Raiding Season Week #3

Turn #4 of the Raiding Season saw the Normans & Pagan Rus clash in the North 2 square as I guessed the location of the raid correctly. This meant the game was the Capture the Relic scenario.
The Normas fielded the usual three points of mounted javelin armed Hearthguard in two units of 6, two points of mounted javelin armed Warriors in two units of 8 and the rotated back in the mercenary Gall-Gaedhill. The Pagan Rus stayed with the same force they had fielded for the first two battles.

Rus all ready to Rumble

The defining feature of the scenario is the Holic Relic being carried across the table by an NPC force which needs to be captured. The Normans won the roll off and moved first and made a rapid advance across the table. The Normans had opted to spread out across most of the table with the Rus adopting the usual closer packed deployment with the mercenary Scouts holding the wooded flank.

The Rus also pushed up across the board but it looked likely that the Normans being quicker would be able to take the first go at capturing the Relic.

This proved to be the case as the Gall-Gaedhill killed the guards and took control of the Relic and a unit of Norman Warriors pushed forwards to cover them.

Meanwhile on the flanks the Normans pushed forwards but took some shooting casualties from the  Rus Scouts.

The Normans have an ability which allows them to move all mounted units in the opponent's turn which allows them to retreat if they feel themselves to be in danger or to advance even further than the Rus foot sloggers. So as the Rus moved up to charge the Gall-Gaedhill the Norman cavalry pulled back to avoid combat but the Norman Warlord moved up to take charge of the Relic.
The Rus charge wiped out the Gall-Gaedhill but failed to gain the relic as it had already been handed over.

More shooting loses for the Norman Warriors

The Norman Warlord then launched an unexpected charge into the nearest Rus Warriors and killed enough to force the unit out of effective action. The Rus responded with a charge on the Norman Warrior unit that had covered the charge and killed five men for one in return. This left the Normans short on SAGA dice generation but in possession of the Relic.

Even more shooting loses for the Norman Warriors

At this point the Normans charged a Hearthguard unit into the only Rus unit that could have hoped to catch the Norman Warlord and despite taking several casualties in return they did enough that the Rus had no chance of catching up and securing the Relic before it was taken from the board.

Norman Warlord makes good his Escape

In the end the Normans won the scenario with a move to spare though they did suffer heavy casualties in doing so. The constricted nature of the fight did little to favour the more mobile combat that the Normans prefer.
The Norman victory means they took three Prestige Points this turn to the Rus's zero allowing them to open up a healthy lead.

It also marks the halfway point for the first Season with the Normans getting four more choices before they decide if they want to stay for the Man the Barricades scenario.