Eirc mac Aonghas, Erc the Damned, cursed by the Bishop of the Britons in Caer Ligualid, was a man who lived for war and the honour it brought, not to mention the livestock. A Lord of the Cenel oNengusta he traces his line from Noah, through the sons of Mil who came from Iberia to take Erin from the children of Danu. Twenty-four years old, he is a solid man of no great height, but with the constitution of an Ox. He is free to fight and raid against the Picts, the Britons and the Irish, although his family ties to the people of Ulaid are strong. However, he owes fealty to the High King of the Scotti in Dun Athad, the sixty-four year old Comgall. With him are his nobles, Finn Dabi, Conall and Fergus mac Brec and his champion Dungal.
The introduction of three new nations to the Dux Britanniarum world looms large, as the Picts, the Scotti and the Irish are about to join in the fun of post-Roman Britain. In addition to being new nations, they will also introduce some new troop types which will add some real variety to the mix and see forces which fight in their very own fashion to suit their strengths. Let’s take a look in more detail at Eirc’s force of Scotti.
At the heart of the force are three six man Groups of Raiders. These are very fast moving and heard hitting troops who are tough to kill, but their morale can be quite brittle if they get involved in a lengthy fight. They are happiest when raiding and are looking for quick victories rather than slogging matches with well-equipped opponents.

Next we have two groups of four skirmishers. These are just like the skirmishers we’ve seen in Dux Britanniarum before, but the BIG difference is that they are commanded. The can be rallied and controlled by a Noble, as we see here. These are absolutely key troops for the Scotti as it is their job to harass the enemy and disorganise them before other troops move in for the kill.
Here we see the missile troops, slingers, and skirmish cavalry. Like the skirmishers above these are there to harass the enemy. However, there is one interesting option. The Scotti Lord may opt for himself and his champion to be chariot mounted in the game. Doing this brings the skirmish cavalry up to Raider cavalry status which allows them the option of skirmishing or melee combat.
One of the nice things about fielding this Army in Dux Britanniarum is that it can also double as an Irish Army. At the start of our period the Irish and Scotti field the same armies. As they progress they will have very different reinforcements and skills become available, gradually diverging and forming their own national character, but as a base force you do indeed get two for the price of one.
The mat you can see here is one I have just got from Monty’s Mats and will be featured in some upcoming game reports. All I will say for now is that it is FANTASTIC and much recommended. I’ll be doing a full review very soon, but don’t hesitate to check them out here: http://www.montyswargamingworld.co.uk/monty-s-mats.html