HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The Anglo-Saxon men of Wessex and Kent fought against the Danelaw and East Anglian Danes. Following the death of Alfred the Great in 899, his son Edward the Elder became king, but his cousin Æthelwold, the son of Alfred's elder brother, King Æthelred, claimed the throne. His bid was unsuccessful, and he fled to the Northumbrian Danes, who, according to one version of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, accepted him as king.
In 902 Æthelwold came with a fleet to Essex and the following year he persuaded the East Anglian Danes to attack Mercia and north Wessex. Edward retaliated by ravaging East Anglia and the Danish army was forced to return to defend its own territory. Edward then retreated, but the men of Kent disobeyed the order to retire, and they met the Danes at the battle of the Holme.
The Danes appear to have won as according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle they "kept the place of slaughter". However, they suffered heavy losses including Æthelwold, Eohric, probably the Danish king of East Anglia, Brihtsige, son of the ætheling Beornoth, and two holds, Ysopa and Oscetel. The battle thus ended Æthelwold's Revolt. Kentish losses included Sigehelm, father of Edward the Elder's third wife, Eadgifu of Kent.
War Council
SAXONS (Use Tan blocks)
• Leader: Sigewulf & Sigehelm
• 4 Command Cards
• 8 Inspired Action tokens
VIKINGS (Use Purple Blocks)
• Leader: Æthelwold & Eohric
• 4 Command Cards
• 8 Inspired Action tokens
• Move first
Victory
6 Banners
SPECIAL RULES
The River is fordable, stopping movement but has no combat effects
Auxilia units Battleback with 1 extra die.
Saxons use Battlefield actions only
Vikings use Battlefield actions only
Replace the Mounted Charge Command card text to read
Boar’s Snout
Select one foot unit and up to two adjacent foot units. Each unit can move one extra hex and battle.
When battling, add 1 die to each supported unit. Ordered units may not engage in Ranged Combat.
Personal Combat.
Any time a unit with a leader close combats a unit with a leader, before the battle is resolved, either player may declare a Personal challenge, attacker chooses first.
To resolve the Personal challenge;
- Each leader rolls 1 die + 1 die for each Inspired Action token expended
- any number of Inspired Action tokens can be spent on Personal challenges, and do not count against the limit of one Inspired Action token play per turn.
- Both players roll simultaneously, with any helmet killing the opposing leader.
- Either, both or neither leaders may be killed.
- Aethelwold is worth 2 banners if killed, otherwise each leader killed counts as 1 banner as usual.
The battle between the units is then resolved.
