This article is my personal interpretation of events at this time. any mistakes are my own.
Having lost the previous battle of GUINNION FORT, Arthur,s army retreated back toward Caerleon. Units of Light Archers and Cavalry provided a rearguard forestalling any immediate pursuit. They were helped by the restrictive terrain.
Sending a messenger at the gallop to warn the Garrison, Arthur holds a brief Council with his Generals, Owain, Cadwy and Rogatainus. The decision is made to make a stand on the western bank of the Afon Lwyd, two hours distant from Caerleon.
The Britons have one day to prepare before Scouts arrive, warning of the approach of the Picts and the Riatans, [ the Scots-Irish ]. Arthur orders materials bought from the fortress and his men manage to build a rough barricade across the front of the army.
After twelve hours, the enemy army arrives. Arthurs Commitatus is drawn up each side of the road behind their barricade, facing east. Across the river, the Scots and Picts fan out and form up on the eastern bank. Both armies watch each other through the night. The Picts and Scots sit around their campfires. Arthur,s men sleep under arms.
In the darkness some of the Britons press for an attack. Arthur will not countenance such an action. if it went wrong the Britons would be caught disorganised, in the dark on the wrong side of the river. Some wonder why they don’t retreat to Caerleon..
Arthur holds another brief Council in the darkness. He wants to maintain the chance of maneuver. To sit behind the walls would only embolden the enemy. Those Kings who disliked Arthur would not help. It would be a slow death. Better to fight in the open. Victory or death were the only options……
As the sun rises, the Holy Men of both sides invoke their respective Deities for victory. The leaders of the Allied Tribes browbeat their warriors into line promising great riches when they sweep the Britons aside and sack Caerleon.
Within the Briton Commitatus, the bucinae are sounded and the ranks are formed. Arthur is proud of his soldiers. They might not be the Legions of old, but they uphold the fighting spirit of those auguste formations.
The shouting and thunder of spears on shields reaches a crescendo as the Picts and Scots build themselves up for the charge. As this is happening, Arthur canters up and down the line bellowing his Warcry "DEUS ET PRIDAIN!! " which is taken up by the men as they raise their weapons in the air.
As both sides shout their defiance at each other, the Picts and Scots launch their assault. The fate of the Briton Kingdoms hangs in the balance........
THE BRITON COMMITATUS.
5000 = 5 points x 8 = 40 points.
Arthur ( The Pendragon ) @ 3 points.
4 stands of Veteran Infantry @ 2pts = 8 points.
3 stands of Auxilliary Infantry @ 2pts = 6 points.
2 stands of Light Archers @ 1pt = 2 points.
Cadwy @ 1 point.
Owain ( Cavalry Commander ) = 2 points.
Iddon’s Militia:
Rogatainus @ 1pt.
2 stands of Militia Light Archers @ 1pt = 2points.
3 stands of Militia Infantry @ 2pts = 6 points.
2 stands of Auxilliary Cavalry @ 2pts = 4 points.
Arthur’s Bucellarii @ 3 points.
THE SCOTS-IRISH:
3,000 = 3 points x 8 = 24 points.
Laun Mac Eric @ 1pt.
3 stands of Archers/Slingers @ 1pt = 3 points.
9 stands of Warriors Infantry @ 2pts = 18 points.
THE PICTS:
3,000 = 3 points x 8 = 24 points.
Briacat @ 1 points.
7 stands of Warriors @ 2 points.
3 stands of Seaxon Warriors ( Saxons) @ 2pts = 6 pts.
3 stands of Light Archers/ Crossbowmen @ 1pt = 3pts.
THE ACTION:
* The Britons keep the Initiative Point for the battle.
* Any tied results go to the Britons.
* On Game-Turn 1, the Scots-Irish and Picts move first.
From Game-Turn 2 onward, both sides die to see who moves first.
* Stands cannot be moved once they enter the river. They can only be moved out of of the river on the movement phase of the next Game-Turn. On each Game-Turn the stand is in a river it can be moved one square along the river.
* Stands cannot fire or throw weapons while positioned in the river.
* Stands being under attack in Close Combat, or attacking in Close Combat, while positioned in a river must deduct 2 points from each Combat Die.
* On the Web, the River Lwyd has been known as the Torfaen, " The Breaker of Stones" because it was prone to surges. the Picts and Scots-Irish may not have been aware of this.
* Morale Points; the Britons have 20 points. The Picts have 12 points. The Scots-Irish have 12 points.
* As a stand becomes a casualty, its points will be deducted from its respective Army morale total.
VICTORY;
The game finishes at the end of eight Game-Turns and/or when one side suffers a morale collapse.
With the Scots-Irish and Picts, should one sides morale collapse, that part of the army will retreat regardless of the state of the other half. The Saxons go with the Picts.
THE HISTORY;
As before, this article is total conjecture. Apart from the title of the battle given by Nennius, and that it was at, or near Caerleon, no other details exist. Therefore, once again I turned to the Ordnance Survey map of Roman Britain and Topographical maps on the net.
The battle site I chose seemed the most logical, and seemed to offer the best defensive capabilities. The Afon Lwyd does suffer from surges depending on the amount of rainfall. In moderns times the river has suffered from Industrial pollution which local groups have worked hard to clean up.
It seems that the 5th century was a "wet" era with intense rainfall all over Europe.
Given the time it takes to cover the distances involved [ according to the Net ], this would give Arthurs army time to prepare.
One of Arthurs main assets was his small Cavalry force which he would want to use to its best advantage. The numbers of troops I've given are my own estimates taking into account losses from the previous battle.
I leave it to you dear reader to decide wether I have done justice to it all.
