Baetis River 80 BC - Strength and Honour Game

 

Romans deployed on the left, Sertorius's forces on the right

Sertorius' light cavalry advance

Sertorius attached to a Spanish legion

Forces advance

Light cavalry combat

On Wednesday I played a small, solo Strength and Honour game out in the shed. The scenario was Baetis River 80 BC, with Sertorius' forces (Marius' Populares) fighting Lucius Fufidius' forces (Sulla's Optimates). Not that much is known about the battle, it was fought on the swampy, Baetis River estuary in Spain, where Sertorius' local knowledge was an advantage. Sallust, History frag 1.95, says:

Afterwards, Fufidius arrived with his legions. He discovered that the banks of the river were steep, and if they had to fight, the ford would be hard to get across. Everything favoured his enemies more than his own side.

Plutarch in his life of Sertorius doesn't describe the battle but does provide information on the composition of Sertorius's forces on his return to Spain from Africa, just before the battle. According to Plutarch he had about 8,000 men - 2,600 Romans, 700 Libyans/North Africans and 4,700 Lusitanians. Fufidius presumably outnumbered him but no further details are known. 

Anyway the scenario I came up with provided a fun small game that proved to be quite a tussle. The Romans were the attackers and enjoyed early success when they pushed back Sertorius's slingers and skirmishers off the table. A light cavalry combat on the opposite flank saw the Romans pushed back and then rout. Sertorius' Lusitanians pushed back a raw legion in the centre and further push backs for the Romans saw flank attacks. The Romans fought back well, rallying from disorder and surviving multiple discipline tests, risks to the general and lost eagles and high centurion casualties. In the end they only broke on the third Homonculus Est activation of the Spanish! Interestingly, looking at the Spanish set back and disaster cards after this, they had also reached army break point.

Roman levy legion is reluctant to advance

Sertorius' slingers and skirmishers on the left flank
are pushed back off the table

Roman raw and levy legions are pushed back

Fufidius' legion is disordered

Roman Spanish allies and skirmishers rout

Romans finally break on the third
Homonculus Est activation!

Hittite Chariots

 

Here are two Hittite chariots that I've just finished painting. The figures are by Wargames Foundry. The back drop photo was taken in Turkey in 2011 and is inside the reconstructed walls of Hattusa (the ancient Hittite capital, modern Bogazkale).

Sabis/Sambre 57 BC - Strength and Honour Game

 

Romans deployed, Belgae lurk in the woods

Belgae charge across the river, Romans are disordered

LC and skirmishers fight briefly before routing

XIII and XIV legions with baggage arrive on the table

Viromanui and Atrebates are pushed back

Nervii attack repeatedly

On Wednesday afternoon Rick and Garry came over to my place and we played another 28mm Strength and Honour game out in the shed. The scenario was the battle of Sabis 57 BC with Rick and Garry commanding the Gauls (Belgae), and I commanded the Romans. We modified the scenario slightly adding in some light cavalry, a single unit for the Belgae and two for the Romans - Numidians and Treveri. The light cavalry and skirmishers performed pretty much as expected, fighting briefly before routing, as they did in the actual battle!  

The Romans were extremely lucky at the start of the game rallying all four disordered legions in the first turn of the game. They also had the reinforcements, the XIII and XIV legions with the baggage train, arrive on the table exactly in turn three. Despite this it was quite a prolonged struggle that lasted many turns with quite a few twists in fortune and many push backs for both sides.  In the end we ran out of time, the Romans had the upper hand, the Belgae were demoralised but a result was still a few turns away.

Viromanui and Atrebates are pushed back over the river

They rally and fight back

Nervii are pushed back

Romans hold the line

Romans are pushed back

Belgae force is demoralised

Assuwa versus Hatti ADLG Game

 

Armies deployed - Achaeans left, Hittites right

Achaean left flank

Achaean centre

Armies advance

Hittite left flank

Shooting commences

On Wednesday Craig came over to my place and we played a 200 point ADLG game out in the shed. Craig commanded an early Mycenaean/Achaean force that was supposed to represent the lands of Assuwa, a confederation of western Anatolian kingdoms against the might of Hatti. This proved to be a fun, close and hard fought game and the Achaean/Mycenaean forces and the Hittites were well matched. In the end it was a prolonged, bloody draw but we got the armies' break point wrong so it could have finished sooner!

Achaean chariots and infantry charge

Infantry stoush in the centre

Combat on the Hittite right flank

Combat on Hittite left flank 

Hittite left flank under pressure

Game ends in a bloody draw

Nubian Command and Antonine Miniatures

 

Here's a Nubian command stand that I've just finished painting. The figures are by Casting Room Miniatures and are big and chunky, very easy to paint. They're not quite as good (or accurate) as the Perry sculpted Foundry Nubians but are nice for a bit of variety.

Below is my first tentative foray into painting 2mm for Strength and Honour. The figures are by Antonine Miniatures (sold by Warbases) and the first base is a complete ten cohort legion. The other work in progress bases below, are of elephants with supporting infantry and a wagon laager. I have some late Republican/ Early Imperial Romans on order from Italian manufacturer Korhyl Miniatures and will combine these with auxiliary bases from Antonine Miniatures.

New Kingdom Egyptians

 

Ramses II and an Egyptian Commander

Archers

Archers

Archers

Archers

Archers

Marines

 Mace/Axemen

Spearmen

Here are some old photos from the archives of my New Kingdom Egyptian army. These pics were taken twelve years ago and are a real mix of ranges. I painted all units, they have varied skin tones but some are HCH/Tin Soldier figures. The army has only expanded since then, but of course is still not finished! Ultimately I would like to have four divisions - Amun, Re, Ptah and Set to fight Kadesh and have many more figures, particularly chariots, to paint.

Spearmen

Spearmen

Sherden Guardsmen

Chariot runners

Chariot runners

Egyptian scouts

Medjay Nubian skirmishers

Medjay Nubian skirmishers

Chariots