After last week’s stunning Palmyran victory our reporter, packed his things and left the local Caravanserai where he had spent an enjoyable week’s R&R whilst waiting for this epic re-match. This time the terrible trio of Rob, Chris and Tony would be trying to avenge their humiliation against a new Roman line-up up Malcolm, Phil and Dave.
The battle started with Malcolm using his stratagem to advance three Roman units to seize ground. It did not go un-noticed that this advance was almost as far as the Roman army managed in the whole of last week’s game.
The Palmyrans advanced all along their front. So far so good. Roman turn one saw the cavalry-heavy right flank sweep forward, and auxilia and light cavalry on the left advance cautiously and the legionaries adopt “Testudo” and start to move forward as well. Malcolm had obviously been reading the rules again!
The Palmyrans “unleashed hell”…..to quote from Chris and the film Gladiator. For the Romans the hell of the arrow-storm proved not quite as bad as Medieval Catholicism would have you believe. Zero damage from lots of arrows expended.
In the face of Dave’s Auxilia Tony seemingly began a tactical withdrawal after some more ineffectual light cavalry archery. Was this the same Tony we know and love, or an impostor?
Chris charged his Cataphracts into Phil’s mounted force and came away licking his wounds. Low Palmyran chits and good save’s seemed the order of the day. In the centre Malcolm’s four legionary units ignored the massed Palmyran archery, which seemed fixated on a unit of Roman light infantry archers hiding in a palm grove. They then hit the Palmyran centre. Light cavalry fled but the cataphracts took disorders as Chris once again reprised his crap chit drawing of last week. Rob sulked.
Back on the Roman right, Chris lost some light cavalry and a cataphract unit, seeing his General wounded in the process. A gaping hole now appeared in the Palmyran line,
which worsened when Malcolm’s legionaries smashed into the Palmyran centre killing the veteran archers, some light cavalry and more cataphracts. Zenobia seemed doomed. With Dave easily holding the Roman left in the face of Tony’s curious tactics,
Phil breaking through and trying to destroy Chris’ remaining Cataphracts and get the General, Malcolm marched on the camp. Rob tried in vain to move his raw Auxilia to defend the army’s baggage. A difficult activation but still only needing to draw a three chit. Chris drew a two and promptly put his head in his hands. Game over.
A stunning Roman Victory 13-1. Sol Invictis had his revenge on Bel. The inquest into the chit pulling led to a search for Greg. It was noted that his Cold War terrain was somewhere in the man-cave. Surely that must have been the problem.
No debate about next week’s location or period. Before that on Sunday we have a return to North Germany circa 1983 for more 1/300 Battlegroup NORTHAG fun. Watch this space.
Simon
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