Normans Vs Saxons, 1067

Battle of the River Tees

This is a battle we fought in about 3 1/2 hrs. Forces involved were:

Normans:

• 2 x 13 Fully armored mounted knights with lances, all veterans
• 1 x 20 Fully armored foot spearmen with one elite, 1/3 veterans. Remainder average or militia
• 1 x 20 Fully armored foot knights with one elite, 1/3 veterans. Remainder average or militia
• 1 x 20 Bowmen, 8 partially armored and 12 unarmored, all average
• 1 x 20 Danish mercenaries, ranging from unarmored militia to fully armored veterans, with one elite

Saxons:

• 1 x 20 fully armored huscarles with 2-handed axes or swords, 1 elite, 2/3 veterans and remainder average.
• 2 x 20 fully armored greater Fyrd, with swords and axes, 1 elite, 3 Veteran, 1/2 average and remainder militia.
• 4 x 20 partially armored (a few unarmored) lessor Fyrd with spears, 1 elite, 2 veteran, 6 average, remainder militia
• 1 x 6 Earl and bodyguard, fully armored with swords, all elite

The battlefield looking south. The river Tees is on the left.
A unit of the greater Fyrd, some of the first troops to arrive.
The Saxon Shieldwall. The Huscarles are in the gap, with greater Fyrd to either side. Lessor Fyrd take up the flanks with some in reserve. Otherstan and his standard are behind the Huscarles
Otherstan surveys the line
The Normans advance. The Danes are on the Norman left flank.
The Saxons line the ridge
Danes and Norman foot knights
The Huscarles charge into the Norman knights, making a good dent!
Huscarles fending off Norman horse knights
Robert the Cleaver moves his troops up on his right Flank. The Saxon Huscarles have charged, and their reserve is shifing to their own left.
The Lessor Fyrd on the right shifts toward the center. The Saxon Huscarles and Norman foot knights have beaten each other into the ground, leaving the center very thin.
The Saxon left thins out as the sheild wall crumbles and the Lessor Fyrd flees
Heroics on the right: A lone Theng stares down some Norman knights.
The Saxon right moves to engage the Danes. Moments later the Lessor Fyrd here broke and ran when their Eorlman was hewn down by a Danish axeman.

The long and the short of it is, the centers beat themselves to death, each side prevailed on their own right, until the lessor Fyrd broke on both sides, and the Saxons came unglued. After about 8 turns, twice through the deck, Otherstan took a knee.

Some notable occurances:

Otherstan and his guard were attacked by five cavalry that ran through a gap, All the cav were slain, including two simultaneously by Otherstan himself.