Following the Britons defeat in the previous game, this time, under the generalship of Tony and Tim they were out for revenge. James and I deployed our Romans with the aim of repeating the Roman armies recent success. The army compositions were kept the same as the last game and so there would be no excuses if our Romans failed to repeat their victory.
The terrain was a little ‘busier’ than in the previous weeks game with a good number of wooded areas which could in theory help the Britons with greater protection from the Roman archers who made the British warriors suffer their wrath last time.
The 2 armies deployed and as the Romans advanced Tony soon got the British chariots, light cavalry and skirmishers into action against the Roman centre and right wing. James lined up his Roman auxiliary archers along with the 2 ballista units to deter any attempt to cause any major harm to our advancing legionary units, but we did lose a couple of stands.
- IMG_2246.JPG (74.22 KiB) Viewed 2107 times
- IMG_2247.JPG (71.79 KiB) Viewed 2107 times
The masses of British warrior hordes were positioned in a central area of woodland and on the right wing under Tim’s command. All but one of the British generals were located with the warriors behind a line of slingers. With our own missile troops engaged in a shooting match with the British chariots and skirmishers I had little choice but to push the Roman legionaries forward under a hail of lead shot!
- IMG_2250.JPG (78.91 KiB) Viewed 2107 times
- IMG_2251.JPG (82.01 KiB) Viewed 2107 times
On the left the Roman auxiliary spears supported by cavalry attacked into the woods to push back Tim’s warriors but made very hard work of it as the hand-to-hand fighting which should have favoured the Romans didn’t! Eventually I reluctantly advanced the shield wall of legionaries forward and was met by a relative sea of quick moving warrior hordes in response.
- IMG_2254.JPG (80.97 KiB) Viewed 2107 times
- IMG_2255.JPG (79.07 KiB) Viewed 2107 times
I spotted a great opportunity to smash the British warriors back in a domino effect because they were so tightly packed together and so committed a general to a combat to ensure success. Unfortunately, Tim rolled a 1 and I rolled so high with my double D6 that the 6 stand warrior horde was eliminated leaving a gap through which Tim charged a horde of Gaisatai fanatics. My legionaries through their pilums, missed, and were thoroughly defeated in the following hand-to-hand combat. This first failed attempt at pushing Tim’s warriors back through themselves was followed by about 3 more as Tim had perfected the art of rolling very high or very low as best suited the Britons!
- IMG_2258.JPG (75.9 KiB) Viewed 2107 times
Meanwhile on the other wing James had gradually gained the upper hand in the shooting battle against the British light units. This provided the opportunity to launch the Roman cavalry into disrupted British chariots and light cavalry. But these stubborn units kept fleeing, rallying and coming back into the fight. As a result the Roman cavalry couldn’t come across in support of my Roman legionaries who by now were getting their arses kicked by hordes of British warriors emerging from the woodland.
- IMG_2260.JPG (72.55 KiB) Viewed 2107 times
- IMG_2261.jpg (274.77 KiB) Viewed 2107 times
By this point in the game my Roman legionary shield wall was broken and the fast moving warriors and fanatics out- manouevered and defeated the Roman infantry units. The mess that confronted me after Tim’s warriors executed an excellent hand-to-hand combat phase left James and I with few options available to try and rescue an increasingly difficult situation. James had performed his task well for the Roman cause, unfortunately I had made a real mess of mine! We reluctantly accepted defeat.
- IMG_2262.JPG (77.4 KiB) Viewed 2107 times
Game Analysis
Putting it bluntly, this was a commendable victory for the Ancient Britons who inflicted on our Romans a major defeat. Credit must go to the Tim’s British warriors who attacked the Roman infantry line and broke it to pieces despite the combat factors weighed against them.
