Pig Wars - The Tax Man Cometh

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The

The Tax Man Cometh (or Get me to the Church on Time)

Julian Whitesson and Gary Cassarsson’s Dulham and Dulham Magna settlements are well established somewhere in the North East of England. Somehow the whole Norman invasion thing has passed them by. The first they know of it is when a Tax Collector with a strange accent and an even stranger haircut turns up at Julian’s village. In an unusual display of mercy, the tax collector is thrown into the cells under Julian’s great hall.

Frigid is the feisty favourite daughter of the Saxon Lord Aethelstan. She has been held hostage to prevent attacks by her father on the settlers. Frigid has been tasked with feeding the prisoners and she strikes a close friendship with the dashing tax collector Henri Visage de Vache and together they plot a daring escape.

Dulham awakens to a roar of anger as Julian finds his guards drugged with their trousers around their ankles. It would appear that Frigid was poorly named by her father... The wayward Frigid has made good her escape with Henri who leads her back to the nearest Norman encampment. From there she is escorted back to her joyous father. The Norman Comte Ralph du Charrue sends word to Aethelstan who, ever the diplomat, has already started to make terms with the latest invaders. A meet is arranged so that Frigid can be married to Visage de Vache who as a Charrue’s least favourite nephew and a minor Norman noble would form the basis of a strong alliance.
Julian sends word to Gary and leaving a garrison to protect the Dulhams, they march to spoil the festivities...

The Normans
Comte Ralph du Charrue      lvl3 mounted FA knight
2xBodyguard                       lvl2 mounted FA knights
6xRetinue                            lvl2 FA foot including standard and Visage de Vache
2xCrossbows                       lvl1 UA foot
9xSoldiers                            lv1 PA foot

The Vikings
Julian/Gary             lvl3 FA foot
8xHuscarls             lvl2 FA including standard
1xberserker            lvl3 UA 2hw
2xBows                 lv1 UA foot
8xfollowers            lvl1 PA foot

The Saxons
Aethelstan             lvl3 FA foot
9xHuscarls            lvl2 FA including standard, 2hws and Frigid
2xBows                 lv1 UA foot
8xfollowers            lvl1 PA foot

Objectives
10 VPs whoever has Frigid at the end of the game (alive only)
10 VPs whoever has de Vache at the end of the game (Alive? Not so bothered)
20 VPs if you kill an enemy leader
5 VPs if you capture an enemy banner

Frigid in the rear rank of her father's (Aethelstan) Saxons

The ginger-bearded wonder - Gary Cassarson. Mighty of beard, mightier of belly.

Julian Whitesson on the opposite side moves forward to close the trap

Comte Ralph du Charrue's Normans. Visage de Vache is next to flag helpfully pointing at the Vikings.

A calamitous run of cards (for Gary) sees my Saxons arrive at the end of his shieldwall.

The rest of Gary's band are momentarily outwitted by the trees which appear to be a lot thicker than they looked from a distance.

Ralph's Normans form a shieldwall and start impressing the locals with the range of their new fangled crossbows.

Gary and his leonine Berserker (Aslan) try to impress domeone by chopping up my archers! Not much honour in that. 

Ralph's line is attacked by a lone Viking. That's how it's done Gary!

The Normans face off across the field...

...towards Julian's shieldwall. This is going to be messy.

Having butchered the archers, Gary and Aslan start to mess with the end of Aethelstan's shieldwall. I need a card - now!

Aethelstan's huscarls are forced to take some pressure off his shieldwall.

Ralph and Julian's bands clash. Ralph commits his two mounted bodyguard who make mincemeat of their first opponents.

Ralph's infantry can only look on as the mounted men are surrounded and cut down by Julian's Vikings.

The once neat shieldwalls soon fall apart as individual combats break out all along the Norman-Viking line.

What's this? No it is not a rear view of a glorious charge by Gary. This is a moment of shame as having seen Aslan the berserker cut down by Aethelstan's men, Gary legs it claiming a "cunning plan".

The rest of Gary's men are confused by what has just happened and fall back after a failed morale test.

Aethelstan forms up his remaining spearmen and in a show of unwise over confidence sends his Huscarls to aid Ralph.

Ralph commits himself to the fight but is eventually brought down.

Aethelstan calls back his Huscarls as an unexpected rally and counter-attack from Gary threatens to overwhelm him. Frigid is forced to fill a whole in the line.

A remarkable run of cards for Aethelstan allows his band to finish off Gary's band. Gary himself succombs to his wounds as frigid cuts him down from behind.

Seeing the fate of Gary and his warband, Julian withdraws, happy in the knowledge that Dulham and Dulham Magna are now his to rule on his own. The happy couple and father of the bride are seen here outside the church.