Dark Age Britons of Strathclyde List

[doerchele]

Here is a list I posted on the COE forum. I hope that I can get some feedback from some fellow Dark Age gamers. I always felt that something wasn't right with the Strathclyde Welsh list in the Shieldwall supplement. Does the list seem right?
It is a bit of an obscure list, but I needed one for a Dark Ages campaign that some friends and I will be playing. I tried to be historically accurate as possible but the historic record is patchy and there is not much to go on. I would really appreciate any input as I don't think the points are correct at all. Hopefully, I am not too far off.
I will have to playtest the list as I am not sure if it is a broken army. Hopefully I got the strength and weaknesses balanced. Again, suggestions would be welcome.
Also, if anyone knows the proper Brythonic for the units in this list........



Britons of Strathclyde

This list encompasses the Kingdom of Strathclyde from the start of Viking Age until its complete annexation by the Scots sometime between 1018-1054 AD.
The historical enemies of the Britons of Strathclyde were the Dark Age Scots, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, and Norse-Gaels
A Strathclyde army must include an Army General, a unit of Teulu, and 2 units of Spearmen (either option)

Strategy Rating 1
Climate: Fertile

A Strathclyde British army must include one Army General and up to 2 Sub-Commanders

Command

Army General

Rex DL: 7+2 ML: 9+2 Attacks +3 Points: 60
Tiern DL: 6+1 ML: 8+2 Attacks +2 Points: Free
Traits: Army General, Mounted, Heroic Leader
Notes: The Army General must accompany the Teulu at all times

Sub-Commanders

Uchelwyr DL: 6+1 ML: 8+2 Attacks: 2 Points: 55
Traits: Heroic Leader
Upgrades: May be mounted at a cost of 10 points

Core

Players may select up to 10 core units and must include a unit of Mounted Teulu and 2 units of Spearmen and/or Levy Spearmen as compulsory troops.

Up to 1 unit of Mounted Teulu
Models per unit: 6-20
Open Order MR:20 Shoot: 4+ ATTACKS: 1 HTH: 4 ARM:4+ KILL: 4+ Hits 1 DL 7 ML 7
Points: 37
Weapons: Hand Weapons, Throwing Spear
Armor: Light Armor, Shield
Special Rules: Warband, Steady, Bodyguard
Upgrades: May add Javelins at a cost of 1 point per model


Up to 2 units of Medium Cavalry
Models per unit: 6-20
Open Order MR:20 Shoot: 4+ ATTACKS: 1 HTH: 3 ARM:5+ KILL: 4+ Hits 1 DL 6 ML 6
Points: 21
Weapons: Hand Weapons, Throwing Spear
Armor: Shield
Special Rules: Subject to Warband rules 1 and 5 if not accompanied by a sub-commander
Upgrades: May add Javelins at a cost of 1 point per model. May add Light armor at a cost of 2 points per model. This increases the Armor to 4+

Spearmen
Models per unit: 20-40
Closed MR:10 Shoot: 4+ ATTACKS: 1 HTH: 3 ARM:6 KILL: 4+ Hits 1 DL 6 ML 6
Points: 10
Weapons: Hand Weapons, Long Spear
Armor: Shield
Special Rules: Irregular, Shieldwall, Subject to Warband rules 1 and 5 if not accompanied by a sub-commander
Upgrades: May add Javelins at a cost of 1 point per model.


Levy Spearmen
Models per unit: 20-40
Closed MR:10 Shoot: 4+ ATTACKS: 1 HTH: 2 ARM:6 KILL: 4+ Hits 1 DL 6 ML 5
Points: 6
Weapons: Long Spear, Javelins
Armor: Buckler
Special Rules: Levy, Limited Missiles, Always Subject to Warband rules 1 and 5
Upgrades: May upgrade bucklers to shields at a cost of 1 point per model.

Support

For each unit selected from the Core section one unit may be selected from the Support section or Skirmish section. A maximum of 4 Support units may be chosen.

Up to 2 units of Brigand Cavalry
Models per unit: 6-12
Open/Skirmish MR:10 Shoot: 4+ ATTACKS: 1 HTH: 3 ARM:5 KILL: 4+ Hits 1 DL 6 ML 5
Points: 19
Weapons: Hand Weapons, Javelin
Armor: Buckler
Special Rules: None
Upgrades: May add throwing spears at a cost of 1 point per model


Up to 2 units of Brigands
Models per unit 12-24
Open MR:12 Shoot: 4+ ATTACKS: 1 HTH: 3 ARM:6 KILL: 4+ Hits 1 DL 6 ML 5
Points: 10
Weapons: Hand Weapons
Armor: Buckler
Special Rules: Warband
Upgrades: May add Javelins at a cost of 1 point per model. May upgrade bucklers to shields at a cost of 1 point per model. May add Throwing Spears at a cost of 1 point per model

Up to 1 unit of Peasant Levy
Models per unit 20-50
Open MR:12 Shoot: 5+ ATTACKS: 1 HTH: 1 ARM: N/A KILL: 4+ Hits 1 DL 3 ML 3
Points: 2
Weapons: Improvised Weapons, Improvised Missiles
Armor: None
Special Rules: Rabble

Up to 1 unit of Viking Raiders Models per unit: 10-20
Open MR:12 Shoot: 4+ ATTACKS: 1 HTH: 4 ARM: 6 KILL: 4+ Hits 1 DL 6 ML 8
Points: 16
Weapons: Hand weapon
Armor: Shield
Special Rules: Allies, Mixed Formation, Warband
Upgrades: May add light armor upgrading ARM to 5+ at a cost of 2 pts per model. May add Javelins at a cost of 1 point per model. May add Throwing or Long spears at a cost of 1 point per model.
The unit may upgrade to include two handed axes or heavy hand weapons at a cost of 1 point per model. This entitles a quarter of the front rank attack dice to be with the weapon upgrade.

Up to 2 units of Scot Exiles
Models per unit: 10-20
Closed MR:10 Shoot: 4+ ATTACKS: 1 HTH: 4 ARM: 6 KILL: 4+ Hits 1 DL 6 ML 7
Points: 13
Weapons: Hand weapon, Throwing Spear
Armor: Shield
Special Rules: Allies, Shieldwall, Warband
Upgrades: May be mounted at a cost of 10 points per model. Mounted Scots are open order and have an MR of 20

Skirmish Troops

For each unit selected from the Core section one unit may be selected from the Support section or Skirmish section. A maximum of 3 Skirmish units may be chosen.

Javelinmen
Models per unit: 8-15
Skirmish MR:12 Shoot: 4+ ATTACKS: 1 HTH: 2 ARM: 6 KILL: 4+ Hits 1 DL 5 ML 6
Points: 9
Weapons: Hand weapon, Javelins
Armor: Buckler
Special Rules: None
Upgrades: None

Slingers
Models per unit: 8-15
Skirmish MR:12 Shoot: 4+ ATTACKS: 1 HTH: 2 ARM: N/A KILL: 4+ Hits 1 DL 5 ML 5
Points: 7
Weapons: Sling, Improvised Weapons
Armor: None
Special Rules: None
Upgrades: None

Allies: Dark Age Welsh, Dark Age Scots

[messire Flush]

Fine work!

[Uncle Ho]

Looks good overall.

My only thought - and I stand ready to be corrected by the dark age sages out there - is that by the period of your list specifically, the cavalry armies of Strathclyde weren't much in reality. This list, as it currently stands, allows you to build an army almost completely mounted, and decent enough troops at that (for the period in question).

Perhaps if you limited the maximum number of medium cavalry units, for example, you could still maintain the strong Strathclyde feel, but have a more realistic "levy spearmen" core to the army?

[doerchele]

I actually was coming to the same conclusion myself. Originally in the core, you could only field one unit of cavalry after including two units of spear. But this struck me as too WABish and ended up deleting it. I included the medium cavalry in the list for use in larger battles, not as the backbone of the army.
What do you think is the better solution: Up to 2 units of medium cavalry or Up to 2 unit of medium cavalry and moved out of core to support? I think the latter would be better.

Also, I was thinking of allowing the Teulu to be fielded either dismounted or mounted.
I'll post up the changes sometime later.

Thank you for your help.

[Uncle Ho]

I personally like the idea of having the medium troops as core, but with a limit on the number of units you can take. this helps someone to keep the army thematic ie. with a decent number of horsemen, as should be the case of Strathclyde. Moving it to support might make it look a little too much like any other dark age army?

I guess there should be a n option for dismounted teulu, not that I'd ever take it for this army!

[Uncle Ho]

I personally like the idea of having the medium troops as core, but with a limit on the number of units you can take. this helps someone to keep the army thematic ie. with a decent number of horsemen, as should be the case of Strathclyde. Moving it to support might make it look a little too much like any other dark age army?

I guess there should be an option for dismounted teulu, not that I'd ever take it for this army!

[doerchele]

Yes, I agree. Medium cavalry would make the list less generic. I'm going to test the list over the weekend against a Viking Army. Hopefully, they won't get smashed to smithereens. Thanks for your advice. I still don't think the points are right. I wish there was a template available to work with.
I don't plan on dismounting the Teulu either, but the option should be available. Do you think a 10 point reduction in cost would be sufficient?