Assandun 1016 is now available in MP!

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stockwellpete
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Assandun 1016 is now available in MP!

Post by stockwellpete »

Design notes for Assandun 1016

I think we can assume that Assandun was a fairly large battle from the details we have of those leading figures who participated in the battle. I have estimated the two armies to each be around 5 to 6,000 men strong.
On the English side we know that Eadric of Streona and his Mercians were present at the outset, although they were subsequently to play a treacherous role in the proceedings. Also lined up with Edmund were Ulfcytel Snillingr, the highly effective ealdorman of East Anglia; Aelfric, the ealdorman of Hampshire; and Godwine, the ealdorman of Lindsay. There must also have neen a sizeable contingent from Wessex too. So I have used these people to give shape to the English army in the scenario.

For the Vikings we know that important leaders such as Thorkell the Tall and Erikir Hakonarson fought alongside Cnut.

The main feature of the battle is the depiction of the treachery of Eadric Streona, the ealdorman of Mercia. His contingent will not move for the first half of the battle and there is a reasonable chance that he will join the Viking side towards the end of proceedings, as he did in the real battle. However, he may just lead his men off the battlefield without taking any part at all.

The length of the scenario has been cut from 24 turns to 20 turns (not 16 as the original design notes state) to give the Anglo-Saxons the possibility of escaping with a draw if Eadric Streona does join the Viking side.

The battle is mentioned briefly in Knýtlinga saga which quotes a verse of skaldic poetry by Óttarr svarti, one of Canute's court poets.

"At Ashington, you worked well
in the shield-war, warrior-king;
brown was the flesh of bodies
served to the blood-bird:
in the slaughter, you won,
sire, with your sword
enough of a name there,
north of the Danes' Woods."

After the real battle, Edmund probably fought one more battle against Cnut in the west country near Gloucester before a peace treaty was agreed at Deerhurst, near Tewkesbury. England was to be partitioned again with Edmund retaining control of Wessex, London and everything else south of the Thames. However, before the end of 1016, Edmund "Ironside" was dead. The details of his death are unknown. He may have been badly wounded in the fighting, or he may have been murdered, possibly by agents of Eadric Streona. The West Saxons then accepted Cnut as their king. Eadric Streona was eventually murdered by Cnut, quite possibly in London on Xmas day 1017.

Bibliography
Battles of the Dark Ages, Peter Marren, 2006.
Britain and the End of the Roman Empire, Ken Dark, 2000.
In Search of the Dark Ages, Michael Wood, 1981.
Viking Britain, Thomas Williams, 2017.
Warfare and Society in the Barbarian West, Guy Halsall, 2003.
stockwellpete
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Re: Assandun 1016 is now available in MP!

Post by stockwellpete »

Version 2 of this scenario now available in MP.
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