Carolingian vs. Viking Rematch No.2

Dux Bellorum Carolingians vs. Vikings wargaming.info

Thursday night Roundie and I had our third Dux Bellorum encounter with Carolingians vs. Vikings – and like last week it turned into another tense struggle that almost went to the wire! Those scurious Vikings once again invaded the Frankish Empire in their quest for plunder and needing seeing too – so Charlemagne, as always, accepted the challenge and met them head on.

Dux Bellorum Carolingians vs. Vikings wargaming.info
Dux Bellorum Carolingians vs. Vikings initial deployment.

Our armies remained unchanged from last week, other than my staff slinger skirmishers getting relieved by another skirmisher unit. So my Carolingian Franks were:

— 1 Mounted Companions & Leader (Charlemagne & Caballari) with 7 LP
— 1 Ordinary Rider (Carolingian Caballari)
— 6 Ordinary Shieldwall Infantry
— 1 Skirmisher (Crossbows & Slings)
— 1 Monks (+2 LP)

And Roundie’s Vikings were:

— 1 Foot Companions & Leader with 7 LP
— 3 Noble Warrior Infantry
— 3 Ordinary Warrior Infantry
— 1 Skirmisher (Javelins)

Dux Bellorum Carolingians vs. Vikings wargaming.info
Dux Bellorum Carolingians vs. Vikings the forces eye each other up.
Dux Bellorum Carolingians vs. Vikings wargaming.info
Carolingians close in on the Vikings looking to envelop them…
Dux Bellorum Carolingians vs. Vikings wargaming.info
The first clash!
Dux Bellorum Carolingians vs. Vikings wargaming.info
But it’s rather indecisive…

Charlemagne carried out a masterful enveloping movement – however things moved slowly and once action was joined the Vikings initially had the edge, while out wide on the right wing the lone Caballari unit struggled with the opposing Viking Warriors and came off second best. However the Vikings had been successfully broken into 4 small groups – and the opportunity was there for the Carolingian Franks…

Dux Bellorum Carolingians vs. Vikings wargaming.info
Meanwhile the Carolingian left continue to press forward (or rather fail to at the most critical times – note the plural)!
Dux Bellorum Carolingians vs. Vikings wargaming.info
…and the Viking right prepare for the onslaught…
Dux Bellorum Carolingians vs. Vikings wargaming.info
More Vikings!
Dux Bellorum Carolingians vs. Vikings wargaming.info
Things heat up in the centre – with results fairly equal, although initially favouring the Vikings.
Dux Bellorum Carolingians vs. Vikings wargaming.info
Meanwhile out on the far right of the Carolingian line the Caballari do battle with a unit of Vikings behind the wood.

Just as it looked like the Vikings had the upper hand and would staunch it out (having dispatched one shieldwall unit) the Carolingians began to climb back, starting to give the Vikings a taste of their own medicine! However the loss of the shieldwall in the centre of the Frank line had weakened their position. But the shieldwall on the right struck back taking out 2 Warrior units on the Viking left – and the honours were then fairly even (the Carolingians had lost 1 Caballari, 1 Shieldwall, & 1 Skirmisher to the Vikings 1 Noble & 1 Ordinary Warriors).

Dux Bellorum Carolingians vs. Vikings wargaming.info
First blood to the Vikings with a Carolingian shieldwall unit dispatched in the centre – leaving a hole!
Dux Bellorum Carolingians vs. Vikings wargaming.info
The Carolingian right however keep the Vikings at bay and began to slowly grind them down…
Dux Bellorum Carolingians vs. Vikings wargaming.info
…while the Carolingian left stutters into action – but fails to get a ‘decisive’ flank attack!
Dux Bellorum Carolingians vs. Vikings wargaming.info
Both sides have now had multiple casualties – and the survivors are getting ground down…
Dux Bellorum Carolingians vs. Vikings wargaming.info
Near the end – a blooper by Charlemagne now costs the Carolingians the battle!

Some reckless abandon by Charlemagne at the end however, turning to aggression with himself and his badly battered shieldwall, didn’t pay off and allowed the Vikings to wrest the victory at the last minute – right when things were still precariously balanced on a knife edge and could have gone either way… The Vikings headed home with their plunder and Charlemagne headed back Aachen to lick his wounds!

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