Three Ages of Rome - week 2

This weeks games were influence by last weeks. In the first the Celts are seeking to retreat across a river to safety following their unsuccessful raid last week - the Romans seek to stop them. The the second Rome is launching a punitive raid against a Dacian village, with the later reinforced. The third is similar but with the Celts having grater reinforcements as they sacked the Roman town last time. I played Romans vs the Dacians.

Game 1 - Celts vs Romans; river escape. Gallic Win

The Romans began with one command behind the river and two marching to intercept the columns of Celts trying to escape. 2 points for each Celtic massed unit escaping / killed and 1 for each skirmisher.

The Celts plan was to engage the Romans with their massed units whilst the faster moving skirmishers and adaptable pushed hard to make it across the river and escape.    

This proved a successful tactic with the smaller Roman force unable to cover enough ground and prevent sufficient escapees to offset the loses. Gallic win. 

Game 2 - Romans vs Dacian; village raid. Roman win

The Dacians split their forces either side of the village. The Romans focused on the west side of the village looking to attack with the Legions / Archers and hold the east flank with Auxilia.

The Roman plan proved effective with the Roman archers chasing off their Dacian opposite numbers and then damaging the Sarmatian cavalry while the Legions assaulted the village. The Dacians looked to hook around the east flank but the Auxilia delayed them enough for the Romans to rout one command and force them to withdraw.   

   

Game 3 - Romans vs Celts, village raid. No result yet 

The Romans spread across the field looking to put pressure on the Gauls at multiple points. The larger Celtic army deployed in multiple lines to absorb the attack with their Raw troops in the second rank.

Both sides took damage as the Romans advanced and pressed the Gauls back against the village. After an evenings play neither side had a decisive advantage and so it was agreed to play on the next week.

  

Battle of Holowczyn - 1708

This weekend I did the first of an occasional series of Great North War games. The battle featured the Swedes attacking well emplaced Russians led by the 26 year old Charles the XII. The Swedes achieved a tactical surprise by fording a river in the dark and attacking the flank of the position before reinforcements could arrive. 

Our game began with the Swedes lead units across the river and the Russian cavalry 3-6 moves away. The unit quality was random generated which resulted in mostly Veteran Swedes vs mostly Raw Russians. 

Saxon's subbing for Russians

Swedish flank attack

Long shot from the Swedes end

The game opened with the Swedes attacking quickly to try to get into combat and minimise the shooting phases. This worked pretty well with three of the 4 units getting stuck in within a few turns.

The Russians fell back before the advancing Swedes, with most of their 1st Brigade routed before the cavalry had arrived. The 2nd brigade also began to buckle and so it was clear the Russians had to withdraw to avoid destruction.     

So a fun game but maybe unbalanced by the large discrepancy in the troop quality.   

 

Three Ages of Rome - week 1

The opening week of the campaign say the barbarian forces attacking the Roman frontier across the line, with three battles where the Romans were on the strategic defensive. In all three games the Romans needed to push the barbarians back across the river marking the frontier, whilst stopping them from sacking the local town.

We played 18 points of Roman vs 24 points of barbarians and this seemed to give a decent game that be played through in 2-3 hours. 

Game 1: Roman vs Dacia - 28mm. Rome Wins

The Romans attack rapidly on their left and centre, whilst holding back on the right where they were outnumbered, to try weakening the enemy with shooting.  

The rapid advance on the left pushed the Dacians back and badly damaged their cavalry. Centrally the Romans suffered under heavy fire and only just held on against the Dacian attack.   

Slingers and cavalry on the Roman right managed to hold off the attack there and allow the attack on the left to cause enough damage to rout the barbarians for a Roman win.

Game 2: Roman vs Gallic - 20mm Draw?

This was a confusing melee with units all over the place! Both sides attacked with the Gauls trying to outflank the Romans and sack the village. 

Centrally there was pell mell of swirling units, with the Romans making decent ground against the Gauls.  Sufficient damage as done to force a army rout which they survived.

Eventually the Gauls morale did fail but not before they has sacked the town. A draw perhaps?

Game 3: Roman vs Gallic- 20mm. Rome Wins

This was a game neat lines and chequer-board deployment. The Romans advanced steadily seeking to pressure the Gauls across the line.

After a fierce tussle the Romans disciple held and