Midgard at Mount Badon – Partizan Preview 2025

“I wanted the bards to sing of Derfel Cadarn at Mynydd Baddon.  I wanted men to look at me and say, there is the warrior who broke the wall at Mynydd Baddon, I wanted the power that comes  from reputation.  A dozen men in Britain had that power; Arthur, Sagramor, Culhwch were among them, and it was a power that superseded all other except for kingship.  Ours was a world where swords gave rank, and to shirk the sword was to lose honour.” – (Excalibur, Bernard Cornwell, 1998)

Heck! It’s nearly time for Partizan – best finish off basing those figures then! This year’s game is a dive into the early medieval ‘Arthurian’ age using Midgard Heroic Battles, for which I’ve been working on a number of hero vignettes and a couple of new units.

Supposed to be Arthur’s greatest victory, Mount Badon is much debated by historians. Fortunately for us, a previously lost account of the battle was discovered in the 1990s in a monastic archive that had somehow made its way to Massachusetts, USA. Saint Bernard of Cornwell, a prolific if mischievous scribe of the 13^th century, had translated and transcribed what he claims was the eyewitness account of Derfel Cadarn, one of Arthur’s lieutenants in the battle.  

St Bernard places the battle at Little Solsbury Hill, overlooking the city of Bath (then Aquae Sulis), so we have followed his version in almost all the details of our reconstruction. That said, it must be admitted that some of Saint Bernard’s descriptions of weapons and armour have been described by a noted military historian as ‘complete cobblers’, so have been omitted from our tabletop in favour of more plausible equipment.  On the other hand, the war dogs of the Saxons have been left in on the advice of Ridley Scott’s personal historical consultant and Darren of Gripping Beast.

Our scenario follows the events described by Saint Bernard, in which the Britons have been trapped on Mount Badon by two Saxon armies under kings Aelle and Tewdric. 

However, the sudden arrival of the men of Gwent, led by Lord Sagramor and Tewdric, begins the battle with an attack on King Aelle. 

Derfel Cadarn and King Cuneglas of Powys hold off the Saxons of Cerdic and the traitor Lancelot until Arthur arrives with a daring rear attack from his horsemen. The final British contingent to arrive is the Blackshield Irish accompanied by Merlin, which seals the fate of the Saxons.  That’s the plan, but will it play out like that?

Partizan is at Newark Showground, UK, on Sunday 18th May 2025. Might see you there?