Friday Night Games - Battle of Stamford Bridge (Week Two)

Week Two of the battle saw the usual change in commander assignments, according to player availabililty. The Anglo Danes were again lead by John, playing Harold Godwinson, alongside Phil who continued playing Edwin of Mercia and they were joined by Steve who took on Mocar of Northumland's command.

On the Viking side the leadership team remained unchanged, with Rupert playing King Haraald, Dave playing Tostig Godwinson and Mat plating Eystein Orri.

The procedings picked up from the end of Week One, with the Ango-Danes engaing the Vikings along the length of their line. I'll leave the photos to explain this set-up.

Early on Week Two, on the extreme Viking left flank, a unit of Huntingdon Mounted Selct Fryd battles with Eystein Orri's Bondi and Archers, the horse is forced to retire and they stay out of the fight there onwards

Opening moves on week Two see Steve replace the mounted Slect Fryd with infantry units in the attack on the Viking left flank. What had seemed to be a staright forward task was complicated by the continued arrival of units belonging to Eystein Orri on that flank.

Luckily for the Anglo-Danes the cramped positions on that flank, left little room for Orri to deploy his men to greater advantage and as time progressed the rolling collapse of the Viking left flank gave all Viking commanders increasing cause for concern.

Bottom left we can see Harald Haraada and his bodyguard in the front line fighting the advancng Anglo-Danish Wessex men. To Harald's right are a unit of Hirdsmen, both are fighting Wessex Select Fryd.

A small unit of Berserkers have caught an Anglo-Danish General Fryd unit in their flank, these unfortuneate Frydsmen are also facing Viking Hirdsmen to their front.

On the Viking right units from Tostig Godwinson's alliance of English rebels and Viking allies were in trouble, hard pressed by Harold Godwinson's Wessexmen. after an hour or so of fighting Tostig fell, quite possibly to the axe of his brother Leofwine - but confusion in the battle and passage of time have blurred the memory. For certain each brother was in the frontline fighting each other.

To the right of Harald Haraada's position we we can see Tostig Godwinson with  his bodygaurd and Hearthgaurd fighting in the line, with allied Frankish spearmen to their right. They are facing Wessex Select Fryd and Housecarl units

With Tostig' death and the gradual crumbling of the Viking flank, the overall Viking postion became more and more difficult, yet Harald and his men held on. Even the remnants of Tostig's Hearth Guard surrenedered when facing the overwelming odds but Harald fought on.

Later Eysein Orri, slipped away from the battle, (well Mat had reached his curfew time!) with a view to readying the fleet and allow Harald to get away.

Disaster strikes to the extreme right of the Viking line when one of the flanking mounted Select Fryd from Huntingdon are able to force the defendng Enlish Rebels, under Tostig Godwinson to retire. The horsemen follow-up and catch the foot and inflict even more casualties, turning the retirement into a near rout. Centre can be seen the mounted figure of Earl Waltheof of Huntingdon.

A view along the battle line, from the Viking left to their centre right, in the center we can see Earls Wlfred and Earl Godfred of Auchenforth, both sb-commanders under Earl Morcar, leading the fight against Eystein Orri's Viking re-enforcements

In the end Harald and his battered forces spotted a lull in the fighting and used this to order his men to withdraw in an ordered manner, heading back to Ricall to board their ships and return to Norway and lick their wonds.

Harold Godwinson, seeing this did not persue, knowing that he had other battles to fight - possibly in the very near future!

Back on the Viking right flank,  after Tostig's death and the loss of the English Rebels, the unit of Scots spearmen is cut-off and surrounded. The Scots, seeing that they are totally outnumbered and face slaughter - lay down their arms and surrender.

The continuing collapse of the Viking left flank is caught here in this photo.

Next outing we'll see the entry of William of Normandy and his allied forces at Hastings, looking to enforce his claim to the English throne. Will the Godwinsons prevail or will the battle go the way of history. Stay tuned  to find out!