After his well earned week’s R&R our reporter headed North West from the Syrian Desert to Britannia. As it was August he retained his Summer attire only to find he was going North, to the dank, dark misery that constituted Caledonia with its barbarous populous. This wasn’t going to be fun! Planning on both sides had proved problematic, with the Roman in particular struggling with “click and drag”. The Barbarian “illegal” deployment was most generously permitted by the Romans, who hoped it wasn’t a gentlemanly decision they came to regret...
The Romans set to at once. Their left flank promptly stopped with a failed move. The centre and right advanced cautiously leaving a field of fire for the stationary artillery. Was this a mistake? The Barbarians poured forward with warband heavy right and centre
and their pesky chariots and some more warband on their left.
The Roman plan seemed to be to hold the left and centre, expecting the right to turn the Caledonian left. Unfortunately the Roman cavalry and Auxilia didn’t seem to have read their orders. Indeed a Barbarian chariot unit darted forward and despatched javelins killing a veteran cavalry unit. This definitely wasn’t in the Roman plan. Fred generously gave an explanation of the rules which allowed the Barbarians to charge through the gap, and two moves later chariots had taken a Roman camp. 5-0 to the Barbarians.
A cry of “Don’t Panic Optio Hortensis” went up from the Roman line and they seemed to steady. Indeed multiple disorders were inflicted on the Warbands in the centre but the killing blows were frustratingly elusive.
Most worryingly the Roman Senior Commander was beginning to doubt his subordinate’s loyalty to the Empire. Everyone knew of his Batavian heritage, and recalled the great revolt of 69-70AD!
The Caledonian right wing with its array of light troops peppered the Auxilia and Legionaries with missile fire from the cover of the trees and eventually turned the flank. All was hopefully going to be saved on the Roman right where they disordered a deep warband and then lined up a flank attack by Auxilia. A “one” called the umpire. “General Re-roll” was the call. ”A second one” cried Phil. Greg and Dave cackled grimly like the witches from Macbeth...how Caledonian.
The largely passive and ineffectual Roman artillery died after a chariot attack from the rear. No great loss but another victory medal went north. The slogging match in the centre continued with double-disordered warbands retreating and rallying in a most frustrating manner. Eventually a centre warband did die which brought some vain hope for the Romans, but other kills were elusive.
The Barbarian lights killed the Auxilia on the Roman left, forcing a retreat towards the camps with an exposed flank.
On the Roman right they finally killed a warband plus the annoying General, but the medal count still favoured the Barbarians.
“Death of Glory” was the cry from the Roman lines. Unfortunately it meant more dead Legionaries as their attack on the disordered fanatics failed and they were charged in the rear by chariots.
The final straw for the Romans was when light chariots charged an Auxiliary unit in the flank, resulting in a disorder which allowed a frontal attack by the other light chariot unit. Result one dead Auxilia unit. Meales Onwheals in his light chariots 3 Romans Nil.
After nearly two-and-a-half hours of combat the game was called, ending in a fairly convincing Caledonian Victory. The Romans could bemoan their chit pulling, but once again they were made to remember that Hadrian’s Wall was built for a reason. To go North of it is bl**dy dangerous for Romans. Plus, is there anything of real value North of it?
Simon
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