Advanced Tactics, Tuesday, 7th Period

[harringtongreen.livejournal.com]

As students entered the room today, there was a large table in the center of the room. Rolling fields and hills had been carved into it, covered in a thick, green flocking. Further back, one could see dark blue, translucent plastic had been formed to look like water. Those familiar with the geography of the United Kingdom might have noted some passing resemblance to the eastern portion of the seaboard referred to as the "Saxon Shore."

Honor stood beside this table, Nimitz in his usual position on her shoulder. Both watched the students file in, with an occasional glance at the clock. When the bell rang, Honor began class.

"All right, ladies and gentlemen. Today -- the Battle of Mons Badonicus, or in more common terms, the Battle of Badon Hill." She smiled. "A lot of what we'll be working with today is conjecture; the histories are vague, at best, and there wasn't exactly a battlefield reporter or a Thuycidides in the bunch.

"Anyone familiar with the history will tell you that the Battle of Badon Hill wasn't a landmark battle. In fact, it languished in obscurity, save for one tiny detail -- it has become associated with the history of King Arthur."

Here, she paused and began maneuvering small figurines -- men, clad in 6th century C.E. armor and clothing, and horses -- along the hillside, the plain, and the coast. "The Saxons, led by a warrior named Aelle, brought their forces ashore, and marched inland. When Arthur's troops sprang their ambush on the Saxon column, the Saxons pulled into a rough shieldwall along the roadway and fought desperately until sundown, when their leader withdrew his battered troops to a nearby hilltop under cover of darkness.

"Common sense tells us that whoever has the high ground has the advantage. In this instance, however, it didn't quite work that way. Because Arthur chose the low ground, he had access to things Aelle and the Saxons didn't -- mainly water, food, and firewood. As a result? The Saxons welcomed morning cold, hungry, and dehydrated. What options did Arthur have at this instance?"

Honor watched the students as they interacted, discussing the possibilities. She gestured, indicating they should maneuver the figures on the table. She continued with her lecture after a few moments.

"Both sides fought fiercely the second day," she continued, "with the Britons charging up the steep hill and the Saxons countercharging down it. The battle finally ended near sundown when Arthur personally led a cavalry charge up the steep slope and broke the Saxon shieldwall; he pursued the fleeing Saxons until it was too dark to continue."


Stepping back, Honor allowed Nimitz to crawl down her arm and onto the desk at the front of the room. "You now know the history, the lay of the land, the key players, and the method of fighting. How would you have done things differently?" She gestured to the table. "The battle is yours to win or lose. Make sure you think through your actions before you finalize them." A grin. "Good luck."

[OCD threads coming up posted. Info on the battle cribbed from "Battle of Badon Hill," at Cunan. Not the best accounting, but the only one I could find short notice that offered some tactical details.]