More Gladiators

 

Group shot

Laquearius

Here are some more 35mm Gripping Beast gladiators, from their Jugula Familia Set Three, that I've just finished painting. There are four types a Lacquearius, Crupellarius, Thraex (Thracian) and Secutor. I have the two other 35mm sets as well and will use these figures and my 28mm gladiators for Frank Sultana's excellent gladiator rules Blood on the Sands.

Crupellarius

Thraex (Thracian)

Secutor

Early Carthaginians versus Syracusans ADLG Game

 

Early Carthaginians and Syracusans deployed

Opposite end

Carthaginian left flank

Carthaginian centre

Carthaginian right flank

Skirmishers shoot on the Carthaginian left flank

Infantry in the centre close

Last Wednesday afternoon Garry came over and we played an Early Carthaginian versus Syracusans ADLG game out in the shed. Garry's Syracusan army was led by the tyrant of Syracuse, Agathocles (317-284 BC), who actually campaigned in Africa 310-307 BC, which was where our game was set. Agathocles was obviously a pretty slippery customer, he had the leaders of his Numidian and Cyrenean 'allies' killed and then took over their armies!  

I'd already deployed my army to save time and Garry was quite canny in his deployment, supporting his cavalry on the flanks with units of hoplites. I attacked regardless and it proved to be quite a close game with the Carthaginian chariots and Sacred Band, both elite units doing well. In the end we ran out of time but the Carthaginians were closer to breaking than the Syracusans with most of their right flank in tatters. I'll use a similar Early Carthaginian army for our next game but the opponent will be Pyrrhus of Epirus in Sicily in 275 BC.

Campanian cavalry and chariots line up a
charge on the right flank

Combat on the left flank

Carthaginians charge in the centre

Carthaginian chariots and cavalry charge on the right

Carthaginian chariots charge on the left

Carthaginians are on the verge of breaking

Command and Colors Ancients - Lake Vadimon 283 BC

 

The Romans, Etruscans and Boii deployed

Opposite end

Etruscan light infantry suffer casualties from a retreat

Roman leves with casualties from shooting

Romans play a mounted charge
card, on their left flank

And on their right flank

Last Friday afternoon I played a solo Command and Colors Ancients game out in the shed. The scenario was Lake Vadimon or Lake Vadimo 283 BC with a coalition of Etruscans and Gauls, the Boii tribe, taking on a Republican Roman army under Publius Cornelius Dolabella. The Romans had five command cards and moved first, while the Etruscans and Boii only had four command cards. This turned out to be quite an interesting game, as the Romans despite a significant advantage in cards and troops, never really got going and most of their centre never got in to action.

Polybius provides some details on the battle:

the Boii, seeing the Senones expelled from their territory, and fearing a like fate for themselves and their own land, implored the aid of the Etruscans and marched out in full force. The united armies gave battle to the Romans near Lake Vadimon, and in this battle most of the Etruscans were cut to pieces while only quite a few of the Boii escaped.

Polybius, The Histories, 2.20.1-4 https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Polybius/2*.html

The Romans played a mounted charge card early in the game and were able to inflict casualties and force a retreat on the Etruscan light cavalry. The Boii warriors on the coalition left flank attacked, causing casualties and eventually killing the Roman legate. A double time card allowed the Etruscan infantry to attack on their right flank. After several turns of combat here the Etruscan leader and infantry emerged with a surprising but hard fought 8-5 victory.

Boii auxilia are nearly done

Roman cavalry momentum advance
on their left flank

Boii warriors attack on their left flank

Etruscans charge on their right flank

Romans are forced to retreat

Etruscans charge again

Boii chieftain and cavalry charge in the centre

Etruscan leader and infantry
win a hard fought 8-5 game

Border Wars Game - Foray with the Elliots and Armstrongs

 

Elliot attackers and Armstrong defenders assemble

Elliots deploy 

Well fed Chillingham cattle, the objective of the foray!

Elliots advance 

Armstrongs respond

Casualties and wounds from shooting and combat 

Last Sunday I met Rick and Gary down at the Vikings Club in Lanyon for a game of Border Wars. It was the monthly Sunday meeting of the Canberra Regional Wargame Group. We used to play here all the time but this was only my second game there since 2020. The scenario was Foray (p.65 of the rules) which involved a raid on an Armstrong bastle with the objective their cattle and sheep. Gary commanded the Elliot family attackers and Rick was the Armstrong defenders. The two sides had 11 figures a side, with a leader, two heroes and eight soldiers, four mounted, seven foot, about 115 points. The Armstrongs only had half of their force with reinforcements hopefully arriving in turn three.

This was Gary and Rick's first game of Border Wars, I was umpire and had only played one game previously but it provided plenty of laughs. Gary often has atrocious luck with his dice and true to form managed to consistently roll ones and twos even with D10s! The game uses dice for activation, combat and shooting, D10s, D8s and D6s as well as markers and cards - Special Actions, Heroic Actions and Special Events. The Armstrongs were comfortably leading through out the game having killed an Elliot hero early on and retrieving most of their stock. In the final turn the Elliots managed to win the game by killing the Armstrong leader and heroes.

 

Cheviot sheep are wrangled away
from the thieving Elliots

Armstrong reinforcements advance

The families fight over the remaining cow

Armstrongs escape with the prize

Elliots win the game in the final turn,
killing the Armstrong leader and heroes

Border Buildings, Civilians and Livestock

 

Civilians and Livestock

Bastle with stairs

Bastle with ladder

Here are some Border buildings, civilians and livestock that I've just finished painting to use in my Border Reivers games. The buildings are by Sarissa Precision and Warbases. I've done a quick and dirty paint job on these but will touch them up, silver the wood and paint individual stonework when I have a bit more time. The civilians, a shepherd and his wife, are by Timeline Miniatures, I have quite a few more of their Border Reiver figures to paint but will have to track them down somewhere in the lead pile! Usually I label everything to keep track but have been reorganising it all in to plastic crates. The livestock are by Flags of War and are Cheviot sheep and Chillingham cattle.