Picts Vs Skythians

It's a real bummer when your friends let you down!

This week's encounter matched the Skythians of King Sakesfaris against the Picts of King Cynon. King Sakesfaris was hoping for assistance from King Saitafem of the Paralatai clan (Skythian Royal Clan) and some of the Thracians they had subjugated as a result of their last battle, while King Cynon was expecting help from the MacRiderch Clan (more Picts) led by Queen Brisen.

The two armies met on the banks of a river (see the photo above, with "north" at the top), with the Skythians coming from the north along the west bank, and the Picts splitting their forces as they came up from the south. The river was only crossable by the bridge in the center of the battlefield, with the bridge surrounded by a small village; possession of this area was going to be the key. It was terrain more to the Picts liking than the Skythians, but sometimes life's like that!

Both leaders dispatched their allies on (off-table) outflanking maneuvers in the hope of luring the enemy into a trap - that had worked so well for the Skythians earlier in the year when they raided the lands of the Thracians, and King Sakesfaris especially was looking for a repeat result.

Apart from the fact that rain began to fall shortly after both armies arrived on the scene (the Skythians especially like to use their bows as the primary weapon, which becomes difficult when the rain gets into the strings), the early stages went pretty much to plan for both armies.

Mounted on horses, the Skythians made faster progress, and were able to secure a position beyond the bridge on the west bank, and attempt to defeat the Picts on that side of the river while they were isolated from their friends. Their archery rendered almost ineffective, King Sakesfaris was prompted to push forward and fight hand-to-hand by the sight of the enemy divided, and also by the timely arrival of his allies on the exposed Pict left flank.

Instead of joining the fight however, King Saitafem held his forces back, merely observing events as they unfolded. King Sakesfaris himself was killed in the fighting, and had his son, Crown Prince Gnur, not been on hand to take over command, the Skythian attack may have evaporated at that point.

Battle on - in the driving rain and mud - they did however, eventually breaking Pictish resistance, but at a high cost.

By now, King Cynon had advanced his east bank forces as far as the bridge. His Light Horse drove off the Skythian Horse Archers initially sent across the river to secure the bridge, but with the Thracians now appearing on the scene, he withdrew his horsemen and sent in his own warband. (The photo at the top of the page shows the Picts - nearest the camera - taking on the Thracians on the bridge).

It was at this point that Queen Brisen (see photo above) arrived on the scene with her forces, and despite taking a brief "time out" of her own on arrival, she held true to her promise to King Cynon, and pushed her forces in to help clear the bridge. In desperation, Prince Gnur made one final plea to King Saitafem to come to his aid, but the latter instead withdrew his forces from the field, leaving Prince Gnur hopelessly overmatched.

Realizing the cause was lost, the remaining Skythians conceded the battle, using their greater mobility to escape pursuit, and retired to their homes vowing revenge against their "ally".

The druids of the Picts meanwhile, claim credit for the win, asserting that it had been their "prayers"/incantations/etc that brought down the rain and forced the Skythians off their normal game plan.

King Cynon's army now advances to the Grand Final of my "Ancient Barbarian World" Tournament, where they will meet the winners of next week's "Britons Vs Picts" battle in an all-Celtic matchup. King Cynon and Queen Brisen celebrated the victory, and the Celtic festival of Imbolc (Jan. 31/Feb. 1) by sealing their alliance with a marriage - both had been predeceased by their previous spouse, and by joining their clans together into one, they will no longer be vulnerable to the "Ally General" loyalty test (that destroyed the Skythian alliance here) before their next outing.

Prince (now King) Gnur meanwhile will prepare to take a grievance to the annual kuriltai of the (Skythian) clans in March, in the hope of gaining some measure of compensation from King Saitafem and his tribe. (An opportunity for some political shenanigans to add to the mix!)