Franks versus Patrician Romans Basic Impetus Game

Roman cavalry advances on the flanks

Roman horse archers and Illyrian cavalry

Roman cataphracts

Foederati

Roman legionaries and archers

Last Sunday afternoon Andrew came over and we played an Early Franks versus Patrician Romans Basic Impetus game. He lives three doors up the road and we finally managed to get around to playing our first game. He has a lovely Patrician Roman/Late Roman army that he has painted, all Gripping Beast plastics and metals with some impressive conversions, especially his horse archers and Illyrian cavalry. Unfortunately the Franks didn't put up much of a fight and a couple of bad cohesion tests rolls later it was all over red rover! Still it was fun to get the figures out and hopefully the first, of many games to come.

Franks advance

Cataphracts retreat

Skirmishers are destroyed

Franks rout

Franks

Here are some Franks that I've just finished painting for Basic Impetus which will bring my force up to strength. Apart from a spare Old Glory figure they're all Wargames Foundry figures sculpted by the Perrys. There has been a heatwave here in Australia this week and this is the third consecutive day of 40+ degrees celsius in Canberra. Some places have had temperatures of 47 or even 49 so it is not too bad really, but I do struggle painting when it's hot. We don't have air conditioning so I have purchased a little desk fan which seems to help and there's supposed to be cooler weather over the weekend. The beach, river or lake is the place to be in an Australian summer!

Samnites versus Etruscans Basic Impetus Game

Samnites on the left, Etruscans on the right

View from the Samnite lines

Side view of the armies deployed

Samnite centre

Samnite right flank

As I mentioned in my last post, last Sunday afternoon down at the club, Garry and I played a Samnite versus Etruscans Basic Impetus game. Both are interesting and colourful armies, and certainly ones that you don't see that often on the wargame table. We didn't bother with any fancy tactics, just lined them up, advanced and charged. I was expecting my Samnites to get thrashed again, after their drubbing against the Camillan Romans, a few weeks ago. To my surprise, aided by lucky dice rolling, the Samnites punched a hole in the Etruscan centre, this soon collapsed and the Etruscans were routed.

The armies close

Both sides get stuck in

Casualties mount

A hole appears in the Etruscan centre

The Etruscan centre collapses

Samnite versus Camillan Roman Basic Impetus Game

I've just finished painting another unit for my Samnites (see photos above) and thought I would try a solo Basic Impetus game with them against my Camillan Romans out in the shed. I bought these A&A and Gripping Beast figures second hand and although they were painted it still took a fair bit of work to get them to a reasonable standard. Most have LBM shield transfers, except for some of the back ranks, which include some rather dodgy hand painted, swastika type shield designs! I think the Italian officer figure was a freebie from an old Ancient Warfare magazine subscription offer.

In the game I gave both sides an extra medium cavalry unit (CM) each and I had to draft in a unit of Velites for the Romans as I didn't have enough painted Leves as skirmishers. The Romans were the attackers and didn't have too much trouble at all against the Samnites. The Samnites caught the Roman Leves who failed to evade early in the game and later also managed to rout one Roman cavalry unit, including the Roman commander. Apart from that it was pretty much a Roman one way street!

View of the table with armies deployed

Samnite right flank near the wood

Samnite left flank - between a rock and a hard place!

Opposite end of the table

Both armies advance

The Linen Legion are the Samnite reserves in the centre

Samnite cavalry skirt the woods

The armies get closer

Samnites charge the Leves who fail to evade

Roman Hastati and Principes charge

Samnites are driven back

Roman Cavalry rout Samnite Cavalry

Samnite army is about to rout

Marian Roman versus Pontic Basic Impetus Game

Marian Romans on the left, Pontics on the right

Romans advance

Pontic Noble cavalry

Pontic Chalkaspides (Bronze Shields) and Galatians

Infantry close in the centre

Roman legionaries get stuck in to the Pontic infantry

Spanish cavalry

Last Sunday Garry, Gary, Craig and I met down at the Vikings Club in Lanyon for the Capital Region Wargames Group's monthly meeting. We played two games, the first of these was a Marian Roman versus Pontic Basic Impetus game with two armies and commanders on each side. Garry and Gary commanded the Pontics, while Craig and I commanded the Romans.


For once Craig had some good luck with his dice, while Gary seemed to only throw sixes when doing cohesion tests! Soon the Pontic forces on the Roman left flank were in strife. On the Roman right flank the fighting was very close until the final turn when the Pontics managed to rout the Romans. Overall it was a Roman victory as the Pontics really got hammered on the Roman left flank. In the afternoon we played a Chariots Rampant game but I will save that for a separate post.

Spanish Caetrati

Roman left flank eventually rout the Pontics

Roman right flank

Spanish cavalry retreat

The fighting on the Roman right flank is very close

Spanish Scutarii

Roman right flank routs on the final turn

Pontic Chalkaspides (Bronze Shields) hold their ground