The Battle of the Wyrhta, with Soldiers of Rome

Back to putting down the revolting Britons again... one of our occasional SoR games, a 300 point pitched battle for a few hours of fun.

Something a bit different, as in most games I’m on the attack with my Romans, just because I usually prefer to be active take the battle to the enemy, and not sit back too much. This time, I took the opposite plan and went completely defensive,with a Hold the Line battle plan, with solid infantry to do it and a centre built around missile fire (with a Loose card behind), to make the Britons pay on their way in. I’ve not used war machines in while, so it was a chance to get my scorpios (and a borrowed onager) on the tabletop. The barbarians are usually aggressive too, it’s what they are best at, but this time I’d wait the charge and do some serious damage on the way in.

That wasn’t it though. The plan was more cunning, because their is a special event card to change battle plan (Romans only) and so, if I got that card, I would use it to suddenly attack. So, first draw the enemy in, battering them en route and, when the came to the melee, sudden go on the offensive and get some charge cards behind my infantry to jump them and pressure them. (I coudn’t just sit back for good).

All good, I picked the legion’s units and deployed them, with a useful small hill in the centre for my war machines (terrain was randomly generated). The Britons would be attacking in the centre with harassing units on the flanks, a mob of slingers and archers and javalineers on their left, fanatics leading them on their right, but the nobles, mercenary spears and chariots were in the centre as the main strike force.

Time to go, and on Turn 1 I got the new battle plan special event. I held on to that card (and would for several turns) because it was too soon. Still, card in hand, the plan would come to fruition whenever I judged the time right. The celts advanced en mass (of course). The four war machines opened fire with great effect, scoring hits and direct hits and hammering the fanatics, but a lucky Rally card saved them, then did it again in Turn 2.. drat! Still, the scorpios fire was punishing… and the Romans waited, discarding cards to rally of any disruption (not much) from arrows etc. ‘Steady lads!’

After the first few turns, the lines had closed in. The fanatics had rushed in, but my fresh legions withstood the rush and started the grind… always back a legion in the attritional fights. His skirmisher heavy (very heavy) left was not going to charge (they ain’t mad), just fling a lot of rocks and arrows, so I started to push forwards a bit, hoping to get into charge range for when I switched plans, a rude shock of the Briton’s youths to suddenly get pilum and then gladius back. My cohorts were weathering the rock storm well. ‘Shields up!’

In the centre, things looked worryingly weaker, I had  single legion cohort to hold him up, behind which were the auxiliary archers and war machines, so that cohort had a big job on. I diverted a cohort from the left and right to turn in and move into the centre, like pinchers, but a lack of March cards made it so slow (even slower than heavy infantry trying to manoeuvre, this might have been a better job for auxiliary spearmen). Anyway, the Celts rushed in and suddenly one poor cohort was fighting 4 enemy units, and getting ground down. How long could I keep them in the fight? Time for the change of battle plan…

.. expect, with just 2 cards left in my hand the Barbarians played a Confusion card, taking one of mine and, in the 50-50, took the new battle plan! and discarded it. What? I was just going to use that, next play or two. Arghh! So, cunning plan out of the window, and  it would now be a close call. I had to fight it out with what I had.

My right kept marching as they could. But the light skirmishers fell back faster than the legions advanced, I wasn’t going to catch them, and so just stepped on in a hail of missiles each time. Still, Rally it off, and keep going. By the end of the game, they had advanced well over halfway, but never caught the skirmishers.

On the left, fighting off the fanatics, wild dogs and then warriors, I lost one cohort but the auxiliary spears stepped up and did a good job holding the line. It was a stalemate, especially after the annoying dogs were dealt with.

So, to the crucial centre, where my hard pressed cohort broke and it seemed all would be swept away. My archers were charged and chariots rushed on, their chieftain reaching and destroying a scorpios. To save the centre my feted leader rode into the fray to slow them down, fighting alone, but two cohorts were on the way… quicker… never has a man needed a March or Charge card more. Somehow, my general survived and just in time to get my first cohort across and into the fray. From the other side, the second cohort (veterans) were still trying to get there, and only did so late in the day, but did catch a unit of armed civilians in the flank and butcher them all in a gory massacre… no mercy!

In VPs it was very close… the Romans had 7 left, the Celts 4. In the final turn it was tense again. My leader was cut down, but the auxiliary spears final killed all his crazy fanatics… and that was just enough to win the day. Celts reduced to -3 VPs, Romans had 3 left… but it could have gone either way on the cards and dice. My centre had just survived the crisis, and the scorpios crews did a good job defending themselves (I thought I’d loose them all, but 2 survived). My heroic general would be carried from the field of his victory… his cunning plan ruined, but selling himself in the end to help save the day.

Another great game, so close, really dramatic and unreadable, so many interesting card plays, but stealing my new battle plan took the biscuit… the barbarians didn’t even know they had wrecked my plans until after the game (serious poker face was required). But ‘Roma Victor! ‘. Another corner of Britannia conquered.

 

The legion's lines, cohorts and auxiliary interspersed, war machines in the centre. 

Slingers and archers, lots of them, form the Celts left. A deluge of rocks and arrows to withstand.

Roman centre, just 1 legionary cohort to cover the missile troops, not enough (or they should have been veterans).

Briton's right, advance over the Wyrhta stream and through the village. fanatics rushed off... as they do.

The naked nutters, wode proving little use against scorpios bolts and onager rocks.

Steady lads await the onslaught on the Roman left.

Fanatics wave closes in, having somehow (by Rally cards) survived the war machine barrage.
Still, a wall of steel awaits them.

The Roman right, step-on, into the rock storm and drive their flank back, beyond the hill behind them.

The fighting the centre as the cohort is overrun. Archers and general are next in line. The archers didn't last long, but the general sold his life like a hero.

The left flank must hold, and does, despite having their arses bitten by damn dogs...

They kill off the first wave of fanatics, but the legionaries go under too. Dogs won't die (yet) though.

Chariot chieftain breakthrough to the war engines hillock, but the onager crew aren't giving up easy.

The long and fruitless pursuit of the skirmishers... they had most of the tabletop to retreat back into. They carried the Aquila across the table... 'forward to glory, for Rome and the Emperor!'.