Pig Wars part 3 - "The ballad of Mark the Hindmost"

The current situation – 1 year on...
Julian the White and Gary Cassarrson , have set themselves up nicely as the Jarls of Dulham. They are in possession of a sizable treasure horde, plenty of livestock as well as Frigid, favourite daughter of the local Saxon Thegn Athelstan. As other Danes heard of their fortune, they flocked to the new gold giving Jarls and so Gary and Julian have restored their two warbands to full strength.
Athelstan has been playing politics, marrying his daughter Frigid to the Norman Tax Collector Henri Visage de Vache, least favourite nephew of the local lord Comte Ralph de Charrue.
An uneasy peace holds in the area with neither side willing to risk their possessions. It would only take a spark however to set the factions at each other’s throats once again.
The return of Mark Stokesson
Mark fled the original raid having attempted to double cross Gary and doing a deal with Athelstan. He has been conducting raids around the Irish coast and has become a successful pirate.
Julian and Gary have begun to establish a new settlement, finding that Dulham was in danger of sinking into the mud as it is situated on a flood plain. To make an immediate statement of intent a great hall has been built but the defences are incomplete.
Gary has employed Barlow the Bard to write songs to tell of the brave deeds of himself and Julian and to build their reputations at the expense of others. A favourite ballad , “the song of Mark, the Hindmost” has been a smash hit and is being sung all over the Danish occupied areas of north east England. This song has been sung in his homeland and so Mark’s reputation is under threat.
Infuriated by this slight on his name, he has returned with a full crew and has joined up with the ever opportunistic Athelstan and Comte de Charrue (now allied-ish following the wedding of Athelstan’s daughter Frigid to Charrue’s least favourite nephew Henri Visage de Vache) to mount an attack on New Dulham.  Gary and Julian have recruited the mercenary band of Paul of Ewin to assist in the defence.

Mark Stokesson
Game Objectives – To personally kill enemy leaders and to capture Barlow the Bard, to “encourage” him to amend his songs and tales in your favour.
Special Rule – If Barlow is within 3 inches of Gary’s personal figure, he will be singing “the song of Mark, The Hindmost”. If your personal figure is within 12” when this happens, you will get a +1 on any close combat card draw as you are filled with fury. Barlow is not a warrior and will be taken prisoner by any figure who contacts him.

Gary Cassarrsson
Game Objectives – To personally kill enemy leaders, defend New Dulham and protect Barlow, your favourite Bard.
Special Rule – If Barlow is within 3 inches of Gary’s personal figure, he will be singing “the song of Mark, The Hindmost”.  This will inspire your men who will get +1 on morale.

Julian The White
Game Objectives – To personally kill enemy leaders and defend New Dulham. Word has reached you that Frigid is with her husband in the Norman warband. You owe that girl a lesson or two.

Paul of Ewin
Game Objectives – To personally kill enemy leaders. A ship would be very useful to you and there happens to be a nice one on the beach...

Athelstan
Game Objectives – To see as many Danes dead as possible whoever their leaders may be. There is a price on Paul of Ewins head. His death or capture would help maintain favour with de Charrue

Ralph de Charrue
You are keen to see all parties weakened so you can increase your control on the area. You set a price on the head of the brigand Paul of Ewin. You’d rather not pay it and have a chance to kill him yourself. Henri Visage de Vache cannot trust Frigid who is therefore with your party. She is a feisty fighter but to lose her would put your alliance at risk with that Saxon dog Athelstan

Due to the defences of New Dulham being in such a poor state, Gary, Paul and Julian have chosen to fight away from the settlement so terrain will be fairly open.


Gary, Julian and Mark can have 1 leader, 1 berserker, 5 fully armoured bodyguard, 2 shooters and the rest partially armoured.

Paul's brigands can have 4 shooters but only 2 fully armoured, no berserkers, rest partial armour.

Ralph and Athelstan can have 6 fully armoured, no berserkers.

Leaders and berserkers are 3 stripes, fully armoured are 2 stripes, shooters and partial armoured chaps are 1 stripe.

Athelstan's Saxons try to decide how involved they want to be.

Mark the Hindmost deploys strangely at the furthest point from his ship. That's asking for trouble...

Julian the White sends a first wave of his warriors against the Normans who, forming sheildwall, successfully hold them off.

Frigid had filled out since she married Visage de Vache. She insists upon accompanying him on campaign and is heref a doughty fighter.

Julian the White's Beresreker in all his glory. He is kept in a hole  in the ground until needed hence the pasty complexion.

Paul of Ewin's brigands redeploy upon spying the Hindmost's ship, ignoring their paymasters Gary and Julian.

The once neat battle lines fracture as individuals combats take place between Mark and Gary. Barlow the Bard is in the background and is captured briefly by one of the Hindmost's men. Barlow is recovered and the Hindmost falls in combat.

Ewin's brigands face off against Athelstan....

...whose warband begins to be picked off by their archers.

At last Athelstan leads his men forward in an attempt the capture the outlawed Ewin. Both leaders are wounded in the ensuing combat as the two warbands fight themselves to a standstill.

The Normans are inspired by Frigid and maintain their discipline, defeating Julian's warband.

Bloody noses all round, but the only leader to fall was Mark the Hindmost who sadly died with Barlow's voice ringing in his ear.

Julian and Gary retired to continue the fortifications of New Dulham. 

Paul managed to get Mark's ship and surviving crew so he can try his hand at seaborne brigandry.

Best place of all were the Normans. Ralph lost very few figures and has well and truly established himself as the power in the region. Athelstan is even more of a Norman lap dog (for the time being) having lost a large chunk of his warband in the action.