of the scenic items...

I'd thatched a small Conflix barn a few years back,  thought it would look better with a more higher status door on it. Filled in and added a door using cardboard and some plastic bits

ready for use ...

Next up were the palisade sections, green paint had dulled and the scatter faded...

decided to remove the nominal ditch and give the bases a new coat of paint...

Olaf Sigurdsen's Raid - the survivors sail home...

 After the battle at the river side camp the longship with the Viking survivors on board made its way down-river...only nine of them left, just enough to crew the ship... 

downstream they went, as the river widened, some of them got some oars out to help with the steering...

A little later, they spotted some men waving and shouting at them from the river bank ... it was Torsten Halvorsen and the hunting party that had gone downstream... 

They made their way over to them and got them on board (now they were thirteen in number ..)

As they left the estuary they were able to set sail and start the voyage home ....

the repairs to the longship made while encamped were holding....

---oXo---

... After crossing the sea and in sight of their homeland, the sky darkened and a tumultuous storm commenced. The ship was driven before the wind, in vain they tried to get down the sail but to no avail there was a sharp crack as the mast snapped. They hurriedly cut the rigging ropes and got the debris over the side ... the coast was nearer and they were being driven towards it... they steered the ship as best they could but .... rocks tore through the underside of the hull as they were washed up onto a beach ........

The next morning, they picked over the ship for anything of use ...

The men elected Torsten Halvorsen as their leader, they set off into the hinterland ..

.. it would be a long walk home...