Anglo-Scottish Border Buildings

 

Here are three unpainted Anglo-Scottish border buildings that I've just finished gluing and assembling. They are mdf kits by Sarissa Precision that I will use for my Border Reivers. I've added some unpainted figures for a bit of scale. For rules I'm planning on using Border Wars by Flags of War for skirmish games and Billhooks Deluxe for slightly larger games.

The first building above is a small bastle house with options for a ladder or stairs. It has two levels, the lower part being the barn for animals. All three buildings come with removable roofs. The second building below is a stone crofters’cottage and the third is a Scottish longhouse. They're great kits, really detailed and fairly easy to assemble and will look even better when painted.

Ad Castores Strength and Honour Game

 

 Otho's forces on the right, Vitellius' on the left

Vitellius' forces advance around Castores,
the road side shrine to Castor and Pollux

Otho's auxilia alae and Praetorian cohorts advance

Otho's right flank

Vitellius' auxilia on the right are disordered and retreating

Otho's auxilia alae advance on the right flank

Last Thursday afternoon Rick, Garry and Craig came over to my place and we played a 28mm Strength and Honour game, the Battle of Ad Castores 5 April 69 AD, out in the shed. We diced for sides as the Otho's forces had a distinct advantage in numbers and the quality of troops. Garry and I commanded Otho's forces, while Rick and Craig commanded Vitellius' forces, it was a tough scenario for them, they were up against it from the start. Both sides rolled three command points on the auguries table. Below is the scenario that I came up with for the game.

Ad Castores 5 April 69 AD - Strength & Honour Scenario

 

Sources

Tacitus Histories 2.24-26 Translated by Kenneth Wellsesley pp.96-97, Penguin, Harmondsworth, 1964.

Michael Lane, The Roman Empire Order of Battle for the Civil Wars 68-70 AD, Society of Ancients, 2001, pp.24-25.

Otho’s Forces 

Commanders -Suetonius Paulinius (infantry), Publius Marius Celsus (cavalry)

3 Command Points, 1 Generalship Point, Army Break Point 18

Vitellius’ Forces 

Commander - Caecina

3 Command Points, 1 Generalship Point, Army Break Point 15

 

Unit	Mov	Comb	Man	Disc	Character	Points
OTHO
Auxilia Alae	D6 +2	4	2+	7	Cavalry	9
2 Auxilia Cohorts	D6	3	3+	6	Drilled	7
5 Raw Cohorts Legio I Adiutrix	D6	3	4+	7	Battle Trained	6
5 Raw Cohorts Legio I Adiutrix	D6	3	4+	7	Battle Trained	6
2 Praetorian Equites Alae (Reserve)	D6 +2	4	2+	6	Cavalry	12
3 Cohorts of Praetorians	D6	5	2+	5	Battle Trained, Drilled, Stubborn	13
4 Raw Cohorts Legio XIII Gemina	D6	3	4+	7	Battle Trained	6
4 Auxilia Cohorts	D6	3	3+	6	Drilled	7
Auxilia Alae	D6 +2	4	2+	7	Cavalry	6
					TOTAL	72
VITELLIUS
Auxilia Alae	D6 +2	4	2+	7	Cavalry	9
Auxilia Alae	D6 +2	4	2+	7	Cavalry	9
3 Cohorts Veteran Batavian Auxilia	D6	4	2+	6	Drilled	9
3 Cohorts Veteran Auxilia	D6	4	2+	6	Drilled	9
3 Cohorts Auxilia	D6	4	3+	6	Drilled	6
3 Cohorts Auxilia	D6	4	3+	6	Drilled	6
4 Cohorts Auxilia	D6	4	3+	6	Drilled	6
					TOTAL	54

We were a bit rusty with the rules, it was Craig's first game and only Rick had played S&H recently with the Bibracte scenario at the Too Fat Lardies event at Cancon. After a faltering start, with some quick reversal of fortune change overs, Otho's forces got a roll on. Despite some strong resistance from Vitellius's forces, including a very successful flank charge on Otho's auxiliary cavalry, the set back and disaster cards slowly but surely mounted. In the end Vitellius' forces were well and truly broken with 22 army break points, breaking on 15. 

Praetorian and Legio XIII Gemina cohorts charge in to combat

Auxilia alae in combat on Otho's right flank

Vitellius' forces are hard pressed

 Vitellius' auxilia alae charge Otho's alae in the flank

Vitellius' forces are well and truly broken

More 2mm Roman Infantry

 

Korhyl Miniatures legions

Antonine Miniatures auxilia & Korhyl command

Here are five more infantry bases and a command base for my 2mm Romans for Strength and Honour. This is the bulk of the infantry for my Romans. I still have four skirmisher bases, a couple of command bases and an entire Roman marching camp to do. I'm working on some auxiliary cavalry bases at the moment.

As mentioned in my last post we have a 28mm Strength and Honour game tomorrow of Ad Castores, a small battle fought between the forces of Vitellius and Otho, on 5 April 69 AD. It should be fun and it will be interesting to see how it goes.

Eight legions and five auxilia 

Early Imperial Roman Auxiliary Cavalry

 

Here are some Early Imperial Roman auxiliary cavalry that I've just finished painting. The figures are mainly Black Tree Designs. We have a 28mm Strength and Honour game lined up for next week, the scenario is Ad Castores 5 April 69 AD, with Vitellius' forces led by Caecina facing Otho's forces led by Suetonius Paulinus and Publius Marius Celsus. Tacitus describes the battle in his Histories 2.24-26 (Penguin translation pp. 96-97) and there is a great Society of Ancients publication, by Michael Lane The Roman Empire Order of Battle for the Civil Wars 68-70 AD which describes the battle and even has a map (pp. 24-25). The scenario I've worked out is based on these two sources and will hopefully be a lot of fun.

Last week we did another bushwalk, the 30 km Lighthouse to Lighthouse Walk, in Beowa National Park south of Eden. Below are a few photos of the walk. We had great weather, lots of swims and saw heaps of wildlife!

Banksia

Starting out

A small water dragon

The track goes through coastal heath 

Larger skink or lizard

A lyrebird

Bittangabee Bay

Pods of dolphins fishing in Bittangabee Bay

Male lyrebird in full display and voice 

Green Cape Lighthouse in the distance to the south

More Dolphins

A perfect sheltered rock pool for swimming

Salt Water Creek beach

Comorants on the rocks

Spectacular coastline

A three mast sailing ship on the horizon

Boyd's Tower