Historical Overview Section
This list covers the armies of the post-roman Brittanic kingdoms of England such as Elmet, Goddodin, Rheged, Dumnovia, Cornwall and Strathclyde for a period of 600 years, stretching from the departure of the Romans in the fifth century (410 CE?) almost up to the Battle of Hastings in 1066 CE.
This was a period of great upheaval, as many competing leaders and ethnic groups jockeyed to fill the void created by the final withdrawal of the Romans. It covers the beginning of the incursions by Angles, Saxons and Jutes, Germanic tribes some of whom were hired as mercenaries to fight the Picts and Scots, some of whom may have chosen to settle England on their own initiative. Later in the period of this list these tribes appear in L'Art de la Guerre as the Anglo-Saxons and their opponents as the Later Scots-Irish and Later Pictish.
Scots (Actually Irish who decided to settle in western Scotland) and Picts fought each other constantly during the long period covered by this list, often drawing the kingdoms mentioned here into their conflicts.
Slowly but surely, the Brittonic kingdoms covered by this list were conquered by their neighbours. The kingdom of Elmet in the former West Riding of Yorkshire was overrun by the Northumbrians in 617 0r 618 CE. The Kingdon of Goddodin in what is now the Lothian and Borders regions of eastern Scotland was invaded by Angles in the sixth century and became part of Bernicia, later Northumbria. Its western neighbour, the Kingdom of Strathclyde, stuck out for much longer, falling to the Scots in the first half of the eleventh century.
Rheged, now thought to be centred in Galloway (following the recent excavations at Trusty's Hill , although it may have stretched as far south as modern Cumbria and Lancashire, was annexed by Northumbria shortly after Bernicia sometime before 730 CE. After the power of Northumbria was eroded by Viking victories and settlement, the kingdom fell back under the sway of Post Roman British Kingdom of Strathclyde, until Strathcylde itself was absorbed into the Scottish kingdom in the eleventh century.
The kingdom of Dumnovia, in modern-day Dorset and parts of Somerset and Cornwall, came under increasing from the neighbouring Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex. King Egbert of Wessex probably overran Dumnovia in campaigns against the Romano British between 813-825 CE, including the battle of Hingston Down, when the Anglo-Saxons decisively defeated a coalition of "West Welsh" (as the Anglo-Saonxs termed them) and their Danish allies.
Early on in this period history and mythology often go hand-in-hand, and so the list allows for the legendary King Arthur and his "knights". Arthur may have been a historical figure who fought the Saxons perhaps leading the Romano-Britons at a conflict known to medieval British historians as the Battle of Badon , late in the fifth century.
Using the army in ADLG
- After 600 CE the presence of martyred monks in the list allows for a sacred camp, a new feature in the fourth edition of "ADLG", which adds one to the army's cohesion, but counts for six points of loss if captured.
Useful Links
- Photos of Post Roman British figures in Madaxeman's Ancients Photo Gallery.
- An interesting survey look at the Post Roman British in WRG, DBM and other recent rules sets.
15mm Manufacturers supplying figures for this army
Most manufacturers consider this army part of their Late Roman range, sometimes adding a few particular Arthurian models.
- Donnington
- Essex
- Forged in Battle
- Isaurus (via Alternative Armies)
- Khurasan Miniatues
- Legio Heroica
- Lurkio Miniatures (via The Little Corporal)
- Magister Militum
- Splintered Light
- Tin Soldier
- Viking Forge
Army Lists
Sample army lists for this army