Magnor Bloodax had led his Danish band to capture the fine castle of Helgor in the late spring. However, Sven the Swede and Hedin the Isleman decided the castle would be a great place for them to spend the coming winter. Magnor’s brother, Issjelgard, led away a raiding party leaving the castle only lightly defended.
Hedin led the main body forward in two waves toward the castle. To the east the lightly armed and armored hird led a feint with ladders against the open wall. To the south, against the main gate, Hedin himself led his best troops forward with a powerful bear’s head ram and more ladders. Sven kept his personal retinue of Norwegians together to the west to block the returning Issjelgard.
Issjelgard never had a chance. His men, laden with stores taken from the countryside were first astonished and then crushed by the battle-ready Norwegians. So much so that as Issjelgard fell and his men ran toward the safety of their longships, Sven led a contingent over the wall, actually getting onto the parapets before Hedin.
Hedin’s archers made it difficult if not impossible for Magnor’s defenders to expose themselves over the merlins and the ram smashed through in only ten minutes of concentrated work. A few rocks dropped desperately from the top of the gatehouse caused the only casualties amongst the rammers.
Valiantly portraying the forlorn leader on his way to Valhalla, Bloodax slew four attackers on the parapet before finally succumbing himself. Sven proved again his extreme prowess in battle, crushing three defenders as he led the assault over the crenels, before the defenders cried for quarter. 
Played using 25mm figures and OxNard Siege Rules by the Long Island Irregulars on 3 November 2017.

​Early spring 1777, New Jersey
Colonel Ebenezer Driscoll’s American brigade stomped out of their winter quarters in search of some rations and shoes. General Howe dispatched Brigadier Dirk Patch to spoil the American’s excursion and keep them hungry and barefoot.
The two columns met near Dricut’s Store on a cold sunny spring day.
Major Scudbucker had been stripping Farmer Northey of what was left of his larders when word arrived of the British advance. He sent a courier thundering (actually trotting, the horse was too lean to do much more) to Driscoll and called his men into formation. Captain Forrester’s Connecticut Light Infantry stretched out to cover the American south flank in an open wood lot. He then deployed his two companies of Pennsylvania Continentals behind fences and outbuildings on Northey’s farm supported by a section of 3-pounders. Scudbucker deployed his German Flats militia behind and in support of the guns.
Driscoll had personal control of the rest of his small command. He deployed his Connecticut Line to cover the American north flank in thick woods. The 5th Company of the 4th New York Line deployed on an open hill to the right of the Nutmeggers. His small detachment of riflemen moved to a copse of walnut trees between the hill and Northey’s farm. Coming up from the rear, where they had been “guarding” (more like looting) the already filled supply wagons, were the 3rd and 4th companies of the 4th New York.
Patch deployed his force in a long thin line opposite the Americans. Quickly the two forces were heavily engaged. The 42nd Highlanders led down the farmer’s trail with a 6-pounder lumbering by their side.  A slugging match ensued between them and the American riflemen on one side and the First Pennsylvania on the other.  The uneven struggle fixed the Americans’ attention to fatal consequences.
Major Jonathan Dimsdale led the 33rd Regiment of Foot sharply through the woods and into line in support of, and just north of, the Highlanders. From behind the Highlanders a company of Marines moved into the farm building opposite the Pennsylvanians and took up shooting positions under cover of the thick log walls. This, despite the New Yorkers deploying in support of the Pennsylvanians and delivering a measured volley.
The tide of battle, a battle only 15 minutes old, now turned distinctly in favor of the redcoats. While the Highlanders fell back the 33rd decimated the riflemen with rapid volleys, forcing them to likewise retire. On the far northern flank the dismounted 17th Light Dragoons started to drive the Connecticut lIne through the woods, though stubbornly opposed.
At the same time three companies of grenadiers approached Scudbucker’s center.  The Pennsylvanians did their best, standing stoically behind Northey’s fences but the balls arrived with much too great a regularity. One by one the Continentals fell out of line, dead, wounded, or just done in by the ferocity of the British fire. The cannons banged away but mostly ineffectually, getting only a single telling canister shot in that beheaded a poor lieutenant of the 23rd Foot and cut an entire section in half.
The coup de main in Scudbucker’s area was when the Grenadiers of the 5th Foot moved forward, bayonets glittering in the sunshine. The Americans had had enough.
On the far south flank the Light company of the 10th Foot methodically cut up the American Light Infantry and then chased away the militia, bravely led forward by Captain Van Eyken, with a deliberate fire by platoons.
With the riflemen and the Pennsylvanians falling back it was now the turn of the 5th New York company to be decimated on their exposed position on the naked knob.
In apoplexy Driscoll watched his command melt away under the British fire. Captain Iverson’s company of New Yorkers and Miller’s Connecticut line, from cover of woods west of Northey’s farm, checked the British pursuit long enough for the remnants of the American brigade to slink away. All in all the Americans lost 211 men out of only 1120 engaged. Another 55 simply disappeared into the countryside, never to return to their units.  Patch’s regulars, by contrast, brought 1400 men to the fray and suffered a bare 96 men lost to all causes.

​Game was played using 25mm figures and A Continent in the Balance rules played by the Long Island Irregulars.