Ancient Britain, Sacred Groves and a bit of Inter Tribal Warfare.

Last Thursdays games night was something a little different.
Glenn was to busy working to make the game, but a visit from Ian Willey from the The Blog with No Name
helped to make up the numbers.
We had been playing quite a lot of Naps over the last few weeks.
This was probably due to the fact that we have all recently swapped to 15's and now have some sizable collections already.
But last Thursday, we thought we would try something a little different.

As most of you are probably aware, the Ancient Brits usually get a good thumping from the might of Rome.
Pretty disheartening for the Celt players.
So why not have a bit of Celt on Celt action.
After all, they did fight each other before the Romans got here.
So, pre 55 BC or 43 AD when the proper invasion happened is the setting.
We each drew a Random Tribe from the Britannia book.
I got the Silures, Andy got the Cornovii and Ian got the Ordovices.
We trimmed the Tribal forces a little as we were limited with the units we could use.
Myself and Andy started in opposite corners with Ian deployed on the far edge fro us both.
In the centre of the table was a sacred grove.
This grove was out of bounds to all players bar the victor at the end.

The Sacred Grove awaits

My Warband

Andy's Warband

Ian's Warband

We were deployed and ready.
How would it play.
Hahahaha.
Lets sum it up with some pictures of the mayhem.....

I Move, Andy & Ian don't, the Grove is mine

A few turns on and me & Ian are Battling in out.
Andy still fails to move.
Crafty tactic.

Andy finally move as myself & Ian are slowly battering
each other.
Andy manages a charge on my cavalry and breaks them both.

The fight between myself & Ian could have gone either way, but
in the end it was myself that came off worse.
Andy slowly moves forward towards the action.

The state of play about 90 mins in.
Andy edges forward as Ian defeats my Fanatics and my last cavalry.
My Tribe is on the brink of being Broken.

Andy finally gets his Tribe to move, Teatime over.
My Tribe is now Broken and what is left leaves the field.

Ian just manages to re-form his line with what he has left as Andy
now swings his whole force forward.
My two remaining warbands beat a hasty retreat off the table.
My game is over, it's 9pm,
Rest, relax and watch these two fight it out.
Ian has lost half his troops, Andy's are fresh.

Ian charges Andy's warbands and with some super dice rolling
Breaks them both.
Andy launches his chariots at Ian, but the dice gods desert him.
With fails akin to his move dice earlier in the game.
The chariots are broken.
As the lines stand off, Ian launches an assault with his remaining cavalry
Andy & Ian are both now at breaking point. 

The result of this cavalry clash will determine the outcome of the game.
Who will be triumphant ?
Who will claim the Sacred Grove ?

The Answer is Nobody will.
Andy & Ian both broke each others Tribe in the same turn.
As they both fled the field, the Druids looked on in disbelief.
A Random Roman ??? was sacrificed by the Druids as the
Sacred Grove remained unclaimed.
I'm sure more Tribes will be up for claiming this honour in the near
Future.

A great, fun game that was something a little different from what we usually play.
Bad luck to Andy for the worst command rolls in a long time.
In the end it didn't work in his favour.
Bad luck to Ian, who after smashing my tribe gave as good as he got to Andy's.
Enough said about my feeble effort. I cannot make a saving throw, ever.

One thing did come from this though, we need more Celts, Warbands and Cavalry.
Soon my friends, very soon, the numbers will swell yet again...

Hail Caesar with a Special Guest.

Last Thursdays Games night saw our usual foray into "Hail Caesar" and once again our ancient British ancestors pitted their skills against the might of Rome.
We also had a special guest for the evening in the shape of Ian Willey of the Blog with No Name.
Ian turned up in a whistle and flute as he had come straight from work.
Very British..
After a few minutes of piss taking, we got on with the game
A report by Ian can be found Here
It all started well-ish.
Here are a few pics from the game.

Let the Slaughter begin

The Might of Rome advances

The Brits advance to defend their village

Poised ready for the assault

The Brits are checked as Rome's meat grinder trudges forward

Ian's Cavalry is hurled back 

The British centre is destroyed

My British cavalry is soundly beaten, The Might of Rome prevails

The Happy, Gloating couple (Loki & Glenn)

  Well!!
What a disaster.
The Brits were slaughtered.
All the warbands destroyed, cavalry beaten from the field of battle, all that remained were a few skirmishers fleeing for their lives.
Roman casualties were non-existent.
Myself and Ian got a proper thumping.

I'm happy that Ian still enjoyed himself and would like to come along again.
You are always welcome Ian, anytime.

"Wholesale Slaughter"

Last evenings gaming session.

Andy was busy at home moving rooms around, so myself and Glenn decided on a game of "Hail Caesar".

This time, for a change, I would play the Ancient Britons and Glenn would use my Romans.

This was my First outing with the Brits and I want to forget it as soon as possible.

Too much happened to do a full batrep, but it will suffice to say that I got well and truly whupped.

We each had four divisions..

Glenn had Two Legions, an Auxiliary Legion and a cohort of Cavalry.

I had three mixed divisions of Warbands, Chariots and skirmishers and a Cavalry division.

I did manage to take loads of pics, so here is my demise in all Glenn's glory. 

Glenn and the Romans arrive

Ancient British race out to engage them.

Fierce Warbands lead the British assault

It takes time for the Romans to deploy

Boudicca leads the first assault.

The Roman Juggernaut, trundles forward

The First assault goes well for the British

But Fail to break the Legion

The British Cavalry, Blunders and Legs it.

Boudicca's assault, pushes back the legion, but it rallies.

Support for Boudicca falls short as the Romans prepare the counter.

The slow moving British centre lets the Romans Deploy.

The British centre misses it's chance to catch the Romans deploying. 

Boudicca's warband's are systematically destroyed.

The Romans strike.

Everything starts to crumble for the Brits.
One Division breaks, Boudicca's is hanging in there, just.

The British is centre broken as the supporting division  blunders and
moves the wrong way.
The Romans now control the centre.

The returning British cavalry is soundly beaten by it's Roman counterparts.
Two British Divisions broken.

The British division that blundered earlier now manages to engage the
Legions in the centre.
Both are destroyed in the ensuing melee.
Three divisions broken.

Glenn looking rather smug as Boudicca's remaining troops are destroyed.
All four British divisions are broken.
Game over..

Well!!!!

Thats it, Game over.

All I had left to flee off the table at the end was a Chariot unit, a small skirmish unit and the Fanatics that were badly beat up.

Glenn lost three units.

I know what Andy has to contend with now when he plays against my Romans.

It started well, stuff moved forward and got into melee.

But failing to break the Roman units early on was the start of my demise.

Glenn simply fell back, re-grouped and rallied.

Then it all happened in a couple of turns.

The meat grinder came on big style and all fell before it.

Well done Glenn, Great Victory for him.

Great game.

Great fun.

Can I have my Romans back now, please.

Saturday Mega Game "Britannia" The Romans are at it again, Part 2

Lunch was over.

Fed and watered, we set about the game once again.

A meeting of the Roman commanders was had and we decided to stick to Glenns original plan.

Andy had a meeting with himself as to how to deal with the Romans who had weakened his centre and we're now threatening each flank at the river crossing points.

In classic military style, all good plans never survive contact with the enemy.

This is how it panned out.

As my Legionaries, finally got across the bridge, the threat of advancing
warbands forced them onto the hill.
But things were still moving slowly for the Romans.

Andy pulled back his centre units as the Romans continued with the
artillery fire upon them.
The British fell back to the slope of the Hillfort.
Glenn as "Paullinus" edged forward in the centre, ready to attack.
His artillery would support the assault.

Andy had now formed a pretty solid defence at the hillfort.
Warbands moved forward to await the Roman assault.
He knew he had a strong force to counter any breakthroughs.
At this time, Glenns Auxiliaries decided to cross the stone bridge on
the left.
Andy ponders sending Arviragus and his division to engage them and

protect his flank.

The Roman plan was working, The British force was been pushed

on both flanks with the Roman centre ready to strike.

Failed orders prevent
Arviragus and his horde heading towards the Stone bridge crossing
and the warbands in the centre from moving to counter the slow advance
of Paullinus.
Time for the Romans to attack, haha, easier said then done.
Glenn as Paullinus in the centre, struggled to move again,
even with a bloody re-roll.
My Legionaries on the right faired no better and stood as a horde
of naked Fanatics appeared over the brow of the hill.
Glenn managed to get the Auxiliary infantry over the stone bridge, but
the Auxiliary cavalry were less eager.

The  Fanatics dander is up and they clash straight into the Legionaries.
Even un-supported, these are a damn nightmare.
The Romans and supports are pushed back after losing the initial round
of hand to hand.
Meanwhile at the stone bridge, Glenns Auxiliaries reform in front of
the bridge but no Arviragus can be seen.
They are alone as the cavalry are still on the opposite side of the river.
British Skirmishers start to pepper them with ranged attacks.

The Fanatics are putting up one hell of a scrap.
A flank charge from one of the re-forming Testudo's swings the balance
in Rome's favour.
The fanatics give ground  and the weakened cohort follows up.
Glenn starts to move in the centre as my Auxiliaries finally start to cross
the wooden bright on the right to back up my Legionaries.

My Auxiliaries finally start to move up to support my Legion.
The Fanatics are soundly beaten and die to a man, the Romans paid
heavy for this minor victory.
The rest of the legion failed to do anything.
The flank was open but we couldn't move.
Glenn finally got moving in the centre and crossed the river as the
British skirmishers fell back into the woods as the warband's closed to engage
Glenn's Cohorts.

The centre is smashed and the Warbands are beaten as Paullinus takes
the centre.
A British division is broken and flees the field, but the Romans are
seriously weakened from the melee.
I fail to move my Legion again and Glenn fails to get the Auxiliary cavalry
across the river.
Although Glenn's Auxiliary archers manage to engage Andy's on
the left, driving them back.
Arviragus still fails to move, what's Andy up to. 

Andy's British cavalry then hurl down from the hill and smash straight
into Glenn's weakened Legion.
Breaking both the Legionaries and the support, they make a sweeping
charge into the flank of a third cohort that was dealing with the
skirmishers in the wood next to the centre crossing.
This cohort was also destroyed.
Glenn had lost 50% of his division in one round of combat.
One more loss would break the division.
It took only a supported unit of British Medium cavalry to change the
face of the Roman assault.
I still failed to move my Legion on the flank (not helped by
forgetting the Drilled free move yet again) but my Auxiliaries started to get
into position on the right.
Arviragus, hampered by the broken British division, still sat looking
towards Glenn's Auxiliaries at the stone bridge on the left.
They hadn't moved and the cavalry were still on the opposite side.  

Paullinus (Glenn) sent the Scorpion forward to try to break the Victorious
British cavalry.
This it failed to do and left itself a little exposed.
I managed to get a unit of Auxiliary cavalry into position on the right,
but the rest failed to move, yet again.
My Legion edged forward slowly.
But failing to rally anything hampered them.

We saw this coming, the cavalry charge the lone Scorpion.
Break it and break the Roman division at the same time.
Paullinus had to retire with his Legion.
On the Left Arviragus finally moved to engage Glenn's Auxiliaries
at the stone bridge on the left.
More Celtic cavalry headed towards my Deploying Auxiliaries on the right.
Things were not quite going to the Romans plans.

British Cavalry clashed in to the un-supported Roman Auxiliary cavalry
as they had just re-formed from column.
The Auxiliary cavalry were soundly beaten but the British cavalry were
also badly mauled and left shaken.
My Legion never got anywhere near the fighting.
Arviragus sent his full division headlong into Glenn's Auxiliaries at the
stone bridge.
Against all odds, Glenn's troops beat them back, breaking  a unit of
chariots in the process and leaving the entire division "Disordered".
Without his cavalry though, Glenn was unable to capitolise on this.
It was now 7pm
We called it .

The Final positions when we called it.
Well, what a game of very mixed results.

Phew!

Seven hours of gaming.

We gave the British a well deserved Tactical Victory.

Each side had a broken division, But the Roman one was Paullinus, the Roman CinC.

Both sides still had plenty of fight left in them.

The British had taken slightly more casualties.

But were still in a strong position.

I had lost a single unit of cavalry out of my two divisions

Andy had a full untouched division each of Cavaly and Warbands/Chariots.

Glenn still had a Full Auxiliary division minus a small Bow unit.

But time caught up with us.

It would have been great to play it to a completion, maybe another day.

Big thanks to Andy & Glenn for a great day of Gaming, much laughs and piss taking.

We will have to make the Saturday games a semi regular thing, methinks.