Parthians versus Late Republican Romans - Age of Caesars Saga Game

 

Parthians deployed

Romans deployed

Forces advance

Roman cavalry shoot at the Parthian cataphracts

Last Friday afternoon Craig came over and we played an Age of Caesars Saga game out in the shed.  My Parthians fighting Craig's Late Republican Romans, six points with the usual Clash of Warlords scenario. I seem to average a Saga game about once every two years, usually when there is a new supplement out. The Romans were the attackers and the two forces advanced to within shooting range. The Roman cavalry shot at the Parthian cataphracts then withdrew repeating this again in a later turn. 

The Roman ballista shooting was effective while the Parthian horse archer shooting was not. A Cataphract charge against a unit of legionaries on the left flank forced them to retreat and on the right flank the Cataphracts managed to destroy the Roman cavalry. The Cataphracts, worn down by shooting and combat, were destroyed. The Romans easily won the game when a legionary unit launched a Pilum attack to destroy a unit of horse archers, who were unable to evade like they would have historically. 

The Age of Caesars is a really attractive supplement with great photos and illustrations. It includes faction rules and battle boards for Caesar's Legions, the Parthians, Imperial Romans, Spartacus Slave Revolt, Germans, Dacians, Sarmatians and Palmyrans. As well as additional rules for Gauls, Britons and mercenaries, so plenty of new and old factions for the Saga enthusiast to game with.

Cataphracts charge the legionaries

Roman cavalry shoot again

Cataphracts are worn down, Romans win easily

More Samnite Cavalry

 

Here are some more Samnite Cavalry that I've finally finished painting. The figures are all Crusader Miniatures, a mixture of armoured and unarmoured riders, with LBM shield transfers. They're nice figures that paint up well but not quite as good as the Aventine ones I painted a few years ago. I still have quite a few infantry figures to paint for this army.

Samnites versus Camillan Romans Midgard Game

 

Romans deployed

Samnites deployed

Forces advance

Samnite cavalry on the right flank

Equites charge, Samnite cavalry countercharge

Last Sunday Gary, Rick and I met down at the Vikings Club in Lanyon for the Canberra Regional Wargames Group's monthly meeting. We played a Samnites versus Camillan Romans Midgard game. I commanded the Samnites, who were the attackers, and Gary and Rick commanded the Romans. The two forces advanced cautiously, opting to advance in single moves to avoid breaking up the line. There was the usual cavalry combat on both flanks, when the equites charged and the Samnite cavalry countercharged. 

The Romans won the cavalry combat but were at half strength leaving them with limited options. In the centre the skirmishers exchanged missile fire, the Samnite javelin men and slingers charged and managed to destroy three Roman leves units. The Samnite infantry charged and had some initial success, even accounting for the equites on the Roman left flank. The Roman infantry were eventually able to win the combats and once the Linen Legion on the Samnite left flank broke, the Samnites had lost their last reputation token.

Cavalry combat on both flanks

Samnite cavalry are destroyed

Linen legion guard the flank

Linen legion break on the left flank

Roman equites break but the Samnites have lost

Thracian Noble Cavalry and Infantry Command

 

Here are some more armoured Thracian noble cavalry and two Thracian infantry command stands that I've finally finished painting. The cavalry are by Crusader Miniatures and Newline Designs, the infantry command stands are by Aventine Miniatures. I'm working on more infantry for my Thracians, later Hellenistic Thracian peltasts with rhomphaia, in both 15mm Xyston figures and 28mm with Aventine and Crusader figures.

Iuka 1862 Valour and Fortitude Game

 

Initial Union deployment

Initial Confederate deployment

Confederate forces advance

Union forces also advance,
some battalions though the fields.

Turn three sees all the Union brigades on the table

It's pretty congested at the Union end of the table

Can the weight of Union numbers win the day?

Confederate artillery battery is deployed on a hill,
Union cavalry threaten the Confederate flank

Last Sunday Craig, Gary, Rob, Rick, Chris and I met down at Vikings Club in Lanyon for the Canberra Regional Wargames Group's monthly meeting. We played our first ACW Valour and Fortitude game, the scenario was Iuka 1862. We actually played a game of this battle about two years ago with the Osprey rules With Hot Lead and Cold Steel but the V& F game was quite different with rules and also a different take on the actual scenario. Craig, Gary and I commanded the Union brigades, Rob, Rick and Chris commanded the Confederates. The Union and Confederate forces contested the road, the main objective in the game. 

The Union forces suffered early losses and struggled to make headway. The terrain, inexperience (most Union brigades were rated green), and congestion of their forces hampering their attack. The Confederate artillery battery deployed on a hill, was effective and proved a thorn in the Union side the whole game. The Union forces eventually had some success, their weight of numbers began to tell, and the game was in the balance. In the end the Confederates managed to hold on and win the game.

Confederate and Union forces contest the
road the main objective in the game

Union forces suffer early losses

Union artillery battery is deployed

Confederate artillery battery proves effective,
a thorn in the Union side the whole game

Terrain and congestion of forces hampers the Union attack

Union forces finally have some success

Game is in the balance

Confederate forces hold on and win the game

Rome: Empire, Power, People - Melbourne Museum Exhibition Part Two

 

Dedication to Juno by twins Orestes and Pylades
1st century CE
Marble
Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Terme di Diocleziano

Slab with theatrical scene
1st century CE
Terracotta

Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Terme di Diocleziano

Various bronze statuettes,
Antefix with theatrical mask on the right
1st century CE
Clay

Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Palazzo Massimo

Various funerary inscriptions
First half of the 1st century CE
Marble

Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Terme di Diocleziano

Fresco panel from the Theatre of Nemi
1st century CE
Fresco, paint pigments on lime plaster

Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Terme di Diocleziano

Male torso
1st-2nd century CE
Marble

Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Terme di Diocleziano

Portait of a philosopher, probably Seneca
2nd century CE
Marble

Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Palazzo Massimo

Ointment jars, Strigil, and Funerary inscription of a masseur
1st century CE
Glass, ceramic, bronze and marble
Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Palazzo Massimo,
Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Terme di Diocleziano

Lid of a sarcophagus with gymnasium scenes
Late 2nd-3rd century CE
Marble
Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Terme di Diocleziano

Relief showing combat between provocatores gladiators
Ca.30 BCE
Marble
Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Terme di Diocleziano

Recreations of gladiators and their armour

Funerary inscription of C. Sempronius, murmillo gladiator
1st century CE
Marble
Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Terme di Diocleziano

Medallion of Gordiano III
238-244 CE
Orichalcum
Florence, Museo Arceologico Nazionale

Knuckle bones, gaming dice and gaming pieces
1st-3rd century CE
Bone
Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Terme di Diocleziano

Relief with Dioscurus
2nd century CE
Red and pavonazzetto marble
Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Terme di Diocleziano

Statue of Venus, Capitoline type
2nd century CE
Marble with traces of colour
Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Terme di Diocleziano

Fresco fragment with female figure
2nd century CE
Fresco, paint pigments on lime plaster
Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Terme di Diocleziano

Bust of Dionysus
1st century CE
Ancient red marble
Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Terme di Diocleziano

Mosaic with nymphs
2nd-3rd century CE
Glass tesserae
Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Terme di Diocleziano

Bronze mirror and gold rings
1st century CE, 1st-3rd century CE
Florence, Museo Archeologico Nazionale,
Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Palazzo Massimo

Necklace with emerald, pearls and glass vague,
Bracelet with glass paste,
4th-5th century CE,1st 2nd century CE
Gold, emeralds, pearls, glass
Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Palazzo Massimo

Necklace, gold earrings and
pendant earrings with garnets, emerald and pearls
4th-5th century CE
Gold, emeralds, pearls and glass
Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Palazzo Massimo

Portrait of a woman with curled Flavian hairstyle
1st quarter of the 2nd century CE
Italian white marble
Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Terme di Diocleziano

Funerary inscription for Primilla, hairdresser
First half of the 1st century CE
Marble
Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Terme di Diocleziano

Oil holder and Funerary inscription for Erotis, barber
1st century CE
Glass and marble
Florence, Museo Arceologico Nazionale,

Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Terme di Diocleziano

Various cups, glasses, jugs and oil lamps

Funerary inscription for Tyrannus, cook to Claudius
Mid-1st century CE
Marble

Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Terme di Diocleziano

Funerary inscription of Heracla
First half of the 1st century CE
Marble

Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Terme di Diocleziano

Inscribed oracle
1st-3rd century CE
Bronze
Florence, Museo Arceologico Nazionale

Bust of Minerva, goddess of war and crafts
2nd-3rd century CE
Fine-grain white marble

Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Terme di Diocleziano

Statuettes of gods
1st-3rd century CE
Bronze
Florence, Museo Arceologico Nazionale

Architectural mask of Jupiter
1st-3rd century CE
Marble
Florence, Museo Arceologico Nazionale

Statue of Bacchus
2nd century CE
Marble
Florence, Museo Arceologico Nazionale

Mosaic with scene of sacrifice
2nd-3rd century CE
White, black and red limestone
Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Terme di Diocleziano

Fresco of the hypogeum of the Octavians
3rd century CE
Fresco, paint pigments on lime plaster
Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Terme di Diocleziano

Curse against Malchio and Rufus
First half of the 1st century CE
Lead
Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Terme di Diocleziano

Funerary Urn
1st-2nd century CE
Alabaster
Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Terme di Diocleziano

Funerary inscription of Gemella
First half of the 1st century CE
Marble
Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Terme di Diocleziano

Portrait of Lucius Verus mounted on Renaissance bust
161-169 CE (head), late 16th century (bust)
White marble
Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Palazzo Altemps

Reconstruction of a mullioned window
12th-13th century CE
Marble
Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Crypta Balbi

Products of early medieval workshop in Rome
7th century CE
Bronze, lead, iron, bone, ivory, ceramic
Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Crypta Balbi

Medal, sestertius, reliquary cross, and disc with monogram
1835, 150-151 CE, 7th century CE
Minted bronze, lead and glass
Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Palazzo Massimo,
Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Crypta Balbi

Sundial with zodiac symbol
1st century BCE-1st century CE
Marble
Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano-Terme di Diocleziano