Battle of Mount Badon 445 AD

Having recently completed some extra Dark age figures I thought it would be nice to get them on the table. In Wargames Soldiers and Strategy 121 they had a number of scenarios linked to the ‘Real’ King Arthur. One of those around the Battle for Mount Bardon. The battle took place around 445AD between the Romano-British under Ambrosius Aurelianus, Amalric of the Dobunni and Arthur a British warlord. These face a Saxon force under Aella, Bretwalda of the south Saxons. Our battle is broadly based on the scenario in the magazine adapted for my collection. 

The ‘ British’ hold the high ground but only with a small force, the Saxons hold the Ford with some light cavalry. One unit of Saxons reserves will arrive on a D6 along Fosse Way, Arthur with his flanking cavalry force will also arrive on a D6 or when the light cavalry are driven off by infantry. The objectives for both sides are to hold the high ground and the Ford.

Here come the Saxons

The Romano-British 

Both sides edge towards each other

Arthur and the British cavalry arrive on turn 2 and immediately charge across the Ford but are held

The Saxon heavy infantry lead the way forward taking occasional wounds from British archers

The two armies clash, the Saxons charge up the hill hoping to turn the British flank

The Saxon reserves arrive along the road

Infantry in the front line gets stuck in…….

The leading Saxons have pushed the front line out of the way only to be met by the British second line

The British cavalry have now broken through at the Ford and Arthur has come across

Brutal combat on both sides but the Saxons are getting the upper hand, in the background the British wounded can be seen streaming away from the battle

After some tough fighting the Saxons break the British although all their remaining units are wounded 

A fun battle and nice to get the Dark Age figures out for a battle. Not a historical outcome as the British won the battle back in 445AD ensuring a peace last for several decades.

As if I haven’t been away enough we were back in Scotland a few weeks ago near Melrose and I visited the near by Trimontium Roman fort. An interesting site and very extensive although very little can actually be seen on the ground.

The site has been well documented

Some reasonable information boards

Can you spot the small amphitheatre ? the dip in the ground behind me

We also visited Smailholm Tower, famous mainly for its prominent position and its links to Walter Scott

Melrose also has an excellent (small) museum about the local Roman fort

Some excellent Roman military artefacts, some local and some brought in from Germany

A good collection

Shield bosses 

That’s it for now, not surprisingly I’m feeling the need to paint up some late Romans so I might dig some out and get them onto the painting queue.

Matt