Ambush on the road to Castra Deva, with Soldiers of Rome

This is the beginning of a mini-campaign (series of 5 battles), using Soldiers of Rome for an uprising of Britons vs the Roman garrison at Castra Deva (Chester). It began with a first raid, with the Britons as the aggressors, as a military column is attacked on the road. Discontent amongst the locals has erupted into violence.

As a raid scenario, with two smaller forces, the Romans set up around the road as the Britons attacked from both sides. The Roman centre was secured with their tough veteran legionnaires, 2 scorpios, and auxiliary archers. The front had auxiliary spears and another legionary cohort. The rear had auxiliary spears and the trailing allied locals, a few who have stayed loyal.

The battle began with the Britons rushing on, and the rear of the column was soon under heavy pressure from mobs of slingers and then bowmen, as these skirmishers pelted the auxiliary spears, who could only hold, rally well, and take it – they did, very well, brave lads (and a lot of good dice from me). The Britons leader had his nobles rushed into the centre, but his supporting chariots didn't get going, and the nobles found themselves hit hard by scorpios and archers, and then charged into an solid wall of vet legionniares, who quickly hammered them, and broke them. Their leader, trapped in combat, would soon follow, a disaster for the locals... and their morale looked shaky. At the head of the column, the auxiliary spearmen turned and faced the onrushing celts and more supporting chariots, and did well to hold them in a attritional fight, but their 'Rally' card kept them in the fight too. At the rear of the column, the auxiliary spearmen and their loyal locals held up well, but unable to catch the skirmishers, eventually the spearmen broke. Trouble here was averted as the scorpios both turned around, as did the archers and they out-shot the enemy levy in a missile duel. Slingers then bowmen broke and ran, when a 'Levy Panic' event saw the next mob of slingers also run... that was it for the Britons. The Romans had held,  a pretty immovable object today, having lost a few auxiliaries, but were still in good shape. Solid victory for the Legion. 

That begins the mini-campaign (we've just following the one in the Soldiers of God rulebook). Next, the Romans will launch their own punitive raid against the locals in retribution for the ambush, and burn a local hilltop village - to see if that cows them (obviously it won't). This will escalate the uprising into the first pitched battle, which is game 3. 

A few shots of the failed ambush... 

Romans deploy from the road to face the attack. Auxiliary spearmen at the front.

Attacked by mercenary spears and chariots, the auxiliaries hold, despite much intimidation from the Britons.  They Rally well each turn.

Skirmishers are little threat to the legionniares, who face them down, but can't catch them. So stalemate here.

The mob of bowmen, slingers etc, and the rear spearmen, eventually pelted into rout.

Joy-ride, the chariots that raced about, but never got into action... they had fun anyway!