Arthurian & Saxon Dark Age Heroes Lead Gripping Beast Armies

December 18, 2018 by brennon

We might have missed a few little character releases from Gripping Beast over the last few weeks. However, as I'm getting back into my Dark Age gaming thanks to The Last Kingdom and Vikings I thought we should have a peek at Æthelstan, King Of The Anglo-Saxons!

This fellow rose to power during 925AD and fought a campaign against the North of England, held by the Vikings as well as Scotland through 934 and 937. He fought what was potentially one of the bloodiest battles in Anglo-Saxon history at Brunanburh.

This fight ended with the death many nobles from across England but it also solidified the unity held between them too. He might be one of the only Kings in history to get to retire too, living out the rest of his life in a monastery!

Yes, Magister

As well as this Anglo-Saxon warrior we have Aetius, Magister Militum from the Arthurian period that you might want to throw into the mix too.

Becoming a well-known figure in the Western Roman Empire, Aetius had spent his youth living through some pretty tough situations. He spent time with the Visigoths (not by choice...) and the Huns, learning about their ways of war. He even became good friends with the Hun leader's nephews Attila and Bleda.

He would defend the Western Roman Empire with great skill, even bringing together coalition force of Britons, Romans and Gauls to hold off his old friend Attila and his advances from the East. He was so well loved that Emperor Valentian III feared he would use his military might and influence to oust him and so had him murdered.

Revenge was sweet however as two of Aetius' Barbarian officers murdered the Emperor during a military review.

What do you think of these two new leaders?