The scenario we played was “Massacre by the River Olivento”, taken from A Viking in the Sun, an expansion of the Lion Rampant ruleset by the History & Games Lab at the University of Edinburgh, led by Dr. Gianluca Raccagni and dealing with Hardrada deeds around the Mediterranean before the Crusades.
In the game, the Byzantines had to escape across a river while pursued by Norman forces.
After several cavalry clashes in which the heavier Normans, supported by archers, routed the Byzantine duke and his koursores, the Varangians broke the encirclement, eliminated the Norman commander, and opened a gap that allowed the rest of the Byzantine troops to escape the trap. Norman infantry followed the enemy, but tired from the long pursuit, failed the last-moment charge.
It was a hard-fought battle with a fun and original scenario, ending in a 6-4 victory for the Byzantines.
