Soldiers of Rome, Castra Deva mini-campaign, games 2 and 3.

 It’s been a few months, I have not got much gaming in of late, life got busy. We have managed to get the next two games of our Soldiers of Rome campaign played, so here are the AARs. Hopefully, November is quieter and the dice can get rolling again.

Game 2 - Punitive Raid
The Roman garrison at Castra Deva, having been attacked on the road by the locals, have dispatched a force to burn a local village in an attempt to show them the ‘error’ of their anti-Roman ways, cow them by showing there will always be payback for the rebels. This was another Raid scenario, with the Briton’s little hilltop village in the centre of the table and the Romans coming from either side, mostly with lighter auxiliary forces, including 2 auxiliary cavalry units. A single cohort would conduct the main attack into the village, as an unstoppable phalanx.

The locals had arrayed themselves in defence, armed civilians, slingers, bowmen and in the centre, the nobles. As the Roman advance began, auxiliary archers winging arrows into the village, the Celts responded by sending a cloud of skirmishing slingers and archers out to meet the cavalry. They were my diversionary force, so job done! Now, not to die in the diversion.

The slow, oh so slow, heavy infantry cohort lumbered on, flanked by auxiliary spearmen, and first encountered armed peasants, which lasted about 5 seconds… cut down and routed without breaking stride - a ruthless sacrificed screen. The advance continued as the nobles were lined up next.

Meanwhile, the Celt skirmishers had closed in on the cavalry and were inflicting a lot of damage on the auxiliary cavalry, and their rookie commander ‘Publius  Aristos’. Mishandling of the cavalry (they should have just marched away with their ‘gallop’ move and left the skirmishers with no enemy to fight), meant they took a lot of cards to keep on the field.

Back at the village, the local nobles had been charged by the legionaries and the fight was on. The wall of Roman steel did their thing, and ground away hard, wearing the nobles down. They would win, and see-off the best the Celts had, but too late…

Disaster engulfed the cavalry, as sling stones, arrows and then javelins massacred them. Even Publius Artistos, fighting hard to prove this name, was shot down and the entire flank was gone. That was very costly, 2 auxiliary cavalry lost, one in a bloody massacre, and their commander too… and thus the Romans had suddenly lost, the Britons still had 5 VPs left. The punitive raid had bitten-off more than it could chew. The garrison legate would have to write a scroll back to Rome to report the sad loss of a bright young noble son of Rome in his first deployment! We must have revenge for Aristos!

It’s 1-1 after the first 2 games. 

The auxiliary cavalry flank, and the skirmishers that did them in. Beyond is the village on a hill, dead centre.

Cohort and auxiliaries lines attack from the other side.

The cohort faces the nobles, backed by warriors. The auxiliary spears do their bit and get stuck in to.

Warriors and spears face off. The Britons are urged on by their mad druid-ess... wearing deer antlers, and not much else.

The death of Publius Aristo... in a cloud of thrown javelins.

Game 3 - Battle of Rhudall Heath
Time to take that revenge. The garrison commander, ‘Quintus Eugramus’,  has now dispatched a stronger force, with orders to bring the rebellion to end and kill the leader. After the failed raid, morale at the Deva camp had slumped, it was raining, cold, and the pay and wine shipment had been delayed (mutinous legion was in play). Young Aristos had been a popular officer, the men mourned him. This would be a small field battle, as the glum-faced garrison marched out to meet the rebels at Rhudall Heath, on the muddy road south-east from Castra Deva. Ground selected, by a stream with a low hill, on which the scorpios were placed, with cohorts blocking the road. The Celts arrived, all woaded-up and shrieking, led by the mad druid-ess. It was light force, all skirmishers (no straight lines here), but moving quickly.

The battle saw the Romans start well, marching up on the left, and their Scorpios finding the range and hammering Celtic warriors at range. On the left (the main Roman advance), the first Cohort engaged, first a horde of armed civilians (these Celts are ruthless using them as screens to absorb damage), followed up (as a screen for) the naked fanatics. These fought with wreckless fury, with multiple berserker attacks, and the first cohort had to stay strong. They did, killing with gladius and pilum until the fanatics were all dead! Meanwhile, the flanking cavalry (the last survivors from the raid), got some revenge on more armed civilians, a quick charge and a ‘levy panic ‘seeing them off. The Celts, out flanked had to turn to face the cavalry, whilst their warlord commander fought for his life but saved himself. Archery and scorpios continued to hurt the horde on the Roman right, but the centre was quiet. How, seeing two cohorts un-engaged, the Roman commander (me) made a mistake, he turned to march them to the right, and they suddenly found themselves with wardogs (held back) and chariots on their flank and rear. The cohort was caught and charged and found itself in big trouble. The centre commander was attacked by warhouds and only just survived. Next turn, he didn’t, the rapid dogs dragged him down screaming! The cohort broke under the sudden assault… what!

On the right, more fanatics had charged across the stream and were throwing themslevs into the auxiliary spearmen that screened the archers, but their furious attacks were too much and the spearmen went down, in a massacre, leaving the archers to face the naked lunatics next. The wheels had suddenly come off, the centre had broken and the Celt’s relentless attacks saw off the archers, whilst the isolated cavalry were also routed (I keep getting them killed) and ended the battle. Disaster again! The Britons had won by just 2 VPs, the ‘mutinous legion’ had effected my boys, and the ‘galloping’ dog-chariot combo-charge had been very costly. Defeat for the jaws of victory, in a close, tense and fun game.

The survivors would retreat the Castra Deva, and report. The rebellious horde would not far behind. The situation was now urgent. Legate Eugramus, the garrison commander, would need to call out the entire legion, and get his armour ready. Next comes a large field battle in game 4. These Britons need a strong lesson in Rome’s military might…  but they are sneaky devils.

It is now 3-1 to the Britons on campaign VPs. 

Roman right, scorpios, archers and spearmen defend the low hill, fronted by a stream.

 

Center and left cohorts, facing the mob. 

Auxiliary cavalry deal with the levy troops... after they panic. But then are in trouble as they get surrounded and shot down (again). A new plan for these is required.

First cohort smash into the fanatics and warriors (in support), and kill them all!

But disaster to the right, as the naked fanatics scream across the stream, and smash the auxiliary spears. The cohort and their commander get themselves outflanked, with dogs biting them in the arse - a terrible death for a Roman officer, as dog-food.  

The massacre of the spearmen, trampled by sheer weight of numbers. Archers firing into he melee did not help either... they did more damage to the spears than the fanatics.