In Defense Of: Wood Elf Warriors and Noldorin Exiles

Good morning gamers,

In our last article, we talked about Gildor Inglorion and what his value is to a Rivendell list. Part and parcel of his utility is based on Noldorin Exiles - another model (along with their more vanilla Wood Elf Warrior cousins from Lothlorien) that gets heavy critique from the competitive community. I have been using Wood Elf Warriors since I began playing the game in 2010 and today I want to share the reason why I haven't collected Galadhrim Warriors for my Lothlorien army until recently (and mostly for Quest of the Ringbearer/Fantasy Fellowship scenarios, though having the option for armored Elves is an interesting choice). I've also been playing recently with Rivendell and Gildor is one of my first inclusions (along with 5-9 Noldorin Exiles). We'll look at what these guys give you and why you should care to try them out. Let's get right on it!

Why NOT To Take Wood Elf Warriors

Some of my favorite units in the game, warts and all . . .

Wood Elf Warriors are available in the Lothlorien army list for 8pts each and as Noldorin Exiles in the Rivendell army list for 9pts each (they get +2" of movement). When you compare this to the armored Rivendell/Lothlorien counterparts, you can see the cost savings that come from relying on Wood Elves (and the extra speed from Noldorin Exiles), but it comes at a heavy price - 3 Defense points:

Wood Elves vs. Armored Elves . . . no comparison?

To make a fair comparison, what you're seeing above are Galadhrim/High Elf Warriors with shields and spears vs. Wood Elf Warriors/Noldorin Exiles with Wood Elf Spears. Both of these units can spear-support AND defend by shielding - and both are very common occurrences in Lothlorien and Rivendell armies. Their special rules differ slightly (Stalk Unseen for the Wood Elf Warriors thanks to their Elven Cloaks) and their stats are basically the same - except when it comes to their Defense stats.

Revisiting Play Styles Part 7: The Underdog Playstyle

 Hey Reader!

Welcome back to the blog! Tiberius wrote a blog post recently about list building for beginners, based on a 2015 post I made talking about the seven list building play styles I noticed at the time. Last time we talked about the Min/Max Playstyle, and in today's post we are looking at the last playstyle: the underdog army.

I.  The Underdog Playstyle: "The List Only I Understand"

The name for this style owes its existence to one of the greats of Warhammer Fantasy 8th Edition, OnceBitten360, who referred to the underdog playstyle as, "an army that, because of practice, I think I can win with, but I don't think anyone else can." This list tends to be highly unique compared to others from the same faction, often involving a mix of models that the player likes, regardless of whether they are the "most efficient use of points" or "most powerful models in the faction." They tend to have good utility, but they may not be the first models that catch your eye.

I'm pretty renowned for running lists like this in our gaming group, and it's true: I run lists that most people wouldn't run, but I run them for months at a time, so I know how to win with them. So what follows in the next section will be examples of what I have used, but realize that unlike in other posts in this series we won't be "giving recommendations" for how to build an underdog list: a lot of it is going to come down to personal preference combined with a lot of practice.

Underdog lists tend to work best when you have a wide range of options available, but as you will soon see, that's not entirely true; sometimes you can build underdog lists in armies that have virtually no model choices.

In Defense Of: Gildor Inglorion

Good morning gamers,

Today we're viewing a hero who doesn't get a lot of credit in the Rivendell list: Gildor Inglorion. Once one of the hardest models to find in the MESBG range, this hero is one of the cheapest casters in the game (and can cast Immobilize on a 3+ with 4 Will points - pretty reliable at stopping people), but for a number of reasons, lots of players abandon this guy upon viewing him. Well, today we seek to change that and highlight a few things this hero provides to Rivendell that is useful to their team. Let's get stuck in!

Why NOT To Take Gildor Inglorion

So happy I own this guy . . . finally . . .

The root of most of Gildor's critiques is the comparison he has to two other Rivendell profiles: Erestor and High Elf Captains. These three heroes are the mid-tier heroes in Rivendell (worse combatants than Gil-Galad, Elrond, Glorfindel, and the Twins; better combatants than Lindir, Arwen, Cirdan, Bilbo, and Stormcallers) and are roughly cost-equivalent (for being Elves - Gildor is 70pts, Erestor is 85pts, and High Elf Captains are 75-100pts). When you compare their profiles, Gildor just doesn't look as good as the others:

The three "mid-tier combat heroes" for Rivendell

We'll start with Gildor's Defense 4 stat - because he's unarmored, he's vulnerable to taking damage. With 2 Wounds and 1 Fate point, you run the risk of having this hero shot out before he can do anything useful (while the other two are pretty resilient to taking damage).

Revisiting Play Styles Part 6: The Min/Max Playstyle

Courtesy of Bell of Lost Souls - and an army I don't own

Hey Reader!

Welcome back to the blog! Tiberius wrote a blog post recently about list building for beginners, based on a 2015 post I made talking about the seven list building play styles I noticed at the time. Last time we talked about the Toolkit Playstyle, and in today's post we are looking at the sixth playstyle: the Min/Max army.

I.  The Min/Max Playstyle: "Maximum Firepower"

To start off, I think sometimes that "Min/Maxing" gets a bad rap for no good reason. It's kind of like when people say "fan service is bad," when in reality what they actually mean is, "fan service for the sake of fan service without adding anything to the story is bad," and I feel like that applies here too.

The Min/Max Playstyle attempts to get the most power for the most economical cost. It assesses the needs of the list (numbers, mobility, defense, killing power, answers for big heroes, etc.), and then finds the most effective way to meet all of these needs with good, solid math. Min/Max lists are much like a bodybuilder: it's all muscle, no fat. If it can lose weaknesses in the army it will lose them. If it can strengthen or shore up a pitfall it will do that. 

This does not mean, though, that they must use elite/strong individual profiles: you can min/max with some of the weakest profiles in the game. But it uses these weak profiles to great effect: Goblin Town has some of the weakest infantry in the game, but if you have 100 of them and they can all effectively spear support each other, it turns out they can overrun elite troops with bodies to spare (because bodies they will probably lose).

In our gaming group Rythbryt tends to default to this, and rightly so: if you're going to run an army at X points, why not make it as cool and good as it can be? Why not get the cool pairings that are fun to see on the table? And it's a testament to his love for the game and the enjoyment of his opponents that sometimes he will come with a list prepared for testing, runs it, and then say, "I scrapped it because it won't be fun for anyone else, so I've got a new one to try out" next time we meet. Because the Min/Max playstyle can ruin the fun for others at the table, and that's something worth considering before you use this playstyle.

That being said, 1) it's perfectly viable, 2) it's perfectly acceptable as a playstyle, 3) it's a very attractive option, and 4) it might be instinctive for you, and if any or all of these are true of you, keep reading, because as we discuss "maximizing" this playstyle, we'll be talking about how to Min/Max effectively without making your opponent rage quit your local gaming group.

In Defense Of: Easterling Captains

A humble captain on foot, who is amazing when he's not alone

Hey Reader!

Today we're continuing the In Defense Of series, and Tiberius asked me to jump in and chat about the Easterling Captain, a model I've used a good bit. We will start by looking at why people tell you not to take this model (as well as the variant of this which is, "just take one for March," lol), then we'll discuss why you should take it, and then close out by discussing how to make it work effectively in your army list.

(Also, obligatory "Centaur isn't a great painter, and this army was first painted in like 2012, so he's getting back around to touching this one up to make it look better," :P )

Why NOT To Take Easterling Captains

So to start off, yes: many players will tell you, "Oh: just take one of these for Heroic March so that you can get to places faster." Here's the issue: 1) you don't always need to call March in a scenario (Contest of Champions comes to mind), and 2) even then, is that really the only reason to spend 50-65 points on a hero? So I want to start by saying I reject this premise: I don't think that's a good reason to spend this many points (sure: 40 points for a Moria Goblin Captain just to March the balrog is a great reason to spend those points), and I will not be using that line of reasoning in my discussion below.

If you come from this school of thought, great: chalk up one more reason to take these guys. But I'm not going to use that reasoning below, so feel free to lay some gravy on the horribly overbaked entrees you find below. :P

FAQ Time: Breaking Down The February 2022 FAQ

Good morning gamers,

Last week we got a new batch of FAQs and with them, we got what we kind of expected was coming: something to tame down the onslaught of the Vanquishers Legendary Legion. We also got some other things (some things that I didn't see coming) - so let's dig into what these changes are and what they mean (and more importantly, what they DON'T mean).

Preliminaries

Photo Credit: Reddit
Me looking for the questions I submitted . . .

Let's get this out of the way first: this FAQ cycle saw the Designer Commentaries joined up with the Erratas, joining what was two documents per book into one document per book. This was a good change. Instead of having to think of the book that the profile was in or where the rule that is being disputed is found, and THEN figure out if it was a change to the model or a clarification of the rules, now you just think about the book and be done with it. Dropping down the list for 17 to 9 files is much better and more efficient (especially for those of us who run tournaments). Big fan, SBG team, big fan . . .

Another preliminary remark is that most of the FAQs sought to clarify core issues in the game (or fix glaring army-related/scenario-related problems), not legislate new capabilities (mostly - more on that later). Things like Dragon Cult Acolytes (who will one day become full-blown Dragon Knights) not being able to be led by Dragon Knights because they were released afterwards and didn't have a "well-actually" text in their temporary profile got fixed - you can now bring Dragon Cult Acolytes with Dragon Knights (their post-graduate mentors). Hooray!

Other examples of this include questions that had recently popped up with the Vanquishers Legion about whether a healed army leader coughed up VPs for being wounded if he was back to full Wounds at the end of the game. Since only a handful of models can restore Wounds, this hadn't been a poignant question until we had a Legion that healed models en masse. The rules were clarified that, yes, if you wound the army leader, you score the VPs even if the model is later healed. Thanks for clearing that up, rules team - glad to know we were all playing it right. :)

But for the most part, the new FAQs tell us that a) we were right about how certain rules worked, b) the scenarios worked the way we thought, c) magic is still as good as it has been, d) war beasts are still as good as they have been, and e) the Vanquishers Legion and Galadriel, Lady of Light are still worth using (albeit with a few tweaks, in most cases). Let's dig in! 

In Defense Of: Balin the Dwarf, King of Moria

Good morning gamers,

We turn today to one of the first heroes I got for the Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game (then the Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game) and one of my first purchases on eBay: Balin the Dwarf, King of Moria. Balin has been a staple of the armies I run for the Dwarves of Khazad-Dum since the very beginning and though his profile has changed from era to era only slightly, the utility of such a hero has been questioned at high points levels. Let's dig in today and specifically look at how including Balin your army at high points levels can be surprisingly good.

Why NOT To Take Balin

One of my oldest models . . . who has been my friend through many dangers . . .

If you haven't watched the Unexpected Podcast team's review of the Kingdom of Khazad-Dum/Moria, you should - it's REALLY good. In that podcast, you'll see that Balin is championed as the "better choice" for lower points levels (500pts and below) because he provides a similar profile to Durin for a lot fewer points. To understand why this is, let's take a look at the Khazad-Dum list and what the "bare necessities" are for that army.

First off, you have two ways you can run the list - you can run the "Kingdom of Moria" (colloquially called the "Moria Expedition") which features Balin the Dwarf (our hero for today), Floi Stonehand, Ori and Oin the Dwarves (in their Champions of Erebor forms), and Gimli (these latter three only if you include Balin in your army first). The second way that you can run the list is as the "Kingdom of Khazad-Dum," which gives you access to Durin and Mardin. Both lists have access to the full suite of unnamed heroes and warriors - which means that the debate over which one to run is strictly based on hero choice (and on some level, how those heroes can help your warriors).

If you compare Balin and Durin, you see pretty similar profiles that differ in a select few (but very important) ways:

Paying 50pts extra for +1 Defense/Attack/Wound? Sign me up, am I right?

Both Durin and Balin are F6/S4 and have Courage 6 and 3M/3W/1F. With Durin's Axe in possession of both, each gets +1 dice (effectively) to their dueling rolls and +1 To Wound without penalties (master-forged two-handed weapons and all). So far, pretty similar - and both pretty good compared to heroes from non-Dwarf lists.

TMAT Talks: Episode 19 - The Ultimate Uber-Slayer Podcast (Part 5)

One year from when they first began this gargantuan project, Tiberius, Centaur, and Rythbryt are back, attempting to do the impossible: rank the top-50 slayer profiles for the forces of evil.

(No, really... it's very hard!)

In part 5 of their uber-slayer podcast, the TMAT crew discusses their top-picks in three underrated categories (all of which purposefully exclude the likes of the Witch-King, Azog, and Smaug): best budget slayers (under 101 points), best unmounted (man-sized) slayers, and the best generic (spammable) slayers that evil can field. There are some surprises and surprising omissions (not all of which were intentional). 

Did your favorite slayers make the cut? And what does this tell us about how the final list will shake out?

Now available on Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts!

Music: Happy Haunts by Aaron Kenny
____________________________________________

Show Notes:

Intro (0:00)

Good: Top-10 Slayers for under 101 points (3:20)

Good: Top-10 Slayers who can't take mounts (50:45)

Good: Top-10 Generic Slayers (1:38:20)

Announcing the TMAT Grand Tournament 2022!

Good morning gamers,

It's that time again - Spring is hastening here, holidays have come and gone, and we're gearing up for another GT! The tournament will be held at Patrick Henry College on April 2, 2022. This year, we're running our highest points level to date and trying out the "veto system". Without further ado, here are (in my typical style) the Ten Commandments of the Tournament (Rules):

1) Thou Shalt Understand The Canon

The ruleset from the new Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game Rules Manual (MESBGRM) will be our baseline. The Armies of the Lord of the Rings supplement will govern the rules for armies from the Lord of the Rings, while the Armies of the Hobbit supplement will govern the rules for armies from the Hobbit. Legendary Legions and profiles from any of the GW supplements may be used, provided that the army building requirements for the Legendary Legion are followed. Any GW errata for these books will take precedent over the printed text of these documents.

2) Thou Shalt Honor Thy Alliance

This tournament follows the alliance "restrictions" provided in the Armies of the Lord of the Rings and Armies of the Hobbit supplements - players are allowed to have "pure" armies or Historical/Convenient/Impossible alliances. Legendary Legions from any of the Games Workshop supplements can be taken as well, but obviously cannot take allies nor be taken as allies.

3) Thou Shalt Not Bring Too Many Points

All players will create an army list that is no more than 800 points. The list must be submitted to the Tournament Director at joshua.kamakawiwoole@gmail.com by March 26, 2022. Players will be notified of the other armies have been submitted for the tournament after submitting their army list (not before).

Note on proxy/converted models: proxy models will be automatically accepted if the models are not available from the GW webstore. Other proxy models will be accepted if they 1) have the same equipment (weapons, armor, gear) as the model it's proxying, and 2) is clearly distinct from other models in the list. Please note any models that are being proxied in the email to the Tournament Director. Converted models should have the same gear as the model profile that they're substituting for and should also be distinct from any other models in the army.

4) Thou Shalt Know The Scenario

Each round, players will be assigned to different tables - each round will use a different pool from the Matched Play supplement and both players will roll a die (reroll ties): the player with the higher roll will veto one of the scenarios from the list, then the other player will veto a scenario. The remaining scenario will be the scenario for that table for that round. The scenario pools will be used in the following order:

• Control Scenarios (Pool 2: Domination, Capture and Control, and Breakthrough)
• Slaying Scenarios (Pool 4: To the Death, Lords of Battle, and Contest of Champions)
• Traveling Scenarios (Pool 5: Reconnoiter, Storm the Camp, and Divide and Conquer)

Scoring for each game will follow the rules provided in each scenario. If one player scores at least 6 victory points and at least double his opponent's victory points, he will be awarded 10 Tournament Points (while his opponent is awarded 2 Tournament Points). If a player has more victory points than his opponent (but not double his points or not more than 6 victory points), he will be awarded 8 Tournament Points (while his opponent will be awarded 4 Tournament Points). Players who tie in victory points are awarded 6 Tournament Points.

5) Thou Shalt Break Ties Properly

In previous tournaments, players have received bonus tournament points for giving out "kudos" to each other (or fulfilling secret objectives). In this tournament, we will not be doing this. Instead, ties will be broken by determining the sum of the Victory Points scored in each round. If there is still a tie, then the players that tie will be ordered by the earliest to latest submissions of army lists to the tournament director.

6) Thou Shalt Face Random Opponents

This tournament will consist of three randomly assigned rounds. On the day of the tournament, "BYE" rounds (should they be needed) will be determined at random for all three rounds. The score received will be computed based on the average scores of the three players who received BYES (6 data points).

7) Thou Shalt Not Take All Day

Each match will be 135 minutes (2hr 15min). Time will be displayed visually for all games and will only be stopped in the event of a "red flag" being thrown. A red flag will be thrown when two players cannot agree on a rule (line of sight, special rules for a unit, etc.), in which case all fights will stop and the Tournament Director will mediate what the proper ruling is.

Should the time limit elapse without the victory conditions being met, the current round will be played and then the game will end. Any player found intentionally stalling the game to make time run out will be awarded 0 Victory Points for the round. Between rounds there will be 15 minutes to finish the round, determine the standings, move to the next table, and take necessary breaks.

8) Thou Shalt Fight In Middle-Earth

Players who have built terrain for a thematic board (48" x 48") are encouraged to bring their boards to be used in the tournament. Players intending to bring a board for the tournament should mention it in their army submission email. Players should use their best judgment when building their maps to ensure that armies are able to maneuver the map within the time constraints (e.g. having too many walls, doors that must be battered down, difficult terrain, etc. can make a game more tedious than interesting). Players who bring boards should also make sure their map has 5 objective markers to be used for the first round and potentially the third round (Divide and Conquer requires 3 objectives, while Storm the Camp can benefit from 2 objectives to keep the "camps" clear). If more boards are supplied than are needed for the tournament, the Tournament Director will let the players know if their boards are required or not.

9) Thou Shalt Be Gentlemen

Players must be courteous to their opponents and play these games in the spirit of good fun. Should a player conduct himself in a manner which destroys the fun atmosphere of the tournament, a red flag will be thrown and depending on the severity of the infraction, the player may be issued a warning against future infraction, forfeit the game, or be dismissed from the tournament.

10) Thou Shalt Not Be Late

Players who are bringing terrain to the tournament must arrive by 9:00am to set up the tables and register their armies. All other players must arrive by 9:30am in order to get preliminary check-in requirements, set up their armies at their tables, and fellowship with other players. All armies need to have a sheet of paper that provides their complete army list (with profiles), along with necessary unit-count information (total units in the army, how many units must be lost when the army is broken - and how many units the army must lose before it tests for Courage if the player is bringing certain Isengard armies - and how many units must be lost to be reduced to 25%). The tournament will follow this schedule:

• 10:00am - 12:15pm - ROUND 1
• 12:15pm - 1:00pm - LUNCH
• 1:00pm - 3:15pm - ROUND 2
• 3:30pm - 5:45pm - ROUND 3
• 5:45pm - 6:30pm - Tournament Score Summary and Clean-Up

Looking forward to see the armies that participate!

Tiberius, Tournament Director

PARTICIPATING ARMIES: 

• Centaur: The REAL Helm's Deep Army (Convenient Alliance, 29 models)
• Theoden, King of Rohan with everything [ARMY LEADER]
• 2 Rohan Royal Guards
• 2 Rohan "Outwalkers"
• 4 Warriors of Rohan with axes and shields
• Eomer, Marshal of the Riddermark with armored horse and shield
• 1 Rohan Royal Guard
• 1 Warrior of Rohan with axe, shield, and banner
• 2 Rohan "Outwalkers"
• 6 Warriors of Rohan with axes and shields
• Eowyn, Shield Maiden of Rohan with armor and shield
• 2 Rohan Royal Guards
• 2 Rohan "Outwalkers"
• 2 Warriors of Rohan with axes and shields
• CONVENIENT ALLY - The Fellowship: Aragorn - Strider on horse with Anduril, armor, and bow
• CONVENIENT ALLY - The Halls of Thranduil: Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of Mirkwood
• Tiberius: Stand, Men of the West! (Legendary Legion, 34 models)
• Aragorn, King Elessar [ARMY LEADER]
• 7 Warriors of Minas Tirith with shields
• 10 Warriors of Minas Tirith with shields and spears
• Eomer, Marshal of the Riddermark with shield
• 3 Warriors of Rohan with axes, throwing spears, and shields
• 11 Warriors of Rohan with axes and bows
• Gandalf the White
• Rythbyrt: Storming the Black Gate (Convenient Alliance, 33 models)
• Aragorn, King Elessar on armored horse [ARMY LEADER]
• 8 Guards of the Fountain Court with shields
• 4 Rangers of Gondor with spears (representing the Dunedain)
• 3 Knights of Minas Tirith with shields
• Cirion, Lieutenant of Amon Barad (representing Calenglad, Warden of Tinnudir)
• 3 Guards of the Fountain Court with shields
• 1 Warrior of Minas Tirith with shield
• 3 Warriors of Minas Tirith with shields and spears
• 2 Rangers of Gondor with spears (representing the Dunedain)
• Mablung, Ranger of Ithilien
• 2 Rangers of Gondor with spears (representing the Dunedain)
• Minas Tirith Siege Veteran with Avenger Bolt Thrower
• 2 Crew
• COVENIENT ALLY - The Misty Mountains: Gwaihir
• Strider: Easterling Ambush (Historical Alliance, 49 models)
• Shagrat, Captain of Cirith Ungol with everything [ARMY LEADER]
• 5 Black Numenoreans
• 4 Orc Trackers
• 3 Warg Riders with shields
• Orc Commander on Great Beast of Gorgoroth
• 9 Orc Warriors with picks and Orc bows
• HISTORICAL ALLY - The Easterlings: Easterling Captain with shield and glaive
• 4 Easterling Warriors with shields
• 8 Easterling Warriors with shields and pikes
• HISTORICAL ALLY - The Easterlings: Easterling Captain with sword, shield, and armored horse
• 2 Black Dragon Kataphrakts
• 3 Dragon Cult Acolytes
• HISTORICAL ALLY - The Easterlings: Dragon Knight on armored horse
• 2 Black Dragon Kataphrakts
• 3 Dragon Cult Acolytes
• Dronak: Amon Hen Went . . . Differently (Convenient Alliance, 33 models)
• Boromir, Captain of the White Tower on horse with shield and the Banner of Minas Tirith
• 5 Warriors of Minas Tirith with shields and spears
• 3 Rangers of Gondor with spears
• 7 Guards of the Fountain Court with shields
• Madril, Captain of Ithlien
• 2 Warriors of Minas Tirith with shields
• 1 Warrior of Minas Tirith with shield and spear
• 7 Rangers of Gondor with spears
• 1 Guard of the Fountain Court with shield
• Hurin the Tall, Warden of the Keys on horse
• 3 Knights of Minas Tirith with shields
• CONVENIENT ALLY - The Misty Mountains: Gwaihir [ARMY LEADER]
• Red Jacket: The Scouts of Mirkwood (Legendary Legion, 37 models)
• Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of Mirkwood with Elven cloak [ARMY LEADER]
• 13 Mirkwood Rangers
• 2 Wood Elf Sentinels
• Tauriel with Elf bow
• 10 Mirkwood Rangers
• 2 Wood Elf Sentinels
• Mirkwood Ranger Captain
• 6 Mirkwood Rangers
• 1 Wood Elf Sentinel
• The Black Prince: The Rohan Royal Family (Pure Army, 26 models)
• Theoden, King of Rohan with everything [ARMY LEADER]
• 4 Riders of Rohan with throwing spears
• Eomer, Marshal of the Riddermark with everything
• 4 Riders of Rohan with throwing spears
• Theodred, Heir of Rohan with everything
• 4 Riders of Rohan with throwing spears
• Dernhelm with throwing spears
• 4 Riders of Rohan with throwing spears
• Elfhelm, Captain of Rohan on horse
• 4 Riders of Rohan with throwing spears

Fyrd Formations: Breaking Shieldwalls and the Battle of Brunanburh

Good morning gamers,

Have you ever played a game where both you and your opponent brought S3 armies that were trying to crack through a D6 shieldwall? Is it frustrating to spend all of your game locked in the middle of the board trying to get an advantage over your opponent and failing? MESBG tends to reward armies for having high Defense (or compensate for having lower Defense by fielding far more models) - but how did armies historically break through shieldwalls? While the Svinfilking was a strategy in England, old poetry tells us a few other tidbits as found in an old song (filled to the brim with propaganda) about the Battle of Brunanburh.

In today's formations post, we're digging into the historical text (however accurate) and seeing what nuggets of wisdom can be found from the account. We'll then look at ways you can employ the strategies used historically to MESBG (which, as we all know, don't adequately reflect reality - but still). Let's get right to it!

The Battle of Brunanburh - How To Break Shieldwalls

If you have 12 minutes and want to see a visualization of the battle, check out the YouTube video from Baz Battles (the whole channel is great - I love their stuff). As a brief history lesson, King Aethelstan of the Anglo-Saxons was receiving tribute from the Kings of Alba (Scotland) and Strathclyde (western Nuthumbria), but the kings eventually joined forces (and allied with the Hiberno-Norse from Dublin) and invaded Aethelstan's lands. Aethelstan met them outside the city of Brunanburh and strove to become the first King of Great Britain by defeating their armies. The text we have of the battle can be read here, though I'll be highlighting excerpts from it below.