Showing posts with label Romans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Romans. Show all posts

Friday, 30 July 2021

An Ancients Batrep - Romans v Germanic Tribes - The Battle of Alara River 16AD


Some of the Rejects got together for a Roman v Germanic Tribes bash last weekend.
We wasn't expecting such a big game?


The setup


My pal Neil came to the game, he's only played 2 games of 15mm FIW using Donnybrook rules before, so this was a big test for him.


The Romans looking very powerful.


and their Auxillia troops on the flank.


The Germanics standing on the hill taunting their foe.


First turn and all the Celts moved forward.
Our plan was simple, attack as quickly as possible!


Including our flank. But in true Celt fashion we had some hidden troops?


The Romans
Oliver, Dave and Surj


Luvvly looking troops!


Hmm?
The Romans start to redeploy?


We carried on moving forward


Our main attack was on the bend of the Roman lines, in front of Richard's units.


Neil moved up and traded fire with the Roman Auxillia archers.


Richard's main attack was hampered slightly by the woods!


Their was a spot of bother in the Roman ranks, as they couldn't seem to agree what to do and kept moving each others command?


We all had character figures. Richard had a witch. And she was gonna cause trouble. If she was attached to any unit they would get a +4 in melee and morale!


The arguing carried on, on the Roman side so the decided to move around the flank?


We're closing in.....


Oh and there's the surprise!
Surj moved his cavalry onto the hill, and saw a nice surprise.
4 hidden Cavalry units.
Look at poor Dave's face!


The Romans are a tad worried.


The entire table


Looks a little daunting, but I'll give it a go.


Richard get the first charge in!


Then its Neil's turn with the Cavalry.


Its gonna be close???


Neil brings the rest of his infantry up to support the cavalry attack.


As does Richard.


Richard lost both melees and is pushed back.


Oliver and Dave moved up the Romans towards my lines.


The Romans are thinning out.


In the centre I'm facing the 1st Cohort, which has been moved to the front of the Roam lines and is double the size of the other cohorts.


And we're in!


This should be close.



The Roman Cavalry are beaten and what's left runs!


Richard's not having it all his own way, as a unit is knocked back, but the Romans lost a few more figures and are looking very fragile.


The Celts contact the Romans just before they contact my javelinmen.


But still lose the melee and are punched back, leaving the Romans free to attack the javelin men.


Who flee back through the woods.


Then fail their morale check and flee the field.


Richard and Neil make pretty patterns as they advance towards the now retreating Romans


Its a struggle to the death, the Romans have lost their back rank and I've nearly lost mine.


And they're gone. The 1st Cohort is destroyed to the man, in doing so we captured their Eagle.
Which as all of you may know, would mean disgrace for the Legion.


You may ask the question, I know we did, where is the support for the 1st Cohort and why the hell is it trying to take my left flank???


Richard charges and captures another standard. And at the end of the turn Postie gave us, the Celts the victory. We had captured many Roman standards including their Eagle and there was no way back for them. 
The Romans lost 5 units, the 1st 3rd and 6th Cohorts the 4th Auxilla and the Auxilla Cavalry. 
The Celts only lost light troops, 3 Javelin and an archer unit.


T'was Cup o' Tea time, and our Celtic Chieftain Richard, collected the Man of the match award!
Great game was had by all.....I think?
We stuck to our plan all the way through, while the Romans seemed to change their minds every turn, which didn't help there game at all. Not sure why they just didn't stand and wait for us to come onto them, at least they would have been able to fire their bolt throwers every turn.
To the end Surj said that wouldn't have helped them, that they had to try and take the flank???
Can't see it myself, Just glad I was on the Celt side!




Tuesday, 3 April 2018

Ambush at The Coille - A Roman v Ancient British batrep


The Rejects got together for a Rome v British bash last month. Myself and Surj picked out the Romans, who were in march column looking for a good site to make camp. Unbeknownst to us and our rather usesless scouts, a massive bringing together of British tribes commanded by Richard, James and Lee, have converged and surrounded the unsuspecting Roman colomn.
We used Posties own "Let the Gods Decide" rules, which worked very well indeed!!
See Lee's report here.


Order of Battle
Romans c/o General (Ray) and Standard Bearer
1st Command - c/o Legate Ray
   1st Cohort (Eagle) 24 Figures
   2nd Cohort - 16 Figures
   3rd Cohort - 16 Figures
   4th Cohort - 16 Figures
   5th Cohort - 16 Figures
   6th Cohort - 16 Figures
   Legion Cavalry - 6 Mounted Figures
2nd Command - c/o Tribune Surjit
   1st Auxilia - 12 Figures
   2nd Auxilia - 12 Figures
   5th Auxilia - 12 Figures
   6th Auxilia - 12 Figures
   1st Auxulia Archers - 12 Figures
   8th Auxulia Archers - 12 Figures
   Auxilia Cavalry - 6 Mounted Figures

Celtic Britons c/o Warlord Richard and Standard Bearer
1st Command - c/oWarlord Richard in Chariot
   Warband - 24 Figures
   Warband - 24 Figures   
   Warband - 24 Figures   
   Fanatics Warband - 24 Figures (with Attached Druid)
   Slingers -12 Figures
   Nobel Chariots - 4 Chariots   
   Nobel Chariots - 4 Chariots
   Light Cavalry - 12 Mounted Figures
2nd Command - 2ic Champion Chieftain Lee
   Warband - 24 Figures
   Warband - 24 Figures   
   Warband - 24 Figures   
   Warband - 24 Figures
   Slingers -12 Figures
   Javelinmen - 12 Figures
   Nobel Chariots - 4 Chariots
3rd Command - 3ic Horse Chieftain James
   Warband - 24 Figures
   Warband - 24 Figures   
   Warband - 24 Figures   
   Warband - 24 Figures
   Javelinmen - 12 Figures
   Nobel Chariots - 4 Chariots
   Light Cavalry - 12 Mounted Figures


Richard's Brits are very close to Surj's coloumn.


Surj was in command of the Roman Auxilia


Our useless Scouts


The Roman Cohorts under my command


The first turn we were all surprised at just how fast the Romans could change formation
and set up against the enemy. But I guess that's why the ruled most of the then known world!!


Due to the Fog of War, we didn't know how fast the Brits moved.
Fast was the answer!!


Me and Surj had a simple plan. He would move back asap, to the woodline and try and not
 get caught out, we knew we would have to sacrifice one unit to halt the British move forward.


Surj did his normal and got into a right muddle!


Richard moves his Noble Chariots into charge range, while the rest of the Roman army run back.


 Lee's fast moving Chariots move toward my Legion Cavalry who were retreating back towards their lines. But turn and face their charging foe.


Which way are Surj's Auxillia facing?
Nobody knows????


Our first mistake, was moving forward with my Cohorts, it left a rather large hole for 
their Chariots to exploit. 
But surly I could fire my Bolt throwers?


James won first move and had a big decision to make, head straight down the line and attack my
Bolt Throwers or turn and attack my Cohort in the flank. I guess you can see his choice


Richard moves a Cavalry unit around the woods


The Roman's just about hold their own against the Chariots and win the melee, but were severly mauled in doing so,


Richard's Chariots bounce off of Surj's Auxillia too!
This is going to be hard for the British.


Even though they hit in the flank it was still going to be hard for the British to win this fight.
James threw well, but I threw better!!


The Chariots fled the field!!!


We were winning, but it looked like there were just too many of them?


The Roman Bolt Throwers



It seemed Surj was having trouble moving back to me, so I better move up to him.



I charged in my 24 man 1st Cohort!! 
For Gods sake don't lose the Eagle!!!!


Richard closed in ans Charged the Auxillia.
"Where are your Fanatics?" I asked
I got a blank look from Richard, he wasn't going to tell us.
Then his son James piped up, my Dad's got them over there (pointing to Richards troops)
"Bloody Hell James, don't tell them!" he replied.....rather loudly I might add!
he he!


Surj finally gets a nice straight line.
But has he moved back too far?


While by now, I'm all over the place!


James had a poxy little slinger unit, that kept nicking casualties. 
So I thought I'd try and take them out.


My 1st Cohort's flank look depressingly vulnerable?


I move up to try and protect the 1st's flank, surprisingly Lee pushes his slingers 
forward, putting them in the way of his warbands.


Its certainly a very bruising encounter for both sides.


James & Lee


Richard & Surj


Surj moves into the wood.


COME ON ROME!!!


Can we hold out?


 In a change of fortune the British actually win a melee


As they have fought 2 rounds of melee, my remaining troops all have no move markers.
Fortunately so do most of the close British.
But they still have the giant bloody mob on the right!!


It was here I took the decision to retreat in good order, I couldn't take the chance on
 losing the Eagle, I'd never live it down!!!

In the end it was attrition that lost us the game. We were outnumbered 2:1, but that was really the only way the British would have a chance in winning a battle against the Romans, in melee we were throwing 4's and up to their 6's, so it was hard to lose a melee. But they kept plugging away, with each melee they lost, they knocked our numbers down, to the point where we just couldn't go on. Surj was all for fighting on, we could possibly have won, but a good general knows when to retreat.
It may have helped us if Surj got back quicker, but its all if's and but's.
It'd be interesting playing a all out battle, but I think the British may need a 3:1 advantage for that.

So that's 2 games so far this year won 1 lost 1.