The Warlord: Naval Game Scenario 3.5

“Wolves on the Water” Interlude Scenario. 

Between Scenarios 3: The Marsh of Broken Reeds and 4: The Forest Clearing

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NARRATIVE SETUP

Word reaches Alsuum that two supply vessels are sailing upriver from the Duke, bearing:

• Reinforcements
• Supplies
• A rival lord’s authority

Among them sails Serjent Lambert, one of Crispinus’ trusted Sergeants at Arms, sent to guide them through the river mouths and dykes.

They do not sail alone.

Three Viking longships, under a newly risen chieftain, lurk among the islands and tidal channels — raiders, mercenaries, or something worse.

THE VIKING CHIEFTAIN (INTRODUCTION)

Hróðgeirr Black-Oar

Sea-Wolf of the Wädden Coast

• Ruthless, calculating, not a berserker
• Interested in plunder, hostages, and leverage
• Will return later in the campaign regardless of outcome

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FORCES INVOLVED

Frankish Convoy

• 2 Supply Vessels
  • Each carries:
    • 1 Foot Serjeant unit (reinforcements)
    • 1 Missile unit (archers or crossbows)
• One named Crispinus retainer, Serjant Lambert, aboard 

Vikings

• 3 Longships
  • Each carries:
    • 1 Foot Men-at-Arms–equivalent unit
    • Optional missile support (javelins or bows)

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TABLE SETUP

• Long table (river or coastal channel)
• Narrow navigable lanes
• Sandbanks, islands, tidal flats
• Cogs start together; longships may start hidden or staggered

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OBJECTIVES

Frankish Player

• Get at least one cog safely off-table
• Prevent capture of the named retainer

Viking Player

• Capture or sink at least one cog
• Capture a character (preferred over killing)

HRÓÐGEIRR BLACK-OAR

Sea-Wolf of the Wadden Coast

Role in the Campaign

• Naval raider, opportunist, hostage-taker
• Prefers leverage over slaughter
• Will retreat if victory is uncertain
• Returns stronger if not decisively defeated

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HRÓÐGEIRR BLACK-OAR (Leader Profile)

Counts as: Foot Men-at-Arms (Viking Hird)
Leader Type: Commanding Villain

Combat Stats (base unit)

• Attack: 5+
• Defence: 3+
• Courage: 3+
• Armour: Heavy
• Weapons: Axes, spears, shields

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SPECIAL TRAITS (choose ALL – he is a major villain)

⚓ Sea-Born Commander

• Units within 12” may re-roll one failed Activation if they are:
  • Embarked
  • Within 6” of water terrain
• This represents disciplined ship crews and naval confidence.

🪓 Measured Brutality

• Once per game, after winning a melee, Hróðgeirr may:
  • Force the enemy to re-roll successful Courage tests
• If this causes the enemy unit to flee, it counts as captured, not destroyed.

🐺 Never the Last Man

• If Hróðgeirr’s unit would be destroyed:
  • Roll 1d6
    • 4+ → He escapes and returns in a later scenario
    • 1–3 → He is wounded and misses the next game
• Only death occurs if defeated twice in one campaign arc.

🧠 Ransom Over Revenge

• If Hróðgeirr captures a character:
  • Viking player gains +1 Campaign Resource
  • Frankish player must roll on a Ransom / Humiliation table (optional later)

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HRÓÐGEIRR’S PERSONALITY (Narrative Use)

• Cold, mocking, pragmatic
• Will parley mid-battle
• Respects competence, not rank
• Knows the coast better than anyone except the Frisians

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SUBORDINATE CHARACTER

Egil Sharp-nose

Hróðgeirr’s Boarding Master

Lost part of his hand to a cog’s anchor chain. Replaced it with an iron hook. Brutal, loyal, hates knights.

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EGIL Sharp-nose (Sub-Leader)

Counts as: Foot Serjeants (Veteran Raiders)
Leader Type: Subordinate Villain

Combat Stats

• Attack: 5+
• Defence: 4+
• Courage: 4+
• Armour: Medium
• Weapons: Axe, hook, shield

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SPECIAL TRAITS

⚔️ Boarding Specialist

• Gains +1 Attack die when charging from:
  • A ship
  • Difficult terrain
  • Marsh, ford, or riverbank

🩸 Cruel Enforcer

• Enemy units Engaged with Egil suffer −1 Courage when testing to Rally or Withdraw.

🔗 Hook and Drag

• Once per game, Egil may:
  • Cancel an enemy Withdraw
  • Forcing a second round of melee immediately

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CAMPAIGN RELATIONSHIP

• If Egil is killed:
  • Hróðgeirr gains Hatred (Crispinus’ Retinue) in future battles
• If Egil survives multiple games:
  • He may be promoted to lead a second raiding force

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RETINUE LOYALTY IMPACT

Whenever Hróðgeirr appears:

• Frankish Retinue:
  • −1 Loyalty if supplies, ships, or men are lost to him
• If Hróðgeirr is driven off:
• +1 Loyalty (men believe the coast can be held)

Sergeant Lambert, the game and the narrative versions!

The Rhine Estuary.  Frankish supply ships sight three Viking raiders

The lines close and the Franks launch a volley of arrows 

But the lead Viking grapple, and fails.

The second d Viking ship does grapple.  The second Frankish ship swings out to bypass.

The Viking shooting is poor.

A boarding action.  The Franks do well.  I'm using e chipboard terrain as rough.  All figures hit on 5-6.

And the Franks get onto the Vling ship

More shooting

And the Viking shooting is poor, again.

Shooting from the second Frankish ship is powerful.  Courage test fail.

The locked together ships drift inshore.

And the third Viking ship comes to the rescue.  But al, three drift around.

Leaving g it's Milites on board the third Viking ship, still locked in a boarding action, the second Frankish ship makes a break for it.

And the Viking ship is taken

A captured Longship and stolen longship escape off table.  Sergeant Lamberg makes it home.

But the locked together ships are aground

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SPECIAL EVENTS (Roll When a double is rolled for activation --> on 1d6)

1. Shifting Tides – Random sandbank emerges

1. Fog Bank – All shooting −1 this turn

1. Oar Clash – One longship loses movement

1. Panicked Crew – Test Courage or lose activation

1. Favorable Wind – One cog gains extra move

1. Boarding Opportunity – Free Charge if in contact

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CAMPAIGN CONSEQUENCES
If the Franks Win:

• One reinforcement unit arrives immediately in Scenario 4

• The Duke’s favor increases (future event bonus)

If the Vikings Win:

• One reinforcement unit is lost or captured

• Hróðgeirr gains intelligence about Alsuum

• Vikings may appear in a future land raid

If It’s a Draw:

• Supplies lost, but men survive

• Both sides gain reason to escalate

The Warlord: Game 3

 The Marsh of Broken Reeds

Bors has his
moment!

Ambush in the Wetlands

Local fighters vanish into the marshes, striking patrols and melting away. Crispinus orders a hunt.

Primary Objective:
Force the enemy to Rout or destroy one enemy unit.

Secondary Twist:

At the start of each turn, one random unit must test Courage or become Disordered (lost footing).

Terrain:
Marsh creeks, reed beds, soft ground, narrow paths.

Campaign Impact:
Victory reduces ambush risks later; defeat emboldens resistance.

Frankish forces

Bors of the Cross, Senior Man-at-Arms, Brutal Lieutenant to Crispinus.

Unit: Foot Serjeants (Aggressive)
Profile Notes: Reliable but prone to rash charges.  Bors is Crispinus’ hardest man — a veteran of sieges and punitive raids. He enforces discipline with his fists and expects obedience. Villagers fear him more than they fear Crispinus.

Campaign Hooks:

• Gains bonuses in assaults, penalties in diplomacy scenarios
• May provoke unrest or reprisals

Bors force has 18 points

6 dismounted Milites. @6

12 Light Foot. @4

12 Light Foot. @4

12 Archers @4.

Bors has chosen his lighter options but may come to regret the lack of skirmishers as he wanders around this bog.

Late addition Fléchier, Master Archer, Sergeant of my archer unit @1 ( brings the points to 25 to equal the enemy)

The Enemy (Randomised Ambush roll.  4d6 for points)

6.  Viking knaar(s), and crew(s) hiding in a wide stream inlet. 2d6 force

5.  Viking Raiders with the remains of the Frisian rebel alliance. 

4.  Bandit group, local outcasts. 2d6 force.

3.  A rival Frankish Noble's band 

2.  Angered Village exiles in camp. 2d6 force

1.  A gathering fyrd of the Frisians, aimed at Crispinus.

I roll a 5!

The Game

Random event:

4 – Ill Omens, Bad signs spread unease through the camp.

• All units suffer −1 to their first activation attempt next game
• A Priest/Chaplain (if present) negates this effect

NB: brother Anslem is not present in this game.

The Game

Hróðgeirr Black-Oar
finally appears

The campaign 's nemesis, Hróðgeirr Black-Oar of Wädden finally shows himself.

It's a bit boggy!  The whole table counts as rough for this game.

It turns out to be Hróðgeirr and his Huscarles, tenuously allied to the remaining Frisian rebels 

6 Huscarles Elite Inf @ 6

6 Huscarles Elite Inf @ 6

Oarsmen Light Inf     @3

6 Skirmishers (sling) @2

6 skirmishers (Javelins) @2

Hróðgeirr's force is 25 points. To balance this I've added a Master Archer figure to Bors force, as Fléchier, and he rolls a magnificent 14 revealing he is a "Lionheart," who can reroll two hit dice.  There is a mail wearing archer on the Bayeux tapestry, possibly a commander, so I've added a named figure who, unlike most of my other archers wears a helmet.

For this game I'm enforcing the 3" distance rule.  I'm also going to give skirmishers the full 12 dice (although given their cost I still think it unbalances the game.  Let's see)

Hróðgeirr's force wins initiative.  The skirmishers refuse.

But it's a fair old advance.

Canny old Bors advances and discovers a stream bed.  He's out on the Flank though.

After turn one the lines are closing.  

The Frankish Light Foot go into shieldwall

Looks like Bors is preparing a defence.  Not a bad strategy for Light Foot.

The comic book version.

Bors keeps just far enough away from the Warrior foot to prevent their Wild Charge 

The Vikings close in.  The Warrior foot get close, and the Huscarles get onto the bridge over the stream.  Even the javelins skirmishers close in.

Fléchier orders his men to loose.  Two Huscarles killed.

The Huscarles try to close, but fail.  They even fail Hróðgeirr's re-roll.

Those damn skirmishers kill two of Fléchier's archers.

But they pass the Courage test.

Fléchier swaps aimed to the skirmishers and releases a mighty volley.  Four are killed and they Rout.

Bors charges the Warrior Foot.  They counter charge.  

Two of Bors Milites are killed.  Four Warriors fall and they fail the courage test at -4.  The Warriors fall back battered.

They fail to Rally next turn and fall back again.

The skirmisher/slingers are shooting at the shieldwall, which increases the armour of the light foot to 3.  They get a single casualty.

Hróðgeirr Heads into the woods to hunt down Bors.

The Huscarles charge from the bridge.  They bounce against the shieldwall.  

Those damn slingers do it again.

The Warriors rally.

Fléchier's lads cut down the Huscarles routing them

The Light spears advance onto the bridge flanking those singers.

But in a moment of madness my guys behind the stream break the shieldwall, in a charge.  The singers need a 7 to evade, and fail.  They go to Armour class one.  It's a wipe out.

Bors pulls back, looking at Hróðgeirr's attempt to Flank him and the rallied Warrior foot.

But Hróðgeirr's warband is less than 25% now.  They fail the courage test.  Hróðgeirr sneaks away.

The hero shot.  Fléchier looks a nice mail coat and voif from the fallen Viking. (I'm using a medieval Scandinavian figure for this)  Bors also upgrades his mail from the loot. 
Both Bors and Fléchier gain +1 to their loyalty score.

Hróðgeirr meanwhile withdraws to his ships on the river and makes for the estuary, only to see the sails of two supply ships, sent to Crispianus from the Duke.  The Vikings gave three longships.  Things are looking up for the Scandi' Pirates in the next game. “Wolves on the Water.”